Bio-oil recovery systems

Abstract

An emulsion-breaking additive is combined with an emulsion concentrate to yield a reaction product and the emulsion concentrate is produced in a process stream and contains entrapped bio-oil. Subsequent phase separating can be accomplished with gravity separation and/or mechanical processing. The emulsion-breaking additive can be native to the process stream. Related systems and methods are also provided.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A system comprising:
 a biomass processing facility having one or more process streams and configured to produce a biofuel and a bio-oil-containing process stream, wherein the biomass processing facility includes:   a dewatering system configured to dewater the bio-oil containing process stream to produce an emulsion concentrate containing entrapped bio-oil; and   an emulsion breaking system configured to at least partially break the emulsion concentrate with an emulsion breaking additive in an emulsion breaking reaction to yield a reaction product containing released bio-oil.   
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1  wherein the emulsion breaking additive is native to the one or more process streams and the system further comprises a recovery system for recovering the released bio-oil. 
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 1  wherein the biomass processing facility is an alcohol production facility. 
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 1  wherein the emulsion breaking reaction is performed at a temperature of about 22° C. to about 121° C. and the bio-oil containing process stream has a moisture content of about 5% by weight, up to less than 30% by weight. 
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 1  wherein a mechanical processor can be used to produce the bio-oil containing process stream. 
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 5  wherein the emulsion breaking system further comprises:
 an emulsion breaking additive removal system configured to remove the emulsion breaking additive from the reaction product to yield a broken emulsion concentrate; and 
 a phase separating system configured to phase separate the broken emulsion concentrate to yield an aqueous phase and a bio-oil phase. 
 
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 6  wherein the emulsion breaking additive can be removed with flash evaporation and the broken emulsion concentrate can be phase separated with a gravity separation device or with a mechanical processor. 
     
     
         8 . The system of  claim 1  wherein the emulsion breaking includes a phase separator configured to phase separate the reaction product to yield a broken emulsion concentrate. 
     
     
         9 . The system of  claim 8  wherein the emulsion breaking system includes a mechanical processor configured to mechanically process the broken emulsion concentrate to yield an aqueous phase and a bio-oil phase. 
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 1  wherein the bio-oil containing process stream can further contain bio-oil bound to components in the process stream, bio-oil trapped by components in the process stream, or both, wherein the bound or trapped bio-oil can also be released. 
     
     
         11 . The system of  claim 10  wherein the bio-oil is a vegetable oil or animal fat. 
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 1  wherein the emulsion breaking additive is a polar protic solvent and can be heated prior to being combined with the process stream. 
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 12  wherein the polar protic solvent is ethanol. 
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 12  wherein the polar protic solvent is glycerol. 
     
     
         15 . A system comprising:
 an ethanol production facility configured to produce ethanol and a bio-oil-containing process stream, wherein the ethanol production facility includes:
 a dewatering system configured to dewater the bio-oil containing process stream to produce an emulsion concentrate containing entrapped bio-oil; and 
 an emulsion breaking system configured to at least partially break the emulsion concentrate with an emulsion breaking additive in an emulsion breaking reaction to yield a reaction product containing released bio-oil, wherein the emulsion breaking system further comprises a bio-oil recovery system to recover the released bio-oil. 
   
     
     
         16 . The system of  claim 15  wherein the emulsion breaking system further comprises:
 an emulsion breaking additive removal system configured to remove the emulsion breaking additive from the reaction product to yield the broken emulsion concentrate; and 
 a phase separating system configured to phase separate the broken emulsion concentrate to yield an aqueous phase and a bio-oil phase. 
 
     
     
         17 . The system of  claim 15  wherein the emulsion breaking includes a phase separator configured to phase separate the reaction product to yield a broken emulsion concentrate. 
     
     
         18 . The system of  claim 17  wherein the emulsion breaking system includes a mechanical processor configured to mechanically process the broken emulsion concentrate to yield an aqueous phase and a bio-oil phase. 
     
     
         19 . A system comprising:
 an ethanol production facility configured to produce ethanol and a bio-oil-containing process stream, wherein the ethanol production facility includes:
 a dewatering system configured to dewater the bio-oil containing process stream to produce an emulsion concentrate containing entrapped bio-oil; 
 an emulsion breaking system comprising:
 an emulsion breaking reaction system configured to at least partially break the emulsion concentrate with an emulsion breaking additive to yield a reaction product; 
 an emulsion breaking additive removal system configured to remove the emulsion breaking additive from the reaction product to yield a broken emulsion concentrate; and 
 a phase separation system configured to phase separate the broken emulsion concentrate to yield an aqueous phase and a bio-oil phase; and 
 
 a recovery system for recovering released bio-oil in the bio-oil phase. 
   
     
     
         20 . The system of  claim 19  wherein the bio-oil is corn oil.