Biofuel production method and system

Abstract

In an embodiment of the present invention, a renewable energy fuel is prepared by a process including the steps of: a) providing a renewable energy feedstock; b) providing an alcohol; c) providing a catalyst; d) mixing (a), (b), and (c) to form a blend; and e) homogenizing the blend at a pressure greater than 400 kilogram-force per square centimeter (Kg/cm2).

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A renewable energy fuel prepared by a process comprising the steps of:
 a) providing a renewable energy feedstock;   b) providing an alcohol;   c) providing a catalyst;   d) mixing (a), (b), and (c) to form a blend; and   e) homogenizing the blend at a pressure greater than 400 kilogram-force per square centimeter (Kg/cm2).   
     
     
         2 . The fuel prepared by the process of  claim 1 , wherein the feedstock comprises an animal or vegetable oil, chosen from the group consisting essentially of beef tallow, pork fat, poultry fat, oil from soybeans, cottonseeds, canola, rapeseeds, rice bran, flax seeds, safflowers, cranbe, corn, sunflowers, mustard seeds, palm, peanuts, coconuts, or other vegetable or animal material, used or recycled animal or vegetable oils, other biologically derived oils, oil from annual cover crops, algal oil, biogenic waste oils/fats/greases, or combinations thereof. 
     
     
         3 . The fuel prepared by the process of  claim 1 , wherein the alcohol is a short chain alcohol chosen from the group consisting essentially of one or more monovalent or multivalent alcohols, such as methanol, ethanol, isopropanol, butanol, trimethylpropane, glycerols and other polyols or combinations thereof. 
     
     
         4 . The fuel prepared by the process of  claim 1 , wherein the catalyst comprises a non-ionic surfactant. 
     
     
         5 . The fuel prepared by the process of  claim 1 , wherein the feedstock is present in an amount of from about 90% to about 99% of the total weight of the composition. 
     
     
         6 . The fuel prepared by the process of  claim 1 , wherein the alcohol is present in an amount of from about from about 1% to about 10% of the total weight of the composition. 
     
     
         7 . The fuel prepared by the process of  claim 1 , wherein the catalyst is present in an amount of from about from about 0.01% to about 5% of the total weight of the composition. 
     
     
         8 . The fuel prepared by the process of  claim 1 , wherein the homogenizing step further comprises a pressure cannon having:
 a planar member; and   a fluid nozzle disposed in cooperative alignment with the planar member, the fluid nozzle being configured to receive a flow of the blend and direct the flow of the blend in a stream at greater than 400 kilogram-force per square centimeter (Kg/cm2) towards the planar member and perpendicular to a face of the planar member, wherein the stream of the blend is homogenized to generate the Biofuel in response to striking the planar member.   
     
     
         9 . A method of preparing a biofuel comprising the steps of:
 a) providing a renewable energy feedstock;   b) providing an alcohol;   c) providing a catalyst;   d) mixing (a), (b), and (c) to form a blend; and   e) homogenizing the blend at a pressure greater than 400 kilogram-force per square centimeter (Kg/cm2).   
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein the feedstock comprises an animal or vegetable oil, chosen from the group consisting essentially of beef tallow, pork fat, poultry fat, oil from soybeans, cottonseeds, canola, rapeseeds, rice bran, flax seeds, safflowers, cranbe, corn, sunflowers, mustard seeds, palm, peanuts, coconuts, or other vegetable or animal material, used or recycled animal or vegetable oils, other biologically derived oils, oil from annual cover crops, algal oil, biogenic waste oils/fats/greases, or combinations thereof. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein the alcohol is a short chain alcohol chosen from the group consisting essentially of one or more monovalent or multivalent alcohols, such as methanol, ethanol, isopropanol, butanol, trimethylpropane, glycerols and other polyols or combinations thereof. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein the catalyst comprises a non-ionic surfactant. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein the feedstock is present in an amount of from about 90% to about 99% of the total weight of the composition. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein the alcohol is present in an amount of from about 1% to about 10% of the total weight of the composition. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein the catalyst is present in an amount of from about 0.01% to about 5% of the total weight of the composition. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein the homogenizing step further comprises a pressure cannon having:
 a planar member; and   a fluid nozzle disposed in cooperative alignment with the planar member, the fluid nozzle being configured to receive a flow of the blend and direct the flow of the blend in a stream at greater than 400 kilogram-force per square centimeter (Kg/cm2) towards the planar member and perpendicular to a face of the planar member, wherein the stream of the blend is homogenized to generate the biofuel in response to striking the planar member.   
     
     
         17 . A system for manufacturing a biofuel, the system comprising:
 a feedstock supply;   an alcohol supply;   a catalyst supply;   a mixing tank in fluid connection with the feedstock supply, alcohol supply, and catalyst supply, the mixing tank being configured to generate a mixture of feedstock, alcohol, and catalyst;   a pump in fluid connection with the mixing tank, the pump configured to receive the mixture from the mixing tank and generate a flow of the mixture; and   a pressure cannon in fluid connection with the pump, the pressure cannon comprising:
 a planar member; and 
 a fluid nozzle disposed in cooperative alignment with the planar member, the fluid nozzle being configured to receive the flow of the mixture from the pump and direct the flow of the mixture in a stream at greater than 400 kilogram-force per square centimeter (Kg/cm2) towards the planar member and perpendicular to a face of the planar member, wherein the stream of the mixture is homogenized to generate the biofuel in response to striking the planar member; and 
   a collection tank in fluid connection with the pressure cannon, the collection tank configured to collect and store the Biofuel generated by the pressure cannon.   
     
     
         18 . The system according to  claim 17 , further comprising a controller configured to control the vegetable oil supply pump, the alcohol supply pump, and the catalyst supply pump. 
     
     
         19 . The system according to  claim 17 , wherein the mixing tank is a zero dead volume mixing tank. 
     
     
         20 . The system according to  claim 17 , further comprising a transfer tank fluidly interposed between the mixing tank and the pressure cannon. 
     
     
         21 . The system according to  claim 17 , further comprising a plurality of pressure cannons. 
     
     
         22 . The system according to  claim 17 , further comprising a plurality of collection tanks, wherein each pressure cannon of the plurality of pressure cannons includes a respective collection tank of the plurality of collection tanks. 
     
     
         23 . The system according to  claim 17 , further comprising a plurality of pumps, wherein each pressure cannon of the plurality of pressure cannons includes a respective pump of the plurality of pumps. 
     
     
         24 . The system according to  claim 17 , further comprising a vent in fluid connection with the collection tank, the vent being configured to facilitate aeration of the collected biofuel. 
     
     
         25 . The system according to  claim 17 , further comprising an aeration tank to further aerate the biofuel, the aeration tank being in fluid connection with the collection tank. 
     
     
         26 . The system according to  claim 17 , further comprising:
 a feedstock supply pump;   an alcohol supply pump; and   a catalyst supply pump.