System for making renewable fuels

Abstract

Multiple catalytic processing stations couple with a system which produces volatile gas streams from biomass decomposition at discrete increasing temperatures. These catalytic processing stations can be programmed to maximize conversion of biomass to useful renewable fuel components based on input feedstock and desired outputs.

1 - 28 . (canceled) 
     
     
         29 . A method for converting biomass to renewable fuels, comprising:
 providing a system containing a number of processing stations (N) in communication with a series of catalysts;   heating a biomass within the stations at a starting temperature (Tstart) to produce a volatile and a non-volatile component, to provide volatile components suitable for producing at least one renewable fuel; and   subjecting the volatile components generated in at least one station through the series of catalysts to produce at least one renewable fuel, wherein at least one of the heating and the series of catalysts is determined based on the biomass composition.   
     
     
         30 . The method of  claim 29 , wherein the heating is based on the biomass composition. 
     
     
         31 . The method of  claim 29 , wherein said series of catalyst is based on the biomass composition. 
     
     
         32 . The method of  claim 29 , wherein the biomass is a lipid-rich biomass. 
     
     
         33 . The method of  claim 32 , wherein the biomass is subjected to a temperature of less than 300° C. in a first station. 
     
     
         34 . The method of  claim 33 , wherein the volatile components from the first station are contacted with a dehydration catalyst to produce a product which on cooling to a temperature range of 1-20° C. produces a second volatile component, a first renewable fuel and water. 
     
     
         35 . The method of  claim 34 , wherein the dehydration catalyst operates at less than 2 bar pressure and in a temperature range of 400-700° C. 
     
     
         36 . The method of  claim 34 , further comprising routing the second volatile component to an aromatization catalyst to produce a second product. 
     
     
         37 . The method of  claim 29 , wherein the biomass is a hemicellulose-rich biomass. 
     
     
         38 . The method of  claim 37 , wherein the biomass is subjected to a temperature of greater than 300° C. and less than 500° C. in a first station. 
     
     
         39 . The method of  claim 38 , wherein the volatile components from the first station are contacted directly with an aromatization catalyst to produce a product which on cooling to a temperature of 0-20° C. produces a second volatile component, a first renewable fuel and water. 
     
     
         40 . The method of  claim 39 , wherein the aromatization catalyst operates at less than 2 bar pressure and in a temperature range of 300° C. to 500° C. 
     
     
         41 . The method of  claim 34 , wherein the aromatization catalyst is selected from the group consisting of MFI type zeolites and metal modified MFI-type zeolites including one or more metals selected from the group consisting of: Group VIB metals, Group VIIB metals. Group VIII metals. Group IB metals. Group IIB metals, Ga, and In. 
     
     
         42 . The method of  claim 29 , wherein the biomass is a lignin-rich biomass. 
     
     
         43 . The method of  claim 42 , wherein the biomass is subjected to a temperature of greater than 500° C. in a first station. 
     
     
         44 . The method of  claim 43 , wherein the volatile component from the lignin-rich biomass is contacted with a dehydration catalyst to produce a product which on cooling to 2-20° C. produces a second volatile component, a renewable fuel and water. 
     
     
         45 . The method of  claim 29 , further comprising incrementing an individual processing station temperature by increments (ΔT) to produce a volatile and a non-volatile component, said biomass and said incremental heating selected to provide incremental volatile components suitable for producing at least one renewable fuel. 
     
     
         46 . The method of  claim 45 , wherein the increment is in the range of 0° C. to 200° C. 
     
     
         47 . The method of  claim 29 , wherein the sequence of catalyst contact is determined by the biomass composition.