Biofuel

Abstract

The invention relates to a biofuel, particularly an advanced solid biofuel, comprising waste coffee grounds.

1 . A combustible biofuel composition comprising WCG. 
     
     
         2 . A biofuel composition according to  claim 1 , wherein the composition is in the form of a pellet or briquette. 
     
     
         3 . A biofuel composition according to  claim 2 , wherein the composition is a pellet for use in burning in a biomass boiler system. 
     
     
         4 . A biofuel composition according to any preceding claim, wherein the composition comprises at least 75% WCG. 
     
     
         5 . A biofuel composition according to any preceding claim, wherein the composition comprises a combustible fibrous filler. 
     
     
         6 . A biofuel composition according to  claim 5 , wherein the filler is selected from sawdust, barley waste, hops waste, cocoa husk, sugar beet, straw, wood, nut husks, reeds, bread waste, maize, wheat chaff and barley chaff. 
     
     
         7 . A biofuel composition according to  claim 5  or  6 , wherein the composition comprises less than 50% filler. 
     
     
         8 . A biofuel composition according to any preceding claim, further comprising a binding agent. 
     
     
         9 . A biofuel composition according to  claim 8 , wherein the binding agent is selected from a polysaccharide, glycerol, natural paraffin, plant oil, ligno-sulphonate and molasses. 
     
     
         10 . A biofuel composition according to  claim 8  or  claim 9 , wherein the composition comprises no more than 10% binding agent. 
     
     
         11 . A feedstock for producing a biofuel composition according to any preceding claim. 
     
     
         12 . A feedstock according to  claim 11 , comprising at least 70% WCG. 
     
     
         13 . A method for producing a solid biofuel composition comprising WCG, the method comprising the steps of:
 a) providing a feedstock composition according to  claim 11  or  12 ; and   b) compressing that feedstock into pellets or briquettes.   
     
     
         14 . A method according to  claim 13 , wherein the step of providing the feedstock comprises the step of drying the WCG. 
     
     
         15 . A method according to  claim 14 , wherein the WCG are dried to a moisture content of between 6 and 20%. 
     
     
         16 . A method according to any of  claims 13  to  15 , wherein the step of providing the feedstock comprises the step of mixing the WCG with at least one of a binder and a filler. 
     
     
         17 . A method according to any of  claims 13  to  16 , wherein the step of compressing the feedstock into pellets comprises the step of pressing the feedstock through a pellet press. 
     
     
         18 . A method according to  claim 17 , further comprising the step of cooling the pellets. 
     
     
         19 . An apparatus for preparing a biofuel from WCG biomass, the apparatus comprising a means for drying WCG, a means for mixing WCG with one or more additives to produce a feedstock and a means for compressing the feedstock. 
     
     
         20 . A biofuel composition or a feedstock composition for the production of a biofuel, the composition comprising at least 50% WCG, wherein at least 50% of the WCG are IWCG. 
     
     
         21 . A composition according to  claim 1 , wherein the composition comprises at least 50%, at least 55%, at least 60%, at least 65%, at least 70%, at least 75%, at least 80%, at least 85%, at least 90%, at least 95%, at least 98%, or about 100% IWCG. 
     
     
         22 . A composition according to  claim 20  or  claim 21 , further comprising a binding agent. 
     
     
         23 . A composition according to any of  claims 20  to  22 , further comprising an oxidiser. 
     
     
         24 . A composition according to any of  claims 20  to  23 , further comprising a combustible filler. 
     
     
         25 . A composition according to any of  claims 20  to  24 , further comprising a processing agent. 
     
     
         26 . A composition according to any of  claims 2  to  10 , wherein the composition comprises at least 50%, at least 55%, at least 60%, at least 65%, at least 70%, at least 75%, at least 80%, at least 85%, at least 90%, at least 95%, at least 98%, or about 100% IWCG. 
     
     
         27 . A biofuel composition according to any of  claims 20  to  26 , wherein the composition is a solid biofuel, optionally in the form of a pellet, briquette, puck or other compressed solid structure. 
     
     
         28 . A biofuel composition according to any of  claims 20  to  27 , wherein the composition has a durability of at least 60%, at least 65%, at least 70%, at least 75%, at least 80%, at least 85%, at least 90%, at least 95%, at least 98%. 
     
     
         29 . A biofuel composition according to any of  claims 20  to  28 , wherein the composition has a net calorific value of between about 16 and 24 MJ/kg, or between about 17 and 23 MJ/kg, or between about 18 and 22 MJ/kg 
     
     
         30 . A method for producing a biofuel composition according to any of  claims 20  to  29 , the method comprising the steps of:
 providing a feedstock composition according to any of  claims 20  to  25 ; 
 and compressing that feedstock into a solid biofuel. 
 
     
     
         31 . A method according to  claim 30 , further comprising the step of decontaminating the feedstock to remove any unwanted contaminants. 
     
     
         32 . A method according to  claim 30  or  31 , further comprising the step of pre-drying the feedstock. 
     
     
         33 . A method according to any of  claims 30  to  32 , further comprising the step of drying the feedstock. 
     
     
         34 . A method according to any of  claims 30  to  33 , further comprising the step of extracting coffee oil from the feedstock and optionally refining the extracted oil. 
     
     
         35 . A method according to any of  claims 30  to  34 , wherein the step of providing the feedstock comprises the step of combining WCG with any one or more of a binder, a filler, a processing agent and an oxidiser. 
     
     
         36 . A method according to any of  claims 30  to  35 , further comprising the step of conditioning the feedstock. 
     
     
         37 . A method according to any of  claims 30  to  36 , wherein the step of compressing the feedstock comprises extruding, briquetting, pucking or pelleting the feedstock. 
     
     
         38 . A method according to any of  claims 30  to  37 , further comprising the step of fuelling the dryer process using biofuel produced by the method of  claims 30  to  37  or using biodiesel from the coffee oil extracted by the method of  claim 34 . 
     
     
         39 . A method according to any of  claims 30  to  38 , comprising the step of recovering heat produced during the method. 
     
     
         40 . An apparatus for preparing a biofuel from a feedstock comprising IWCG, the apparatus comprising a means for drying the IWCG and a means for compressing the feedstock. 
     
     
         41 . An apparatus according to  claim 40 , wherein means for drying the IWCG is a dryer, such as a convection dryer, a conduction dryer, a radiant dryer, a dielectric dryer, a mechanical dryer and a means for natural drying. 
     
     
         42 . An apparatus according to  claim 40  or  41 , further comprising a pre-drying means for pre-drying the IWCG, such as a centrifuge, a dewatering press or a drying floor. 
     
     
         43 . An apparatus according to any of  claims 40  to  42 , further comprising a conditioning means, for conditioning the feedstock. 
     
     
         44 . An apparatus according to any of  claims 40  to  43 , wherein the means for compressing the feedstock is a die having boreholes through which the feedstock is pressed or extruded, a pellet head, a cold press or a block press. 
     
     
         45 . An apparatus according to any of  claims 40  to  44 , further comprising a heat recovery means, for recovering heat from other parts of the apparatus. 
     
     
         46 . An apparatus according to any of  claims 40  to  45 , further comprising means for extracting coffee oil from IWCG. 
     
     
         47 . An instant coffee factory comprising the apparatus according to any of  claims 40  to  46 .