Patent · US9455118B1 · B1 · US

Processing materials

(11) Publication number

US9455118B1

(21) Application number

15/195,206

(22) Filing date

2016-06-28

(30) Priority date

2012-10-10

(43) Publication date

2016-09-27

(45) Date of grant

2016-09-27

(51) IPC

D21B 1/02; H01J 37/20

(52) CPC

B01J Chemical or physical processes, e.g. catalysis or colloid chemistry; their relevant apparatus: 19/085, 19/082, 19/12, 19/123, 19/125, 19/22, 2219/0869, 2219/0871, 2219/0879, 2219/12, 2219/1203
A61L Methods or apparatus for sterilising materials or objects in general; disinfection, sterilisation or deodorisation of air; chemical aspects of bandages, dressings, absorbent pads or surgical articles; materials for bandages, dressings, absorbent pads or surgical articles: 2/087
B65G Transport or storage devices, e.g. conveyors for loading or tipping, shop conveyor systems or pneumatic tube conveyors: 27/04
C08H Derivatives of natural macromolecular compounds: 8/00
C10B Destructive distillation of carbonaceous materials for production of gas, coke, tar, or similar materials: 19/00, 53/02
C10G Cracking hydrocarbon oils; production of liquid hydrocarbon mixtures, e.g. by destructive hydrogenation, oligomerisation, polymerisation; recovery of hydrocarbon oils from oil-shale, oil-sand, or gases; refining mixtures mainly consisting of hydrocarbons; reforming of naphtha; mineral waxes: 1/02, 32/04
C10L Fuels not otherwise provided for; natural gas; synthetic natural gas obtained by processes not covered by subclasses C10G or C10K; liquified petroleum gas; use of additives to fuels or fires; fire-lighters: 2200/0469, 2290/24, 2290/28, 2290/36, 2290/52, 5/403, 5/442, 5/445, 5/46
C12P Fermentation or enzyme-using processes to synthesise a desired chemical compound or composition or to separate optical isomers from a racemic mixture {}: 2201/00, 7/10
C13K Saccharides obtained from natural sources or by hydrolysis of naturally occurring disaccharides, oligosaccharides or polysaccharides: 1/02, 13/002
D21B Fibrous raw materials or their mechanical treatment: 1/02
G21F Protection against x-radiation, gamma radiation, corpuscular radiation or particle bombardment; treating radioactively contaminated material; decontamination arrangements therefor: 3/00
G21K Handling of particles or ionising radiation not otherwise provided for; irradiation devices; gamma ray or x-ray microscopes: 5/04, 5/10
H01J Electric discharge tubes or discharge lamps: 2237/2002, 2237/202, 33/04, 37/20, 37/317, 5/18
Y02E Reduction of greenhouse gas [ghg] emissions, related to energy generation, transmission or distribution: 50/10, 50/30
Y02P Climate change mitigation technologies in the production or processing of goods: 20/145, 60/87

(73) Assignee

XYLECO INC

(72) Inventors

MEDOFF MARSHALL; MASTERMAN THOMAS CRAIG; PARADIS ROBERT

(54) Title

Processing materials

(57) Abstract

Biomass (e.g., plant biomass, animal biomass, and municipal waste biomass) is processed to produce useful intermediates and products, such as energy, fuels, foods or materials. For example, systems and methods are described that can be used to treat feedstock materials, such as cellulosic and/or lignocellulosic materials, while cooling equipment and the biomass to prevent overheating and possible distortion and/or degradation. The biomass is conveyed by a conveyor, which conveys the biomass under an electron beam from an electron beam accelerator. The conveyor can be cooled with cooling fluid. The conveyor can also vibrate to facilitate exposure to the electron beam. The conveyor can be configured as a trough that can be optionally cooled.

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Claims (11)

A method of conveying a material under an electron beam, the method comprising: exposing a biomass material to an electron beam while conveying the biomass material on a vibratory conveyor, wherein the vibratory conveyor comprises a vibratory conveyor trough having a first surface conveying the biomass, and oscillating the vibratory conveyor in a direction parallel to the direction of conveying and perpendicular to the scan horn of the electron beam.
The method of claim 1, wherein the vibratory conveyor trough comprises a first surface of the vibratory conveyor trough conveying the biomass, and the method further comprises cooling a second surface of the vibratory conveyor trough, wherein the first and second surfaces of the vibratory conveyor trough are in thermal communication.
The method of claim 1, wherein the total electron beam power has at least 50 kW of power.
The method of claim 1, wherein the vibratory conveyor comprises a metal, alloys of metals or coated metals and alloys of metals.
The method of claim 2, wherein the distance between the first and second surface of the vibratory conveyor trough is between about 1/64 and 2 inches.
The method of claim 2, further comprising cooling the second surface by contacting the second surface with a cooling enclosure containing a cooling fluid.
The method of claim 6, wherein the second surface of the vibratory conveyor trough forms a part of the cooling enclosure.
The method of claim 6, further comprising flowing fluid through the cooling enclosure by flowing the cooling fluid into the cooling enclosure through an inlet to the enclosure and flowing the fluid out of the cooling enclosure through an outlet from the cooling enclosure.
The method of claim 8, wherein the cooling enclosure comprises channels configured to allow the flow of the cooling agent from the inlet to the outlet.
The method of claim 8, further comprising maintaining a difference in the temperature of the cooling agent at the inlet of the cooling enclosure to the temperature at the outlet of the enclosure of between about 2 to 120° C.
The method of claim 7, further comprising maintaining a flow rate of cooling fluid through the cooling enclosure of between 0.5 and 150 gallons/minute.

Description

This application is a continuation application of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/435,026, filed Apr. 10, 2015, which is a National Stage of International Application No. PCT/US2013/064320 filed on Oct. 10, 2013, which claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/711,801, filed on Oct. 10, 2012; 61/711,807, filed on Oct. 10, 2012; 61/774,684, filed on Mar. 8, 2013; 61/774,773, filed on Mar. 8, 2013; 61/774,731, filed on Mar. 8, 2013; 61/774,735, filed on Mar. 8, 2013; 61/774,740, filed on Mar. 8, 2013; 61/774,744, filed on Mar. 8, 2013; 61/774,746, filed on Mar. 8, 2013; 61/774,750, filed on Mar. 8, 2013; 61/774,752, filed on Mar. 8, 2013; 61/774,754, filed on Mar. 8, 2013; 61/774,775, filed on Mar. 8, 2013; 61/774,780, filed on Mar. 8, 2013; 61/774,761, filed on Mar. 8, 2013; 61/774,723, filed on Mar. 8, 2013; and 61/793,336, filed on Mar. 15, 2013, all of which are hereby incorporated by reference in their entireties.

Many potential lignocellulosic feedstocks are available today, including agricultural residues, woody biomass, municipal waste, oilseeds/cakes and seaweed, to name a few. At present, these materials are often under-utilized, being used, for example, as animal feed, biocompost materials, burned in a co-generation facility or even landfilled. Lignocellulosic biomass includes crystalline cellulose fibrils embedded in a hemicellulose matrix, surrounded by lignin. This produces a compact matrix that is difficult to access by enzymes and other chemical, biochemical and/or biological processes.

Citations (68)

EP2008668A1
GB721235A
JPH11337700A
US1525035A
US1789407A
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US2008210718A1
US2009067575A1
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US2566316A
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US2669344A
US2680815A
US2681637A
US2686733A
US2697236A
US2789733A
US2798699A
US2814379A
US2843255A
US2853180A
US2993120A
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US4218410A
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Record as JSON

{
  "publication_number": "US9455118B1",
  "country": "US",
  "kind": "B1",
  "title": "Processing materials",
  "abstract": "Biomass (e.g., plant biomass, animal biomass, and municipal waste biomass) is processed to produce useful intermediates and products, such as energy, fuels, foods or materials. For example, systems and methods are described that can be used to treat feedstock materials, such as cellulosic and/or lignocellulosic materials, while cooling equipment and the biomass to prevent overheating and possible distortion and/or degradation. The biomass is conveyed by a conveyor, which conveys the biomass under an electron beam from an electron beam accelerator. The conveyor can be cooled with cooling fluid. The conveyor can also vibrate to facilitate exposure to the electron beam. The conveyor can be configured as a trough that can be optionally cooled.",
  "claims": [
    "1. A method of conveying a material under an electron beam, the method comprising: exposing a biomass material to an electron beam while conveying the biomass material on a vibratory conveyor, wherein the vibratory conveyor comprises a vibratory conveyor trough having a first surface conveying the biomass, and oscillating the vibratory conveyor in a direction parallel to the direction of conveying and perpendicular to the scan horn of the electron beam.",
    "2. The method of claim 1, wherein the vibratory conveyor trough comprises a first surface of the vibratory conveyor trough conveying the biomass, and the method further comprises cooling a second surface of the vibratory conveyor trough, wherein the first and second surfaces of the vibratory conveyor trough are in thermal communication.",
    "3. The method of claim 1, wherein the total electron beam power has at least 50 kW of power.",
    "4. The method of claim 1, wherein the vibratory conveyor comprises a metal, alloys of metals or coated metals and alloys of metals.",
    "5. The method of claim 2, wherein the distance between the first and second surface of the vibratory conveyor trough is between about 1/64 and 2 inches.",
    "6. The method of claim 2, further comprising cooling the second surface by contacting the second surface with a cooling enclosure containing a cooling fluid.",
    "7. The method of claim 6, wherein the second surface of the vibratory conveyor trough forms a part of the cooling enclosure.",
    "8. The method of claim 6, further comprising flowing fluid through the cooling enclosure by flowing the cooling fluid into the cooling enclosure through an inlet to the enclosure and flowing the fluid out of the cooling enclosure through an outlet from the cooling enclosure.",
    "9. The method of claim 8, wherein the cooling enclosure comprises channels configured to allow the flow of the cooling agent from the inlet to the outlet.",
    "10. The method of claim 8, further comprising maintaining a difference in the temperature of the cooling agent at the inlet of the cooling enclosure to the temperature at the outlet of the enclosure of between about 2 to 120° C.",
    "11. The method of claim 7, further comprising maintaining a flow rate of cooling fluid through the cooling enclosure of between 0.5 and 150 gallons/minute."
  ],
  "description_excerpt": "This application is a continuation application of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/435,026, filed Apr. 10, 2015, which is a National Stage of International Application No. PCT/US2013/064320 filed on Oct. 10, 2013, which claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/711,801, filed on Oct. 10, 2012; 61/711,807, filed on Oct. 10, 2012; 61/774,684, filed on Mar. 8, 2013; 61/774,773, filed on Mar. 8, 2013; 61/774,731, filed on Mar. 8, 2013; 61/774,735, filed on Mar. 8, 2013; 61/774,740, filed on Mar. 8, 2013; 61/774,744, filed on Mar. 8, 2013; 61/774,746, filed on Mar. 8, 2013; 61/774,750, filed on Mar. 8, 2013; 61/774,752, filed on Mar. 8, 2013; 61/774,754, filed on Mar. 8, 2013; 61/774,775, filed on Mar. 8, 2013; 61/774,780, filed on Mar. 8, 2013; 61/774,761, filed on Mar. 8, 2013; 61/774,723, filed on Mar. 8, 2013; and 61/793,336, filed on Mar. 15, 2013, all of which are hereby incorporated by reference in their entireties.\n\nMany potential lignocellulosic feedstocks are available today, including agricultural residues, woody biomass, municipal waste, oilseeds/cakes and seaweed, to name a few. At present, these materials are often under-utilized, being used, for example, as animal feed, biocompost materials, burned in a co-generation facility or even landfilled. Lignocellulosic biomass includes crystalline cellulose fibrils embedded in a hemicellulose matrix, surrounded by lignin. This produces a compact matrix that is difficult to access by enzymes and other chemical, biochemical and/or biological processes.",
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    "C12P 2201/00",
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    "D21B 1/02",
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  "assignees": [
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  "inventors": [
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  "filing_date": "2016-06-28",
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  "priority_date": "2012-10-10",
  "application_number": "US-201615195206-A",
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  "citations": [
    "EP2008668A1",
    "GB721235A",
    "JPH11337700A",
    "US1525035A",
    "US1789407A",
    "US1924078A",
    "US1962573A",
    "US2003094581A1",
    "US2008210718A1",
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    "US2012315675A1",
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    "US2014243444A1",
    "US2014284203A1",
    "US2014286714A1",
    "US2015265999A1",
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    "US2016201152A1",
    "US2144382A",
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}

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