Patent · US9816231B2 · B2 · US

Processing materials

(11) Publication number

US9816231B2

(21) Application number

15/178,714

(22) Filing date

2016-06-10

(30) Priority date

2013-03-08

(43) Publication date

2017-11-14

(45) Date of grant

2017-11-14

(51) IPC

B01D 15/02; B01D 53/32; B01D 61/44; B01J 19/08; B65G 27/00; B65G 53/04; B65G 53/40; C07C 29/149; C10G 1/00; C10L 9/08; C12M 1/00; C12P 19/02; C12P 19/14; C12P 7/06; C12P 7/10; C12P 7/52; C13K 1/02; C13K 13/00; D21C 9/00; E04B 1/92; G21F 7/00; H01J 37/317

(52) CPC

B01D Separation: 15/02, 53/02, 53/32, 53/46, 61/44, 61/445
B01J Chemical or physical processes, e.g. catalysis or colloid chemistry; their relevant apparatus: 19/085, 2219/0869, 2219/0879, 2219/0886
B65G Transport or storage devices, e.g. conveyors for loading or tipping, shop conveyor systems or pneumatic tube conveyors: 27/00, 53/04, 53/40
C07C Acyclic or carbocyclic compounds: 29/149, 31/12
C08B Polysaccharides; derivatives thereof: 1/00
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: 1/00
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: 1/023, 1/026, 2200/0469, 2200/0476, 2290/36, 9/08
C12M Apparatus for enzymology or microbiology; {apparatus for culturing microorganisms for producing biomass, for growing cells or for obtaining fermentation or metabolic products, i.e. bioreactors or fermenters}: 47/00, 47/10
C12P Fermentation or enzyme-using processes to synthesise a desired chemical compound or composition or to separate optical isomers from a racemic mixture {}: 19/02, 19/14, 2201/00, 2203/00, 7/04, 7/06, 7/10, 7/52, 7/56
C13K Saccharides obtained from natural sources or by hydrolysis of naturally occurring disaccharides, oligosaccharides or polysaccharides: 1/02, 13/002
D21C Production of cellulose by removing non-cellulose substances from cellulose-containing materials; regeneration of pulping liquors; apparatus therefor: 9/007
E04B General building constructions; walls, e.g. partitions; roofs; floors; ceilings; insulation or other protection of buildings: 1/92, 2001/925
G21F Protection against x-radiation, gamma radiation, corpuscular radiation or particle bombardment; treating radioactively contaminated material; decontamination arrangements therefor: 7/00
G21K Handling of particles or ionising radiation not otherwise provided for; irradiation devices; gamma ray or x-ray microscopes: 5/10
H01J Electric discharge tubes or discharge lamps: 2237/202, 2237/31, 2237/3165, 37/317
Y02E Reduction of greenhouse gas [ghg] emissions, related to energy generation, transmission or distribution: 50/10, 50/16, 50/17, 50/30, 50/32, 50/343, 60/16, 60/17
Y02P Climate change mitigation technologies in the production or processing of goods: 20/133, 20/136
Y02W Climate change mitigation technologies related to wastewater treatment or waste management: 10/33, 10/37, 10/40

(73) Assignee

Xyleco Inc

(72) Inventors

Marshall Medoff; Thomas Craig Masterman; Robert Paradis

(54) Title

Processing materials

(57) Abstract

Biomass feedstocks (e.g., plant biomass, animal biomass, and municipal waste biomass) are processed to produce useful products, such as fuels. For example, novel systems, methods and equipment for conveying and/or cooling treated biomass are described.

Full text

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Claims (20)

A system for processing a biomass material comprising: a first treatment cell equipped with a first electron beam device for irradiating the biomass material with electron beams, and a screw conveyor for cooling and conveying the irradiated biomass material from the first treatment cell.
The system of claim 1, further comprising a second treatment cell equipped with an second electron beam device, wherein the screw conveyor conveys the biomass material from the first treatment cell to the second treatment cell.
The system of claim 1, wherein the screw conveyor comprises interior portions that are cooled.
The system of claim 3, wherein the interior portions are cooled using a chilled liquid.
The system of claim 4, wherein the interior portions are cooled using water or glycol water mixtures.
The system of claim 1, wherein the screw conveyor comprises two or more screws.
The system of claim 1, wherein the screw conveyor has a material inlet and a material discharge.
The system of claim 1, wherein the first and second treatment cells are capable of delivering a total dose of between about 1 and 200 Mrad.
The system of claim 1, wherein the first and second treatment cells are capable of delivering a total dose of between about 10 Mrad and about 50 Mrad.
The system of claim 1, wherein the first and second treatment cells are capable of delivering a total dose of between about 20 Mrad and about 40 Mrad.
The system of claim 1, wherein the screw conveyor further comprises a notched flight for comminuting the biomass material while it is conveyed.
The system of claim 1, wherein the biomass comprises a lignocellulosic material.
The system of claim 2, wherein at least one of the first and second electron beam devices comprises multiple accelerating heads.
The system of claim 2, wherein each of the first and second electron beam devices comprises multiple accelerating heads.
A system for treating biomass, comprising: a pneumatic conveyor for conveying treated biomass heated by treating with an electron beam; and a screw conveyor for cooling the treated biomass, wherein the pneumatic conveyor is in fluid communication with the screw conveyor.
The system of claim 5, wherein the screw conveyor comprises two or more screws.
The system of claim 15, further comprising a bag filter disposed between the pneumatic conveyor and the screw conveyor for trapping fine biomass particles.
The system of claim 15, wherein the screw conveyor comprises interior portions that are cooled.
The system of claim 15, further comprising a treatment cell equipped with an electron beam device for irradiating the biomass with electron beams.
The system of claim 16, wherein the electron beam device comprises multiple accelerating heads.

Description

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. Cellulosic biomass materials (e.g., biomass material from which the lignin has been removed) is more accessible to enzymes and other conversion processes, but even so, naturally-occurring cellulosic materials often have low yields (relative to theoretical yields) when contacted with hydrolyzing enzymes. Lignocellulosic biomass is even more recalcitrant to enzyme attack. Furthermore, each type of lignocellulosic biomass has its own specific composition of cellulose, hemicellulose and lignin.

Generally the inventions relate to methods, equipment and systems for processing materials, such as biomass. For example, processes are disclosed herein for saccharifying or liquifying a biomass material, e.g., cellulosic, lignocellulosic and/or starchy feedstocks, by converting biomass material to low molecular weight sugars, e.g., saccharifying the feedstock using an enzyme, e.g., one or more cellulase and/or amylase. The invention also relates to converting a feedstock to a product, e.g., by bioprocessing, such as fermentation.

Citations (98)

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US20170036186A1

Record as JSON

{
  "publication_number": "US9816231B2",
  "country": "US",
  "kind": "B2",
  "title": "Processing materials",
  "abstract": "Biomass feedstocks (e.g., plant biomass, animal biomass, and municipal waste biomass) are processed to produce useful products, such as fuels. For example, novel systems, methods and equipment for conveying and/or cooling treated biomass are described.",
  "claims": [
    "1. A system for processing a biomass material comprising: a first treatment cell equipped with a first electron beam device for irradiating the biomass material with electron beams, and a screw conveyor for cooling and conveying the irradiated biomass material from the first treatment cell.",
    "2. The system of claim 1, further comprising a second treatment cell equipped with an second electron beam device, wherein the screw conveyor conveys the biomass material from the first treatment cell to the second treatment cell.",
    "3. The system of claim 1, wherein the screw conveyor comprises interior portions that are cooled.",
    "4. The system of claim 3, wherein the interior portions are cooled using a chilled liquid.",
    "5. The system of claim 4, wherein the interior portions are cooled using water or glycol water mixtures.",
    "6. The system of claim 1, wherein the screw conveyor comprises two or more screws.",
    "7. The system of claim 1, wherein the screw conveyor has a material inlet and a material discharge.",
    "8. The system of claim 1, wherein the first and second treatment cells are capable of delivering a total dose of between about 1 and 200 Mrad.",
    "9. The system of claim 1, wherein the first and second treatment cells are capable of delivering a total dose of between about 10 Mrad and about 50 Mrad.",
    "10. The system of claim 1, wherein the first and second treatment cells are capable of delivering a total dose of between about 20 Mrad and about 40 Mrad.",
    "11. The system of claim 1, wherein the screw conveyor further comprises a notched flight for comminuting the biomass material while it is conveyed.",
    "12. The system of claim 1, wherein the biomass comprises a lignocellulosic material.",
    "13. The system of claim 2, wherein at least one of the first and second electron beam devices comprises multiple accelerating heads.",
    "14. The system of claim 2, wherein each of the first and second electron beam devices comprises multiple accelerating heads.",
    "15. A system for treating biomass, comprising: a pneumatic conveyor for conveying treated biomass heated by treating with an electron beam; and a screw conveyor for cooling the treated biomass, wherein the pneumatic conveyor is in fluid communication with the screw conveyor.",
    "16. The system of claim 5, wherein the screw conveyor comprises two or more screws.",
    "17. The system of claim 15, further comprising a bag filter disposed between the pneumatic conveyor and the screw conveyor for trapping fine biomass particles.",
    "18. The system of claim 15, wherein the screw conveyor comprises interior portions that are cooled.",
    "19. The system of claim 15, further comprising a treatment cell equipped with an electron beam device for irradiating the biomass with electron beams.",
    "20. The system of claim 16, wherein the electron beam device comprises multiple accelerating heads."
  ],
  "description_excerpt": "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.\n\nLignocellulosic 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. Cellulosic biomass materials (e.g., biomass material from which the lignin has been removed) is more accessible to enzymes and other conversion processes, but even so, naturally-occurring cellulosic materials often have low yields (relative to theoretical yields) when contacted with hydrolyzing enzymes. Lignocellulosic biomass is even more recalcitrant to enzyme attack. Furthermore, each type of lignocellulosic biomass has its own specific composition of cellulose, hemicellulose and lignin.\n\nGenerally the inventions relate to methods, equipment and systems for processing materials, such as biomass. For example, processes are disclosed herein for saccharifying or liquifying a biomass material, e.g., cellulosic, lignocellulosic and/or starchy feedstocks, by converting biomass material to low molecular weight sugars, e.g., saccharifying the feedstock using an enzyme, e.g., one or more cellulase and/or amylase. The invention also relates to converting a feedstock to a product, e.g., by bioprocessing, such as fermentation.",
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  ],
  "assignees": [
    "Xyleco Inc"
  ],
  "inventors": [
    "Marshall Medoff",
    "Thomas Craig Masterman",
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  "filing_date": "2016-06-10",
  "publication_date": "2017-11-14",
  "grant_date": "2017-11-14",
  "priority_date": "2013-03-08",
  "application_number": "US-201615178714-A",
  "family_id": "51491991",
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    "US6846657B2",
    "US5247059A",
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}

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