Abstract: The present invention aims to provide an integrated process for the pre-treatment of biomass and its use as a feedstock in a process for the production of biochemicals and biofuels, said integrated process preferably allowing the obtaining of quality bio-oil from a biomass such as wood, forest residues, and residues from the sugar-alcohol and energy cane industry.

Abstract: The present invention aims to provide an integrated process for the pre-treatment of biomass and its use as a feedstock in a process for the production of biochemicals and biofuels, said integrated process preferably allowing the obtaining of quality bio-oil from a biomass such as wood, forest residues, and residues from the sugar-alcohol and energy cane industry.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to the upgrading of heavy hydrocarbon feedstock that utilizes a short residence pyrolytic reactor operating under conditions that cracks and chemically upgrades the feedstock. The method for upgrading a heavy hydrocarbon feedstock comprises introducing a particulate heat carrier into an upflow reactor, introducing the heavy hydrocarbon feedstock into the upflow reactor at a location above that of the particulate heat carrier so that a loading ratio of the particulate heat carrier to feedstock is from about 15:1 to about 200:1, allowing the heavy hydrocarbon feedstock to interact with the heat carrier with a residence time of less than about 1 second, to produce a product stream, separating the product stream from the particulate heat carrier, regenerating the particulate heat carrier, and collecting a gaseous and liquid product from the product stream.

Abstract: Methods and apparatuses for thermally converting or pyrolyzing biomass are provided. In one embodiment, a method of thermally converting biomass includes introducing the biomass to a reactor feed chamber. The method provides for flowing a low oxygen gas into the reactor feed chamber to purge the reactor feed chamber and biomass of oxygen. The method also includes delivering the purged biomass to a thermal conversion reactor and thermally converting the biomass in the thermal conversion reactor.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to the upgrading of heavy petroleum oils of high viscosity and low API gravity that are typically not suitable for pipelining without the use of diluents.

Abstract: Char-handling processes for controlling overall heat balance, ash accumulation, and afterburn in a reheater are provided. Carbonaceous biomass feedstock is pyrolyzed using a heat transfer medium forming pyrolysis products and a spent heat transfer medium. The spent heat transfer medium is separated into segregated char and char-depleted spent heat transfer medium. The char-depleted spent heat transfer medium is introduced into a dense bed of heat transfer medium fluidized by a stream of oxygen-containing regeneration gas. All or a portion of the segregated char is combusted in the dense bed using the stream of oxygen-containing regeneration gas. A portion of the segregated char may be exported out of the pyrolysis system to control the overall heat balance and ash accumulation.

Abstract: The present invention is related to a thermal extract of a plant material and methods of extraction thereof. The method of producing a thermal extract from a plant starting material by means of a thermal extraction of the starting material wherein the improvement consists in requiring smaller amounts of costly and/or toxic organic solvents for the extraction and partitioning steps.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to the upgrading of heavy hydrocarbon feedstock that utilizes a short residence pyrolytic reactor operating under conditions that cracks and chemically upgrades the feedstock. The process of the present invention provides for the preparation of a partially upgraded feedstock exhibiting reduced viscosity and increased API gravity. This process selectively removes metals, salts, water and nitrogen from the feedstock, while at the same time maximizes the yield of the liquid product, and minimizes coke and gas production. Furthermore, this process reduces the viscosity of the feedstock in order to permit pipeline transport, if desired, of the upgraded feedstock with little or no addition of diluents.

Abstract: An improved rapid thermal conversion process for efficiently converting wood, other biomass materials, and other carbonaceous feedstock (including hydrocarbons) into high yields of valuable liquid product, e.g., bio-oil, on a large scale production, is disclosed. In the process, biomass material, e.g., wood, is fed to a conversion system where the biomass material is mixed with an upward stream of hot heat carriers, e.g., sand, that thermally convert the biomass into a hot vapor stream. The hot vapor stream is rapidly quenched with quench media in one or more condensing chambers located downstream of the conversion system. The rapid quenching condenses the vapor stream into liquid product, which is collected from the condensing chambers as a valuable liquid product.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to the upgrading of heavy petroleum oils of high viscosity and low API gravity that are typically not suitable for pipelining without the use of diluents.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to the upgrading of heavy petroleum oils of high viscosity and low API gravity that are typically not suitable for pipelining without the use of diluents. The method comprises introducing a particulate heat carrier into an up-flow reactor, introducing the feedstock at a location above the entry of the particulate heat carrier, allowing the heavy hydrocarbon feedstock to interact with the heat carrier for a short time, separating the vapors of the product stream from the particulate heat carrier and liquid and byproduct solid matter, collecting a gaseous and liquid product mixture comprising a mixture of a light fraction and a heavy fraction from the product stream, and using a vacuum tower to separate the light fraction as a substantially bottomless product and the heavy fraction from the product mixture.

Abstract: Described herein are systems and methods for reducing cumulative deposition and unwanted secondary thermal reactions in pyrolysis and other thermal conversion processes. In an embodiment, a system comprises a device, referred to as a reamer, for removing product deposits between thermal conversion and condensation operations of a pyrolysis process. The reamer may comprise, but is not limited to, a mechanical reciprocating rod or ram, a mechanical auger, a drill bit, a high-temperature wiper, brush, or punch to remove deposits and prevent secondary reactions. Alternatively or in addition, the reamer may use a high-velocity curtain or jet (i.e., a hydraulic or pneumatic stream) of vapor, product gas, recycle gas, other gas jet or non-condensing liquid to remove deposits. Preferably, the reamer removes deposits during the pyrolysis process allowing for continuous operation of the pyrolysis process.

Abstract: Methods and apparatuses for thermally converting or pyrolyzing biomass are provided. In one embodiment, a method of thermally converting biomass includes introducing the biomass to a reactor feed chamber. The method provides for flowing a low oxygen gas into the reactor feed chamber to purge the reactor feed chamber and biomass of oxygen. The method also includes delivering the purged biomass to a thermal conversion reactor and thermally converting the biomass in the thermal conversion reactor.

Abstract: Char-handling processes for controlling overall heat balance, ash accumulation, and afterburn in a reheater are provided. Carbonaceous biomass feedstock is pyrolyzed using a heat transfer medium forming pyrolysis products and a spent heat transfer medium. The spent heat transfer medium is separated into segregated char and char-depleted spent heat transfer medium. The char-depleted spent heat transfer medium is introduced into a dense bed of heat transfer medium fluidized by a stream of oxygen-containing regeneration gas. All or a portion of the segregated char is combusted in the dense bed using the stream of oxygen-containing regeneration gas. A portion of the segregated char may be exported out of the pyrolysis system to control the overall heat balance and ash accumulation.

Abstract: Char-handling processes for controlling overall heat balance, ash accumulation, and afterburn in a reheater are provided. Carbonaceous biomass feedstock is pyrolyzed using a heat transfer medium forming pyrolysis products and a spent heat transfer medium. The spent heat transfer medium is separated into segregated char and char-depleted spent heat transfer medium. The char-depleted spent heat transfer medium is introduced into a dense bed of heat transfer medium fluidized by a stream of oxygen-containing regeneration gas. All or a portion of the segregated char is combusted in the dense bed using the stream of oxygen-containing regeneration gas. A portion of the segregated char may be exported out of the pyrolysis system to control the overall heat balance and ash accumulation.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to the upgrading of heavy petroleum oils of high viscosity and low API gravity that are typically not suitable for pipelining without the use of diluents. The method comprises introducing a particulate heat carrier into an up-flow reactor, introducing the feedstock at a location above the entry of the particulate heat carrier, allowing the heavy hydrocarbon feedstock to interact with the heat carrier for a short time, separating the vapors of the product stream from the particulate heat carrier and liquid and byproduct solid matter, collecting a gaseous and liquid product mixture comprising a mixture of a light fraction and a heavy fraction from the product stream, and using a vacuum tower to separate the light fraction as a substantially bottomless product and the heavy fraction from the product mixture.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to the upgrading of heavy hydrocarbon feedstock that utilizes a short residence pyrolytic reactor operating under conditions that cracks and chemically upgrades the feedstock. The method for upgrading a heavy hydrocarbon feedstock comprises introducing a particulate heat carrier into an upflow reactor, introducing the heavy hydrocarbon feedstock into the upflow reactor at a location above that of the particulate heat carrier so that a loading ratio of the particulate heat carrier to feedstock is from about 15:1 to about 200:1, allowing the heavy hydrocarbon feedstock to interact with the heat carrier with a residence time of less than about 1 second, to produce a product stream, separating the product stream from the particulate heat carrier, regenerating the particulate heat carrier, and collecting a gaseous and liquid product from the product stream.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to the upgrading of heavy hydrocarbon feedstock that utilizes a short residence pyrolytic reactor operating under conditions that cracks and chemically upgrades the feedstock. The method for upgrading a heavy hydrocarbon feedstock comprises introducing a particulate heat carrier into an upflow reactor, introducing the heavy hydrocarbon feedstock into the upflow reactor at a location above that of the particulate heat carrier so that a loading ratio of the particulate heat carrier to feedstock is from about 15:1 to about 200:1, allowing the heavy hydrocarbon feedstock to interact with the heat carrier with a residence time of less than about 1 second, to produce a product stream, separating the product stream from the particulate heat carrier, regenerating the particulate heat carrier, and collecting a gaseous and liquid product from the product stream.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to the upgrading of heavy hydrocarbon feedstock that utilizes a short residence pyrolytic reactor operating under conditions that cracks and chemically upgrades the feedstock. The process of the present invention provides for the preparation of a partially upgraded feedstock exhibiting reduced viscosity and increased API gravity. This process selectively removes metals, salts, water and nitrogen from the feedstock, while at the same time maximizes the yield of the liquid product, and minimizes coke and gas production. Furthermore, this process reduces the viscosity of the feedstock in order to permit pipeline transport, if desired, of the upgraded feedstock with little or no addition of diluents.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to the upgrading of heavy hydrocarbon feedstock. The process of the present invention provides for the preparation of a partially upgraded feedstock exhibiting reduced viscosity and increased API gravity. This process reduces the viscosity of the feedstock in order to permit pipeline transport of the upgraded feedstock with little or no addition of diluents. The method for upgrading a heavy hydrocarbon feedstock comprises introducing a particulate heat carrier into an upflow reactor, introducing the heavy hydrocarbon feedstock into the upflow reactor at a location above that of the particulate heat carrier, allowing the heavy hydrocarbon feedstock to interact with the heat carrier to produce a product stream, separating the product stream from the particulate heat carrier, regenerating the particulate heat carrier, and collecting a gaseous and liquid product from the product stream.