Biomass pyrolysis reactor with integrated quench and method for converting biomass to liquid bio-oil

• Main Authors: Yelvington, Paul E, Zastrow, Dustin J, Schwartz, Nicholas R
• Format: Patent
• Language: English
• Published: 04.02.2020
• Subjects: CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROCESSES, e.g. CATALYSIS OR COLLOIDCHEMISTRY; CHEMISTRY; CRACKING HYDROCARBON OILS; FUELS; LUBRICANTS; METALLURGY; MINERAL WAXES; PEAT; PERFORMING OPERATIONS; PETROLEUM, GAS OR COKE INDUSTRIES; PHYSICAL OR CHEMICAL PROCESSES OR APPARATUS IN GENERAL; PRODUCTION OF LIQUID HYDROCARBON MIXTURES, e.g. BY DESTRUCTIVEHYDROGENATION, OLIGOMERISATION, POLYMERISATION; RECOVERY OF HYDROCARBON OILS FROM OIL-SHALE, OIL-SAND, ORGASES; REFINING MIXTURES MAINLY CONSISTING OF HYDROCARBONS; REFORMING OF NAPHTHA; TECHNICAL GASES CONTAINING CARBON MONOXIDE; THEIR RELEVANT APPARATUS; TRANSPORTING

An apparatus and method are described for high-yield fast pyrolysis of biomass feedstock to produce a liquid bio-oil product. A bubbling fluidized bed reactor is provided having an integrated, rapid quench apparatus for minimizing secondary cracking reactions that can otherwise lower the yield of bio-oil. A quench stream is provided inside the reactor to minimize the residence time that the product vapors spend at high temperature where cracking can occur. The quench stream is introduced downstream of the fluidized bed but still internal to the reactor. The fluidized bed medium is constrained to the bottom of the reactor and is not cooled by the quench stream.