System for hydrotreating solid feedstock with piston feedstock feed system

Abstract

A system for hydrotreating a solid feedstock includes a hydropyrolysis reactor having one or more inlets that can receive the solid feedstock and produce a product stream having a partially deoxygenated hydropyrolysis product, H2O, H2, CO2, CO, C1-C3 gases, char, and fines. The hydropyrolysis reactor includes one or more deoxygenation catalysts. The system also includes a solid feedstock feed system disposed upstream of the hydropyrolysis reactor and fluidly coupled with the hydropyrolysis reactor. The solid feedstock feed system includes a piston feeder having an inlet, an outlet, at least one piston disposed between the inlet and the outlet, the at least one piston including a chamber and a barrel disposed within the chamber and displaceable within the chamber, the barrel including a distal end having a seal, the seal includes an annular ring having a first wall and a second wall orthogonal to and extending from the first wall such that a first portion of the first wall protrudes away from the second wall in a first direction, and a second portion of the first wall protrudes away from the second wall in a second direction substantially opposite the first direction.

Description

[0001] The present disclosure generally relates to systems and methods for hydroprocessing renewable feedstocks. More specifically, the present disclosure relates to a solid feedstock feed system integrated into a hydroprocessing system. Background Art

[0002] Due to economic growth and development worldwide, the demand for energy is increasing. This increase in energy demand has led to an increase in greenhouse gas volume and overall carbon footprint. In addition, with the increase in demand for liquid transportation fuels, the reduction in the reserves of crude oil that can be easily obtained and recovered, and the increasing restrictions on the carbon footprint of such fuels, it may be necessary to develop ways to produce liquid transportation fuels from renewable resources in an effective manner. Such liquid transportation fuels produced by biomass are sometimes also referred to as biofuels. Biomass provides a renewable carbon source. Examples of suitable biomass include vegetable oils, oils obtained from algae and animal fats, recyclable materials such as pyrolyzed materials and wood, etc. of deconstructed materials. Therefore, when using fuels derived from renewable resources, it is possible to achieve more sustainable CO2 emissions than petroleum-derived fuels. 2 Emissions. For a biofuel to replace all or at least a portion of a carbon-based fossil fuel, the biofuel should meet the performance and emissions specifications required of the carbon-based fossil fuel.

[0003] At present, solid raw materials (e.g., solid biomass) are fed into a hydroprocessing reactor by pressurizing a certain volume of solid raw materials in, for example, a lock hopper system. Although this method is suitable for introducing solid raw materials into a reactor, it requires a large container and consumes an undesirable amount of pressurized gas. In addition, existing lock hopper systems have complex designs. For example, lock hopper systems include atmospheric vessels, gate vessels, and pressurized vessels and several groups of valves. In addition, because the lock hopper system pressurizes a certain volume of solid raw materials, a pressurized gas source is required. It would be advantageous to use a solid raw material feeding system that does not require the use of a large amount of pressurized gas and has a simpler design compared to existing lock hopper systems. Summary of the invention

[0004] In one embodiment, a system for hydroprocessing a solid feedstock includes a hydropyrolysis reactor having one or more inlets capable of receiving the solid feedstock and generating a hydropyrolysis product having a partial deoxygenation, H 2 O, H 2 , CO 2 ,CO,C 1 -C 3A product stream of gas, char and fine particles. The hydropyrolysis reactor includes one or more deoxygenation catalysts. The system also includes a solid feedstock feeding system disposed upstream of the hydropyrolysis reactor and fluidly connected to the hydropyrolysis reactor. The solid feedstock feeding system includes a piston feeder having an inlet, an outlet, and at least one piston disposed between the inlet and the outlet, the at least one piston including a chamber and a cylinder disposed in the chamber and capable of shifting in the chamber, the cylinder including a terminal end with a seal, and the seal including an annular ring having a first wall and a second wall, the second wall being orthogonal to the first wall and extending from the first wall, so that a first portion of the first wall protrudes away from the second wall in a first direction, and a second portion of the first wall protrudes away from the second wall in a second direction substantially opposite to the first direction.

[0005] In another embodiment, a system for hydroprocessing a solid feedstock includes a hydropyrolysis reactor having one or more inlets capable of receiving the solid feedstock and capable of generating a hydropyrolysis product having a partial deoxygenation, H 2 O, H 2 , CO 2 ,CO,C 1 -C 3 The system also includes a hydroconversion reactor disposed downstream of the hydropyrolysis reactor and fluidly coupled to the hydropyrolysis reactor. The hydroconversion reactor is capable of receiving a product stream, wherein the partially deoxygenated hydropyrolysis product in the product stream undergoes hydroconversion in the hydroconversion reactor to generate a hydrocarbon product having substantially complete deoxygenation, H 2 O, CO, CO 2 and C 1 -C 3 The system also includes a solid feedstock feed system disposed upstream of the hydropyrolysis reactor and fluidly coupled to the hydropyrolysis reactor. The solid feedstock feed system includes a piston feeder having an inlet, an outlet, at least one piston disposed between the inlet and the outlet, the at least one piston having a barrel disposed in a chamber and capable of displacement within the chamber and having a seal on a terminal end, the seal having an annular ring with a T-shaped cross-sectional geometry.

[0006] Additional features and advantages of exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure will be set forth in the description that follows, and in part will be apparent from the description, or may be learned by practice of such exemplary embodiments. The features and advantages of such embodiments may be realized and obtained by the instruments and combinations particularly pointed out in the appended claims. These and other features will become more apparent from the following description and the appended claims, or may be learned by practice of such exemplary embodiments set forth below. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0007] Advantages of the present disclosure will become apparent by reading the following detailed description and referring to the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0008] Figure 1 is a block diagram of a hydroprocessing system having a first stage and a second stage for producing hydrocarbons from biomass according to one embodiment of the present disclosure, wherein the system includes a solid feedstock feed system having a piston feeder and a metering tank;

[0009] Figure 2 According to one embodiment of the present disclosure Figure 1 A diagram of a solid raw material feeding system, wherein the piston feeder includes various pistons;

[0010] Figure 3 According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, it can be used Figure 2 A diagram of a piston feeder in a solid raw material feeding system of , wherein the piston feeder includes a piston in an inclined configuration;

[0011] Figure 4 According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, Figure 2 and Figure 3 A perspective view of components of a distal end of a piston associated with a piston feeder;

[0012] Figure 5 According to one embodiment of the present disclosure Figure 2 and Figure 3 A perspective view of components of a distal end of a piston associated with a piston feeder;

[0013] Figure 6 According to one embodiment of the present disclosure Figure 2 and Figure 3 a perspective view of a distal end of a piston associated with a piston feeder;

[0014] Figure 7 According to one embodiment of the present disclosure Figure 6 A cross-sectional view of the distal end of the piston along line 7-7;

[0015] Figure 8According to one embodiment of the present disclosure Figure 7 An exploded cross-sectional view of a portion of a distal end portion of a piston in FIG.

[0016] Fig. 9 According to one embodiment of the present disclosure Figure 2 and Figure 3 A cross-sectional view of a distal end of a piston within a chamber of a piston feeder;

[0017] Fig.10 According to one embodiment of the present disclosure Figure 2 and Figure 3 A cross-sectional view of a distal end of a piston within a chamber of a piston feeder, wherein the distal end includes a spring;

[0018] Fig.11 According to one embodiment of the present disclosure Figure 2 and Figure 3 A cross-sectional view of a distal end portion of a piston within a chamber of a piston feeder, wherein the distal end portion includes a pressure assist support;

[0019] Fig.12 According to one embodiment of the present disclosure Figure 2 A cross-sectional view of a metering tank of a solid raw material feeding system, wherein the metering tank includes an agitator and a solid conveying device to move the solid raw material;

[0020] Fig.13 According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, a method for using Figure 2 and Figure 3 A flow chart of a method for providing a solid raw material to a metering tank using a piston feeder;

[0021] Fig.14 According to one embodiment of the present disclosure Figure 2 A cross-sectional view of a piston feeder, wherein the first chamber and the second chamber are in fluid communication and isolated from an outlet of the piston feeder;

[0022] Fig.15 According to one embodiment of the present disclosure Figure 2 A cross-sectional view of a piston feeder of , wherein the solid feedstock has been fed into the second chamber and the outlet is isolated from the second chamber;

[0023] Fig.16 According to one embodiment of the present disclosure Figure 2 A cross-sectional view of a piston feeder of claim 1, wherein the second chamber having the solid feedstock is isolated from the first chamber and the outlet;

[0024] Fig.17 According to one embodiment of the present disclosure Figure 2A cross-sectional view of a piston feeder of claim 1, wherein a second chamber having a solid feedstock is in fluid communication with the outlet and isolated from the first chamber; and

[0025] Fig.18 According to one embodiment of the present disclosure Figure 2 A cross-sectional view of a piston feeder of , wherein the feed chamber is aligned with the inlet, and the second chamber and the outlet are isolated from the first chamber and the feed chamber; and

[0026] Fig.19 is a graph of the number of cycles as a function of leakage flow of a piston feeder according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0027] One or more specific embodiments of the present disclosure will be described below. These described embodiments are examples of currently disclosed technologies. In addition, in order to provide a concise description of these embodiments, not all features of the actual specific implementation may be described in the specification. It should be understood that in the development of any such actual specific implementation, as in any engineering or design project, many specific implementation-specific decisions will be made to achieve the specific goals of the developer, such as meeting system-related and business-related constraints, which may vary from one implementation to another. In addition, it should be understood that such development efforts may be complex and time-consuming, but are still routine tasks of design, production and manufacturing for those of ordinary skill who benefit from the present disclosure.

[0028] When introducing elements of various embodiments of the present disclosure, the articles "a," "an," and "the" are intended to indicate that there are one or more elements. The terms "comprising," "including," and "having" are intended to be inclusive, and mean that additional elements may be present in addition to the listed elements. Additionally, it should be understood that reference to "one embodiment" or "an embodiment" of the present disclosure is not intended to be interpreted as excluding the existence of additional embodiments that also incorporate the described features.

[0029] As used herein, the terms "approximately," "about," and "substantially" refer to an amount that is close to a specified amount but still performs a desired function or achieves a desired result. For example, the terms "approximately," "about," and "substantially" may refer to an amount that is less than 10% of the stated amount, less than 5% of the stated amount, less than 1% of the stated amount, less than 0.1% of the stated amount, and less than 0.01% of the stated amount.

[0030] As discussed in further detail below, the disclosed embodiments include a piston feed system that can be used to provide a solid raw material (e.g., biomass) to a hydroprocessing reactor (e.g., a hydropyrolysis reactor). Hydroprocessing is a catalytic process that includes hydropyrolysis, hydroconversion, and / or hydroprocessing certain carbonaceous materials to generate hydrocarbon fuels. Carbonaceous materials that can be used to generate hydrocarbon fuels via hydroprocessing include solid raw materials from renewable resources, such as biomass and waste plastics, etc. Some existing hydroprocessing systems use a lock hopper to provide solid raw materials (e.g., biomass) to a hydropyrolysis reactor. Lock hoppers generally require the use of multiple containers to store solid raw materials, transfer solid raw materials, and discharge / blow solid raw materials into the hydropyrolysis reactor. One problem with existing lock hoppers is that when solid biomass falls into each container, the solid biomass is compacted. For example, some lock hoppers are configured with a storage tank that supplies solid raw materials to a transfer container, which is pressurized after having received the solid raw materials from the storage tank. When the solid raw materials fall from the storage tank into the transfer container, the solid raw materials are compacted. The compaction of the solid feedstock in the transfer container produces lumps or clusters of the solid feedstock, which affects the operation of the hydropyrolysis reactor and the efficiency of the hydroprocessing process. For example, the lumps or clusters of the solid feedstock have a surface area significantly smaller than the total surface area of ​​the solid feedstock portion that forms the lumps or clusters; this may hinder process efficiency. In addition, the feedstock lumps or clusters will make the feeding operation unreliable due to the bridging and blocking of the feed flow path by the lumps or clusters. Due to unstable and unreliable feeding and the formation of solid tar lumps in the adjacent feeding system of the hydropyrolysis reactor (for example, when solid biomass is used to generate biofuels), the operation of the hydropyrolysis reactor is affected. Therefore, it is desirable to develop a solid feedstock feeding system that can provide industrial-scale volumes of solid feedstock to the hydropyrolysis reactor in a manner that can actually cause the compaction of the feedstock.

[0031] In addition, the lock hopper feeding system used in industrial-scale applications is based on the batch transfer of a certain volume of solid raw materials to the reactor through the lock hopper container. Therefore, the container used in the lock hopper feeding system is usually large (for example, the volume is usually kept at about 50 cubic meters to 80 cubic meters (m3). 3)). Therefore, the amount of pressurized gas (e.g., about 5000 kilograms per hour (kg / hr)) used to transfer the required volume of solid feedstock to the reactor may be undesirable. For example, the amount of pressurized gas required may affect the efficiency of the process in part due to the amount of energy used to pressurize the gas. Therefore, it would be advantageous to develop a solid feedstock feeding system that does not require or use a small amount of pressurized gas and has a smaller / compact construction that reduces compaction of the solid feedstock compared to existing lock hopper feeding systems. It has been recognized that a piston feeder can be used to feed solid feedstock into a hydropyrolysis reactor on an industrial scale while reducing the undesirable compaction, container size, and pressurized gas amount associated with a lock hopper feeding system.

[0032] Piston feeders typically use o-rings to seal and maintain the pressure in their chambers (i.e., cylinders). However, over time, the forces applied to the o-rings due to the reciprocating motion of the piston may cause creep and ultimately damage the o-rings, making it impossible to maintain the seal and desired pressure in the corresponding chamber of the piston feeder. Therefore, it may be advantageous to provide a piston feeder and seal that alleviates the problems associated with existing feedstock feeding systems. A piston feed system is disclosed herein having an improved seal for delivering solid feedstock to a hydropyrolysis reactor in a manner that maintains a desired pressure in the corresponding chamber and does not rely on pressurized gas or cause compaction of the solid feedstock.

[0033] In view of the above, Figure 1is a block diagram of one embodiment of a system 10 that may include a disclosed piston feeder for providing a solid feedstock (e.g., biomass and / or waste plastic / oil) to a reactor (e.g., a hydropyrolysis reactor) used in a hydroprocessing process to generate a biofuel. It should be understood that the hydrocarbon products derived from the solid feedstock disclosed herein may be generated by any suitable hydroprocessing technology, such as those disclosed in U.S. Patent No. 9,447,328, which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety. In the illustrated embodiment, the system 10 includes a solid feedstock feed system 12, a hydropyrolysis reactor 14 located downstream of the solid feedstock feed system 12 and fluidly coupled to the solid feedstock feed system, and a hydroconversion reactor 16 located downstream of the hydropyrolysis reactor 14 and fluidly coupled to the hydropyrolysis reactor. As discussed in further detail below, the reactors 14, 16 are used to convert the solid feedstock 18 into an intermediate hydrocarbon fuel fraction (e.g., a GO / diesel fraction) that can be used to generate commercially viable biodiesel. As shown, reactor 14,16 is arranged in one level in two stages.For example, system 10 comprises first stage 20 and second stage 24.First stage 20 comprises hydropyrolysis reactor 14, and second stage 24 comprises hydroconversion reactor 16.Reaction pressure in first stage 20 and second stage 22 can be changed to adjust boiling point distribution and composition of obtained hydrocarbon products generated by second stage 24.The ability of boiling point distribution and / or composition of obtained hydrocarbon products adjusted by changing reaction pressure can provide an effective method for generating commercially viable hydrocarbon biofuel, which meets the different requirements proposed in the place and / or market using hydrocarbon biofuel.For example, compared with reaction pressure higher than 2.0MPa, when reaction pressure is less than about 0.6 MPa (MPa), the occurrence of undesirable olefin and / or aromatic saturation reaction can be reduced, and the cetane number of biodiesel and / or gasoline fraction can be increased.However, cetane number may still not reach the desired level that meets the specification proposed for commercial biodiesel fuel. Therefore, the biodiesel fractions may need to undergo additional processing (e.g., hydrofinishing) to upgrade the biodiesel and increase the cetane number to above about 50. Therefore, in certain embodiments, the hydroprocessing system may include a third stage downstream of the second stage 24, wherein one or more biodiesel fractions undergo additional processing.

[0034] First level

[0035] In the illustrated embodiment, a solid feedstock 18 having biomass (e.g., lignocellulose) and / or waste plastic and molecular hydrogen (H 2)28 is introduced into the hydropyrolysis reactor 14. For example, the solid feedstock 18 is fed to the piston feeder 30 of the solid feedstock feeding system 12. As described in further detail below, the piston feeder 30 does not require the use of pressurized gas and various containers such as in existing lock bottom hopper feeding systems. In addition, the piston feeder 30 has a container (e.g., a chamber or cylinder) for receiving and transferring the solid feedstock 18, which is about 35% to 75% smaller than the container used in the existing lock bottom hopper feeding system. The solid feedstock feeding system 12 also includes a metering tank 32 located downstream of the piston feeder 30 and the hydropyrolysis reactor 14 and connected to the piston feeder and the hydropyrolysis reaction fluid. The construction of the piston feeder 30 and the metering tank 32 reduces the compaction of the solid feedstock 18 in the solid feedstock feeding system 12. Although in the illustrated embodiment, the system 10 has a single hydropyrolysis reactor 14, it should be understood that the system 10 may have multiple hydropyrolysis reactors 14. In embodiments where the system 10 includes a plurality of hydropyrolysis reactors 14 , the metering tank 32 is fluidly coupled to each of the reactors 14 and provides the solid feedstock 18 to each of the reactors.

[0036] The hydropyrolysis reactor 14 contains a deoxygenation catalyst that promotes partial deoxygenation of the solid feedstock 18. For example, in the hydropyrolysis reactor 14, the solid feedstock 18 undergoes hydropyrolysis to produce a char, a partially deoxygenated product of the hydropyrolysis, a light gas (C 1 -C 3 Gas, carbon monoxide (CO), carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) and H 2 ), water (H 2 O) output 34 of vapor and catalyst fines. The hydropyrolysis reactor 14 can be a fluidized bed reactor (e.g., a fluidized bubbling bed reactor), a fixed bed reactor, or any other suitable reactor. In embodiments where the hydropyrolysis reactor 14 is a fluidized bed reactor, the fluidization velocity, catalyst particle size and bulk density, and solid feedstock particle size and bulk density are selected so that the deoxygenated catalyst is retained in the bubbling fluidized bed, and the produced char is entrained with partially deoxygenated products (e.g., output 30) that exit the hydropyrolysis reactor 14. The hydropyrolysis step in the first stage 20 employs rapid heating of the solid feedstock 18 so that the residence time of the pyrolysis vapor in the hydropyrolysis reactor 14 is preferably less than about 1 minute, more preferably less than about 30 seconds, and most preferably less than about 10 seconds.

[0037] The solid raw material 18 used in the disclosed method may include residual waste raw materials and / or biomass raw materials containing lignin, lignocellulose, cellulose, hemicellulose materials or any combination thereof. Lignocellulosic materials may include a mixture of lignin, cellulose and hemicellulose in any proportion, and also contain ash and moisture. Such materials are more difficult to convert into alternative liquid hydrocarbon products than cellulose and hemicellulose materials. The advantage of the present method is that it can be used for biomass containing lignocellulose. Suitable biomass containing lignocellulose includes woody biomass and agricultural and forestry products and residues (full harvest energy crops; roundwood; forest fellings; bamboo; sawdust; bagasse; sugarcane leaves and residual stems; cotton stalks; corn stalks; corn cobs; castor stalks; whole harvests of jatropha; jatropha waste; de-oiled cakes of palm, castor and jatropha; coconut shells; residues from edible nuts; rice husks; rice stalk products and mixtures thereof), animal waste and municipal solid waste containing lignocellulosic materials. Municipal solid waste (MSW) can include any combination of lignocellulosic materials (yard waste, pressure treated wood such as fence posts, plywood), waste paper and cardboard and waste plastics and refractory materials such as glass, metals. Before being used in the method disclosed herein, municipal solid waste can be optionally converted into pellets or briquettes. Pellets or briquettes are commonly referred to as refuse derived fuels in the industry. Certain raw materials (such as algae and duckweed) may also contain proteins and lipids in addition to lignocellulose. Residual waste raw materials are those raw materials that mainly have waste plastics. In certain embodiments, solid raw materials 18 can be coal of different grades, peat or any other suitable solid raw materials that can be fed to a pressurized reactor.

[0038] The solid feedstock 18 may be provided to the hydropyrolysis reactor 14 in the form of loose biomass particles having a majority of particles preferably less than about 3.5 millimeters (mm) in size, or in the form of a biomass / liquid slurry. However, as will be appreciated by those skilled in the art, the solid feedstock 18 may be pre-treated or otherwise processed so that a larger particle size may be accommodated. Suitable means for introducing the solid feedstock 18 into the hydropyrolysis reactor 14 include, but are not limited to, an auger, a carrier gas (such as an inert gas and H 2 ) and a constant displacement pump, impeller, turbo pump, etc. In one embodiment of the present disclosure, metering addition is performed using a twin screw system having a slow screw for metering the solid feedstock 18, followed by a fast screw that pushes the solid feedstock 18 into the reactor without causing calcination in the screw housing. An inert gas or hydrogen flow is maintained on the fast screw to further reduce the residence time of the solid feedstock 18 in the fast screw housing.

[0039] The hydropyrolysis step is carried out in the hydropyrolysis reactor 14 at a temperature in the range of about 300 degrees Celsius (° C.) to about 650° C., preferably in the range of about 330° C. to about 500° C., and more preferably in the range of about 350° C. to about 480° C., and at a pressure of about 0.50 megapascals (MPa) to about 7.5 MPa (about 5 bar to 75 bar). The heating rate of the solid feedstock 18 is preferably greater than about 100 watts / meter. 2 (W / m 2 The weight hourly space velocity (WHSV) in grams (g) of biomass / g of catalyst / hour (h) for the hydropyrolysis step is about 0.2 h -1 About 10 hours -1 In the range of about 0.3h -1 Until 3h -1 within the range.

[0040] The temperature used in the hydropyrolysis allows the solid feedstock 18 to devolatilize rapidly. Therefore, in a preferred embodiment, the hydropyrolysis step includes the use of an active catalyst (e.g., a deoxygenation catalyst) to stabilize the hydropyrolysis vapor. The activity of the catalyst used herein remains high and stable over a long period of time so that it does not rapidly coke. The catalyst particle size used in the hydropyrolysis reactor 14 is preferably in the range of about 0.3 millimeters (mm) to about 4.0 mm, more preferably in the range of about 0.6 mm to about 3.0 mm, and most preferably in the range of about 1 mm to about 2.4 mm.

[0041] Any deoxygenation catalyst within the temperature range suitable for hydropyrolysis process can be used. Preferably, the deoxygenation catalyst is selected from a sulfided catalyst with one or more metals, and the one or more metals are selected from the group consisting of nickel (Ni), cobalt (Co), molybdenum (Mo) or tungsten (W) supported on a metal oxide. Suitable metal combinations include sulfided NiMo, sulfided CoMo, sulfided NiW, sulfided CoW and sulfided ternary metal systems with any 3 metals from the family consisting of Ni, Co, Mo and W. Monometallic catalysts such as sulfided Mo, sulfided Ni and sulfided W are also applicable. The metal combination of the deoxygenation catalyst used according to certain embodiments of the present disclosure includes sulfided NiMo and sulfided CoMo. The carrier for the sulfided metal catalyst includes metal oxides, such as but not limited to aluminum oxide, silicon dioxide, titanium dioxide, ceria and zirconium oxide. Binary oxides such as silicon dioxide-aluminum oxide, silicon dioxide-titania and ceria-zirconium oxide can also be used. Preferably, the carrier includes aluminum oxide, silicon dioxide and titanium dioxide. In certain embodiments, the support contains fines of recycled, regenerated, and reactivated spent hydrotreating catalyst (e.g., fines of CoMo on an oxide support, fines of NiMo on an oxide support, and fines of a hydrocracking catalyst comprising NiW on a mixture of an oxide support and a zeolite). The total metal loading on the deoxygenated catalyst is preferably in the range of about 1.5 weight percent (wt%) to about 50 wt%, expressed as a weight percent of the calcined deoxygenated catalyst in oxidized form (e.g., Ni (as NiO) and Mo (as MoO) on calcined oxidized NiMo on an alumina support). 3 Additional elements such as phosphorus (P) may be incorporated into the deoxidation catalyst to improve the dispersion of the metal.

[0042] The first stage 20 of the process disclosed herein produces an output 30 having partially deoxygenated hydropyrolysis products. As used herein, the term "partially deoxygenated" refers to a material in which at least 30 weight percent (wt%), preferably at least 50 wt%, and more preferably at least 70 wt% of the oxygen present in the original solid feedstock 18 (e.g., lignocellulose-containing biomass) has been removed. The degree of oxygen removal refers to the percentage of oxygen in the solid feedstock 18 (e.g., biomass) excluding oxygen contained in free moisture in the solid feedstock 18. This oxygen is removed in the hydropyrolysis step as water (H 2 O), carbon monoxide (CO), and carbon dioxide (CO 2 Although nearly 100 wt % of the oxygen present in the solid feedstock 18 may be removed, typically up to 99 wt %, suitably up to 95 wt % will be removed in the hydropyrolysis step.

[0043] Carbon removal

[0044] As described above, the output 30 produced by the hydropyrolysis step in the hydropyrolysis reactor 14 includes mixed solid and vapor products including char, ash, catalyst fines, partially deoxygenated hydropyrolysis products, light gases (C 1 -C 3 Gas, CO, CO 2 、Hydrogen sulfide (H 2 S), ammonia (NH 3 ) and H 2 ), H 2 O vapor, C 4+ Hydrocarbon vapors and oxygenated hydrocarbons. Char, ash, and catalyst fines are entrained in the gas phase product. Thus, between the hydropyrolysis and hydroconversion steps, between the first stage 20 and the second stage 24, respectively, char and catalyst fines are removed from the gas phase product (e.g., partially deoxygenated hydropyrolysis product). Any ash present may also be removed at this stage.

[0045] In certain embodiments, the hydropyrolysis reactor 14 may include a solid separation device (e.g., a cyclone separator), for example, above the dense bed phase to reduce entrainment of solid particles above a certain particle size. In addition, or alternatively, a solid separation device may be located downstream of the hydropyrolysis reactor 14 to remove char and other solids from the output 30 to generate a gas phase product 40. For example, Figure 1 As shown, the output 30 is fed to a solid separator 42, which separates / removes solids (e.g., char, ash, and catalyst fines 46) from the output 34. The char and catalyst fines 46 can be removed from the output 34 by cyclone separation, vortex separator, filtration, electrostatic precipitation, inertial separation, magnetic separation, or any other suitable solid separation technology and combinations thereof. For example, the char can be removed by filtering from a vapor stream (e.g., output 30) or by filtering from a wash step ebullating bed. Reverse pulses can be used to remove char and other solids from the filter, as long as the hydrogen used in the disclosed method sufficiently reduces the reactivity of the pyrolysis vapor and allows the char to flow freely.

[0046] In one embodiment, the solid separator 42 comprises one or more cyclone separators. In certain embodiments, the solid separator 42 comprises a candle filter (e.g., a backflush candle filter). The candle filter receives the output 34 from the hydropyrolysis reactor 14 and separates the char and catalyst fines 46 of the output 34 with a removal efficiency of at least 99% to generate a gas phase product 40. In other embodiments, the solid separator 36 comprises one or more filters or a combination of cyclone separators, filters, and other suitable solid separation equipment to remove entrained solids from the output 30. For example, the char 38 and other solids can be separated by cyclone separation and then removed by hot gas filtration. Hot gas filtration removes fine particles that are not removed in the cyclone separator. In this embodiment, the dust cake captured on the filter is easier to clean than the char removed in the hot filtration of the aerosol produced in conventional fast pyrolysis because the hydrogen from the hydropyrolysis step stabilizes the free radicals and saturates the olefins. According to another embodiment of the present disclosure, cyclone separation is used and then the char and catalyst fines 46 are captured in a high porosity solid adsorbent bed to remove the char and catalyst fines 46 from the output 34. As a non-limiting example, a high porosity solid adsorbent suitable for capturing the char and catalyst fines 46 includes an aluminum silicate material. An inert classified bed and / or filter material can also be used to remove the char and catalyst fines 46 from the output 34 to generate the gas phase product 40.

[0047] In other embodiments, the solid separator 40 includes a combination of a cyclone separator and a vortex tube separator. In this particular embodiment, the cyclone separator receives the output 34 from the hydropyrolysis reactor 14 to generate an intermediate product having a reduced char and catalyst fines content compared to the output 34. The intermediate product is fed to a vortex tube separator downstream of the cyclone separator to remove additional char and catalyst fines not removed by the cyclone separator, thereby generating a gas phase product 40 and char and catalyst fines 46. The combined cyclone separator and vortex tube separator of the solid separator 42 removes greater than 99.99% of the char and catalyst fines 46 from the output 34.

[0048] Char and catalyst fines 46 can also be removed by bubbling the first stage product gas (e.g., output 34) through a recirculating liquid. The recirculated liquid includes a high boiling point portion of the finished oil from the process (e.g., from the second stage 24), and is therefore a fully saturated (hydrogenated) stable oil with a boiling point above about 370°C. In certain embodiments, the finished oil may be a heavy oil generated in a separate process. Char or catalyst fines 46 from the first stage 20 are trapped in the liquid. A portion of the liquid can be filtered to remove fines 46, and a portion can be recycled back to the hydropyrolysis reactor 14. By using the recirculating liquid, the temperature of the char-laden process vapor from the first stage 20 is reduced to a temperature suitable for the hydroconversion step in the second stage 24, while also removing char and catalyst fines. In addition, the use of liquid filtration avoids the use of hot gas filtration.

[0049] According to another embodiment of the present disclosure, a large size NiMo or CoMo catalyst used in an ebullating bed is used for char removal to provide further deoxygenation while removing fine particles. The particles of the catalyst should be large, preferably in the range of 15 mm to 30 mm in size, so that they are easily separated from the fine char carried over from the hydropyrolysis reactor 14, which is generally less than 200 mesh (less than 70 microns (μm)).

[0050] Level 2

[0051] After removal of char and catalyst fines 46, the gas phase product 40 (e.g., partially deoxygenated hydropyrolysis product) is mixed with H from the hydropyrolysis step (e.g., first stage 20). 2 ,CO,CO 2 , H 2 O and C 1 -C 3 The gases are fed together into the hydroconversion reactor 16 in the second stage 24 and are subjected to the hydroconversion step. The hydroconversion step is carried out at a temperature in the range of about 300° C. to about 600° C. and a pressure in the range of about 0.1 MPa to about 5 MPa. It should be noted that pressures above 0.6 MPa may be used to adjust the boiling point distribution and composition of the resulting hydrocarbon products based on the desired specifications of the hydrocarbon fuel produced by the hydroprocessing. The weight hourly space velocity (WHSV) of this step is about 0.1 h -1 About 2 hours -1The hydroconversion reactor 16 is a fixed bed reactor. However, in certain embodiments, the hydroconversion reactor 16 may be a fluidized bed reactor. The gas phase product 40 undergoes hydroconversion in the presence of a hydroconversion catalyst to generate a fully deoxygenated hydrocarbon product 50. As used herein, the term "fully deoxygenated" refers to a material in which at least 98% by weight, preferably at least 99% by weight, and more preferably at least 99.9% by weight of the oxygen present in the original solid feedstock 18 (e.g., lignocellulose-containing biomass) has been removed. The hydrocarbon product 50 contains light gaseous hydrocarbons such as methane, ethane, ethylene, propane and propylene, hydrocarbons in the naphtha range, hydrocarbons in the middle distillate range, hydrocarbons with a boiling point above 370° C. (based on ASTM D86), hydrogen, and by-products of the hydroconversion reaction such as H 2 O, H 2 S. NH 3 , CO and CO 2 .

[0052] The solid feedstock 18 used in the disclosed process may contain metals, such as, but not limited to, sodium (Na), potassium (K), calcium (Ca), and phosphorus (P). These metals may attenuate the hydroconversion catalyst used in the second stage 24. However, these metals may be removed in the first stage 20 along with the char and ash products (e.g., char and catalyst fines 46). Thus, the hydroconversion catalyst used in the hydroconversion step is protected from the presence of Na, K, Ca, P, and other metals in the solid feedstock 18, which may otherwise attenuate the hydroconversion catalyst. In addition, by hydropyrolyzing the solid feedstock 18 in the first stage 20, the hydroconversion catalyst is advantageously protected from olefins and free radicals. The conditions under which the hydropyrolysis occurs in the first stage 20 stabilize the free radicals generated during the high temperature devolatilization of the solid feedstock 18 (e.g., biomass) by the presence of hydrogen and the catalyst, thereby generating stable hydrocarbon molecules that are less prone to, for example, coke-forming reactions that may deactivate the catalyst.

[0053] The hydroconversion catalyst used in the hydroconversion step includes any suitable hydroconversion catalyst with desired activity within the temperature range of the disclosed hydroconversion method. For example, the hydroconversion catalyst is selected from a sulfided catalyst with one or more metals from a group consisting of Ni, Co, Mo or W supported on a metal oxide. Suitable metal combinations include sulfided NiMo, sulfided CoMo, sulfided NiW, sulfided CoW and sulfided ternary metal systems with any three metals from a family consisting of Ni, Co, Mo and W. Catalysts such as sulfided Mo, sulfided Ni and sulfided W are also applicable. Metal oxide carriers for sulfided metal catalysts include but are not limited to aluminum oxide, silicon dioxide, titanium dioxide, ceria, zirconium oxide and binary oxides such as silicon dioxide-aluminum oxide, silicon dioxide-titania and ceria-zirconium oxide. Preferred carriers include aluminum oxide, silicon dioxide and titanium dioxide. The support may optionally comprise fines of regenerated and reactivated spent hydrotreating catalyst (e.g., fines of CoMo on an oxide support, fines of NiMo on an oxide support, and fines of a hydrocracking catalyst comprising NiW on a mixture of an oxide support and a zeolite). The total metal loading on the catalyst is in the range of about 5 wt % to about 35 wt % (expressed as weight percentage of the calcined catalyst in oxidized form, e.g., nickel (as NiO) and molybdenum (as MoO) on calcined oxidized NiMo on an alumina catalyst). 3 ) weight percent). Additional elements such as phosphorus (P) may be incorporated into the catalyst to improve the dispersion of the metal. The metal may be introduced onto the support by impregnation or co-grinding or a combination of these two techniques. The hydroconversion catalyst used in the hydroconversion step may be the same or different in composition from the deoxygenation catalyst used in the hydropyrolysis step (e.g., first stage 20). In one embodiment of the present disclosure, the hydropyrolysis catalyst comprises sulfided CoMo on an alumina support, and the hydroconversion catalyst comprises sulfided NiMo on an alumina support.

[0054] After the hydroconversion step, the fully deoxygenated hydrocarbon product 42 is fed to one or more condensers which condense the hydrocarbon product 50. The condensed hydrocarbon product 50 is fed to a gas-liquid separator 52 to provide a substantially fully deoxygenated hydrocarbon product. 4+ The term "substantially fully deoxygenated" is used herein to refer to a material in which at least 90% to 99% by weight of the oxygen present in the initial lignocellulose-containing biomass (e.g., solid feedstock 18) has been removed. Thus, the resulting liquid product 56 (e.g., substantially fully deoxygenated hydrocarbon C 4+Liquid) contains less than 2 wt %, preferably less than 1 wt %, and most preferably less than 0.1 wt % oxygen. Substantially completely deoxygenated C4+ hydrocarbon liquids are different from bio-oils produced using other low pressure hydrogenation processes in composition. For example, compared with the oxygen content of liquid product 56 (e.g., less than 2 wt %), the oxygen content of bio-oil is greater (e.g., between about 5 wt % and 15 wt %). Therefore, partly due to the lower oxygen content of liquid product 56, the amount of acid components (measured by total acid number) and polar compounds compared with bio-oil is reduced. As a non-limiting example, acid components include carboxylic acids, phenols and mixtures thereof.

[0055] The hydrocarbon product 50 undergoes a separation process in the gas-liquid separator 52, wherein the hydrocarbon product is separated from the substantially completely deoxygenated C 4+ Any suitable phase separation technique can be used to separate and remove the aqueous material from the substantially completely deoxygenated C 4+ Separation and removal of aqueous materials from hydrocarbon liquids to produce C 4+ The liquid product 56 comprises hydrocarbons and non-condensable gases 58. The non-condensable gases 58 mainly include H 2 ,CO,CO 2 and light hydrocarbon gases (usually C 1 To C 3 , and may also contain some C 4+ hydrocarbon).

[0056] In certain embodiments, the non-condensable gases 58 are fed to a gas purification system 60. The gas purification system 60 removes H as a byproduct of the process. 2 S. NH 3 and trace amounts of organic sulfur compounds (if present), thereby generating CO, CO 2 , H 2 and a hydrocarbon stream 64 of light hydrocarbon gases. The gas purification system 60 includes a process for removing H 2 O, which is a byproduct of the process, from the non-condensable gases 58. 2 S68 and NH 3 The hydrocarbon stream 64 may be sent to a separation, reforming and water gas shift stage 74 where hydrogen 28 is produced from the light hydrocarbon gases in the hydrocarbon stream 64 and the renewable CO 2 78 is discharged as a by-product of the process. The fuel gas stream can be recovered as a by-product of the process. The generated hydrogen 28 can be reused in the process. For example, the hydrogen 28 can be recycled to the hydropyrolysis reactor 14 in the first stage 20. Sufficient hydrogen is generated for use in the entire process disclosed herein. That is, the amount of hydrogen 28 generated by the separation, reforming and water-gas shift section 74 is equal to or greater than the hydrogen required to maintain fluidization and maintain chemical consumption of hydrogen in the process.

[0057] The liquid phase product 56 recovered from the gas-liquid separator 52 is fed to the product recovery section 80. In the product recovery section 80, the aqueous product 82 is removed from the liquid phase product 56 to generate an intermediate liquid phase product 84. The intermediate liquid phase product 84 may be subjected to distillation to separate substantially completely deoxygenated C 4+ The hydrocarbon liquid is separated into fractions. For example, the substantially completely deoxygenated C 4+ Hydrocarbon liquids include naphtha range hydrocarbons, middle distillate range hydrocarbons (eg, gas oil, diesel), and vacuum gas oil (VGO) range hydrocarbons.

[0058] For the purpose of clarity, "middle distillates" as used herein are hydrocarbons or oxygenated hydrocarbons recovered by distillation between the atmospheric equivalent initial boiling point (IBP) and the final boiling point (FBP) measured according to the standard ASTM distillation method. The ASTM D86 initial boiling point of the middle distillate may vary between about 150° C. and about 220° C. According to ASTM D86 distillation, the final boiling point of the middle distillate may vary between about 350° C. and about 380° C. As used herein, "naphtha" is one or more hydrocarbons or oxygenated hydrocarbons having four or more carbon atoms and having an atmospheric equivalent final boiling point greater than about 90° C. but less than about 200° C. A small amount of hydrocarbons (less than about the total C 200° C.) produced in the process 4+ 3 wt % of total C 4+ 1 wt % of hydrocarbons) boil at a temperature higher than the above middle distillates. That is, the boiling range of these hydrocarbons is similar to that of vacuum gas oil produced by distilling petroleum. Gasoline is primarily a hydrocarbon in the naphtha range and is used in spark-ignited internal combustion engines. In the United States, the ASTM D4814 standard establishes the requirements for gasoline for ground vehicles with spark-ignited internal combustion engines. Gas oil (GO) / diesel is primarily a hydrocarbon in the middle distillate range and is used in compression-ignition internal combustion engines. In the United States, the ASTM D975 standard covers the requirements for several grades of diesel fuel suitable for various types of diesel engines.

[0059] Therefore, in the illustrated embodiment, the intermediate liquid product 84 is fed to the distillation unit 86 to recover the gasoline product 90 and the distillate product 92 (e.g., middle distillate). In certain embodiments, kerosene / jet fuel 94 is recovered from the distillation unit 86 as an independent stream. The distillate product 92 (e.g., middle distillate) contains gas oil (GO), such as biodiesel, and is substantially completely free of oxygen, sulfur and nitrogen. In certain embodiments, the oxygen content of the distillate product 92 is less than about 1.50 weight %. For example, the oxygen content can be about 1.40 weight %, 1.25 weight %, 0.50 weight %, 0.25 weight % or 0.10 weight % or less. In one embodiment, the sulfur content is less than 100ppmw. For example, the sulfur content can be about 75ppmw, 50ppmw, 25ppmw, 10ppmw, 5ppmw, 1ppmw or less. Therefore, the biodiesel obtained from the distillate product 92 is considered to be ultra-low sulfur diesel (ULSD), which generally has less than 10ppmw sulfur. With respect to nitrogen content, in certain embodiments, the substantially completely deoxygenated C 4+ The nitrogen content of the hydrocarbon liquid is less than 1000 ppmw. For example, the nitrogen content may be about 750 ppmw, 500 ppmw, 250 ppmw, 100 ppmw, 75 ppmw, 50 ppmw, 25 ppmw, 10 ppmw or 1 ppmw or less.

[0060] As discussed above, hydrocarbon liquid products (such as distillate products 92) generated by hydroprocessing of solid biomass feedstocks (e.g., solid feedstock 18) typically require additional processing to upgrade and improve product characteristics, such as cetane number, reduced density, reduced sulfur and / or nitrogen content, reduced benzene content (e.g., due to selective saturation), etc., and help adapt the overall hydrocarbon product to specific site and market specifications, among other benefits. However, additional processing for upgrading the distillate product 92 introduces complexity into the process while also increasing the overall cost of producing commercially viable biodiesel fuels with desired specifications proposed by various fuel regulations. However, it has been recognized that by blending the distillate product 92 with hydrotreated esters and / or fatty acids (HEFA), product characteristics (e.g., cetane number, density) are improved without the need for additional processing to upgrade the distillate product 92. Therefore, according to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the distillate product 92. The distillate product 92 may be further processed in the third stage of the hydroprocessing system 10 to upgrade the distillate product 92 to a commercially viable biodiesel fuel. In other embodiments, the distillate product 92 may be combined with other hydrocarbons (eg, fossil derived hydrocarbons and / or biorenewable derived biodiesel) to produce a commercially viable biodiesel blend that does not require upgrading in a third stage.

[0061] Solid material system

[0062] As discussed above, the solid feed system 12 provides the solid feed 18 to the reactor 14 in a manner that does not require pressurized gas and bulky containers and does not result in compaction of the solid feed 18 compared to lock hopper feed systems. Figure 2 The arrangement of the piston feeder 30 and the metering tank 32 of the solid raw material system 12 according to one embodiment of the present disclosure is shown. The solid raw material system 12 may have an axial axis or direction 96, a radial axis or direction 98 away from the axis 96, and a circumferential axis or direction 100 around the axis 96. The piston feeder 30 includes a plurality of pistons arranged in a manner that allows the solid raw material 18 to move through the piston feeder 30 and enter the metering tank 32 while maintaining a desired pressure in each chamber of the piston feeder 30. For example, in the illustrated embodiment, the piston feeder 30 includes a first piston 102, a second piston 104, a third piston 106, and a fourth piston 108. The piston feeder 30 also includes a first chamber 110, a second chamber 112, and a conduit 114 extending between the chambers 110 and 112 and fluidly connecting these chambers. Each piston 102, 104, 106, 108 includes a corresponding cylinder 116, 117, 118, and 119. Cylinders 116, 117, 118, 119 are displaced within respective chambers to facilitate movement of solid feedstock 18 through piston feeder 30 and into metering tank 32, as discussed in further detail below.

[0063] In addition, the piston feeder 30 includes an inlet 120 positioned adjacent to the first piston 102 and the first chamber 110 and extending away from the first piston and the first chamber in the axial direction 96; a feed chamber 122 disposed within the first chamber 110 and fluidly coupled to the inlet 120; and an outlet 124 positioned adjacent to the fourth piston 108 and the second chamber 112 and extending away from the fourth piston and the second chamber in the axial direction 96. However, the inlet 120 and the outlet 124 may be arranged in any other suitable manner that allows the solid feedstock 18 to flow into and out of the piston feeder 30.

[0064] At least a portion of the barrel 116 of the first piston 102 is disposed within the first chamber 110 and moves (e.g., displaces) along the length of the first chamber 110 (e.g., in the radial direction 98) to move the solid feedstock 18 from the first chamber 110 to the conduit 114. Similar to the first piston 102, at least a portion of the barrel 117 of the second piston 104 is disposed within the second chamber 112 and moves (e.g., displaces) along the length of the second chamber 112 to move the solid feedstock 18 from the second chamber 112 to the metering tank 32. In the illustrated embodiment, a portion of the conduit 114 is inclined relative to the axial axis 96. However, in certain embodiments, the conduit 114 may be parallel to the axial axis 96.

[0065] In the illustrated embodiment, the first piston 102 and the second piston 104 extend radially along the radial axis 98 and are positioned parallel to each other. The third piston 106 and the fourth piston 108 extend axially along the axial axis 96 and are parallel to each other and orthogonal to the pistons 102, 104. However, in other embodiments, the pistons 102, 104 are not positioned parallel to each other. For example, Figure 3 An embodiment of the piston feeder 30 is shown, in which the piston 104 is oriented at an acute angle α relative to the centerline axis 126 of the piston 108 and is orthogonal to the centerline axis 128 of the piston 106. Therefore, the second chamber 112 of the piston feeder 30 is also oriented at an acute angle α relative to the centerline axis 126 of the piston 108. By arranging the piston 104 and the second chamber 112 in this manner, the solid raw material can be easily moved along the second chamber 112 due in part to gravity, and the corrosion of the inner surface of the second chamber 112 can be alleviated. For example, when the cylinder 117 of the piston 104 pushes the solid raw material toward the fourth piston 108 and enters the metering tank 32, the solid raw material may abrade and scratch, or otherwise corrode the inner surface of the second chamber 112. This movement of the solid raw material may wear the inner surface of the second chamber 112 over time. In addition, the solid raw material may be trapped between the inner surface of the second chamber 112 and the outer surface of the cylinder 117. As a result, the cylinder 117 may not be able to properly move within the second chamber 112 and transfer the solid feedstock to the metering tank 32. The inclined or angled configuration of the second piston 104 and the second chamber 112 can reduce wear of the piston feeder surfaces (e.g., the inner surface of the second chamber 112 and the outer surface of the piston 106) and the retention of solid feedstock between the inner surface of the second chamber 112 and the outer surface of the piston 104.

[0066] Back to Figure 2 , the outlet 124 couples (e.g., connects) the piston feeder 30 to the metering tank 32 so that the solid raw material 18 can be transferred from the second chamber 112 to the metering tank 32. In operation, the first chamber 110 and the conduit 114 are maintained at ambient pressure (e.g., about 0.1 MPa (1 bara)), and the second chamber 112 and the metering tank 32 are pressurized according to the pressure in the reactor 14. For example, the second chamber 112 and the metering tank 32 can be at a pressure between about 0.1 MPa (MPa) and about 5 MPa (about 1 bara-50 bara). As discussed in further detail below, the third piston 106 can be used to maintain different pressures in the chambers 110, 112 and to mitigate the backflow of the solid raw material 18 from the metering tank 32 to the piston feeder 30 due to, for example, the pressure difference between the raw material storage tank and the metering tank 32.

[0067] The piston feeder 30 includes various valves and seals that facilitate the flow of solid feedstock 18 through chambers 110, 112 and conduit 114 and mitigate the backflow of solid feedstock 18 from metering tank 32 and / or reactor 14 into the piston feeder 30. For example, the piston feeder 30 includes seals 130 and 132 located at the ends of cylinders 116, 117, respectively. The piston feeder 30 also includes pressure seals 134 and 136 located at the ends of cylinders 118, 119, respectively. In operation, the pressure seal 136 provides a seal between the metering tank 32 and the second chamber 112 so that when the second chamber 112 receives the solid feedstock 18 from the first chamber 110 at atmospheric pressure (e.g., 0.1 MPa (1 bara)), the solid feedstock 18 in the metering tank 32 at a higher pressure than the chambers 110, 112 (e.g., at a pressure between 0.6 MPa (6 bara) and 5 MPa (50 bara)) does not flow back into the piston feeder 30. Similarly, the pressure seal 134 provides a seal between the chambers 110, 112 so that when the second chamber 112 is pressurized to a pressure equal to that in the metering tank 32, the solid feedstock 18 does not flow back into the first chamber 110 and the conduit 114 at atmospheric pressure. Once the second chamber 112 is isolated from the first chamber 110, the conduit 114, and the metering tank 32, the second chamber 112 can be sealed with H 2 Fill and pressurize to the pressure within the metering tank 32 and the reactor 14. For example, the piston feeder 30 can have a configuration that allows the second chamber 112 to be filled with H 2 During the pressurization of the second chamber 112, the valves 140, 142 are opened to allow the air in the chamber 112 to be replaced by H2. After a period of time, the purge valve 140 is closed and the bypass valve 142 remains open, so that the chamber 112 filled with H2 is filled. 2 Once the second chamber 112 is at the desired pressure, the bypass valve 140 is closed and the third piston 108 moves away from the outlet 24 in the axial direction 96 to release the seal and allow fluid communication between the second chamber 112 and the outlet 124.

[0068] As discussed above, some existing piston feeders use o-rings to provide a seal and maintain pressure in the corresponding chamber. However, the force applied to the o-rings by the continuous movement of the piston causes the o-rings to creep and become damaged over time. As a result, the o-rings may not be able to seal and maintain the desired pressure in the corresponding chamber. Therefore, the pressure seals 134, 136 disclosed herein are constructed in a manner that mitigates damage caused by the forces applied by the pistons 106, 108. For example, Figure 4 and Figure 51 is a perspective view of an end portion 150 of a piston 106, 108 having a disclosed pressure seal 134, 136. In addition to the pressure seals 134, 136, the end portion 150 includes a top plate 152, a bottom plate 154, an intermediate plate 156, and an insert 160. The pressure seals 134, 136 have an annular ring 162 positioned between the plates 152, 156. The end portion also includes an o-ring 164 positioned between the bottom plate 154 and the insert 160. The plates 152, 154, 156, the insert 160, the seals 134, 136, and the o-ring 164 are held together by bolts 168 to form the end portion 150, as shown. Figure 6 shown.

[0069] Figure 7 7-7 is a cross-sectional view of the end portion 150 along line 7-7. As shown in the illustrated embodiment, the annular ring 162 of the pressure seal 134, 136 has a recess 172 and a protrusion 174, so that the annular ring 162 has a T-shaped cross-section. For example, the annular ring 162 has a first wall 175 extending between a first side 176a and a second side 176b of the annular ring 162, and the second side 176b is substantially opposite (e.g., 180 degrees) to the first side 176a. The annular ring 162 also has a second wall 177 extending from the first wall 175 and orthogonal to the first wall. The second wall 177 forms a portion of the first side 176a and the second side 176b. A portion of the first wall 175 extends (or protrudes) from the surface of the first side 176a to form a protrusion 174a and a recess 172a, and another portion of the first wall 175 extends (or protrudes) from the surface of the second side 176b to form a protrusion 174b and a recess 172b, so that the annular ring 162 has a T-shaped cross-sectional geometry. In certain embodiments, a flat ring may be disposed between the protrusion 174a and the inner surface of the plate 152 so that the terminal end of the protrusion 174a does not abut against and abut the inner surface of the plate 152. In the illustrated embodiment, the protrusion 174 has a rectangular or square geometry. However, the protrusion 174 may have any other suitable geometry, such as a trapezoid, a triangle, a polygon, and a combination thereof. For example, in certain embodiments, the protrusion 174a may have a cross-sectional geometry, and another protrusion 174b may have another cross-sectional geometry different from the cross-sectional geometry of the protrusion 174a.

[0070] As discussed in further detail below, the T-shape of the annular ring 162 helps couple the pressure seals 134, 136 to the end portion 150 and mitigate damage that may be caused by forces applied to the seals 134, 136 by the plates 152, 154 during operation of the piston feeder 30. For example, during operation, the second wall 177 of the seal 134, 136 expands in a linear direction 179 toward the inner surface of the corresponding piston chamber of the cylinder (e.g., cylinder 118, 119) that houses the piston 106, 108, thereby creating a seal. In addition to creating a seal, the linear movement (i.e., expansion) of the second wall 177 cleans the sealing surface by removing material that may be trapped between the cylinder of the piston 106, 108 and the inner surface of the piston chamber during movement of the piston 106, 108. When the seal 134, 136 is deactivated, the second wall 177 retracts and returns to its original shape. Unlike an o-ring shaped seal, when the first wall 175 is held in place by the plates 152, 156 and cannot move, the first wall 175 (e.g., a T-bar) forces the second wall 177 back to its original shape. Thus, the first wall 175 pulls the second wall 177 back to its original shape and mitigates wear on the seals 134, 136 that may be caused by friction forces applied by the inner surface of the piston chamber to the second wall 177. The T-shape of the annular ring 162 prevents or otherwise mitigates creep of the pressure seals 134, 136 and allows them to maintain their original diameter. In addition, the narrow tolerance of the T-shape mitigates extrusion of portions of the seals 134, 136 when they are compressed during operation, which would change their shape and available material, resulting in a loss of sealing effectiveness. The annular ring 162 may be formed of an elastic incompressible material so that the annular ring can expand and contract to return to its original shape after applying and removing the force applied by the plates 152, 154, 156. As a non-limiting example, the thermoplastic material may be selected from polyurethane materials, etc. As used herein, the term "elastic incompressible material" refers to a material that maintains its density (i.e., it is incompressible) but not necessarily its shape (i.e., the material deforms) when a force is applied and returns to its original shape when the force is removed.

[0071] For ease of discussion of the pressure seals 134, 136, reference will be made to Figure 8, which is an exploded view of a cross section of the end portion 150. As shown in the illustrated embodiment, the T-shaped cross-sectional geometry of the annular ring 162 facilitates retaining the pressure seals 134, 136 in the end portion 150. For example, the plates 152, 156 each have lips 178, 180, respectively, which form an edge around the periphery of the plates 152, 156. The plates 152, 156 also have recessed walls 184, 186 (e.g., annular recessed walls) that are sized and shaped to receive the protrusions 174a, 174b of the seals 134, 136, respectively. When assembled, the pressure seals 134, 136 do not surround the top plate outer surface 190 and the middle plate outer surface 192. For example, as shown in the illustrated embodiment, there is a gap 188a between the first seal outer surface 194a and the top outer surface 190, and there is a gap 188b between the second seal outer surface 194b and the middle outer surface 192. When the seal is not activated, the gap 188 extends circumferentially around the end portion 150. In addition, the terminal end 191 of the second wall 177 is completely positioned within the lips 178, 180 so that the terminal end 191 does not protrude from or is flush with the outer surface of the end portion 150. That is, the terminal end 191 is nested within the plates 152, 156. This sealing configuration prevents the seals 134, 136 from rubbing against the inner surface of the corresponding piston feed chamber of the piston during piston movement, thereby reducing creep and damage to the seal during operation. In addition, when pressure is applied by the plates 152, 156, the sealing configuration allows the second wall 177 to expand and create a seal, as described below with reference to Fig. 9 176a, 176b, respectively, abuts the top plate surface 200 and the middle plate surface 204. That is, there is no gap between the outer surface 197 of the pressure seal 134, 136 and the corresponding plate surface 220, 204. In addition, the middle plate 156 includes an inner wall 208 adjacent to the recessed wall 186 and extending from the middle plate surface 204. The outer portion 210 of the first wall 175 abuts the outer surface 214 of the inner wall 208.

[0072] When the piston (e.g., pistons 106, 108) are displaced, the second gap 218 between the top plate inner surface 220 and the terminal end 224 of the inner wall 208 allows the top plate 152 to exert a force 226 on the pressure seals 134, 136 to isolate the chamber (e.g., second chamber 112) and / or the outlet (e.g., outlet 124) so ​​that the pressure difference between the metering tank (e.g., metering tank 32) and the piston chamber (e.g., first chamber 110) at atmospheric pressure does not cause the solid feed (e.g., solid feed 18) to flow back from the metering tank into the piston feeder (e.g., piston feeder 30). For example, when the piston 106, 108 moves in a direction toward the outlet 124, the bottom plate 154 abuts the terminal end of the chamber, which causes the bottom plate 154 and the intermediate plate 156 to move in a direction opposite to the direction in which the piston 106, 108 moves. As a result, the gap 218 is reduced, causing the top plate 152 to exert a force 226 on the pressure seals 134, 136. The bottom plate 154 also exerts a force opposing the force 226 that pushes against the pressure seals 134, 136, causing a portion of the annular ring 162 to compress and push it toward the inner wall of the chamber, as explained in further detail below. The compression of the annular ring 162 creates a seal within the chamber and blocks fluid communication between the space of the piston feeder or chamber adjacent to (or above) the top plate 152 and the space of the piston feeder or chamber adjacent to (or below) the bottom plate 154.

[0073] For example, Fig. 9 1 is a cross-sectional view of a portion of a piston feeder 30 having a pressure seal 134, 136 of the present disclosure in an activated configuration. In the illustrated embodiment, the end portion 150 of the piston 106, 108 is positioned within the chamber 230 of the piston feeder 30 such that the bottom plate 154 abuts a portion of the inner chamber wall 232. The bottom plate 154 has a beveled terminal end 234 having an inclined wall 236 that forms an angle θ between about 30° and 50°. A portion 240 of the beveled terminal end 234 contacts the inner chamber wall 232 such that the inner chamber wall 232 applies a force 246 to the bottom plate 152. As a result, the gap 218 is reduced, thereby applying a force 226 and a reaction force 250 to the pressure seals 134, 136, causing the annular ring 162 to compress and the second wall 177 to expand, thereby closing the gap 188 and pushing the terminal end 191 toward the inner surface 252 of the chamber 230 to provide a seal. The T-shaped configuration of the annular ring 162, in combination with the beveled terminal end 234 of the bottom plate 154, mitigates damage to the annular ring 162 that may be caused by creep, as described above.

[0074] Fig.10An alternative embodiment of the end portion 150 of the piston 106, 108 is shown, wherein the end portion includes a spring and an o-ring between the plates 152, 154. For example, in the illustrated embodiment, the end portion 254 includes a spring 256 in the gap 258 formed between the plates 152, 156 of the end portion 254. Unlike the end portion 150, the end portion 254 does not include a separate intermediate plate (e.g., intermediate plate 156). On the contrary, the bottom plate 154 of the end portion 254 is combined with the intermediate plate (e.g., intermediate plate 156) so that the bottom plate 154 and the intermediate plate form a single integral structure. In the illustrated embodiment, a volume distributor 255 with a concave configuration is connected to the bottom plate 154. The volume distributor 255 promotes the movement of solid raw materials through the piston feeder, the metering tank and / or the reactor.

[0075] As discussed above, the seals 134, 136 expand when activated, forcing the second wall 177 toward the inner surface of the piston chamber (e.g., inner surface 252) to create a seal. When the seals 134, 136 are deactivated (e.g., when the seals are broken), the second wall 177 is pulled toward the first wall 175 and the seals 134, 136 return to their original shapes. After the forces 226, 250 are released by overcoming the friction forces applied to the second wall 177 by the surfaces 190, 192 of the plates 152, 156, respectively, the spring 256 helps to pull the second wall 177 toward the first wall 175. In addition to facilitating the retraction of the second wall 177 when the seals 134, 136 are deactivated, when the second wall 177 does not retract to its original shape once deactivated, the spring 256 reduces the wear of the terminal end 191 caused by the friction forces applied to the terminal end 191 by the inner surface of the piston chamber. For example, once the seals 134, 136 are deactivated, the pistons 106, 108 move in a direction away from the end of the chamber (e.g., in a direction substantially the same as the reaction force 250). If the second wall 177 of the seals 134, 136 is not retracted to its initial shape, the terminal end 191 may rub against the inner surface of the chamber. This friction (i.e., frictional force) may wear the seals 134, 136 over time, causing leakage and material to be trapped between the piston and the inner surface of the chamber. The spring 256 can be any spring suitable for overcoming the friction of the seals 134, 136. The spring 256 has an annular configuration and can be made of materials such as, but not limited to, steel, metal alloys, etc. The end portion 254 can have any number of springs 256. For example, the end portion 254 can have 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10 or more springs 256.

[0076] In addition to the spring 256, the end portion 254 also includes a support ring 258 between the recessed wall 184 and the outer surface 197a of the pressure seal 134, 136. For example, when there is a gap between the recessed wall 258 and the outer surface 197a of the seal 134, 136, the support ring 258 relieves the first wall 175 from being squeezed. The support ring 258 can be made of any suitable material with sufficient durability and elastic properties to withstand the forces 226, 250 during operation of the piston feeder and prevent squeezing of the first wall 175. As a non-limiting example, the support ring 258 can be a nylon ring or the like.

[0077] Fig.11Another embodiment of the end portion 150 of the piston 106, 108 is shown, wherein the end portion includes a pressure-assisted support 253. The pressure-assisted support 253 works by balancing the process pressure 255 (e.g., the pressure below the end portion 150) with the support pressure 257 (e.g., the pressure inside the piston for deactivating the sealing function). The support pressure 257 is maintained above the process pressure 255. For example, the support pressure 257 is maintained at about 0.5% to 25% higher than the process pressure 255. As a non-limiting example, the support pressure 257 can be about 1 bar to 15 bars higher than the reactor pressure, and the process pressure 255 can be about 1 bar to 10 bars higher than the reactor pressure. In this way, it is ensured that when the piston (e.g., piston 106, 108) is retracted independently of the operating pressure, the pressure on the seals 134, 136 can be released. The advantage of this design is that when the piston moves away from the outlet (e.g., outlet 124) of the piston feeder or chamber containing the piston, having a higher seat pressure 257 than the process pressure 255 ensures the retraction of the seals 134, 136 when the pressure is removed from the pressure-assisted seat 253. In addition, the bearing can be positioned adjacent to the seals 134, 136 (e.g., adjacent to and abutting the first wall 175 of the T-shaped annular ring 162) to control the concentricity of the pressure-assisted seat 253. The bearing ensures that the seat can move axially without damaging the surface of the end portion 150 and the piston chamber. The bearing 259 can be made of a material having a hardness different from the hardness of the pressure-assisted seat 253. As a non-limiting example, the bearing can be bronze or any other material softer than the material of the pressure-assisted seat 253. When no pressure is set on the metal-metal seat 265, the center portion 263 sets the pre-compression of the seals 134, 136. The center portion 263 of the end portion 150 of the piston is pressurized by an external inert gas source through a conduit in the piston. By maintaining a higher pressure in the piston than in the process, it is ensured that all leaks will come from the inside and outside, thereby avoiding dust or foreign matter from entering the moving parts of the support construction. For example, the higher pressure in the metal-to-metal support 265 compared to the process pressure ensures that dust will not accumulate and that in the event of a leak due to a damaged o-ring, gas will not flow into the device, which could otherwise cause damage and affect performance.

[0078] As discussed above, the disclosed piston feeder (e.g., piston feeder 30) provides solid feedstock (e.g., solid feedstock 18) to metering tank 32. Metering tank 32 may include additional features, such as agitators and screw conveyors, that keep solid feedstock 18 moving, alleviate compaction, and facilitate metering of solid feedstock 18 into reactor 14. Fig.122 is a cross-sectional view of one embodiment of a metering tank 32. The metering tank 32 includes a body 260, an inlet 262, and an outlet 264. Although in the illustrated embodiment, the metering tank 32 has a single outlet 264, the metering tank 32 may have multiple outlets. The body 260 defines a housing 270 (e.g., a container) of the metering tank 32 that holds a desired volume of raw material (e.g., solid raw material 18). For example, the housing 270 may hold about 10 m 3 Up to 130m 3 . Therefore, the size of the shell 270 can be between about 2m (meter) diameter × 4m length and 4m diameter × 10m length. However, it should be understood that the shell 270 can be any size suitable for accommodating a desired amount of solid raw materials. The shell 270 has a longitudinal axis 272 extending from the first end 276 of the metering tank 32 to the second end 278. In an embodiment with multiple outlets 264, one or more outlets 264 are positioned at the first end 276 and one or more outlets 264 are positioned on the second end 278. The outlet 264 can feed the solid raw material (e.g., solid raw material 18) symmetrically (e.g., each outlet feeds the solid raw material into the reactor at the same time) or in series (e.g., one outlet feeds the solid raw material into the reactor, and then another outlet feeds the raw material into the reactor). Each outlet 264 can meter the same or different amounts of solid raw materials into the reactor. In certain embodiments, each outlet 264 can be fluidly coupled to a separate reactor such that one metering tank 32 can feed solid feedstock to multiple reactors.

[0079] like Fig.12 As shown, a plurality of agitators 274 move solid feedstock 18 entering housing 270 toward center 280 along longitudinal axis 272. Agitators 274 include shaft 282 having a plurality of blades 284 that maintain movement of solid feedstock 18 within metering tank 32. In operation, agitators 274a and 274c move in a first direction along longitudinal axis 272 such that the corresponding blades 284 move a first portion of solid feedstock 18 toward center 282, and agitators 274b and 176d move in a second direction opposite to the first direction along longitudinal axis 272 such that the corresponding blades 284 move a second portion of solid feedstock 18 toward center 280.

[0080] The housing 270 also includes one or more slots 286, into which the solid feedstock enters through an opening 288 at the center 280 of the housing 270. The slots 286 extend from the first end 276 to the second end 278 along the longitudinal axis 272 and terminate at the corresponding outlet 264. In an embodiment with a plurality of slots 286, the slots 286 are adjacent to each other and separated by a divider so that the solid feedstock in one slot 286 is separated from the solid feedstock in the adjacent slot 286. Each slot 286 includes a solid feed delivery device 290 that moves and meteredly adds the solid feedstock in the slot 286 to a reactor (e.g., reactor 14). As a non-limiting example, the solid feed delivery device 290 is a screw conveyor type, a pneumatic conveying system, or any other suitable solid feed delivery device. The metering tank 32 may include one or more control devices 292 that control and facilitate the movement of the agitator 274 and the solid feed delivery device 290. The agitator 274 and the solid feed delivery device 290 operate independently of each other. Therefore, the agitator 274 and the solid raw material conveying device 290 each have their own control device 292. However, in certain embodiments, the agitator 274 and the solid raw material conveying device 290 are independently operated using the same control device 292. It should be understood that the metering tank 32 can be used in combination with the disclosed piston feeder. The metering tank can be positioned upstream or downstream of the piston feeder. In certain embodiments, the metering tank 32 can be integrated with the piston feeder. In other embodiments, the metering tank 32 is an independent unit, which is separated from the piston feeder and detachably connected to the piston feeder. By using the metering tank 32 as an independent unit, it can be retrofitted into an existing reactor system and allows flexibility in adjusting the configuration of the solid raw material feeding system (for example, the metering tank is moved from a downstream position relative to the piston feeder to an upstream position, the metering tank is removed from the solid raw material feeding system already in place, or the metering tank is added to the solid raw material feeding system already in place).

[0081] Embodiments of the present invention also include methods of feeding a solid feedstock (e.g., solid feedstock 18) to a reactor (e.g., reactor 14). For example, Fig.13 300 is a flow chart of a method 300 that can be used to feed solid feedstock into a reactor using a disclosed piston feeder (e.g., piston feeder 30) while also preventing solid feedstock from flowing back into the piston feeder from a metering tank (e.g., metering tank 32). For ease of discussion of the actions of method 300, reference will be made to Figure 14-18 The method 300 includes providing a solid feedstock to a first chamber of a piston feeder at ambient pressure (block 304 ).

[0082] For example, refer to Fig.14, the piston feeder 30 receives the solid raw material 18 from the solid raw material storage tank through the inlet 120. As shown in the illustrated embodiment, the inlet 120 is connected to the feed chamber 122 fluid. The feed chamber 122 is aligned with the inlet 120 and receives the solid raw material 18 from the solid raw material storage tank disposed upstream of the piston feeder 30. In the illustrated embodiment, the fourth piston 108 is positioned so that the chambers 110, 112, 122 and the conduit 114 are isolated from the outlet 124 and the metering tank (e.g., the metering tank 32) to avoid the backflow of the solid raw material 18 that may be in the metering tank. For example, as discussed above, the metering tank is at a pressure between about 0.6MPa (6bara) and 5MPa (50bara), which is the pressure in the reactor (e.g., reactor 14). In contrast, the pressure in the chambers 110, 112, 122 and the conduit 114 is ambient pressure (e.g., about 0.1MPa (1bara)). If the outlet 206 of the second chamber 112 is not blocked and isolated from the outlet 124, the pressure difference between the piston feeder 30 and the metering tank can cause the solid raw material 18 to flow back into the piston feeder 30. Therefore, when in this position, the end portion 150 of the fourth piston 108 abuts the inner chamber wall 232 of the chamber 230b, thereby exerting a force on the pressure seal 136, compressing it, which forces the pressure seal outward against the inner surface of the chamber 230b. In this way, the pressure seal 136 provides a seal and isolates the outlet 124 from the chambers 110, 112, 122 and the conduit 114 to keep the pressure at the outlet 124 substantially the same as the pressure in the metering tank.

[0083] Return to Fig.13 The method 300 also includes transferring the solid feedstock from the feed chamber to the second chamber (block 310). Fig.15 As shown, the first piston 102 moves toward the end 312 of the first chamber 110 to align the feed chamber 122 with the opening 316 of the conduit 114. Once the feed chamber 122 is aligned with the opening 316, the solid feedstock 18 flows through the conduit 114 and into the second chamber 112. The fourth piston 108 remains in position to continue to isolate the outlet 124 and block fluid communication between the chambers 110, 112, 122 and the conduit 114 and the metering tank, thereby mitigating backflow of the solid feedstock 18 already in the metering tank.

[0084] Back again Fig.13 After transferring the solid feedstock to the second chamber according to the actions of frame 310, the method 300 includes pressurizing the second chamber (frame 318). For example, the third piston 106 moves toward the second chamber 112, thereby blocking the fluid communication between the chambers 110, 122 and the conduit 114 and the second chamber 112, as shown in FIG. Fig.16As shown. The second chamber 112 is isolated from the conduit 114 (and anything upstream of the conduit 114) and the outlet 124 of the piston feeder 30. Similar to the fourth piston 108, the end portion 150b of the third piston 106 abuts the inner wall 320 of the chamber inlet 324 associated with the second chamber 112, thereby exerting a force on the pressure seal 134, causing it to compress, which forces it outward against the inner surface of the second conduit 326 of the cylinder 118 that accommodates the third piston 106. The fourth piston 108 remains in a position blocking fluid communication between the second chamber 112 and the outlet 124. In this way, the pressure seal 134 provides a seal and isolates the second chamber 112 from the conduit 114 and the upstream of the conduit 114, and the pressure seal 136 seals and isolates the second chamber 112 from the outlet 124 to allow the second chamber 112 to be pressurized to a pressure substantially the same as the pressure within the metering tank.

[0085] For example, the pressure of the second chamber 112 is at ambient pressure. Therefore, the second chamber 112 is pressurized according to block 312 of the method 300 so that the pressure in the second chamber 112 is approximately equal to the pressure in the metering tank. Pressurizing the second chamber 112 before feeding the solid raw material 18 into the metering tank alleviates the backflow of the solid raw material 18 in the metering tank, which may be caused by the pressure difference between the second chamber 112 and the metering tank. As discussed above, the second chamber 112 includes a bypass valve 140, H 2 Gas can be injected into the second chamber 112 through the bypass valve. Open the vent valve 142 so that the air in the second chamber 112 can be 2 Gas replacement. Once the air in the second chamber 112 is replaced, the purge valve 142 is closed and H 2 The gas continues to fill the second chamber 112 until the desired pressure is reached. For example, the metering tank can be at a pressure between about 0.6 MPa (6 bara) and 5 MPa (5 bara). Therefore, the second chamber 112 is pressurized to a pressure of 0.6 MPa (6 bara) and 5 MPa (5 bara).

[0086] Return to Fig.13 The method includes feeding the solid raw material into a metering tank (block 330). Fig.17As shown, in order to feed solid raw material 18 into metering tank (e.g., metering tank 32), the fourth piston 108 moves away from outlet 124, while the third piston 106 remains in position to keep the second chamber 112 isolated from the first chamber 110, 122 and conduit 114. The movement of the fourth piston 108 in direction 332 releases the force (e.g., force 226, 250) from the pressure seal 136, which opens and allows the fluid communication between the second chamber 112 and the metering tank via outlet 124. The cylinder 117 of the second piston 104 moves toward outlet 124 in the second chamber 112 in direction 334 to move solid raw material 18 into the metering tank. It should be noted that pistons 104, 108 can move simultaneously or in series. For example, in one embodiment, when the fourth piston 108 moves in direction 332, the third piston 106 moves in direction 334. In other embodiments, the fourth piston 108 first moves in the direction 332 to allow fluid communication between the second chamber 112 and the outlet 124 , and then the second piston 104 moves in the direction 334 to feed the solid feedstock 18 into the metering tank.

[0087] Once the solid feedstock 18 is fed into the metering tank, the piston feeder 30 can receive another batch of solid feedstock 18. For example, returning to Fig.13 , method 300 includes aligning the feed chamber with the inlet of the piston feeder (block 340). This step can be performed after or during the actions of block 330. In some embodiments, the actions of block 340 can be performed simultaneously with the actions of block 318. During the alignment of the feed chamber 122 and the inlet 124, the first piston 102 moves away from the end 312 of the first chamber 110 and toward the inlet 124 in a direction 342 (see Fig.18 ). The pistons 104, 106, 108 remain in place to keep the first chamber 110 and the conduit 114 isolated from the second chamber 112, the outlet 124, and the metering tank. In this way, the backflow of the solid feedstock 18 in the metering tank can be alleviated.

[0088] After the feed chamber 122 is aligned with the inlet 124, the solid raw material 18 is provided to the feed chamber 122 according to the action of frame 304. The method 300 can be repeated for each batch of solid raw materials fed to the metering tank. Before, during, or after each batch of solid raw materials 18 is provided to the feed chamber 122, the second piston 104 can be moved away from the fourth piston 108 and the outlet 124 in a direction substantially opposite to the direction 332, and the fourth piston 108 can be moved toward the outlet 124 in a direction substantially opposite to the direction 334. The third piston 106 is maintained in an appropriate position so that the second chamber 112 remains isolated from the first chamber 110 and the conduit 114. The configuration of the pistons 106 and 108 blocks the fluid communication between the second chamber 112 and the first chamber 110 and the outlet 124, respectively. When in this configuration, the purge valve 142 can be opened to release H 2 Once depressurized, the third piston 106 can move away from the second chamber 112 in a direction 346 to allow fluid communication between the first chamber 110 and the second chamber 112 (see Fig.18 ). It should be noted that, based on the arrangement of pistons 106 and 108, directions 332, 346 may be the same or different.

[0089] A piston having the seal and end portion configuration disclosed herein is leak tested. The leak test is performed by pressurizing the piston and maintaining that pressure for a period of time. The decrease in pressure is measured during the period of time, and the leak rate is determined from the rate at which the pressure decreases. For example, the piston is pressurized to 41.5 bar. After 45 seconds, the pressure is measured once per second for 300 seconds. The slope of the linear regression of the measured pressures is determined, and the leakage rate is calculated from the slope. The leak test provides a good indication of whether the piston maintains a seal for the desired number of cycles. The experimental setup includes a 3D imager having ... Fig.10 The piston is disposed at the end portion of the housing and is disposed in the housing. The piston moves in cycles, with each cycle including a downward movement (e.g., toward a sealing area adjacent to the outlet / terminal end of the housing) to activate the seal (e.g., linear expansion of the seal) and an upward movement (e.g., away from the sealing area and toward the housing opening opposite the terminal end) to deactivate the seal (e.g., linear retraction of the seal). The inert gas (e.g., nitrogen (N 2 A pressure vessel pressurized with inert gas () or helium (He) is positioned below the piston to measure the sealing ability of the seal. The pressure of the pressure vessel is observed over a period of time to estimate the leakage rate of the inert gas and the change in leakage rate during the test. Fig.19 is a piston having a spring-loaded end portion and a seal as disclosed herein (e.g., as Fig.10Graph 350 of the number of cycles 352 of a seal (shown) as a function of the leakage rate 354 in standard liters per hour (NL / h). As shown in the illustrated embodiment, the end portion and seal configuration disclosed herein maintains a seal for more than 500,000 cycles without degradation and / or wear of the seal. The leakage rate remains between about 1 NL / h and about 6 NL / h, which is within specification, and remains fairly constant throughout the 500,000 cycles. Conventional o-ring seals of the T-bar configuration without the seal disclosed herein begin to degrade / wear after about 20 cycles. In contrast, the seal disclosed herein can go through 500,000 cycles or more without any observable degradation / wear and change in the leakage rate.

[0090] As discussed above, the solid feedstock system disclosed herein can be used to provide solid feedstock (e.g., biomass) to a reactor (e.g., a hydroprocessing reactor) in a manner that does not require large containers and pressurized gas compared to the lock hopper feeding system used in commercial applications. The disclosed system and method can also alleviate the compaction of solid feedstocks that may affect the overall efficiency and cost of hydroprocessing technology. The disclosed system and method use a unique piston configuration that conveys the feed through different chambers and into a metering tank. Certain pistons of the piston feeder provide an isolation chamber to facilitate pressurization and alleviate the sealing of solid feedstock backflow into the piston feeder. The disclosed seal is designed in a manner to mitigate damage caused by creep, which may cause unexpected leakage and backflow of solid feedstock from the metering tank to the piston feeder. In addition, the terminal end of the piston having the disclosed seal has a beveled end so that the force applied to the seal by the end of the piston minimizes damage to the seal over time.

[0091] Without departing from the essence or essential features of the present disclosure, the present disclosure may be embodied in other specific forms. The described embodiments should be considered in all respects to be merely illustrative and not restrictive. Therefore, the scope of the present disclosure is indicated by the appended claims rather than by the foregoing description. All changes falling within the equivalent meaning and scope of the claims will be included within the scope of the claims.

Claims

1. A system for hydrotreating a solid feedstock, comprising: a hydropyrolysis reactor having one or more inlets configured to receive the solid feedstock and generate a product stream comprising partially deoxygenated hydropyrolysis products, H2O, H2, CO2, CO, C1-C3 gases, char, and fines, wherein the hydropyrolysis reactor comprises one or more deoxygenation catalysts; A solid feedstock feeding system, the solid feedstock feeding system is disposed upstream of the hydropyrolysis reactor and is fluidly coupled to the hydropyrolysis reactor, wherein the solid feedstock feeding system comprises a piston feeder, the piston feeder comprises an inlet, an outlet, and at least one piston disposed between the inlet and the outlet, wherein the at least one piston comprises: room; as well as A barrel disposed within the chamber and configured to be displaced within the chamber, wherein the barrel includes a terminal end having a seal, and wherein the seal includes an annular ring having a first wall and a second wall, wherein the second wall is orthogonal to the first wall and extends from the first wall such that a first portion of the first wall projects away from the second wall in a first direction and a second portion of the first wall projects away from the second wall in a second direction substantially opposite to the first direction.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the terminal end portion comprises a first plate, a second plate, and a third plate, wherein the third plate forms a terminal end of the terminal end portion, wherein the seal is disposed between the first plate and the second plate, and wherein the terminal end portion is configured to exert one or more forces on the seal to push at least a portion of the seal toward an inner surface of the chamber.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the first plate comprises a first surface, a first recessed wall, and a lip adjacent to the first recessed wall, the first recessed wall circumferentially surrounding the first surface and the first lip surrounding the circumference of the first plate, and wherein the second plate comprises a second surface, a second recessed wall, a second lip, and an inner wall extending from the second surface and positioned parallel to the second lip, the second recessed wall being disposed between the second lip and the inner wall and circumferentially surrounding the second surface.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the first portion of the first wall of the seal is disposed within the first recessed wall, the second portion of the first wall of the seal is disposed within the second recessed wall, the first wall is adjacent to the inner wall, and the second wall is disposed between the first lip of the first plate and the second lip of the second plate.

5. The system of claim 2, wherein the third plate has a beveled end, and wherein the angle of the bevel is between approximately 35° and 50°.

6. The system of claim 2, wherein the seal is a resilient incompressible material.

7. The system of claim 2, wherein the seal has a T-shaped cross-sectional geometry.

8. The system of claim 2, comprising a second piston disposed upstream of the at least one piston, wherein the second piston comprises a second chamber and a second cylinder disposed within the second chamber and configured to shift within the second chamber, wherein the second cylinder comprises a second terminal end having a top plate, a middle plate, a bottom plate, and a second seal disposed between the top plate and the middle plate, and wherein the second seal has a T-shaped cross-sectional geometry.

9. The system of claim 2, comprising a metering tank disposed downstream of the piston feeder and fluidly coupled to the piston feeder, wherein the metering tank comprises a housing having one or more inlets and one or more outlets.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein at least one of the one or more inlets is fluidly coupled to the outlet of the piston feeder and is configured to receive the solid feedstock from the piston feeder, and wherein the at least one piston is positioned adjacent to the one or more inlets of the metering tank and is configured to isolate a portion of the piston feeder from the metering tank.

11. The system of claim 1 , comprising a hydroconversion reactor disposed downstream of the hydropyrolysis reactor and fluidly coupled to the hydropyrolysis reactor, wherein the hydroconversion reactor is configured to receive the product stream, wherein the partially deoxygenated hydropyrolysis products in the product stream undergo hydroconversion to generate a gas-phase product comprising substantially completely deoxygenated hydrocarbon products, H2O, CO, CO2, and C1-C3 gases.

12. A system for hydroprocessing a solid feedstock, comprising: a hydropyrolysis reactor having one or more inlets configured to receive the solid feedstock and configured to generate a product stream comprising partially deoxygenated hydropyrolysis products, H2O, H2, CO2, CO, C1-C3 gases, char, and fines; a hydroconversion reactor disposed downstream of the hydropyrolysis reactor and fluidly coupled to the hydropyrolysis reactor, wherein the hydroconversion reactor is configured to receive the product stream, wherein the partially deoxygenated hydropyrolysis product in the product stream undergoes hydroconversion in the hydroconversion reactor to generate a gas-phase product comprising substantially fully deoxygenated hydrocarbon products, H2O, CO, CO2, and C1-C3 gases; as well as A solid feedstock feeding system, which is arranged upstream of the hydropyrolysis reactor and is fluidly connected to the hydropyrolysis reactor, wherein the solid feedstock feeding system includes a piston feeder, and the piston feeder includes an inlet, an outlet, and at least one piston arranged between the inlet and the outlet, wherein the at least one piston includes a cylinder arranged in a chamber and configured to shift within the chamber and includes a seal on the terminal end, wherein the seal includes an annular ring with a T-shaped cross-sectional geometry.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the seal is disposed between a first plate and a second plate that form a portion of the terminal end, and wherein at least a portion of the seal is configured to protrude from outer surfaces of the first plate and the second plate when one or more forces are applied to the terminal end and to retract when the one or more forces are removed from the terminal end.

14. The system of claim 12, wherein the distal end of the barrel has a beveled end.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the angle of the bevel is between approximately 35° and 50°.

16. The system of claim 12, wherein the seal is a resilient incompressible material.

17. The system of claim 12, comprising a metering tank disposed between and fluidly coupled to the piston feeder and the hydropyrolysis reactor.

18. A system according to claim 17, wherein the metering tank includes a shell having one or more inlets and one or more outlets, wherein at least one of the one or more inlets is fluidly connected to the outlet of the piston feeder and is configured to receive the solid feedstock from the piston feeder, and wherein the piston is positioned adjacent to the one or more inlets of the metering tank and is configured to isolate a portion of the piston feeder from the metering tank.

19. The system of claim 12, comprising a second piston disposed upstream of the piston, wherein the second piston comprises a second cylinder disposed within a second chamber and configured to be displaced within the second chamber, wherein the second cylinder comprises a second terminal end having a second seal.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the second seal has a T-shaped cross-sectional geometry.

Images