38 results about "Biofuel feedstock" patented technology

Self-sustaining, self-contained systems and methods for producing biofuels and for producing biofuel feedstock from algae. The system is carbon neutral or may be carbon positive, fixing more carbon than it releases to the atmosphere. In various embodiments, the system may be coupled to an existing carbon dioxide producing process to reduce or completely eliminate carbon dioxide output, making the existing system carbon neutral, and providing valuable and tradable carbon credits. The system may also comprise modular tiles comprising a biomass sandwiched between two panels and use a combination of microbes, nutrients, water, and sunlight to generate biological hydrocarbon compounds that can be used in almost any type of engine.

The present invention is directed to improved systems and methods for reducing costs and increasing yields of cellulosic ethanol. In particular, the present invention provides plants genetically transformed for increased biomass, expression of lignocellulolytic enzymes, and simplification of harvesting and downstream processing. Also provided are methods for using these transgenic plants in the production of clean, marketable feedstocks for production of renewable fuels and chemicals and in other applications including phytoremediation.

A treatment method for wastewater employing sulfur dioxide and lime chemical dewatering technology in conjunction with an environmental photo biomass / algae biological treatment system growing photo biomass / algae to reduce dissolved solids, heavy metals, and ammonia in the wastewater to produce recovered treated wastewater for vegetation consumption, biofuel feedstock, and biofuel and carbon credits.

Water may be removed from a biofuel or biofuel intermediate by using a demulsifier. The demulsifier includes the product of oxyalkylating a resin prepared from a formulation including a phenol and a compound selected from the group consisting of an aldehyde, a diamine a polyamine and mixtures thereof. The demulsifier may also be used with admixtures of biofuels, biofuel intermediates, or biofuel feedstocks with conventional hydrocarbons.

In at least one aspect, the invention comprises a computer-implemented method comprising: (a) electronically receiving data regarding projections of commodity consumption for exchange-traded futures contracts on one or more biofuel feedstock commodities; (b) selecting, based on said received data, one or more of said futures contracts for inclusion in a biofuel excess return strategy index; and (c) electronically weighting each of said selected one or more futures contracts; wherein said weighting is based on projected relative consumption of each commodity corresponding to said selected futures contracts. In another aspect, the invention comprises a computer-implemented method comprising: (a) electronically receiving data regarding prices of one or more exchange-traded futures contracts; (b) selecting, based on said received data, one or more of said futures contracts for inclusion in a commodity index; and (c) electronically calculating excess return for each of said commodities by accounting for foreign exchange rates.

Multi-carbon compounds such as ethanol, n-butanol, sec-butanol, isobutanol, tert-butanol, fatty (or aliphatic long chain) alcohols, fatty acid methyl esters, 2,3-butanediol and the like, are important industrial commodity chemicals with a variety of applications. The present invention provides metabolically engineered host microorganisms which metabolize methane (CH4) as their sole carbon source to produce multi-carbon compounds for use in fuels (e.g., bio-fuel, bio-diesel) and bio-based chemicals. Furthermore, use of the metabolically engineered host microorganisms of the invention (which utilize methane as the sole carbon source) mitigate current industry practices and methods of producing multi-carbon compounds from petroleum or petroleum-derived feedstocks, and ameliorate much of the ongoing depletion of arable food source “farmland” currently being diverted to grow bio-fuel feedstocks, and as such, improve the environmental footprint of future bio-fuel, bio-diesel and bio-based chemical compositions.

Disclosed is a culture system for the production of algae biomass to obtain lipid, protein and carbohydrate. By integrating heterotrophic processes with a phototrophic process in parallel, this system provides year around production in colder climates. By integrating heterotrophic processes with a phototrophic process in series, this system creates a two-stage, separated mixed-trophic algal process that uses organic carbon and nutrients for the production of seed in the heterotrophic process, followed by release of cultured seed in large-scale phototrophic culture for cell biomass accumulation. Organic carbon source including waste materials can be used to feed the heterotrophic process. The production capacity ratio between the heterotrophic and the phototrophic processes can be adjusted according to season and according to the availability of related resources. The systems are used for producing and harvesting an algal biofuel feedstock as well as other potential high-value products. The sequence and approach enhances utilization of carbon and nutrient waste-streams, provides an effective method for controlling contamination, adds flexibility in regard to production and type of available products, and supplies greater economic viability due to maximized use of available growth surface areas.

Disclosed is a culture system for the production of algae biomass to obtain lipid, protein and carbohydrate. By integrating heterotrophic processes with a phototrophic process in parallel, this system provides year around production in colder climates. By integrating heterotrophic processes with a phototrophic process in series, this system creates a two-stage, separated mixed- trophic algal process that uses organic carbon and nutrients for the production of seed in the heterotrophic process, followed by release of cultured seed in large-scale phototrophic culture for cell biomass accumulation. Organic carbon source including waste materials can be used to feed the heterotrophic process. The production capacity ratio between the heterotrophic and the phototrophic processes can be adjusted according to season and according to the availability of related resources. The systems are used for producing and harvesting an algal biofuel feedstock as well as other potential high-value products. The sequence and approach enhances utilization of carbon and nutrient waste-streams, provides an effective method for controlling contamination, adds flexibility in regard to production and type of available products, and supplies greater economic viability due to maximized use of available growth surface areas.

The invention provides novel methods for optimizing the design of a fatty acid alkyl ester-containing biofuel (e.g. a biodiesel, a biodiesel blend, or a jet biofuel) and for identifying a fatty acid alkyl ester-containing biofuel's feedstock.

The invention provides methods for decreasing lignin content and for increasing the level of fermentable carbohydrates in plants by down-regulation of the NST transcription factor. Nucleic acid constructs for down-regulation of NST are described. Transgenic plants are provided that comprise reduced lignin content. Plants described herein may be used, for example, as improved biofuel feedstock and as highly digestible forage crops. Methods for processing plant tissue and for producing ethanol by utilizing such plants are also provided.

A treatment method for wastewater employing sulfur dioxide and lime chemical dewatering technology in conjunction with an environmental photo biomass / algae biological treatment system growing photo biomass / algae to reduce dissolved solids, heavy metals, and ammonia in the wastewater to produce recovered treated wastewater for vegetation consumption, biofuel feedstock, and biofuel and carbon credits.

A heating apparatus for the combustion of highly variable biofuel feed stocks is generally provided. The apparatus generally includes a combustion chamber or burn box adapted to receive a regulated feed of biomass. The burn box includes a grate for receipt of a distributed mass of the regulated feed, and further includes an oscillating blade adjacent to the grate for agitation of the distributed mass of the regulated feed received thereby. The combustion apparatus for the production of thermal energy from a biofuel of the subject invention is preferably and further characterized by means for producing the distributed mass of the regulated feed of biofuel, and / or a burn box incorporating an oxygen manifold assembly adjacent to the grate.

The invention belongs to the technical field of greenhouse gas emission reduction and biofuels and relates to a method for preparing a biofuel by using fuel gases as raw materials. Fuel gases emitted in large volume from power plants, steel plants and the like are used as the raw materials for producing the biofuel; in a specially designed bioreactor with light irradiation, rich carbon dioxide in the fuel gases are absorbed by seaweed through photosynthesis, and culture fluid is added at the same time to allow the seaweed to grow rapidly; and the produced seaweed can be converted to biodiesel and other fuels. The technology not only achieves the aims of dramatically reducing the carbon dioxide in the fuel gases and rapidly culturing a large amount of seaweed at low cost, but also solves the problems of greenhouse gas emission reduction and biofuel shortage. The method can be used as greenhouse gas emission reduction technology and used for producing biofuel oil containing seaweed as a by-product to obtain a biofuel for producing biodiesel at the same time in industries continuously emitting carbon dioxide containing flue gases, such as power plants, iron plants, and building material and cement industries.

According to this invention, plants of the genus Triodia are harvested for use as a renewable energy source or as a means of carbon sequestration. Triodia is a hummock-forming grass endemic to Australia, commonly known as spinifex. It is an abundant perennial plant which grows in semi-arid and arid regions. The novel use of Triodia as a biofuel feedstock has many advantages over the prior art. Being perennial, there is no need to plant and fertilise crops. The plants can be continuously harvested without damaging the soil. Triodia grows well with even small amounts of natural rainfall.

The invention provides modified oleosins, including at least one artificially introduced cysteine, and methods and compositions for producing the modified oleosins. Also provided are polynucleotides encoding the modified oleosins, constructs and host cells comprising the polynucleotides, methods for producing oil bodies comprising the modified oleosins, in vivo and in vitro, and methods for producing oil in host cells and plants. The invention also provides methods for increasing the rate of CO2 assimilation in photosynthetic cells and plants, and involves reducing or preventing lipid recycling, and / or expressing modified oleosins with artificially introduced cysteine residues in the photosynthetic cells and plants. Also provided are methods for increasing oil production in plants, via expression of modified oleosins in the non-photosynthetic tissues / organs of plants. The method also optionally includes the step of extrating the oil from the non-photosynthetic tissues / organs of the plant, or processing the oil rich non-photosynthetic tissues / organs into animal or biofuel feedstocks.

A process for preparing aromatic compounds from a liquid biofuel feedstock by introducing the feedstock into a hydroreforming stage in the presence of hydrogen and a hydroreforming catalyst that contains a transition metal of a group 3 to 12 element and an activated carbon, silicon carbide, silica, transition alumina, alumina-silica, zirconium oxide, cerium oxide, titanium oxide, or an aluminate of a transition metal substrate, to obtain a liquid effluent that contains an aqueous phase and an organic phase, a stage for hydrotreatment of the organic phase, a hydrocracking stage, recycling a fraction that boils higher than 160° C. in said hydrocracking stage, a separation into a fraction containing naphtha and a fraction that boils higher than 160° C., a stage for catalytic reforming of the fraction containing naphtha to obtain hydrogen and a reformate that contains aromatic compounds and a stage for separation of the aromatic compounds of the reformate.

The invention provides novel methods for optimizing the design of a fatty acid alkyl ester-containing biofuel (e.g. a biodiesel, a biodiesel blend, or a jet biofuel) and for identifying a fatty acid alkyl ester-containing biofuel's feedstock.

Biological compositions containing animal fats and plant oils desirably are free of contaminants prior to processing into a biofuel. Disclosed herein is a method of removing such contaminants from these compositions to make that processing more efficient. The method employs a unique arrangement of mixers and centrifuges along with acidic solutions and recycle streams to remove these contaminants from the compositions.

The invention belongs to the technical field of fuel, and particularly relates to coal-based biofuel for a vehicle. The coal-based biofuel is prepared from the following raw materials in percentage by mass: 35 to 45 percent of fatty acid methyl ester, 10 to 15 percent of alcohol and the balance of hydrogenization coal tar; the total mass percentage is 100 percent. The coal-based biofuel for the vehicle has the advantages that the raw material matching is simple; crude oil resources are not needed; diesel oil can be replaced for hundred percent; the hexadecane number is high; the thermal value is high; the power is strong; the combustion is sufficient; the tail gas exhaust quantity is low; all technical indexes reach or exceed the national standard.

Haze may be removed from a biofuel or biofuel intermediate by using a clarifier. The clarifier includes copolymer prepared using a formulation comprising an alpha olefin and maleic anhydride. The clarifier may also be used with admixtures of biofuels, biofuel intermediates, or biofuel feedstocks with conventional hydrocarbons.

Haze may be removed from a biofuel or biofuel intermediate by using a clarifier. The clarifier includes copolymer prepared using a formulation comprising an alpha olefin and maleic anhydride. The clarifier may also be used with admixtures of biofuels, biofuel intermediates, or biofuel feedstocks with conventional hydrocarbons.

The invention provides methods for increasing lignin content in plants by expression of a cinnamoyl CoA reductase 2 (CCR2) coding sequence in the plant. Also provided are methods for reducing lignin content in a plant by down-regulation of CCR2 expression in the plant. Nucleic acid molecules for modulation of CCR2 expression and transgenic plants the same are also provided. Plants described herein may be used, for example, as improved biofuel feedstock and as highly digestible forage crops. Methods for processing plant tissue and for producing biofuels by utilizing such plants are also provided.

The invention relates to the technical field of energy fuels, particularly a clean biofuel and a preparation method thereof. The biofuel is composed of the following components in parts by mass: 10-20 parts of corn straw powder, 8-15 parts of Buxus megistophylla, 15-25 parts of animal fat, 15-25 parts of Chinese red pine wood dust, 20-40 parts of animal excrement powder, 20-30 parts of seaweed meal, 5-10 parts of lubricant, 0.8-2.8 parts of oxidizing bactericide and 0.8-1.8 parts of oxygenate. The clean biofuel has the advantages of reasonable raw material proportioning, simple preparation method and high product quality, effectively relieves the crises of petroleum and other fuel resources in the current society, and can reduce environmental pollution to some extent. The biofuel is better than the common petrochemical fuel in the aspects of production energy consumption, carbon content, carbon release amount and carbon discharge decrement.

A method of reducing maintenance costs and carbon footprints near / on roadways, airports, public and private right of ways, military areas, unused construction areas, government and subsidy lands by utilizing these areas for the growth of biofuel feedstock materials. Crops used for production of biofuels could be grown in or around these areas and processed into biofuels in the same general area. This process would produce lower exhaust emissions compared with fossil fuels, decrease cost of maintenance of roadways and public right of ways, decrease the United States dependence on foreign oil and decrease transportation costs of fuels to customers, alleviate pest pressures, reduce storm water runoff and help to control fire danger. This process includes, but is not limited to sustainable tillage growth of common biofuels feedstock crops including: canola, rape, mustard, camelina, sunflower; harvesting said crops and turning the biomass yield into biofuels.

The invention provides modified oleosins, including at least one artificially introduced cysteine, and methods and compositions for producing the modified oleosins. Also provided are polynucleotides encoding the modified oleosins, constructs and host cells comprising the polynucleotides, methods for producing oil bodies comprising the modified oleosins, in vivo and in vitro, and methods for producing oil in host cells and plants. The invention also provides methods for increasing the rate of CO2 assimilation in photosynthetic cells and plants, and involves reducing or preventing lipid recycling, and / or expressing modified oleosins with artificially introduced cysteine residues in the photosynthetic cells and plants. Also provided are methods for increasing oil production in plants, via expression of modified oleosins in the non-photosynthetic tissues / organs of plants. The method also optionally includes the step of extracting the oil from the non-photosynthetic tissues / organs of the plant, or processing the oil rich non-photosynthetic tissues / organs into animal or biofuel feedstocks.

A heating apparatus for the combustion of highly variable biofuel feed stocks is generally provided. The apparatus generally includes a combustion chamber or burn box adapted to receive a regulated feed of biomass. The burn box includes a grate for receipt of a distributed mass of the regulated feed, and further includes an oscillating blade adjacent to the grate for agitation of the distributed mass of the regulated feed received thereby. The combustion apparatus for the production of thermal energy from a biofuel of the subject invention is preferably and further characterized by means for producing the distributed mass of the regulated feed of biofuel, and / or a burn box incorporating an oxygen manifold assembly adjacent to the grate.