High-Acid-Value Biological Grease Fuel Preparation via Segmented Deoxidization
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing technologies for processing high-acid-value biological grease face challenges such as poor catalyst stability, high hydrogen consumption, corrosion issues, and limitations in processing vegetable oils and animal fats with high oxygen content.
Innovation Solution
A method and system that involves thermal cracking and deoxidization, followed by vacuum distillation, catalytic cracking deoxidization, and catalytic hydrodeoxygenation to process high-acid-value biological grease, reducing acid values and oxygen content while minimizing hydrogen consumption.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If direct hydrogenation technology is used to process high-acid-value biological grease, then fuel production is achieved, but catalyst stability deteriorates and hydrogen consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the fuel production process into multiple stages: first stage hydrogenation to reduce acid value to below 0.5%, followed by a second stage hydrogenation to achieve final fuel specifications. This segmentation allows each catalyst to operate within optimal conditions, preventing rapid deactivation while maintaining high productivity.
Solution Approach 2:
The first stage hydrogenation serves as a preliminary action that removes the majority of free fatty acids before the second stage processing. This preliminary reduction of acid content protects the second stage catalyst from severe corrosion and deactivation, thereby improving overall catalyst stability and reducing hydrogen consumption.
2Productivity
If direct hydrogenation technology is used to process high-acid-value biological grease, then fuel production is achieved, but device corrosion worsens
Solution Approach 1:
The two-stage hydrogenation process segments the corrosion-prone environment into two separate reaction zones. The first stage handles the high-acid feedstock in a dedicated reactor, protecting the second stage equipment from severe corrosion. This segmentation enables fuel production while significantly reducing device corrosion issues.
3Quantity of substance
If catalytic cracking deoxidization is used to process heavy feedstock, then deoxidization is achieved, but aggregation and coking problems worsen
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs specific parameter control in the catalytic cracking deoxidization process, including optimizing temperature (300-450°C), pressure, and catalyst composition to achieve effective oxygen removal while suppressing aggregation and coking reactions. These parameter changes enable deoxidization without severe harmful side effects.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The method achieves a premium biomass fuel suitable for diesel blending, comparable to fuels from crude oil refining, with improved catalyst stability, reduced hydrogen consumption, and avoidance of corrosion issues.
Implementation Method 1
subjecting the high-acid-value biological grease to thermal cracking and deoxidization reaction under heating conditions
Implementation Method 2
thermal cracking and deoxidization reaction
Implementation Method 3
subjecting the product of step (a) to vacuum distillation to separate water, a high-acid-value fraction, a low-acid-value fraction and a heavy component
Implementation Method 4
catalytically cracking and deoxygenating the high-acid-value fraction obtained in the step (b) to separate water and non-condensable gas in the presence of a catalytic cracking deoxidization catalyst
Implementation Method 5
catalytically cracking and deoxygenating
Implementation Method 6
catalytically hydrodeoxygenating a mixture of the product obtained in the step (c) and the low-acid-value fraction obtained in the step (b) with hydrogen in the presence of a hydrodeoxygenation catalyst
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention provides a method and a system for preparing fuel using high-acid-value biological grease, which can be processed through triple deoxidization steps, i.e., thermal cracking deoxygenation-catalytic cracking deoxygenation-catalytic hydrodeoxygenation. By use of the method and system of the invention, the raw material of the high-acid-value biological grease can be gradually deoxidized to reduce the acid value and thereby prepare a clean fuel with equivalent fuel components as those obtained from crude oil refining or direct hydrodeoxygenation for biological grease.