Biomass Slurry Compression for High Concentration Liquefaction
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing biomass liquefaction processes face challenges with low biomass transport efficiency, high energy consumption, and low conversion rates due to the low concentration of biomass in the slurry and high viscosity of the solvent, leading to difficulties in pumping and clogging issues.
Innovation Solution
A one-pot liquefaction process is developed, where straw is pretreated through drying, first pulverization, and compression to reduce porosity, followed by a second pulverization to achieve a higher bulk density, allowing for a slurry with a higher biomass concentration (30-60 wt%) and the use of hydrogen under specific pressure and temperature conditions to enhance conversion to bio-oil.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If biomass is directly mixed with solvent to form slurry, then the process is simple, but the biomass concentration is low (5-20wt%) due to low specific gravity and porosity causing floating and poor dissolution
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by performing compression treatment on biomass before mixing with solvent. The compression process (0.5-3MPa, 30-60°C) reduces porosity and increases bulk density of biomass particles, enabling them to be properly suspended in the slurry rather than floating, thus achieving high concentration (30-60wt%) slurry preparation
2Reliability
If heavy oil is used as slurry solvent, then the liquefaction reaction can proceed, but the slurry viscosity is high making pumping difficult and causing pipeline blockage
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies parameter changes by controlling the slurry viscosity through optimization of biomass concentration, particle size distribution (30-50μm after second pulverization), and compression density. The compressed biomass with reduced porosity creates a slurry with controlled flow properties that can be pumped smoothly despite using heavy oil solvent, eliminating pipeline blockage issues
3Ease of manufacture
If biomass with high porosity is used, then the raw material is easily obtained, but the specific gravity is low causing difficulty in dissolution and lower slurry concentration
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by implementing compression treatment (0.5-3MPa, 30-60°C) on the readily available high-porosity biomass before slurry preparation. This compression reduces the porosity and increases the bulk density of biomass particles, enabling them to be properly suspended in the solvent and achieve high concentration (30-60wt%) in the slurry
4Productivity
If the slurry is pumped for transportation, then the process is efficient, but the low biomass concentration limits the amount of biomass transported per unit time
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies parameter changes by optimizing the slurry formulation to achieve high biomass concentration (30-60wt%) through compression treatment and controlled pulverization. This high concentration slurry maintains pumpable viscosity while dramatically increasing the biomass transport capacity per unit time, resolving the contradiction between transportation efficiency and transport amount
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
This process significantly increases the biomass concentration in the slurry, improves pumping efficiency, reduces energy consumption, and enhances the conversion rate of biomass to bio-oil, achieving up to 95-99% conversion with smooth slurry flow and reduced pipeline clogging.
Implementation Method 1
undergo hydrolysis, cracking and hydrogenation reactions
Implementation Method 2
undergo hydrolysis, cracking and hydrogenation reactions
Implementation Method 3
undergo hydrolysis, cracking and hydrogenation reactions
Implementation Method 4
said compression is carried out under a pressure of 0.5-3MPa and a temperature of 30-60 °C
Data Source
AI summary
Disclosed is a process for the one-pot liquefaction of a biomass or coal and a biomass, the process comprising: first formulating a slurry containing a catalyst, a vulcanizing agent, and a biomass (and coal), and then introducing hydrogen gas into the slurry for a reaction. The formulation step for the slurry involes: sequentially drying, primarily pulverizing, compressing and secondarily pulverizing a biomass (and coal), then mixing same with a catalyst and a vulcanizing agent to obtain a mixture, and adding the mixture to an oil product for grinding and pulping to obtain a biomass slurry. By means of the treatment process of first compressing and then secondarily pulverizing straw, the volume of the straw is greatly reduced, thereby facilitating the dispersion thereof in the oil product, increasing the concentration of the reaction material, and improving the delivery amount of the biomass per unit time by means of a pump; furthermore, the conversion rate of the biomass is also improved.