Bio-refining Oil Crops for Co-production of Bio-diesel and Cellulose
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current bio-diesel production from oil crops faces issues such as low raw material utilization rates, high manufacturing costs, environmental pollution, and complex processes due to inefficient processing of oil crops, particularly woody oil plants, which results in wasted resources and suboptimal utilization of biomass.
Innovation Solution
A whole-system bio-refining method that involves husking and drying oil crops, followed by oil extraction, esterification to produce bio-diesel and crude glycerol, and subsequent microbial fermentation or anaerobic digestion of oil husks and meal in crude glycerol to generate multiple bio-based products, including biofuels and chemicals, utilizing glycerol as a solvent for pretreatment to enhance cellulose extraction and fermentation efficiency.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If traditional oil processing methods are used to produce bio-diesel, then bio-diesel can be manufactured, but raw material utilization rate is low and manufacturing cost is high
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the oil crop processing into multiple independent streams: oil extraction for bio-diesel production, and separate processing of meal and husk components. This segmentation allows each component to be optimized for its specific use, improving overall raw material utilization while reducing waste-related costs.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a multi-functional processing system where oil crops serve multiple purposes: vegetable oil produces bio-diesel, meal becomes animal feed or compost, and husks are used for fuel or materials. This multi-functionality increases raw material utilization rate and reduces manufacturing costs by eliminating waste disposal expenses.
2Ease of manufacture
If oil seed meal and husks are discarded or incinerated, then processing is simplified, but environmental pollution increases and biomass utilization rate decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent converts previously harmful waste products (meal and husks) into beneficial resources. Meal becomes animal feed or compost fertilizer, and husks become fuel sources or raw materials. This transformation eliminates environmental pollution from incineration while maintaining processing simplicity through integrated bio-refining techniques.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of discarding meal and husks, the patent recovers and utilizes them through standardized processing steps. The meal is processed into high-value products and husks into fuel or materials, recovering valuable resources that would otherwise be wasted and causing environmental harm.
3Productivity
If low-grade glycerol is used as solvent for lignocellulose pretreatment, then hydrolysis and saccharification are enhanced, but the process becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the bio-diesel production process with the lignocellulose pretreatment process by using low-grade glycerol from bio-diesel manufacturing as the solvent for pretreatment. This integration allows both processes to benefit from each other, enhancing hydrolysis and saccharification efficiency while avoiding the need for separate solvent production systems.
Solution Approach 2:
The bio-diesel production process serves itself by using its own by-product (low-grade glycerol) as the solvent for lignocellulose pretreatment. This self-service approach eliminates the need for external solvent supplies, reducing process complexity while maintaining high hydrolysis and saccharification efficiency.
4Productivity
If woody oil plants are processed using conventional methods, then bio-diesel can be produced, but raw material utilization rate is low and manufacturing cost is high
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies segmentation to woody oil plant processing by separately optimizing the utilization of different components: oil for bio-diesel, meal for animal feed or compost, and husks for fuel or materials. This segmented approach maximizes raw material utilization rate and reduces manufacturing cost by eliminating waste disposal expenses.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a multi-functional processing system for woody oil plants where the entire biomass serves multiple purposes throughout the processing chain, from oil extraction to meal processing to husk utilization. This multi-functionality increases raw material utilization rate and reduces manufacturing cost by eliminating waste-related expenses.
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 method significantly increases the utilization rate of biomass, reduces production costs, minimizes environmental impact, and achieves high removal rates of lignin and hemicellulose while maintaining cellulose retention, enhancing enzymolysis efficiency and producing valuable by-products like glycerol glycosides.
Implementation Method 1
performing esterification reaction on the vegetable oil and alcohol to be separated to obtain bio-diesel and crude glycerol
Implementation Method 2
performing microbial fermentation or anaerobic digestion on the oil crude cellulose and glycerol treating liquid obtained in the step (4) respectively to obtain biological energy sources or bio-based chemicals
Implementation Method 3
performing microbial fermentation or anaerobic digestion on the oil crude cellulose and glycerol treating liquid obtained in the step (4) respectively to obtain biological energy sources or bio-based chemicals
Implementation Method 4
performing cooking treatment on the husks and/or the oil seed meal in the crude glycerol to be separated to obtain oil crude cellulose and glycerol treating liquid
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention discloses a method for co-production and processing of biological energy sources by oil crops, and belongs to the technical fields of oleochemical industry and biomass chemical industry. The method comprises the following steps: husking and drying oil crop seeds to obtain husks of which the moisture content is 5%-12% and oil seeds of which the moisture content is 30%-55%; squeezing and extracting the obtained oil seeds to obtain vegetable oil and oil seed meal; performing esterification reaction on the vegetable oil and alcohol to be separated to obtain bio-diesel and crude glycerol; performing cooking treatment on the husks and/or the oil seed meal in the crude glycerol to be separated to obtain oil crude cellulose and glycerol treating liquid; performing microbial fermentation or anaerobic digestion on the oil crude cellulose and the glycerol treating liquid respectively to obtain biological energy sources or bio-based chemicals. The present invention adopts bio-refining type recycling of industrial oil crops to realize efficient co-production of biological energy sources and obviously increase the utilization rate of biomass raw materials in agriculture and forestry.