According to one embodiment, a system and process for the equalization of pressures of a flow stream across one or more valves is provided. A process circuit having clean non-abrasive fluid and at least one slave cylinder for transmitting pressure to a process flow stream is employed.

The invention relates to a hydrocarbon blend for input to a refinery and comprising a first blend component containing a renewable hydrocarbon component and a second blend component containing petroleum derived hydrocarbon to form at least part of a final hydrocarbon blend for processing in a refinery where the first blend component is characterized by comprising a hydrocarbon substance with at least 70% by weight having a boiling point above 220° C. and by having the characteristics (δ.sub.d1, δ.sub.ρ1, δ.sub.h1)=(17-20, 6-12, 6-12) and; where the second blend component is characterised by having the characteristics (δ.sub.{acute over (α)}2, δ.sub.ρ2, δ.sub.h2)=(17-20, 3-5, 4-7), where the first blend component is present in the final hydrocarbon blend in a relative amount of up to 80 wt %.

The present disclosure relates to a method for controlling product slate of hydrothermal liquefaction by adjusting pH of hydrothermal liquefaction product aqueous phase. The pH of the hydrothermal liquefaction product aqueous phase can be adjusted by heating during hydrothermal liquefaction (110) a mix (30) comprising lignocellulosic feedstock (10) together with acids, alkalis and/or buffers (20) added under aqueous conditions. The method typically comprises separating (120) aqueous phase (53) and oil phase (50), and optionally gas (51) and/or char (52), of the obtained hydrothermal liquefaction product (40). Preferably the separated aqueous phase (53) is recirculated to be mixed 100 with lignocellulosic feedstock (10).

The disclosure relates to a process for converting lignocellulosic feedstock (10) to renewable product (80), wherein the process comprises the following steps; treating (100) lignocellulosic feedstock (10) with aqueous solution (20) to obtain a mixture (30); heating (110) the mixture (30) of step (a) to a temperature between 290 and 340° C., under a pressure from 90 to 120 bar, to obtain a first product mix (40); separating aqueous phase (53) and oil phase (50), and optionally gas (51) and solids (52), of the first product mix (40) of step (b); and heating (130) the oil phase (50) of step (c) and solvent (60). The heating (130) is optionally followed by fractionation (200) to obtain a light fraction (90) and a heavy fraction (91) and optionally a bottom residue fraction (92) and/or a gaseous fraction.

Electric-powered, closed-loop, continuous-feed, endothermic energy-conversion systems and methods are disclosed. In one embodiment, the presently disclosed energy-conversion system includes a shaftless auger. In another embodiment, the presently disclosed energy-conversion system includes a drag conveyor. In yet another embodiment, the presently disclosed energy-conversion system includes a distillation and/or fractionating stage. The endothermic energy-conversion systems and methods feature mechanisms for natural resource recovery, refining, and recycling, such as secondary recovery of metals, minerals, nutrients, and/or carbon char.

Methods, processes and devices are described for measuring a volatile content of a process stream that comprises volatile species, such as light hydrocarbons and/or H.sub.2S. The method can include introducing a stripping gas into a sample of the process stream to strip the volatiles therefrom and produce a gas phase comprising vaporized volatiles; detecting the vaporized volatiles in the gas phase to obtain a sample volatile content; and determining the volatile content of the process stream based on the sample volatile content. The method and device can be used to measure a light hydrocarbon content of froth treatment tailings in the context of removing such light hydrocarbons prior to flocculating and dewatering the tailings.

An example system for co-liquefying feedstock and yellow grease includes: a feedstock container to contain a feedstock; a yellow grease container to contain a yellow grease; a hydrothermal liquefaction system configured to receive feedstock from the feedstock container and to receive yellow grease from the yellow grease container; the feedstock received by the hydrothermal liquefaction system and the yellow grease received by the hydrothermal liquefaction system to become a mixture; a controller connected to the feedstock container and the yellow grease container, the controller configured to control the amount of the feedstock supplied from the feedstock container to the hydrothermal liquefaction system, the controller further configured to control the amount of the yellow grease supplied from the yellow grease container to the hydrothermal liquefaction system to be between 10% to 50% of the mixture; and a collector configured to receive a bio-crude from the hydrothermal liquefaction system.

Methods, processes and devices are described for measuring a volatile content of a process stream that comprises volatile species, such as light hydrocarbons and/or H.sub.2S. The method can include introducing a stripping gas into a sample of the process stream to strip the volatiles therefrom and produce a gas phase comprising vaporized volatiles; detecting the vaporized volatiles in the gas phase to obtain a sample volatile content; and determining the volatile content of the process stream based on the sample volatile content. The method and device can be used to measure a light hydrocarbon content of froth treatment tailings in the context of removing such light hydrocarbons prior to flocculating and dewatering the tailings.

This invention relates to a process for determining the suitability of pyrolysis tar, such as steam cracker tar, for upgrading using hydroprocessing without excessive fouling of the hydroprocessing reactor. A pyrolysis tar is sampled, the sample is analyzed to determine one or more characteristics of the tar related to tar reactivity, and the analysis is used to determine conditions under which the tar can be blended, pre-treated, and/or hydroprocessed.

This invention relates to a process for determining the suitability of pyrolysis tar, such as steam cracker tar, for upgrading using hydroprocessing without excessive fouling of the hydroprocessing reactor. A pyrolysis tar is sampled, the sample is analyzed to determine one or more characteristics of the tar related to tar reactivity, and the analysis is used to determine conditions under which the tar can be blended, pre-treated, and/or hydroprocessed.