System relating to the conversion of ethanol in a stripper unit of a fluidized catalytic cracking system. An ethanol stream comprising at least 4 volume percent water mixes with a catalyst in the stripper unit under conditions of temperature that favor conversion of the ethanol to hydrocarbons, thereby increasing incorporation of ethanol into liquid transportation fuels without exceeding regulatory limits on fuel vapor pressure. Certain embodiments additionally combine the ethanol stream with a hydrocarbon stream in the stripper and react in the presence of a catalyst to produce hydrocarbons that may have an increased boiling point, increased octane rating, decreased vapor pressure, decreased benzene content, or combinations of these properties.

In an aspect, a method is disclosed that includes contacting a composition with an aqueous solution to yield a mixture, where the composition includes one or more of animal fats, animal oils, plant fats, plant oils, vegetable fats, vegetable oils, greases, and used cooking oil, about 5 wt. % or more of free fatty acids, about 10 wppm or more of total metals, about 8 wppm or more phosphorus, about 20 wppm or more of nitrogen, and the aqueous solution includes ((NH.sub.4).sub.2H.sub.2EDTA, (NH.sub.4).sub.4EDTA, a monoammonium salt of diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid, a diammonium salt of diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid, a triammonium salt of diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid, a tetraammonium salt of diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid, (NH.sub.4).sub.5DTPA, a combination of citric acid and Na.sub.4EDTA, a combination of citric acid and Na.sub.2H.sub.2EDTA, a combination of citric acid and a monosodium salt of diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid, a combination of citric acid and a disodium salt of diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid, a combination of citric acid and a trisodium salt of diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid, a combination of citric acid and a tetrasodium salt of diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid, a combination of citric acid and Na.sub.5DTPA, or a combination of any two or more thereof, where the method further includes centrifuging the mixture to yield a first treated composition, wherein the first treated composition has less total metals and less phosphorus than the composition.

A bio-renewable conversion process for making fuel from bio-renewable feedstocks is combined with a hydrogen production process that includes recovery of CO.sub.2. The integrated process uses a purge gas stream comprising hydrogen from the bio-renewable hydrocarbon production process in the hydrogen production process.

A process for treating effluent streams in a renewable transportation fuel production process is described. One or more of the sour water stream and an acid gas stream are treated directly in thermal oxidation section. The process allows the elimination or size reduction of a sour water stripper unit, waste water treatment plant, and sulfur recovery unit.

A power generation system, which includes a source of a seed oil, a source of alcohol, and a reactor in communication with the source of seed oil and the source of alcohol. The reactor produces a biofuel product. The system has a power source that operates on a biofuel energy source to produce heated exhaust and is in communication with the reactor to utilize a portion of the biofuel product as its biofuel energy source. The system has a heat transfer mechanism that transfers heat from the exhaust manifold to the reactor. The power source also converts mechanical power into electrical power. Also disclosed is a system that involves extraction of oil from an oilseed product. A method of extracting oil from an oilseed product, a method of making a transesterified seed oil, and a method of making a biofuel are also disclosed, as are products obtained thereby.

Disclosed herein are methods and compositions related to the production and extraction of oils and biodiesel from oleaginous yeast, such as a new yeast isolate of the genus Pichia. Also disclosed herein are methods for providing fermentation conditions for the production of yeast in high density using inexpensive raw materials including crude glycerol and corn steep liquor.

The present technology provides compositions that include at least about 98 weight percent (“wt %”) n-paraffins which, among other surprising features, may be suitable for use as a diesel fuel, an aviation fuel, a jet fuel blendstock, a blendstock to reduce the cloud point of a diesel fuel, a fuel for portable heaters, and/or as a charcoal lighter fluid. The composition includes at least about 98 wt % C.sub.7-C.sub.12 n-paraffins, where at least about 10 wt % of composition includes n-decane, at least about 20 wt % of the composition includes n-dodecane, and at least about 75 wt % of the composition includes even carbon number paraffins. The composition also includes less about 0.1 wt % oxygenates and less than about 0.1 wt % aromatics. The composition may be produced by a process that includes hydrotreating a biorenewable feedstock comprising at least one of palm kernel oil, coconut oil, babassu oil, microbial oil, or algal oil.

An integrated plant to generate chemical grade syngas from a steam biomass reforming in a multiple stage bio reforming reactor for use with either a high temperature or low temperature Fischer-Tropsch synthesis process to produce fuel from biomass is discussed. The first stage has a reactor to cause a chemical devolatilization of a biomass feedstock from the biomass feedstock supply lines into its constituent gases of CO, H2, CO2, CH4, tars, chars, and other components into a raw syngas mixture. A second stage performs further reforming of the raw syngas from the first stage into the chemical grade syngas by further applying heat and pressure to chemically crack at least the tars, reform the CH4, or a combination of both, into their corresponding syngas molecules. The second stage feeds the chemical grade syngas derived from the biomass feedstock to the downstream Fischer-Tropsch train to produce the fuel from the biomass. One or more recycle loops supply tail gas or FT product back into the plant.

The present disclosure relates generally to novel biomass pyrolysis processes and systems that decrease entrainment of char and other contaminants with the pyrolysis vapors as a direct consequence of the biomass feedstock comprising particles that are larger than a defined minimum diameter. The biomass feedstock may optionally be compressed to form feedstock pellets that are larger than a defined minimum diameter.

A reaction device is provided with a first wall that defines an interior in which a stirring mechanism is located. A heat exchanger is at least partly provided on the first outer wall surface facing away from the interior and/or on the stirring mechanism, wherein the heat exchanger has a grate structure, and at least two layers are provided which have a grate structure. Thus, it is possible to transfer heat in a precise and efficient manner primarily by means of thermal radiation in endothermic processes at different temperature levels, in particular pyrolysis, gassing, and reforming processes, and thereby use the exhaust heat for other processes.