1. A method for determining use of a second life battery under load conditions to reduce CO2 emissions, said method comprising the steps of:
modeling uncertainties in a forecast of a load profile to which said second life battery is using a Monte Carlo simulation for a load profile; modeling uncertainties of a renewable energy profile which is zero emission power profile using a Monte Carlo simulation to forecast availability of said renewable energy at different points of a day to charge said second life battery;
modeling uncertainties in CO2 emissions rate using a Monte Carlo simulation for a CO2 emissions profile;
determining an initial state of charge SOC of said second life battery based on a Gaussian distribution; and
using said load profile, CO2 emissions profile, renewable energy profile and modeled initial state of charge SOC of second battery life for determining a rate of charging during low emission hours and discharging during high CO2 emission hours of said second life battery, and determining storage size of said second life battery and CO2 emissions reduce,
wherein the method steps are performed by a processor.
2. The method of claim 1, wherein said Monte Carlo simulation for said renewable energy profile comprises a new renewable energy profile being based on a renewable energy hourly profile plus a deviation in renewable power influenced by a random factor.
3. The method of claim 1, wherein said Monte Carlo simulation for said renewable energy profile comprises an output of a set of load profiles accounting for uncertainties in predicting a zero emission profile.
4. The method of claim 1, wherein said Monte Carlo simulation for said renewable energy profile comprises an iteration based on defining a renewable hourly profile.
5. The method of claim 4, wherein said Monte Carlo simulation for said renewable energy profile comprises an iteration based on defining a deviation in said renewable hourly profile.
6. The method of claim 1, wherein determining said storage size of said second life battery comprises a rule based control to size said second life battery to reduce CO2 emissions depending on said renewable energy availability, said rule based control comprising inputs of hourly CO2 emissions rates, said load profile and an hourly profile of said zero emissions profile.
7. The method of claim 6, wherein limits on said battery state of charge SOC and charge and discharge of said second life battery are limits of said rule based control.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
1. A method of pretreating lignocellulosic biomass, the method comprising:
a) mixing the lignocellulosic biomass with either a sulfite solution having an initial pH of at least about 3 or a hydroxide solution having an initial pH of at least about 9, as measured at room temperature, and maintaining the mixture at a temperature in the range from about 150\xb0 C. to about 200\xb0 C. for a first treatment period; and
b) subsequently decreasing the pH of the intact mixture of step a) to a pH in the range from about 1 to less than 3 by introducing a pH-reducing agent into the mixture and maintaining the mixture at a temperature in the range from about 150\xb0 C. to about 200\xb0 C. for a second treatment period to provide a treated product comprising pretreated biomass solids and a process liquor.
2. The method of claim 1, wherein the method removes no greater than about 60% by weight of the lignin present in the lignocellulosic biomass.
3. The method of claim 2, wherein the process liquor comprises no more than about 15 g of carbohydrate degradation productskg of lignocellulosic biomass.
4. The method of claim 3, wherein the process liquor comprises no more than about 6 g of furankg of lignocellulosic biomass.
5. The method of claim 4, wherein the lignocellulosic biomass has a lignin content of at least 15% by weight.
6. The method of claim 1, wherein the process liquor comprises no more than about 15 g of carbohydrate degradation productskg of lignocellulosic biomass.
7. The method of claim 6, wherein the process liquor comprises no more than about 6 g of furankg of lignocellulosic biomass.
8. The method of claim 1, wherein the lignocellulosic biomass is mixed with the sulfite solution; the sulfite solution has a pH in the range from about 3 to about 5, as measured at room temperature; and the pH-reducing agent is sulfur dioxide, an acid or a combination of both.
9. The method of claim 1, wherein the lignocellulosic biomass is mixed with the sulfite solution; the sulfite solution has a pH in the range from about 9 to about 11, as measured at room temperature; and the pH-reducing agent is sulfur dioxide, an acid or a combination of both.
10. The method of claim 1, wherein the lignocellulosic biomass is mixed with the hydroxide solution and the pH reducing agent is sulfur dioxide.
11. The method of claim 10, wherein the step of decreasing the pH of the mixture to a pH in the range from about 1 to less than 3 comprises at least two sequential injections of the sulfur dioxide into the mixture, wherein the mixture has a pH in the range from about 3 to about 7 after the first of the at least two injections and a pH in the range from about 1 to about 2 after the last of the at least two injections.
12. The method of claim 11, wherein the mixture has a pH in the range from about 3 to about 5 after the first of the at least two injections.
13. The method of claim 10, wherein the step of decreasing the pH of the mixture to a pH in the range from about 1 to less than 3 comprises continuously injecting the pH reducing agent into the mixture to provide a continuous pH adjustment until the mixture has a pH in the range from about 1 to about 2.
14. The method of claim 1, wherein the pH-reducing agent is sulfur dioxide, an acid, or the combination of both.
15. The method of claim 1, wherein the lignocellulosic biomass has a lignin content of at least 10% by weight.
16. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of decreasing the pH of the mixture to a pH in the range from about 1 to less than 3 by introducing a pH-reducing agent into the mixture comprises introducing two or more sequential injections of the pH-reducing agent into the mixture.
17. A method of producing ethanol from lignocellulosic biomass, the method comprising:
a) mixing the lignocellulosic biomass with either a sulfite solution having an initial pH of at least about 3 or a hydroxide solution having an initial pH of at least about 9, as measured at room temperature, and maintaining the mixture at a temperature in the range from about 150\xb0 C. to about 200\xb0 C. for a first treatment period;
b) subsequently decreasing the pH of the intact mixture of step a) to a pH in the range from about 1 to less than 3 by introducing a pH-reducing agent into the mixture and maintaining the mixture at a temperature in the range from about 150\xb0 C. to about 200\xb0 C. for a second treatment period to provide a treated product comprising pretreated biomass solids and a process liquor; and
subjecting the pretreated product to enzymatic saccharification and fermentation to produce ethanol.
18. The method of claim 17, wherein the method removes no greater than about 60% by weight of the lignin present in the lignocellulosic biomass.
19. The method of claim 18, wherein the process liquor comprises no more than about 15 g of carbohydrate degradation productskg of lignocellulosic biomass.
20. The method of claim 19, wherein the process liquor comprises no more than about 6 g of furankg of lignocellulosic biomass.
21. The method of claim 17, wherein the lignocellulosic biomass is mixed with the sulfite solution; the sulfite solution has a pH in the range from about 3 to about 5, as measured at room temperature; and the pH-reducing agent is sulfur dioxide, an acid or a combination of both.
22. The method of claim 17, wherein the lignocellulosic biomass is mixed with the sulfite solution; the sulfite solution has a pH in the range from about 9 to about 11, as measured at room temperature; and the pH-reducing agent is sulfur dioxide, an acid or a combination of both.
23. The method of claim 17, wherein the lignocellulosic biomass is mixed with the hydroxide solution and the pH reducing agent is sulfur dioxide.
24. The method of claim 17, wherein the step of decreasing the pH of the mixture to a pH in the range from about 1 to less than 3 comprises at least two sequential injections of the sulfur dioxide into the mixture, wherein the mixture has a pH in the range from about 3 to about 7 after the first of the at least two injections and a pH in the range from about 1 to about 2 after the last of the at least two injections.
25. The method of claim 24, wherein the mixture has a pH in the range from about 3 to about 5 after the first of the at least two injections.
26. The method of claim 17, wherein the step of decreasing the pH of the mixture to a pH in the range from about 1 to less than 3 comprises continuously injecting the pH reducing agent into the mixture to provide a continuous pH adjustment until the mixture has a pH in the range from about 1 to about 2.