Patent ID: 11921476
Assignee: MARATHON PETROLEUM COMPANY LP
Field: Measurement (Instruments)
Classification: CPC G  C  E  Y | IPC C  E  G

Claim 9:
10. A system to operate an ethanol plant for distribution of a low carbon intensity (CI) ethanol therefrom and obtained through one or more targeted reductions of carbon emissions (CE) associated with combinations of various available fermentable feedstock to be supplied to various ethanol plants, various selected fermentable feedstock transportation and ethanol distribution pathways, and various ethanol production processes, the system comprising:
an ethanol plant controller to control one or more various ethanol production processes to be operated at one or more ethanol plants; and
an ethanol integration controller in signal communication with the ethanol plant controller, the ethanol integration controller including one or more processors and memory storing instructions, the instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, to:
(I) determine a fermentable feedstock CI for each of one or more available fermentable feedstock from one or more available fermentable feedstock sources to be supplied to the one or more ethanol plants from one or more available fermentable feedstock transportation pathways,
(II) for each one or more available fermentable feedstock:
(a) determine a fermentable feedstock transportation CI for each of one or more available fermentable feedstock transportation pathways based on:
(1) a volume of a fermentable feedstock transportation pathway,
(2) fuel type utilized by the fermentable feedstock transportation pathway, and
(3) distance to travel to the one or more ethanol plants,

(b) determine an ethanol production process CI for each of one or more ethanol production processes based on:
(1) one or more available ethanol production processes available at the one or more ethanol plants,
(2) a type of fermentable feedstock of the one or more available fermentable feedstock, and
(2) a yield of each one or more available ethanol production processes,

(c) determine a utilities CI for each of one or more utilities based on:
(1) a type of utility to be used during an ethanol production process and
(2) a utilities' source,

(d) determine an ethanol distribution CI for each of one or more available ethanol distribution pathway based on:
(1) a volume of an ethanol distribution pathway,
(2) a type of the ethanol distribution pathway,
(3) fuel type utilized by the ethanol distribution pathway, and
(4) distance to travel for a delivery of ethanol,

(e) determine a set of combinations, each of the set of combinations including:
(1) one or more available fermentable feedstock,
(2) one or more available fermentable feedstock transportation pathways,
(3) one or more ethanol production processes of one or more ethanol plants,
(4) one or more utilities, and
(5) one or more available ethanol distribution pathways, and

(f) determine a total CI for each of the set of combinations,

(III) determine a final selection from the set of combinations including a total CI less than or equal to a threshold CI, the threshold CI being defined as an upper limit of CI in providing ethanol to an end user location that qualifies the ethanol as a low CI ethanol, the CI of the ethanol being a function of the total carbon emissions per unit energy of the ethanol, the final selection including:
(a) a selected one or more available fermentable feedstock,
(b) a selected one or more fermentable feedstock transportation pathways,
(c) a selected one or more ethanol production processes of one or more ethanol plants,
(d) a selected one or more utilities, and
(e) a selected one or more ethanol distribution pathways,

(IV) in response to the final selection, transmit a fermentable feedstock request based on the selected one or more available fermentable feedstock and the selected one or more fermentable feedstock transportation pathways,
(V) in response to a determined reception of the selected one or more available fermentable feedstock at the one or more ethanol plants, initiate, at the ethanol plant controller, the selected one or more ethanol production processes of the one or more ethanol production processes, and the selected one or more utilities to operate the selected one or more ethanol production processes thereby to transform the selected one or more available fermentable feedstock to ethanol, and
(VI) in response to determination of completion of the selected one or more ethanol production processes, transmit a delivery request of the ethanol via the selected one or more ethanol distribution pathways.