Feed zone delivery system having carbonaceous feedstock density reduction and gas mixing

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10197014-B2
Application number	US-201615251586-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 30, 2016
Priority date	Aug 30, 2016
Publication date	Feb 5, 2019
Grant date	Feb 5, 2019

Abstract

A feedstock delivery system transfers a carbonaceous material, such as municipal solid waste, into a product gas generation system. The feedstock delivery system includes a splitter for splitting bulk carbonaceous material into a plurality of carbonaceous material streams. Each stream is processed using a weighing system for gauging the quantity of carbonaceous material, a densification system for forming plugs of carbonaceous material, a de-densification system for breaking up the plugs of carbonaceous material, and a gas and carbonaceous material mixing system for forming a carbonaceous material and gas mixture. A pressure of the mixing gas is reduced prior to mixing with the carbonaceous material, and the carbonaceous material to gas weight ratio is monitored. A transport assembly conveys the carbonaceous material and gas mixture to a first reactor where at least the carbonaceous material within the mixture is subject to thermochemical reactions to form the product gas.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A feed zone delivery system ( 2050 A) for transferring carbonaceous material to an interior ( 101 ) of a first reactor ( 100 ) having a longitudinal reactor axis (AX) and at least one reactor carbonaceous material input ( 104 A), the system comprising:
(a) a weigh feeder ( 2 C 1 ) configured to weigh and regulate a mass flow rate of weighed carbonaceous material ( 2 C- 02 );
(b) a densification system ( 2 D 0 ) configured to compress the weighed carbonaceous material ( 2 C- 02 ) received from the weigh feeder and form a densified carbonaceous material ( 2 D- 02 );
(c) a density reduction system ( 2 F 1 ) configured to reduce the density of the densified carbonaceous material ( 2 D- 02 ) after it exits the densification system ( 2 D 0 ) to thereby form de-densified carbonaceous material;
(d) a gas and carbonaceous material mixing system ( 2 G 1 ) configured to receive said de-densified carbonaceous material and introduce a gas into said de-densified carbonaceous material to form a carbonaceous material and gas mixture, wherein the gas and carbonaceous material mixing system ( 2 G 1 ) comprises:
(d1) a mixing chamber (G 00 );
(d2) a first isolation valve (VG 1 ) and a second isolation (VG 2 ) spaced apart from one another along a length of the mixing chamber and thereby partitioning the mixing chamber into an entry section (G 21 ), a middle section (G 20 ) and an exit section (G 19 ), the first isolation valve positioned between the entry section (G 21 ) and the middle section (G 20 ), the second isolation valve position between the middle section and that exit section (G 19 );
(d3) a mixing chamber carbonaceous material stream input (G 03 , G 03 A, G 03 B, G 03 C) to the entry section, configured to receive said de-densified carbonaceous material;
(d4) a mixing chamber gas input (G 08 , G 08 A, G 08 B, G 08 C) connected to a source of mixing gas ( 2 G- 03 , 2 G- 03 A, 2 G- 03 B, 2 G- 03 C) via an gas input valve (VG 3 , VG 3 A, VG 3 B, VG 3 C); and
(d5) a mixing chamber output (G 05 , G 05 A, G 05 B, G 05 C) connected to said exit section; and

(e) a transport assembly ( 2 H 1 ) connected to said exit section and configured to receive said carbonaceous material and gas mixture, and convey said carbonaceous material and gas mixture in a predetermined direction; and
(f) a computer (COMP) configured to control at least the gas and carbonaceous material mixing system.

2. The feed zone delivery system according to claim 1 , wherein the gas and carbonaceous material mixing system ( 2 G 1 ) further comprises:
(d6) a mixing chamber middle section gas input (G 12 ) connected to said source of mixing gas ( 2 G- 03 ) via a middle section gas input valve (VG 4 );
(d7) a mixing chamber exit section gas input (G 16 ) to said source of mixing gas ( 2 G- 03 ) via an exit section gas input valve (VG 5 ); and
(d8) a differential pressure sensor (DPG) configured to gauge a pressure differential between the mixing chamber entry section (G 21 ) and the mixing chamber exit section (G 19 ), and output a differential pressure sensor signal (XDPG) in response thereto.

3. The feed zone delivery system according to claim 2 , further comprising:
(d9) an evacuation gas line (G 22 ) connected to at least one of the entry section and the middle section of the mixing chamber; and
(d10) a gas evacuation valve (VG 6 ) connected to the evacuation gas line to selectively allow gas to be evacuated from the mixing chamber;
(d11) a particulate filter (G 26 ) connected to the evacuation gas line, between the mixing chamber and the gas evacuation valve; and
(d12) a gas evacuation pressure sensor (P-G) connected to the evacuation gas line, between the particulate filter and the gas evacuation valve.

4. The feed zone delivery system according to claim 2 , further comprising:
(d9) an evacuation gas line (G 22 ) connected to at least one of the entry section and the middle section of the mixing chamber; and
(d10) a gas evacuation valve (VG 6 ) connected to the evacuation gas line to selectively allow gas to be evacuated from the mixing chamber;
wherein the computer (COMP) is programmed to cause the system to selectively occupy one of a plurality of valve states, including:
(g1) a start-up valve state (2G(1)) in which:
the first and second isolation valves (VG 1 , VG 2 ) are closed,
the gas evacuation valve (VG 6 ) is closed, and
the entry section gas input valve (VG 3 ), the middle section gas input valve (VG 4 ), and the exit section gas input valve (VG 5 ) are open,
so that mixing gas entering the mixing chamber at a pressure sufficient to isolate the entry and/or middle sections from a first reactor ( 100 ) to which the feed zone delivery system is connected;

(g2) a normal operation valve state (2G(2)) in which:
the first and second isolation valves (VG 1 , VG 2 ) are open,
the gas evacuation valve (VG 6 ) is closed, and
at least one of the entry section gas input valve (VG 3 ), the middle section gas input valve (VG 4 ), and the exit section gas input valve (VG 5 ) is open,
so that mixing gas entering the mixing chamber mixes with carbonaceous material to form a carbonaceous material and gas mixture which then leaves the mixing chamber via the mixing chamber output, and

(g3) a shut down valve state (2G(3)) in which:
the first and second isolation valves (VG 1 , VG 2 ) are closed,
the gas evacuation valve (VG 6 ) is open, and
the entry section gas input valve (VG 3 ), the middle section gas input valve (VG 4 ), and the exit section gas input valve (VG 5 ) are open,
so that mixing gas entering the mixing chamber is at a pressure sufficient to isolate the entry and/or middle sections from a first reactor ( 100 ) to which the feed zone delivery system is connected, and purge residual particulate matter within the mixing chamber through the evacuation gas line.

5. The feed zone delivery system according to claim 2 , wherein, when the first isolation valve (VG 1 ) and second isolation valve (VG 2 ) are closed, the computer (COMP) is programmed to:
(f1) cause mixing gas to be introduced into the entry section (G 21 ) of the mixing chamber (G 00 ) via the entry section gas input (G 08 );
(f2) receive the differential pressure sensor signal (XDPG) from the differential pressure sensor (DPG), the differential pressure sensor signal being reflective of a differential pressure between the entry section (G 21 ) and the exit section (G 19 );
(f3) compare the differential pressure sensor signal (XDPG) to a pre-determined differential pressure threshold; and
(f4) based on the result of comparing, output a signal to open the first and second isolation valves.

6. The feed zone delivery system according to claim 1 , wherein:
the gas and carbonaceous material mixing system ( 2 G 1 ) further comprises a restriction (RO-G) positioned between the source of mixing gas ( 2 G- 03 ) and the mixing chamber gas input (G 08 , G 08 A, G 08 B, G 08 C);
the source of mixing gas is carbon dioxide produced by a secondary gas clean-up system ( 6000 );
the carbon dioxide passes through the restriction (RO-G) before entering the mixing chamber (G 00 ) via a mixing chamber gas input; and
a pressure drop of the carbon dioxide across the restriction (RO-G) ranges from about 50 psig to about 2000 psig.

7. The feed zone delivery system according to claim 1 , wherein the weigh feeder ( 2 C 1 ) includes:
a receiving unit ( 2 C- 07 ) comprising:
a receiving unit interior ( 2 C 1 IN) defined at least in part by a receiving unit sidewall ( 2 C- 08 ) and a receiving unit bottom section ( 2 C- 10 ) connected to the receiving unit sidewall ( 2 C- 08 ), the receiving unit sidewall ( 2 C- 08 ) having a sidewall height ( 2 C- 08 H) and a sidewall length ( 2 C- 08 H), the receiving u

Assignees

• Thermochem Recovery Int Inc

Inventors

• Chandran Ravi
• Burciaga Daniel A
• Leo Daniel Michael
• Freitas Shawn Robert
• Newport Dave G
• Miller Justin Kevin
• Harrington Kaitlin Emily
• Attwood Brian Christopher
• SCHULTHEIS Emily Jane
• Kishton Kelly Ann

Classifications

• F02M21/0227 Primary

  Means to treat or clean gaseous fuels or fuel systems, e.g. removal of tar, cracking, reforming or enriching · CPC title

• C01B3/50

  Separation of hydrogen or hydrogen-containing gases from gaseous mixtures, e.g. purification · CPC title

• C10G2400/08

  Jet fuel · CPC title

• C10B27/06

  Conduit details, e.g. valves · CPC title

• C01B2203/046

  Purification by cryogenic separation · CPC title