Feedstock delivery system having carbonaceous feedstock splitter and gas mixing

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10197015-B2
Application number	US-201615251156-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 feedstock delivery system ( 2000 ) for supplying bulk carbonaceous material ( 2 B- 01 ) to an interior ( 101 ) of a first reactor ( 100 ) having a longitudinal reactor axis (AX) and a plurality of reactor feedstock inputs ( 104 A, 104 B, 104 C), the feedstock delivery system comprising:
(a) a first splitter ( 2 B 1 ) having a splitter input ( 2 B- 03 ) through which bulk carbonaceous material ( 2 B- 01 ) is received, the first splitter ( 2 B 1 ) configured to split the received bulk carbonaceous material ( 2 B- 01 ) into a first plurality of carbonaceous material streams ( 2 B- 02 A, 2 B- 02 B, 2 B- 02 C), each stream exiting the first splitter via a splitter output ( 2 B- 07 , 2 B- 09 , 2 B- 11 );
(b) a first plurality of gas and carbonaceous material mixing systems ( 2 G 1 , 2 G 1 A, 2 G 1 B, 2 G 1 C), each configured to receive a carbonaceous material stream from a corresponding splitter output and output a carbonaceous material and gas mixture ( 2 G- 02 , 2 G- 02 A, 2 G- 02 B, 2 G- 02 C); wherein each gas and carbonaceous material mixing system comprises:
(b1) a mixing chamber (G 00 );
(b2) 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 );
(b3) 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 carbonaceous material stream from said corresponding splitter output;
(b4) 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
(b5) a mixing chamber output (G 05 , G 05 A, G 05 B, G 05 C) connected to said exit section;

(c) a first plurality of transport assemblies ( 2 H 1 , 2 H 1 A, 2 H 1 B, 2 H 1 C), each configured to receive said carbonaceous material and gas mixture from a corresponding mixing chamber output, and transfer said mixture toward a corresponding feedstock input belonging to a first reactor ( 100 ) to which the feedstock delivery system is connected; and
(d) a computer (COMP) configured to control at least the gas and carbonaceous material mixing systems.

2. The feedstock delivery system according to claim 1 , wherein the gas and carbonaceous material mixing system ( 2 G 1 ) further comprises:
(b6) 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 );
(b7) 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
(b8) 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 feedstock delivery system according to claim 2 , further comprising:
(b9) an evacuation gas line (G 22 ) connected to at least one of the entry section and the middle section of the mixing chamber; and
(b10) a gas evacuation valve (VG 6 ) connected to the evacuation gas line to selectively allow gas to be evacuated from the mixing chamber;
(b11) a particulate filter (G 26 ) connected to the evacuation gas line, between the mixing chamber and the gas evacuation valve; and
(b12) a gas evacuation pressure sensor (P-G) connected to the evacuation gas line, between the particulate filter and the gas evacuation valve.

4. The feedstock delivery system according to claim 2 , further comprising:
(b9) an evacuation gas line (G 22 ) connected to at least one of the entry section and the middle section of the mixing chamber; and
(b10) 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:
(e1) a start-up valve state ( 2 G( 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 feedstock delivery system is connected;

(e2) a normal operation valve state ( 2 G( 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

(e3) a shut down valve state ( 2 G( 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 feedstock delivery system is connected, and purge residual particulate matter within the mixing chamber through the evacuation gas line.

5. The feedstock 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:
(d1) cause mixing gas to be introduced into the entry section (G 21 ) of the mixing chamber (G 0 O) via the entry section gas input (G 08 );
(d2) 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 );
(d3) compare the differential pressure sensor signal (XDPG) to a pre-determined differential pressure threshold; and
(d4) based on the result of comparing, output a signal to open the first and second isolation valves.

6. The feedstock 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 feedstock delivery system according to claim 1 , further comprising a weigh feeder ( 2 C 1 ) interposed between the first splitter and each of said first plurality of gas and carbonaceous material mixing systems, each weigh feeder configured to weigh and regulate a mass flow rate of one of said carbonaceous material s

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

• C10J3/82

  Gas withdrawal means · CPC title

• C10J2300/165

  integrated with a gas turbine or gas motor · CPC title

• C10J2300/1659

  to liquid hydrocarbons · CPC title

• F02P13/00

  Sparking plugs structurally combined with other parts of internal-combustion engines ({connection of ignition coil to spark plug connector F02P3/02;} with fuel injectors F02M57/06 {; spark plug connector per se H01T13/04 – H01T13/06; predominant aspects of sparking plug, see H01T13/40 – H01T13/44}) · CPC title

• C10J2300/0906

  Physical processes, e.g. shredding, comminuting, chopping, sorting · CPC title