Two-stage energy-integrated product gas generation system and method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11242988-B2
Application number	US-201616077052-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 16, 2016
Priority date	Feb 16, 2016
Publication date	Feb 8, 2022
Grant date	Feb 8, 2022

Abstract

A multi-stage product gas generation system converts a carbonaceous material, such as municipal solid waste, into a product gas which may subsequently be converted into a liquid fuel or other material. One or more reactors containing bed material may be used to conduct reactions to effect the conversions. Unreacted inert feedstock contaminants present in the carbonaceous material may be separated from bed material using a portion of the product gas. A heat transfer medium collecting heat from a reaction in one stage may be applied as a reactant input in another, earlier stage.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for converting a carbonaceous material into at least one liquid fuel, the method comprising:
(a) combining a carbonaceous material and carbon dioxide in a feedstock delivery system;
(b) introducing the combined carbonaceous material and carbon dioxide into a first reactor containing a first particulate heat transfer material;
(c) introducing steam into the first reactor;
(d) reacting the carbonaceous material with steam and carbon dioxide in an endothermic thermochemical reaction to generate a first reactor product gas containing char;
(e) introducing a portion of the char into a second reactor containing a second particulate heat transfer material;
(f) introducing an oxygen-containing gas into the second reactor;
(g) reacting the char with the oxygen-containing gas in the second reactor, in an exothermic thermochemical reaction to generate a second reactor product gas;
(h) transferring heat, via a second reactor heat exchanger located within the second reactor, from the exothermic thermochemical reaction to a first heat transfer medium in thermal contact with the second reactor, the heat transfer medium comprising steam;
(i) introducing at least a portion of the heated first heat transfer medium into the first reactor for use as the source of steam in (c);
(j) compressing the first and/or second reactor product gas to thereby form a compressed product gas;
(k) removing carbon dioxide from the compressed product gas, and supplying at least a first portion of the removed carbon dioxide to the feedstock delivery system for combining with carbonaceous material in step (a);
( 1 ) reacting the compressed product gas with a catalyst after removing carbon dioxide; and
(m) synthesizing at least one liquid fuel from the compressed product gas, after reacting the compressed product gas with a catalyst.

2. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising:
classifying the first particulate heat transfer material with a second portion of the removed carbon dioxide, to remove inert feedstock contaminant from the first reactor wherein:
the first particulate heat transfer material includes one or more materials selected from the group consisting of alumina, zirconia, sand, olivine sand, limestone, dolomite, catalytic materials, microballoons, and microspheres; and
the inert feedstock contaminants include one or more contaminants selected from the group consisting of allen wrenches, ball bearings, batteries, bolts, bottle caps, broaches, bushings, buttons, cable, cement, chains, clips, coins, computer hard drive shreds, door hinges, door knobs, drill bits, drill bushings, drywall anchors, electrical components, electrical plugs, eye bolts, fabric snaps, fasteners, fish hooks, flash drives, fuses, gears, glass, gravel, grommets, hose clamps, hose fittings, jewelry, key chains, key stock, lathe blades, light bulb bases, magnets, metal audio-visual components, metal brackets, metal shards, metal surgical supplies, mirror shreds, nails, needles, nuts, pins, pipe fittings, pushpins, razor blades, reamers, retaining rings, rivets, rocks, rods, router bits, saw blades, screws, sockets, springs, sprockets, staples, studs, syringes, USB connectors, washers, wire, wire connectors, and zippers.

3. The method according to claim 1 , comprising:
in step (d), the first product gas includes hydrogen, carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, methane, ethane, ethylene, propane, propylene, and volatile organic compounds (VOC); wherein the VOC include two or more selected from the group consisting of benzene, toluene, phenol, styrene, xylene, and cresol.

4. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the second reactor heat exchanger is immersed below a fluid level of the second reactor.

5. The method according to claim 1 , comprising:
in step (m), also producing tail gas and then combusting the tail gas in at least one heat exchanger to indirectly heat the first particulate heat transfer material within the first reactor to effectuate the endothermic thermochemical reaction to generate a first reactor product gas containing char according to step (d).

6. The method according to claim 5 , comprising:
passing the tail gas through a valve before introducing the tail gas to at least one heat exchanger; wherein:
the valve is adjusted by a controller to maintain a predetermined flow rate of tail gas to at least one heat exchanger.

7. The method according to claim 1 , comprising:
in step (d), reacting the carbonaceous material with steam and carbon dioxide in an endothermic thermochemical reaction in the first reactor according to a method including:
(d1) providing a second oxygen-containing gas and a source of hydrocarbons;
(d2) after step (d1), introducing the hydrocarbons and the second oxygen-containing gas to a plurality of heat exchangers;
(d3) after step (d2), combusting the hydrocarbons and the second oxygen-containing gas within the plurality of heat exchangers to form a plurality of combustion streams;
(d4) after step (d3), indirectly transferring heat from the plurality of combustion streams to the first particulate heat transfer within the first reactor; and
(d5) after step (d4), contacting the particulate heat transfer material with the carbonaceous material, steam, and carbon dioxide to form the first reactor product gas according to step (d).

8. The method according to claim 7 , comprising:
in step (m), also producing tail gas and introducing the tail gas to the plurality of heat exchangers for use as the source of hydrocarbons in step (d2).

9. The method according to claim 8 , comprising:
passing the tail gas through a valve before introducing the tail gas to at least one heat exchanger; wherein:
the valve is adjusted by a controller to maintain a predetermined flow rate of tail gas to at least one heat exchanger.

10. The method according to claim 8 , wherein:
the carbonaceous material includes one or more carbonaceous materials selected from the group consisting of agricultural residues, agro-industrial residues, animal waste, biomass, cardboard, coal, coke, energy crops, farm slurries, fishery waste, food waste, fruit processing waste, lignite, municipal solid waste (MSW), paper, paper mill residues, paper mill sludge, paper mill spent liquors, plastics, refuse derived fuel (RDF), sewage sludge, tires, urban waste, wood products, and wood wastes.

11. The method according to claim 10 , comprising:
before step (a), introducing the carbonaceous material to a feedstock preparation system, wherein the feedstock preparation system is configured to remove water from the carbonaceous material;
wherein:
the carbonaceous material in step (a) has been processed in the feedstock preparation system to remove water from the carbonaceous material.

12. The method according to claim 10 , comprising:
before step (a), introducing the carbonaceous material to a feedstock preparation system, wherein the feedstock preparation system is configured to reduce the size of the carbonaceous material;
wherein:
the carbonaceous material in step (a) has been processed in the feedstock preparation system to reduce the size of the carbonaceous material.

13. The method according to claim 8 , wherein:
before step (a), introducing the carbonaceous material to a feedstock preparation system, wherein the feedstock preparation system is configured to remove polyvinyl chloride from the carbonaceous material;
wherein:
(I) the carbonaceous material in step (a) has been processed in the feedstock preparation system to remove polyvinyl chloride from the carbonaceous material;
(II) the carbonaceous material includes municipal solid waste (MSW

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

Classifications

• B09B3/70

  Chemical treatment, e.g. pH adjustment or oxidation (involving an extraction step B09B3/80) · CPC title

• B01J2208/00513

  using inert heat absorbing solids in the bed · CPC title

• B01J8/0492 Primary

  Feeding reactive fluids (for solid material, see B01J8/0015) · CPC title

• F23G5/006

  General arrangement of incineration plant, e.g. flow sheets · CPC title

• C10J2300/1215

  using synthesis gas as fuel · CPC title