Device and method for the continuous high-pressure treatment of bulk material and use thereof

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12145080-B2
Application number	US-201917415835-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 20, 2019
Priority date	Dec 22, 2017
Publication date	Nov 19, 2024
Grant date	Nov 19, 2024

Abstract

An apparatus and method for high pressure treatment of bulk material by extraction and/or impregnation may involve high pressure treating bulk material in a high pressure treatment volume of a pressure vessel apparatus at a high pressure level, especially high pressure in the range from 40 to 1000 bar. The method comprises at least the three following step sequences that are each controllable individually: pressurization, high pressure treatment, and depressurization. The high pressure treatment is performed in a continuous manner in the high pressure treatment volume. The high pressure treatment volume or the entire pressure vessel apparatus is in a fixed arrangement during the high pressure treatment. The continuity of the high pressure treatment is ensured solely by means of the high pressure treatment volume. This especially enables engineering optimization of high pressure treatment processes, for example extraction.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for high pressure treatment of bulk material by extraction, wherein the bulk material is disposed in a high pressure treatment volume, which has cavities, of a pressure vessel apparatus and is treated at a high pressure level in a range from 40 to 1000 bar, wherein the method comprises:
pressurizing the high pressure treatment volume;
high pressure treating the bulk material in a continuous manner in the high pressure treatment volume, with continuity of the high pressure treating being ensured solely by way of the high pressure treatment volume, wherein the high pressure treatment volume or the pressure vessel apparatus is in a fixed arrangement during the high pressure treating, wherein the high pressure treating comprises continuously displacing the bulk material by translation of a translational actuator within the high pressure treatment volume; and
depressurizing the high pressure treatment volume.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the translational actuator is a piston inserted into an end face of the high pressure treatment volume, wherein the piston performs a unidirectional translational actuating movement within the high pressure treatment volume back and forth between a translational zero position and a translational end position.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein plates and flaps in a paired arrangement within the pressure vessel apparatus block one side, wherein the flaps are connected to the translational actuator such that the flaps move with the translational actuator.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein two pistons secured to the translational actuator are moved bidirectionally within the high pressure treatment volume, wherein each piston generates a negative pressure differential in a first direction such that the bulk material is conveyed into the high pressure treatment volume and generates a positive pressure in a second direction, which is opposite the first direction, such that the bulk material is discharged from the high pressure treatment volume.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein during the high pressure treating individual bulk material batches generated during the pressurizing are supplied to the high pressure treatment volume, wherein the individual bulk material batches form a charge under continuous high pressure treatment, wherein during the high pressure treating the individual bulk material batches are discharged from the high pressure treatment volume.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein a respective bulk material batch provided by the high pressure treating is smaller in terms of volume or in terms of mass than the charge under continuous high pressure treatment.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the translational actuator is one of a plurality of translational actuators, wherein in the high pressure treating continuous displacement of the bulk material between individual high pressure planes establishes a dwell time of the bulk material in the high pressure treatment volume by cycling of the translational actuators.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the pressurizing is performed in a discontinuous manner and comprises at least one of:
batchwise generation of pressure with a pump; or
batchwise supply of the bulk material to the high pressure treatment with an inlet fitting that accommodates a respective batch and comprises a ram, a seated plug valve, a ballcock valve, and/or a flap.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the depressurizing is performed in a discontinuous manner and comprises at least one of:
batchwise depressurization with a piston motor; or
batchwise discharge of the bulk material from the high pressure treating step with an outlet fitting that accommodates a respective batch and comprises a ram, a seated plug valve, a ballcock valve, and/or a flap.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein the high pressure treating comprises continuous extraction of solvent, which is performed above a critical temperature and above a critical pressure of an extraction medium.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein the high pressure treating comprises continuous extraction of monomers.

12. A high pressure treatment system configured for high pressure treatment of bulk material by extraction at a high pressure level in a range from 40 to 1000 bar, the high pressure treatment system comprising:
a pressurization device having pressure generation means;
a pressure vessel apparatus coupled to the pressurization device and including a high pressure-resistant wall surrounding a high pressure treatment volume, wherein the pressure vessel apparatus is configurable in a fixed arrangement and is configured for a continuous high pressure treatment solely by way of the high pressure treatment volume that is in a fixed arrangement and is at the high pressure level, wherein the high pressure treatment volume includes cavities that are delimited and isolated from one another by partition units, wherein a translational actuator is disposed in the high pressure treatment volume for performing a translational actuating movement; and
a depressurization device coupled to the pressure vessel apparatus.

13. The high pressure treatment system of claim 12 configured for:
supplying individual bulk material batches to the high pressure treatment volume during the high pressure treatment;
continuous displacement of the bulk material as a single charge or in batches in the high pressure treatment volume during the high pressure treatment; and
discharging individual batches from the high pressure treatment volume during the high pressure treatment.

14. The high pressure treatment system of claim 12 wherein the translational actuator is a first translational actuator, wherein the first translational actuator and a second translational actuator are configured as pistons that are inserted into an end face of the high pressure treatment volume.

15. The high pressure treatment system of claim 12 wherein the partition units are configured as single-sidedly blocking plates and single-sidedly blocking flaps arranged in pairs, wherein the plates are fixed and the flaps are movable with the translational actuator.

16. The high pressure treatment system of claim 15 wherein the flaps are permeable to fluids.

17. The high pressure treatment system of claim 15 wherein the flaps are mounted on the translational actuator in an articulated joint.

18. The high pressure treatment system of claim 12 comprising two bidirectionally acting pistons that are secured to the translational actuator and are displaceable within the high pressure treatment volume.

Assignees

• Uhde High Pressure Tech Gmbh
• Thyssenkrupp Ag

Inventors

• Steinhagen Volkmar
• Herber Ansgar

Classifications

• C08J2300/30

  Polymeric waste or recycled polymer · CPC title

• C08J2300/14

  Water soluble or water swellable polymers, e.g. aqueous gels · CPC title

• C08J11/08

  using selective solvents for polymer components · CPC title

• B01J3/008

  Processes carried out under supercritical conditions · CPC title

• B01J19/20

  in the form of helices, e.g. screw reactors · CPC title