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

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2022062788-A1
Application number	US-201917415942-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Dec 20, 2019
Priority date	Dec 22, 2017
Publication date	Mar 3, 2022
Grant date	—

Abstract

An apparatus and method of high pressure treatment of bulk material by extraction and/or impregnation may involve treating bulk material in an internal volume of a pressure vessel apparatus at a high pressure level in a range from 40 to 1000 bar under isolation from the environment. The high pressure treatment may be performed charge-wise in a closed system in the pressure vessel apparatus in that the bulk material is supplied charge-wise to the internal volume with the pressure vessel apparatus closed and is positioned in at least one treatment plane. Upon completion of the high pressure treatment, the bulk material is discharged charge-wise from the internal volume with the pressure vessel apparatus closed. This also gives advantages in terms of handling, especially also with regard to material flow, and with regard to operational reliability.

First claim

1 .- 21 . (canceled)

22 . A method for high pressure treatment of bulk material by extraction, wherein the bulk material is positioned in a high pressure treatment volume of a pressure vessel apparatus and is treated at a high pressure level in a range from 40 to 1000 bar under isolation from the environment, wherein the method comprises:
pressurizing the high pressure treatment volume; high pressure treating the bulk material in a continuous manner at the high pressure level in the high pressure treatment volume, with continuity of the high pressure treating being assured 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 while the high pressure treating occurs, wherein during the high pressure treating discontinuous gravitational force-driven displacement of the bulk material occurs through the high pressure treatment volume by multiple discontinuous rotational or translational actuating movements, wherein the bulk material is disposed in a predefined first high pressure treatment plane and is then displaced continuously or between additional high pressure treatment planes within the high pressure treatment volume during the high pressure treating by virtue of the rotational or translational actuating movement; and depressurizing the high pressure treatment volume.

23 . The method of claim 22 wherein during the high pressure treating, continuous displacement or cyclical discontinuous batchwise displacement of the bulk material establishes a dwell time or a high pressure treatment time for the bulk material in the high pressure treatment volume.

24 . The method of claim 22 wherein during the high pressure treating, bulk material flow is controlled in that based on at least one of a size or cyclical supply of batches/charges the bulk material is displaced continuously or in individual discontinuous batches in the high pressure treatment volume by way of the rotational actuating movement.

25 . The method of claim 22 wherein the high pressure treating comprises at least one of:
continuous displacement of the bulk material in two different predefined material flow directions in the high pressure treatment volume, including in a first material flow direction defined by the rotational actuating movement and in a second material flow direction; or
continuous displacement of the bulk material counter to gravity by supplying potential energy to the bulk material by way of the rotational actuating movement.

26 . The method of claim 22 comprising a continuous extraction above a critical temperature and above a critical pressure of a solvent.

27 . The method of claim 22 comprising flowing a high pressure medium through the bulk material.

28 . The method of claim 22 wherein the high pressure treating is performed at a constant high pressure or with pressure fluctuations in a range of three to five bar at most.

29 . The method of claim 22 wherein the translational actuating movement establishes a displacement speed or cyclical discontinuous batchwise displacement that establishes a dwell time or a high pressure treatment time for the bulk material in the high pressure treatment volume.

30 . The method of claim 22 wherein the high pressure treating comprises discontinuous batchwise displacement of the bulk material by the multiple discontinuous translational actuating movements.

31 . The method of claim 22 wherein the bulk material is displaced at predefined times in the high pressure treatment volume in batches between individual high pressure treatment planes.

32 . The method of claim 22 wherein the bulk material is conveyed through the high pressure treatment volume as a function of at least one translational actuating movement.

33 . The method of claim 22 wherein the bulk material is configured as polymers for supercritical drying for provision of the polymers as superinsulators or as aerogels.

34 . 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 with pressurization generation means; a pressure vessel apparatus coupled to the pressurization device by a high pressure-tight connection, the pressure vessel apparatus including a high pressure-resistant wall that surrounds a high pressure treatment volume for the high pressure treatment, wherein the pressure vessel apparatus includes an actuator that is rotationally or translationally displaceable and is configured for a rotational actuating movement or a translational actuating movement, each for gravitational force-driven displacement of the bulk material through the high pressure treatment volume during the high pressure treatment; and a depressurization device coupled to the pressure vessel apparatus by a high pressure-tight connection, wherein the high pressure vessel apparatus is in a fixed arrangement and is configured to 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 actuator is configured to individually actuate a high pressure treatment plane of the pressure vessel apparatus or to simultaneously synchronously actuate multiple high pressure treatment planes of the pressure vessel apparatus.

35 . The high pressure treatment system of claim 34 configured to:
supply individual batches to the high pressure treatment volume during the high pressure treatment;
displace individual batches within the high pressure treatment volume during the high pressure treatment; and
discharge individual batches from the high pressure treatment during the high pressure treatment.

36 . The high pressure treatment system of claim 34 wherein the actuator is coupled to multiple high pressure treatment planes, wherein each of the multiple high pressure treatment planes is defined by a pair of plates, wherein a first plate of the pair of plates is in a static arrangement at a fixed location and a second plate of the pair of plates is rotationally displaceable and is connected to the actuator in a rotationally fixed manner.

37 . The high pressure treatment system of claim 34 wherein the actuator is configured to actuate a plate having a passage segment for arrangement or for passage of the bulk material, wherein the plate defines the high pressure treatment plane.

38 . The high pressure treatment system of claim 34 wherein in the high pressure treatment volume multiple high pressure treatment planes are each defined by a gas-permeable plate with outflow chamfers and with a passage segment.

39 . The high pressure treatment system of claim 34 comprising feedthroughs for lateral actuating means in a wall of the pressure vessel apparatus, wherein the lateral actuating means are coupled either
directly to respective plates that are pivotable single-sidedly downward or double-sidedly upward and downward according to the respective high pressure treatment plane, or
indirectly to a respective high pressure treatment plane by way of a kinematic coupling.

Assignees

• Uhde High Pressure Tech Gmbh
• Thyssenkrupp Ag

Inventors

• Steinhagen Volkmar
• Herber Ansgar

Classifications

• B01D11/0242

  in towers, e.g. comprising contacting elements · CPC title

• B01D11/0288

  Applications, solvents · CPC title

• B01J8/10

  moved by stirrers or by rotary drums or rotary receptacles {or endless belts} · CPC title

• B01D11/0284

  Multistage extraction · CPC title

• B01D11/0238

  on fixed or rotating flat surfaces, e.g. tables combined with rotating elements or on rotating flat surfaces · CPC title