Heat recovery systems for biomass gasification systems

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9458398-B2
Application number	US-201113215040-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 22, 2011
Priority date	Aug 22, 2011
Publication date	Oct 4, 2016
Grant date	Oct 4, 2016

Abstract

Biomass gasification systems including a reactor configured to gasify a dried biomass fuel in the presence of air to generate producer gas are provided. The biomass gasification systems also may include a heat exchanger adapted to transfer heat from the producer gas to a biomass feedstock to produce the dried biomass fuel and cooled producer gas.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A biomass gasification system, comprising:
a reactor having an internal chamber, wherein the reactor is configured to gasify a biomass feedstock in the presence of aft to generate a producer gas;
a first neat exchanger external from the reactor and separate from the internal chamber, wherein a flow path of air passes through the first heat exchanger and passes to the reactor, a flow path of the producer gas passes downstream from the reactor and through the first heat exchanger, and the first heat exchanger is configured to transfer heat from a first position along the flow path of the producer gas to the flow path of air; and
a second heat exchanger external from the reactor and separate from the internal chamber, wherein the flow path of the producer gas passes downstream from the first heat exchanger and through the second heat exchanger, a flow path of the biomass feedstock passes through the second heat exchanger and passes to the reactor, and the second heat exchanger is configured to transfer heat from a second position along the flow path of the producer gas to the flow path of the biomass feedstock to dry the biomass feedstock and cool the producer gas, wherein the first position and the second position are located along the flow path of the producer gas downstream from the reactor and upstream from all of at least one scrubber or a filter unit.

2. The biomass gasification system of claim 1 , wherein the second heat exchanger is configured to transfer heat from the flow of the producer gas to a flow path of a fluid to produce a heated fluid, and comprising a vessel configured to hold the biomass feedstock and to direct the heated fluid through the biomass feedstock.

3. The biomass gasification system of claim 1 , wherein the dried biomass comprises biomass having a moisture content of less than 5%.

4. The biomass gasification system of claim 1 , wherein the second heat exchanger comprises a jacketed heat exchanger having a jacket portion configured to receive with the flow path of the producer gas and a vessel portion configured to hold the biomass feedstock, wherein the jacket portion is disposed about the vessel portion.

5. The biomass gasification system of claim 1 , comprising a cyclone configured to separate particulates from the producer gas cooled by at least one of the first heat exchanger or the second heat exchanger.

6. The biomass gasification system of claim 5 , wherein the second heat exchanger is a jacketed heat exchanger surrounding the cyclone.

7. The biomass gasification system of claim 1 , comprising a combustion engine coupled to a generator, wherein the combustion engine is configured to combust the producer gas cooled by at least one of the first heat exchanger or the second heat exchanger to drive the generator.

8. The biomass gasification system of claim 1 , comprising:
a cyclone configured to separate particulates from the producer gas cooled by at least one of the first heat exchanger or the second heat exchanger to generate a reduced particulate producer gas; and
a scrubber system configured to scrub the reduced particulate producer gas and to further cool the reduced particulate producer gas.

9. The biomass gasification system of claim 1 , wherein the second heat exchanger comprises an inlet and an outlet, the inlet is in fluid communication with the flow path of the producer gas at the first position downstream from the reactor and upstream from a position from all of the at least one scrubber or the filter unit, and the outlet is in fluid communication with the flow path of the producer gas at the second position, downstream from first position.

10. The biomass gasification system of claim 9 , comprising the at least one scrubber, wherein the inlet of the second heat exchanger is in fluid communication with the flow path of the producer gas at the first position downstream from the reactor and upstream from the position of all of the at least one scrubber.

11. The biomass gasification system of claim 10 , wherein the at least one scrubber comprises a first scrubber and a second scrubber.

12. The biomass gasification system of claim 10 , wherein the at least one scrubber comprises a first scrubber, a second scrubber, and a third scrubber.

13. The biomass gasification system of claim 9 , comprising the at least one scrubber and the filter unit disposed downstream of the second heat exchanger.

14. The biomass gasification system of claim 13 , wherein the filter unit is disposed downstream of the at least one scrubber.

15. The biomass gasification system of claim 9 , wherein the flow path of the producer gas extends through the first heat exchanger and the second heat exchanger prior to entering an exhaust treatment system.

16. The biomass gasification system of claim 1 , wherein the first heat exchanger is external from the reactor and separate from the internal chamber, wherein the first heat exchanger comprises an inlet and an outlet, the inlet is in fluid communication with the flow path of the producer gas at the first position downstream from the reactor and upstream from all of the at least one scrubber or the filter unit, and the outlet is in fluid communication with the flow path of the producer gas at the second position downstream from the first position.

17. The biomass gasification system of claim 1 , wherein the first heat exchanger and the second heat exchanger are configured to mount in-line with the flow path of the producer gas downstream from the reactor and upstream from all of the at least one scrubber or the filter unit.

18. The biomass gasification system of claim 1 , wherein a first inlet of the first heat exchanger and a second inlet of the second heat exchanger are configured to receive an entirety of the producer gas along the flow path.

19. A biomass gasification system, comprising:
a reactor having an internal chamber, wherein the reactor is configured to gasify a biomass feedstock to generate a producer gas;
a first heat exchanger external from the reactor and separate from the internal chamber, wherein the first heat exchanger comprises a first main flow net and a first main flow outlet;
a second heat exchanger external from the reactor and separate from the internal chamber, wherein the second heat exchanger comprises a second main flow inlet, a second main flow outlet, a feedstock inlet, and a feedstock outlet, wherein the first main flow inlet and the second main flow net are in fluid communication with a main flow path of the producer gas at a respective first position and a second position downstream from the reactor and upstream from all of at least one scrubber or a filter unit, the first main flow outlet and the second main flow outlet are in fluid communication with the main flow path of the producer gas at a respective third position and a fourth position downstream from the first position and the second position, wherein the second heat exchanger is configured to pass a solid feedstock along a feedstock passage from the feedstock inlet to the feedstock outlet and into the reactor.

20. The system of claim 19 , wherein the first heat exchanger and the second heat exchanger are configured to mount in-line with the main flow path of the producer gas downstream from the reactor and upstream from all of the at least one scrubber or the filter unit.

21. The system of claim 19 , wherein the first main flow inlet of the first heat exchanger is configured to receive an entirety of the producer gas from the main

Assignees

• Mishra Niraj Kumar
• Gen Electric

Inventors

• Mishra Niraj Kumar

Classifications

• C10J2300/0916

  Biomass · CPC title

• C10J2300/0956

  Air or oxygen enriched air · CPC title

• C10J3/26

  downwardly · CPC title

• C10J2300/0909

  Drying · CPC title

• C10J2300/165

  integrated with a gas turbine or gas motor · CPC title