Integrated two-stage thermochemical heat pipe reactor having a partitioned vessel

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9725663-B2
Application number	US-201314652967-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 22, 2013
Priority date	Jan 22, 2013
Publication date	Aug 8, 2017
Grant date	Aug 8, 2017

Abstract

A feedstock conversion system including an integrated two-stage fluid bed thermochemical reaction apparatus ( 50 ) has first and second reaction chambers ( 110, 120 ) side-by-side and physically separated from one another in one vessel ( 100 ) by a partition ( 130 ). One or more clusters of heat pipes ( 400 ) pass through the partition ( 130 ) between the first and second chambers ( 110, 120 ) for efficient indirect heat transfer between first and second fluid bed reaction stages ( 200, 300 ) and materials therein. The system includes devices for solids transfer between the two reaction chambers ( 110, 120 ) to enhance feedstock conversion.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An integrated two-stage fluid bed reactor ( 50 ) comprising:
a vessel ( 100 ) having a longitudinal axis and a partition ( 130 ) extending along the longitudinal axis and separating the vessel ( 100 ) into a first chamber ( 110 ) and a second chamber ( 120 ) arranged side-by-side;
the first chamber ( 110 ) defining a stage 1 reaction chamber ( 200 ) having a stage 1 fluid bed ( 220 ) operating primarily in an endothermic reaction regime;
the second chamber ( 120 ) defining a stage 2 reaction chamber ( 300 ) having a stage 2 fluid bed ( 320 ) operating primarily in an exothermic reaction regime;
a plurality of heat pipes ( 400 ) passing through the partition ( 130 ) and extending between the first chamber ( 110 ) and the second chamber ( 120 ), the heat pipes ( 400 ) configured to remove heat from the second chamber ( 120 ) and provide heat to the first chamber ( 110 );
a first passageway ( 290 , 291 ) configured to transfer first chamber discharge materials ( 240 ) from a stage 1 freeboard zone ( 295 ) of the first chamber ( 110 ) to the second chamber ( 120 ) via a stage 1 primary particulate capture device ( 350 ); and,
a second passageway ( 390 , 391 ) configured to transfer second chamber discharge materials ( 340 ) from a stage 2 freeboard zone ( 395 ) of the second chamber ( 120 ) to the first chamber ( 110 ) via a stage 2 primary particulate capture device ( 260 ).

2. The integrated two-stage fluid bed reactor ( 50 ) according to claim 1 , wherein:
the stage 2 primary particulate capture device ( 260 ) is configured to:
receive said second chamber discharge materials ( 340 ) from the second chamber ( 120 );
transfer first particulates ( 900 a ) to the stage 1 fluid bed ( 220 ) in the first chamber; and,
output a first product gas ( 900 b ); and

the stage 1 primary particulate capture device ( 350 ) is configured to:
receive said first chamber discharge materials ( 240 ) from the first chamber ( 110 );
transfer second particulates ( 1100 a ) to the stage 2 fluid bed ( 320 ) in the second chamber ( 120 ); and
output a second product gas ( 1100 b ).

3. The integrated two-stage fluid bed reactor ( 50 ) according to claim 2 , further comprising:
a stage 1 secondary particulate capture device ( 370 ) configured to:
receive the second product gas ( 1100 b ) from the stage 1 primary particulate capture device ( 350 );
output third particulates ( 1200 a ) to the stage 2 fluid bed ( 320 ) in the second chamber ( 120 ); and,
output a third product gas ( 1200 b ).

4. The integrated two-stage fluid bed reactor ( 50 ) according to claim 3 , further comprising:
a stage 2 secondary particulate capture device ( 600 ) configured to:
receive the first product gas ( 900 b ) from the stage 2 primary particulate capture device ( 260 );
output a fourth product gas ( 1300 b ); and
output fourth particulates ( 1300 a ).

5. The integrated two-stage fluid bed reactor ( 50 ) according to claim 4 , wherein at least a portion of the fourth particulates ( 1300 a ) are introduced into the second chamber ( 120 ).

6. The integrated two-stage fluid bed reactor ( 50 ) according to claim 4 further comprising:
a stage 2 tertiary particulate capture device ( 700 ) configured to:
receive the fourth product gas ( 1300 b ) from the stage 2 secondary particulate capture device ( 600 );
output a fifth product gas ( 1400 b ); and
output fifth particulates ( 1400 a ).

7. The integrated two-stage fluid bed reactor ( 50 ) according to claim 3 wherein
the stage 1 primary particulate capture device ( 350 ) and the stage 1 secondary particulate capture device ( 370 ) are both located within second chamber ( 220 ).

8. The integrated two-stage fluid bed reactor ( 50 ) according to claim 3 , wherein
the stage 1 primary particulate capture device ( 350 ) and the stage 1 secondary particulate capture device ( 370 ) are both located external to the vessel ( 100 ); and,
a particulates return passageway ( 392 ) connects the stage 1 secondary particulate capture device ( 370 ) to the stage 2 fluid bed ( 320 ) to transfer third particulates ( 1200 a ) to the stage 2 fluid bed ( 320 ).

9. The integrated two-stage fluid bed reactor ( 50 ) according to claim 2 , further comprising:
a stage 2 secondary particulate capture device ( 600 ) configured to:
receive the first product gas ( 900 b ) from the stage 2 primary particulate capture device ( 260 );
output a fourth product gas ( 1300 b ); and
output fourth particulates ( 1300 a ).

10. The integrated two-stage fluid bed reactor ( 50 ) according to claim 9 , wherein at least a portion of the fourth particulates ( 1300 a ) are introduced into the second chamber ( 120 ).

11. The integrated two-stage fluid bed reactor ( 50 ) according to claim 9 , further comprising:
a stage 2 tertiary particulate capture device ( 700 ) configured to:
receive the fourth product gas ( 1300 b ) from the stage 2 secondary particulate capture device ( 600 );
output a fifth product gas ( 1400 b ); and
output fifth particulates ( 1400 a ).

12. The integrated two-stage fluid bed reactor ( 50 ) according to claim 2 , wherein:
the stage 1 primary particulate capture device ( 350 ) is located within the second chamber ( 120 );
the stage 2 primary particulate capture device ( 260 ) is located within the first chamber ( 110 );
the first passageway ( 290 ) passes through the partition ( 130 ) to connect the first chamber ( 110 ) to the stage 1 primary particulate capture device ( 350 ) located within the second chamber ( 120 ); and,
the second passageway ( 390 ) passes through the partition ( 130 ) to connect the second chamber ( 120 ) to the stage 2 primary particulate capture device ( 260 ) located within the first chamber ( 110 ).

13. The integrated two-stage fluid bed reactor ( 50 ) according to claim 2 , wherein:
the stage 1 primary particulate capture device ( 350 ) is located external to the second chamber ( 120 ) and the vessel ( 100 );
the stage 2 primary particulate capture device ( 260 ) is located external to the first chamber ( 110 ) and the vessel ( 100 );
the first passageway ( 291 ) does not pass through the partition ( 130 ) to connect the first chamber ( 110 ) to the stage 1 primary particulate capture device ( 350 ) located external to the vessel ( 100 ); and,
the second passageway ( 391 ) does not pass through the partition ( 130 ) to connect the second chamber ( 120 ) to the stage 2 primary particulate capture device ( 260 ) located external to the vessel ( 100 ).

14. The integrated two-stage fluid bed reactor ( 50 ) according to claim 2 , wherein:
the stage 1 primary particulate capture device ( 350 ) is located within the second chamber ( 120 );
the stage 2 primary particulate capture device ( 260 ) is located external to the first chamber ( 110 ) and the vessel ( 100 );
the first passageway ( 290 ) passes through the partition ( 130 ) to connect the first chamber ( 110 ) to the stage 1 primary particulate capture device ( 350 ) located within second chamber ( 220 ); and
the second passageway ( 391 ) does not pass through the partition ( 130 ) to connect the second chamber ( 120 ) to the stage 2 primary particulate capture device ( 260 ) located external to the vessel ( 100 ).

15. The integrated two-stage fluid bed reactor ( 50 ) according to claim 2 , wherein:
the stage 1 primary particulate capture device ( 350 ) is located external to the second chamber ( 120 ) and the vessel ( 100 );
the stage 2 primary particulate capture device ( 260 ) is located within the first chamber

Assignees

• Thermochem Recovery Int Inc
• Themochem Recovery Int Inc

Inventors

• Chandran Ravi
• Leo Daniel Michael
• Freitas Shawn Robert

Classifications

• C10J2300/12

  Heating the gasifier · CPC title

• C10J3/466

  Entrained flow processes · CPC title

• C10J3/84

  with means for removing dust or tar from the gas · CPC title

• F28D15/0275

  Arrangements for coupling heat-pipes together or with other structures, e.g. with base blocks; Heat pipe cores · CPC title

• B01J8/26 Primary

  with two or more fluidised beds, e.g. reactor and regeneration installations · CPC title