Abstract: A method is provided for controlling the hydrocarbon release rate during thermal processing of materials having a variable caloric content.

Abstract: A material processing apparatus includes a casing having a top and bottom and a plurality of sides defining a pyrolysis chamber for receiving and pyrolyzing feed materials therein into fluid materials and a mass of refractory material disposed upon the bottom of the casing and spaced below the top thereof and extending between its sides. The refractory mass includes an upper surface defining a bottom of the pyrolysis chamber and having an end spaced from a first one of the casing sides to define an ash residue collection cavity therebetween. The apparatus also includes a system of tunnels defined within the refractory mass being spaced below the upper surface thereof.

Abstract: A material processing apparatus includes a casing having a top and bottom and a plurality of sides defining a pyrolysis chamber for receiving and pyrolyzing feed materials therein into fluid materials and a mass of refractory material disposed upon the bottom of the casing and spaced below the top thereof and extending between its sides. The refractory mass includes an upper surface defining a bottom of the pyrolysis chamber and having an end spaced from a first one of the casing sides to define an ash residue collection cavity therebetween. The apparatus also includes a system of tunnels defined within the refractory mass being spaced below the upper surface thereof.

Abstract: An apparatus for infeeding batched material to an inlet opening of a material processing apparatus includes a lift mechanism disposed alongside the material processing apparatus and being operable to lift the batched material at least to the elevation of the inlet opening of the material processing apparatus, a delivery conveyor disposed alongside the material processing apparatus and adjacent to the lift mechanism and being operable to deliver the batched material to the lift mechanism, a transfer enclosure spaced from the lift mechanism and disposed above the inlet opening of the material processing apparatus, the transfer enclosure having a side entrance for receiving batched material from the lift mechanism and a bottom exit for subsequent discharge of the batched material into the material processing apparatus through the inlet opening thereof, a tilt assembly disposed between the lift mechanism and the transfer enclosure and being operable to either block or complete a path for transfer of the batched m

Abstract: In a hydrocarbon release rate controlling method, a first chamber is provided capable of receiving successive batches of feed materials for thermal processing having widely varying energy content, heating is produced in the first chamber to cause pyrolyzing of the feed materials into fluid materials, a second chamber is provided communicating with the first chamber and capable of receiving the fluid materials from the first chamber and communicating the fluid materials to a discharge location, heating is produced in the second chamber to cause oxidizing of the fluid materials into discharge gases reaching the discharge location, a jacketed vessel is provided defining a channel surrounding the first and second chambers containing a flow of coolant fluid through the channel, separate variable flows of primary and secondary air are respectively produced into and through the first and second chambers, the temperatures in the first and second chambers are sensed, the temperature of the coolant in the channel of th

Abstract: A material processing apparatus includes a casing having a pair of outer and inner spaced walls forming an airtight vessel inside of the inner walls containing a heating chamber and a channel between the outer and inner walls surrounding the vessel for containing a flow of coolant fluid between the outer and inner walls. The apparatus also includes a plurality of elongated electric heater units extending in generally parallel relation to one another through the heating chamber and being operable for emitting heat radiation. The electric heating units are mounted to the casing and extend across the chamber in substantially vertical orientations. Also, a series of baffles extend across the chamber. The baffles are axially spaced from one another and disposed in alternating relation with the heater units.

Abstract: A material processing apparatus includes a casing including an outer wall having a substantially figure eight configuration, a plurality of upper inner walls disposed inside of the outer wall and being spaced apart and having substantially concentric cylindrical configurations, and a lower inner wall disposed inside of the outer wall and disposed below the upper inner walls. The upper inner walls define an upper airtight vessel, while the lower inner wall defines a lower airtight vessel containing a material processing chamber. The outer wall and upper and lower inner walls also define a channel therebetween surrounding the upper and lower vessels for containing a flow of coolant fluid. Also, a heat exchanger is defined by the upper airtight vessel and the portion of the channel defined by the outer wall and upper inner concentrical walls. The heat exchanger is disposed above and connected in flow communication with the material processing chamber in the lower vessel.

Abstract: A material processing apparatus includes a casing having a pyrolysis chamber for receiving and pyrolyzing feed materials therein into fluid materials and a mass of refractory material contained in the casing upon the bottom thereof and spaced from the top thereof. The refractory mass extends between the opposite ends and sides of the casing and includes an upper surface defining a bottom of the pyrolysis chamber. The upper surface is defined in an inclined orientation extending between the opposite ends of the chamber. The refractory mass has an elongated cavity extending along one end of the casing and adjacent to a lower end of the upper inclined surface. An elongated residue collection pan is disposed in the cavity and is removable through an opening in a side of the casing. Elongated heating units are disposed in the pyrolysis chamber above and generally parallel to the cavity and upper inclined surface for producing heating therein to cause pyrolyzing of the feed materials into fluid materials.

Abstract: A material processing apparatus includes a casing having a pyrolysis chamber for receiving and pyrolyzing feed materials therein into a gaseous material and solid ash residue, a mass of refractory material contained in the casing upon a bottom thereof, being spaced below a top and extending between opposite sides thereof, and including an inclined upper surface defining the bottom of the pyrolysis chamber and having a lower terminal edge being spaced from one of the opposite sides of the casing for defining a solid ash residue collection region therein, and a pusher mechanism disposed in the pyrolysis chamber for engaging and moving feed materials down the inclined upper surface of the refractory mass toward the lower terminal edge thereof.

Abstract: A material processing apparatus includes a casing having a top and bottom and a plurality of sides defining a pyrolysis chamber for receiving and pyrolyzing feed materials therein into fluid materials and a mass of refractory material disposed upon the bottom of the casing and spaced below the top thereof and extending between its sides. The refractory mass includes an upper surface defining a bottom of the pyrolysis chamber and having an end spaced from a first one of the casing sides to define an ash residue collection cavity therebetween. The apparatus also includes a pusher mechanism mounted to and extending through a second one of the casing sides opposite from the first one side. The pusher mechanism is operable to engage and transport residue of materials received on the upper surface of said refractory mass and being pyrolyzed in the chamber across the upper surface of the refractory mass toward the collection cavity.

Abstract: An apparatus for controlled processing of materials includes a coolant jacketed vessel defining a first pyrolysis chamber and a second oxidation chamber, first heating elements mounted in the vessel to pyrolyze materials in the first chamber, second heating elements mounted in the vessel to oxidize materials in the second chamber, an induction fan, airflow inlet valves and an air intake proportioning valve connected to the vessel for producing separate variable flows of primary and secondary air into and through the first and second chambers, first sensors mounted on the vessel for sensing the temperatures in the first and second chambers and in the coolant, a second sensor mounted on the vessel for sensing the proportion of a predetermined gas in the discharge gases, and a control system responsive to the temperatures sensed in the first and second chambers and the coolant and to the proportion of the predetermined gas sensed in the discharge gases for controlling the induction fan and air intake proportioni

Abstract: A batched materials transferring apparatus includes an elongated drum, a bucket disposed in the drum, and a drive arrangement operable to move the bucket relative to the drum. The drum defines an interior chamber having a longitudinal axis. The drum has a top (or side) opening formed in a first end portion thereof and a bottom opening formed in a second end portion thereof with the top (or side) opening being axially displaced from the bottom opening. The bucket has a side opening formed therein and is slidably movable relative to the drum along the longitudinal axis between the first and second end portions. The drive arrangement is mounted adjacent to the drum and connected to the bucket through one end of the drum.

Abstract: A heat generator assembly in a material processing apparatus includes a heater unit and an elongated deflector structure mounted adjacent thereto. The heater unit includes a plurality of elongated electric heating elements extending in generally parallel relation to one another and being operable for emitting heat radiation. The deflector structure is disposed along the electric heating elements and in circumferential relation partially about the electric heating elements for deflecting the heat radiation in a desired direction away from the heating elements.

Abstract: A material processing apparatus includes a casing having a top and bottom and a plurality of sides defining a pyrolysis chamber for receiving and pyrolyzing feed materials therein into fluid materials and a mass of refractory material disposed upon the bottom of the casing and spaced below the top thereof and extending between its sides. The refractory mass includes an upper surface defining a bottom of the pyrolysis chamber and having an end spaced from a first one of the casing sides to define an ash residue collection cavity therebetween. The apparatus also includes a system of tunnels defined within the refractory mass being spaced below the upper surface thereof.

Abstract: A material processing apparatus includes a casing having outer and inner spaced walls forming an airtight vessel inside of the inner walls and a channel between the outer and inner walls surrounding the vessel for containing a flow of coolant fluid. The vessel contains a first chamber having an inlet and a second chamber connected in communication with the first chamber and having an outlet. The first chamber receives materials through its inlet. The materials are pyrolyzed in the first chamber. The second chamber receives the pyrolyzed materials from the first chamber. The pyrolyzed materials are oxidized in the second chamber and then discharged therefrom. The vessel defined by the casing is separated into first and second units. The first chamber of the vessel for pyrolyzing materials is disposed in the first unit. The second chamber of the vessel has primary and secondary sections for oxidizing materials in two successive stages.

Abstract: An air inlet valve subassembly for use on a particle fuel burning furnace includes a manifold tube and a hollow spout mounted to an outer end of the manifold tube. The spout has an outer rim defining a valve opening and the manifold tube is adapted to be mounted at its inner end to the furnace to provide a passageway for communicating air from the valve opening into the furnace. A valve flap is mounted adjacent to the spout for pivotal movement toward and away from the spout between closed and open positions in which the manifold tube passageway is closed and opened to the communication of air. For sealing the valve opening, a generally planar, resiliently flexible disk with an annular ring of gasket material adhered thereon is provided. The disk, preferably made of stainless steel material, is removably mounted to the valve flap at the respective centers thereof with its outer side facing toward the flap and its inner side facing toward the spout rim.

Abstract: A particle fuel burning furnace has an upper combustion chamber holding a pile of particle fuel and burning the same from the bottom. The furnace includes a lower combustion chamber for afterburning combustible gases off by burning solid fuel in the upper chamber and replaceable refractory bricks containing a series of spaced vertically-extending passageways interconnecting the bottom of the upper chamber and the top of the lower chambers for communicating combustible gases from the upper to the lower chamber. An improved particle fuel diversion structure in the furnace includes an elongated fuel diverter block having a recessed dome-shaped cavity therein and open at a bottom side and spacer blocks disposing the diverter block in the upper chamber in spaced relationship above the bottom of the upper chamber and with its recessed cavity overlying the bricks containing the passageways. Furthermore, the bricks extend above the bottom of the upper chamber and into the recessed cavity of the diverter block.

Abstract: A particle fuel burning furnace has an upper combustion chamber for holding a pile of particle fuel and burning the same from the bottom thereof. The furnace also includes a lower combustion chamber for afterburning combustible gases given off by the burning of solid fuel in the upper chamber and a series of spaced apart vertically-extending passageways arranged in a row and interconnecting the upper and lower chambers for communicating the combustible gases from the upper to the lower chamber. A first improved feature relates to a particle fuel delivery control device which operates an auger for filling the upper chamber with particle fuel to a desired level. A beam of light is transmitted and reflected between a photoelectric cell and reflector respectively of the device. When the particle fuel pile has grown in height during filling to the desired level the light beam is interrupted and filling is terminated.

Abstract: A particle fuel burning furnace has an upper combustion chamber for holding a pile of particle fuel and burning the same from the bottom thereof. The furnace also includes a lower combustion chamber for afterburning combustible gases given off by the burning of solid fuel in the upper chamber and a series of spaced apart vertically-extending passageways arranged in a row and interconnecting the upper and lower chambers for communicating the combustible gases from the upper to the lower chamber. A first improved feature relates to a particle fuel delivery control device which operates an auger for filling the upper chamber with particle fuel to a desired level. A beam of light is transmitted and reflected between a photoelectric cell and reflector respectively of the device. When the particle fuel pile has grown in height during filling to the desired level the light beam is interrupted and filling is terminated.