Abstract: An improved rapid thermal conversion process for efficiently converting wood, other biomass materials, and other carbonaceous feedstock (including hydrocarbons) into high yields of valuable liquid product, e.g., bio-oil, on a large scale production, is disclosed. In the process, biomass material, e.g., wood, is fed to a conversion system where the biomass material is mixed with an upward stream of hot heat carriers, e.g., sand, that thermally convert the biomass into a hot vapor stream. The hot vapor stream is rapidly quenched with quench media in one or more condensing chambers located downstream of the conversion system. The rapid quenching condenses the vapor stream into liquid product, which is collected from the condensing chambers as a valuable liquid product.

Abstract: A drag chain carbonizer is provided with a system and methods for anaerobic thermal transformation processing to convert waste into various solid carbonized products and varied further co-products. The drag-chain carbonizer includes an adjustable bed depth mechanism, a heating mechanism, a pressure management mechanism, and a chain tensioning mechanism containing at least one position sensor for communication of an actuator position to at least one programmable logic controller (PLC). Carbonaceous waste is transformed into useful co-products that can be re-introduced into the stream of commerce at various economically advantageous points. Depending upon the input materials and the parameters selected to process the waste, including real time economic and other market parameters, the system adjusts co-products output to reflect changing market conditions.

Abstract: Disclosed herein is an apparatus and a method for producing a pyrolysis liquid, wherein the pyrolysis liquid is formed by means of pyrolysis from a raw material by forming, and a pyrolysis reactor, a gaseous pyrolysis product by pyrolysis and condensing it in a condenser into a pyrolysis liquid, and feeding circulation gas into the pyrolysis reactor. The circulation gas is conducted by a liquid ring compressor into the pyrolysis reactor and purified before being conducted into the pyrolysis reactor, and the pyrolysis liquid is used as the liquid layer in the liquid ring compressor.

Abstract: A device for pyrolysing biomass comprises: a reactor space; a first feed for biomass material connecting to the upper zone thereof; a second feed for heated heat carrier material connecting to the upper side of the reactor space; a first discharge for pyrolysis gas connecting to the upper zone of the reactor space at a distance from the first feed; and a second discharge for solid material, for instance carbon and heat carrier material, connecting to the underside of the reactor space. A substantial separation between the discharge flows of pyrolysis gas and solid material takes place predominantly under the influence of gravitational force, without interposing of a cyclone. The reactor space is modeled such that the direct flow from the first feed and the second feed to the first discharge is blocked. A mechanical mixer is present in the reactor space for the purpose of mixing the flow of biomass material with the flow of preheated heat carrier material.

Abstract: Apparatus and method for restoring plastics to oil, thereby efficiently recycling waste plastics, comprises a decomposer, an oil reduction body, a cooling tank, and a filter and emission part. The decomposer comprises a decomposition space comprising an opening to receive the plastic, a heating coil inside the decomposer to heat the decomposition space to pyrolyze the plastic, and a pyrolyzing gas exhaust pipe to exhaust pyrolyzing gas produced in pyrolyzing the plastic. The oil reduction body is divided into a cooling space and a oil catchment space by a partition. The cooling tank provides cooling water to the cooling space to cool and reduce the pyrolyzing gas to oil, which is collected in the oil catchment space.

Abstract: Disclosed is a vertical pyrolysis equipment for coal material, which comprises an enclosed kiln body with an inlet and an outlet, a flame-gas heating pipelines provided inside the kiln body, coal material propulsion and pyrolysis passage formed between the flame-gas heating pipelines and inner wall of the kiln body, coal pyrolysis gas collecting tube communicated with the coal material propulsion and pyrolysis passage provided on the kiln. The heat generated by flame-gas heating pipelines is conducted and radiated to coal powder in the coal material propulsion and pyrolysis passage. The coal powder sufficiently absorbs the heat and is pyrolyzed into fuel gas, tar gas and coal with high heat value inside the coal material propulsion and pyrolysis passage. The pyrolyzed fuel gas and tar gas are transferred to the gas dedusting-liquifying mechanism outside the kiln through the connecting coal pyrolysis gas collecting tube for collecting, dedusting, separating and high-pressure liquefying.

Abstract: A method for torrefaction of biomass using a torrefaction reactor vessel having stacked trays including: feeding the biomass to an upper inlet of the vessel; cascading the biomass down through the trays by passing the biomass through an opening in each of the trays to deposit the biomass on a lower tray; heating the biomass material with an oxygen deprived gas; extracting moisture from below each of the upper trays; as the biomass undergoes torrefaction in the lower trays retaining the gas with the biomass until the biomass falls from the stacked trays to a pile of biomass in the reactor vessel; exhausting gases containing organic compounds through a gas outlet at an elevation between the stacked trays and the pile of biomass, and discharging torrefied biomass from the torrefaction reactor vessel.

Abstract: Proposed is a pyrolysis reactor for processing solid municipal and domestic wastes by means of a pyrolytic reaction in the pyrolysis chamber without access of oxygen to the reaction system. The reactor is characterized by containing two waste-feeding screws which have tapered shapes, a gap between the outer surfaces of the threads, are inclined in the vertical plane and converge towards each other in a horizontal plane in the direction from the inlet to the outlet end. The gap is adjustable with diminishing toward the outlet end.

Abstract: Apparatus for the manufacture of charcoal, comprising a unit having walls defining a primary combustion chamber, and a material inlet for allowing a feed of wood chips though said material inlet into said apparatus. A trough is located at a lower height than said material inlet such that material passing through said material inlet is able to fall into the trough. An air inlet is located below the material inlet such that, when wood chips are located within the trough piled up to said material inlet, air passing from said air inlet passes through said wood-chips and into the primary combustion chamber.

Abstract: A method for torrefying biomass comprises using an oxidation catalyst to combust gas produced by torrefaction, and thereby produce combustion flue gas. The method also comprises introducing the combustion flue gas into a torrefaction reactor and/or a cooler.

Abstract: Apparatus and process for producing hydrocarbon materials from a feed composition, the apparatus including a feed port; a viscous shear apparatus; a thermal decomposition assembly including a ribbonchannel reactor which includes an inner heated hollow cylinder; an outer heated hollow cylinder, one of which is rotatable with respect to the other, both heated hollow cylinders providing heat to the feed composition to convert it to a vapor fraction and a solid residue fraction; low height flighting mounted with respect to the inner and outer heated hollow cylinders to move the feed composition through the thermal decomposition assembly; at least one vapor port for removing the vapor fraction; and at least one solids port for removing the solid fraction.

Abstract: The present invention relates to means of thermally decomposing organic material feedstocks to produce energy, combustible fuels, usable materials, and the ability to sequester carbon. The organic material feedstocks could come from municipal or industrial waste streams, produce from agriculture operations, or from mining operations such as coal or shale. The present invention provides superior temperature control and heat transfer characteristics and enables novel and unique means of heat exchange between endothermic and exothermic reactions in the process stream. This invention provides a sort of “fractional distillation” arrangement enabling the opportunistic capture of gaseous and liquid hydrocarbon fuel components, contaminants, and selected organic or inorganic species or components of the feedstock material.

Abstract: A system for treating a feedstock for the purposes of waste destruction, energy generation, or the production of useful chemicals is disclosed and includes a reactor vessel. A heating lance is configured to outflow the products of a partial oxidation reaction into a reaction chamber in the vessel. The hot reaction products heat and pyrolyze the feedstock in the chamber generating a process effluent which typically includes gases (e.g. syn-gas) and carbon solids. Glasses and metals in the feedstock accumulate in the chamber in a molten state. The molten materials store thermal energy and provide thermal stability to the treatment system. A recycle loop uses carbon solids from the process effluent as an input to the lance for reaction with an oxidant therein.

Abstract: [Object] To provide an organic waste treatment system in which general wastes from home, ordinary offices, and the like as well as industrial wastes including sludge, waste plastics, and the like can be subjected to treatment such as decomposition by a hydrothermal reaction under a subcritical water condition and in which treated wastes can be taken out in a dried state, sorted, and recycled.

Abstract: A process for treating solid organic materials, especially for recycling treated wood, uses energy provided by hot gases at the bottom of a reactor column to perform a distillation operation which ensures splitting of organic bonds in the material and uses, as the distillation operation progresses, constant control between a first temperature of the hot gases before they are introduced into the lower part of the reactor column and a second temperature of a layer of the material located in an area immediately above the grid of the reactor column. When the first temperature and the second temperature are identical or virtually identical, corresponding to removal of all the organic bonds of the material by evaporation and transport by the hot gases from the bottom to the top of the column, the layer of material at the second temperature is removed in order to collect a material that largely consists of carbon and constitutes a secondary raw material.

Abstract: A carbonizing waste processing apparatus is operable to rotate and heat a radiant tube for carbonizing waste therein so as to generate granular char and vapors from the waste, transfer waste into an upstream end of the tube, temporarily impede movement of the waste through the tube at upstream and downstream locations therein so as to ensure that residence time of the waste in the tube is sufficient at the upstream location to carry out evaporation of moisture from the waste and at the downstream location to elevate the temperature of any solids in the waste for completion of carbonization of the waste, discharge the granular char and vapors from the tube, and flow the generated and discharged vapors through a succession of finned heat exchanger tubes so as to condense and separate the vapors into oil, water and methanol.

Abstract: In a dividing wall column comprising as segments a) an upper column region (6), b) an inflow section (7), c) an offtake section (8) and d) a lower column region (9), the inflow section b) (7) and the offtake section c) (8) are separated from one another laterally by a dividing wall (10) fixed in the column and the dividing wall (10) is located between the upper column region a) (6) and the lower column region d) (9). The present invention provides for the dividing wall (10) to be constructed at least partly of an elastic material, the dividing wall (10) to have a slightly overdimensional width and the dividing wall (10) to be fixed in the column by the dividing wall exercising an elastic recovery force on the interior wall of the column. The dividing wall can easily be installed in, in particular, relatively small columns.

Abstract: An improved method is disclosed for reclaiming volatile products and non-volatile residue through the pyrolysis of a polymeric material comprising placing the polymeric material in a reactor and establishing an oxygen deficient atmosphere in a reactor. The polymeric material is simultaneously compressed and heated to a temperature sufficient to pyrolyze the polymeric material to produce volatile products and non-volatile residue. The volatile products and non-volatile residue are subsequently removed from the reactor and collected.

Abstract: An apparatus for forming liquid hydrocarbons from solid coal. The coal is pulverized to provide a particulate coal feed, which is then extruded to provide a hollow tube of compressed coal supported inside of a support tube. A clay feed is extruded to provide a hollow tube of compressed clay supported inside of the coal tube and a combustible fuel is burned inside of the clay tube. The temperature of combustion is sufficient to fire the extruded clay and pyrolyze the extruded coal to produce hydrocarbon gases and coal char. The support tube has holes for releasing the hydrocarbon gases, which contain suspended particles formed during combustion. The suspended particles are removed from the hydrocarbon gases to provide clean gases, which are passed through an ionizing chamber to ionize at least a portion thereof. The ionized gases are then passed through a magnetic field to separate them from each other according to their molecular weight.

Abstract: Apparatus for the treatment of a liquid hydrocarbon charge containing solids or solids-forming contaminants, e.g., inorganic solids, metals and asphaltenes, which includes a contactor vessel having a liquid charge inlet, a vaporizing media inlet above the charge inlet and a vapor-solids outlet. An atomizer is positioned in the charge inlet for forming small particles of the liquid charge and directing the particles of liquid in a substantially horizontal flat pattern into the contactor vessel. A premix downcomer having a dispersion grid positioned therein is located in the vaporizing media inlet for introducing a fluidized mixture of a gas dispersion media and hot circulating solid particles into the contactor vessel in a substantially vertical flat pattern to traverse the path of the liquid particles and intimately contact the liquid particles.

Abstract: A pyrolysis chamber includes a bath of molten salt divided by a horizontally disposed baffle into an upper layer and a lower layer. Connected to one end of the chamber is a furnace including submerged burners for heating the salt and for maintaining it in its molten state. The molten salt flows from the furnace across the upper bath layer and back to the furnace in the lower layer. Hydrocarbon containing material is fed onto the upper bath layer and is pyrolyzed as it moves toward the discharge end of the chamber where the spent material is removed; the hydrocarbon gases being recovered by an exhaust system in the chamber. The molten salt acts as a seal between the atmospheres of the furnace and the pyrolysis chamber and also functions to remove pollutants from the combustion gases of the burners in the furnace.

Abstract: An oven for heating a distillable material in a preselected gas atmosphere. The oven comprises an inner heating chamber adapted to receive a spherical gravity lid, the heating chamber being connected to and in communication with a gas exhaust tube having a condensate trap at the termination thereof. The inner heating chamber is also in communication with and surrounded by an outer gas flow chamber, the outer gas flow chamber having a plurality of heater elements therein. The gas exhaust tube is surrounded by an ante chamber which is in communication with the outer chamber. The heater elements are continuously monitored by a programmable controller and a thermocouple in communication therewith. During oven operation, a purge gas is introduced to the ante chamber and flows therefrom into the outer gas flow chamber around the heater elements and into the top of the inner heating chamber.

Abstract: An oven for heating a distillable material in a preselected gas atmosphere. The oven comprises an inner heating chamber adapted to receive a spherical gravity lid, the heating chamber being connected to and in communication with a gas exhaust tube having a condensate trap at the termination thereof. The inner heating chamber is also in communication with and surrounded by an outer gas flow chamber, the outer gas flow chamber having a plurality of heater elements therein. The gas exhaust tube is surrounded by an ante chamber which is in communication with the outer chamber. The heater elements are continuously monitored by a programmable controller and a thermocouple in communication therewith. During oven operation, a purge gas is introduced to the ante chamber and flows therefrom into the outer gas flow chamber around the heater elements and into the top of the inner heating chamber.

Abstract: Retorted shale particles are recovered from a retort and delivered to a gas lift for transport to a fluidized combustor by passage, serially, through a sealing vessel, a crusher preferably operating at retort pressure, and a surge vessel. In the sealing vessel, a sealing gas is introduced, and after commingling with the shale, the gas passes countercurrently to the shale and enters the retort, thus sealing the retort gases in the retort while separating the retorted shale from the retort gases. Retorted shale from the sealing vessel is transported to a crusher, wherein the shale is reduced in size to that suitable for combustion under fluidized conditions. To prevent the crushed shale from packing, the shale is passed to a surge vessel, wherein the crushed shale is held as a fluidized bed, from which the crushed shale is continuously withdrawn at a regulated rate and introduced into the gas lift leading to the fluidized combustor.

Abstract: A staged retort is provided for the retorting of certain types of carbonaceous materials such as oil shale, coal or lignite, wherein the staged retort includes a number of separate retort chambers arranged in a modular configuration, with one retort chamber above the other, and mounted transversely within the staged retort. Each retort chamber is heated to a different temperature, and carbonaceous material is moved from a given retort chamber to a retort chamber having a higher temperature, whereby heavier fractions of liquid and/or gaseous hydrocarbons are formed as the carbonaceous materials undergo pyrolysis. Arrangements such as pressure regulating valves are provided to reduce mixing of the various fractions between the individual retort chambers to nearly zero, and conduits are provided to separately withdraw the hydrocarbon gases and/or liquids from each retort chamber.

Abstract: A shaft furnace for the thermolytic distillation of solid hydrocarbon fuel comprises a vertically disposed cylindrical casing whose upper part accommodates at least two vertical gratings which divide the casing into a heat carrying distributing chamber, a semi-coking chamber and a vapor-gas mixture chamber with a gasification chamber located underneath the three above-mentioned chambers. The lowermost edge of at least one of the gratings is provided with opposing cutouts such that the middle section of the edge is substantially lower than the sides of the edge adjoining the casing. In this manner, the solid fuel is more evenly distributed in the gasification chamber and a more uniform distillation of the fuel is achieved.