GB2359874A

GB2359874A - Gasification augur

Info

Publication number: GB2359874A
Application number: GB0004603A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Andrew William Webster
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2000-02-29
Filing date: 2000-02-29
Publication date: 2001-09-05
Anticipated expiration: 2020-02-29
Also published as: GB2359874B; GB0004603D0

Description

2359874 1 GASIFICATION AUGER This invention relates to equipment for the

gasification, recovery of energy andlor disposal of materials.

Gasification is a known process whereby materials are heated with little or no oxygen present. The resulting gas is collected and burnt elsewhere.

Known gasification equipment generally relies solely on secondary burning of the material, in a comparatively large vessel, to sustain the process. This can result in poor controllability should a malfunction occur, with possible safety consequences.

Additionally existing apparatus usually needs a dry working material, thereby requiring a separate drying plant, which can be large and expensive.

The object of this invention is to provide an easily controlled, simpler and safer method of gasifying various undried materials whilst recovering and utilising the resulting excess energy.

According to the present invention there is provided a gasification auger comprising a hopper, an enclosed auger, a variable speed motor, means for controlling the progress of material, a heating chamber, a combustion chamber with burners and pipes for the introduction or extraction of gas at various points and an arrangement for controlling the gasification process.

The burnt material is discharged at the augers termination into a suitable container. The whole apparatus is preferably of welded and bolted steel construction, and sited with the terminal end raised to provide the optimum working angle.

A specific example of the invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:- Fig. 1 Shows in side cross-section the apparatus and its various component parts.

Fig. 2 Shows in end cross-section the combustion chamber.

Referring to the drawing Fig 1, the apparatus comprises a hopper 1 which gravity feeds the chosen raw material to the auger 2, itself powered by a variable speed motor 3. The auger is encased in a tube 4 along its entire length. The auger helix is interrupted by two or more sections of agitation blades 5, designed to slow the rate of the materials progress and thereby fill the tube 4. A pipe 6, positioned prior to the heating chamber 7, collects and 2 discharges steam to the atmosphere via pump 8. Additionally pipe 9, positioned prior to the combustion chamber 10111 collects flammable gas from the auger tube 4, which is directed to the burners 12 via pump 13 as the main fuel. The auger carries material to the section surrounded by the inner combustion chamber 11. The material is gasified in the auger tube 4 by the heat provided by the encircling chamber 11 which is fed with fuel by a number of burners 12. Air enters the outer combustion chamber 10 through pipe 14, in this instance via compressor unit of gas turbine15. The air is then directed via tubes 16, illustrated in Fig 2, into a vortex around the auger tube 4 in the inner combustion chamber 11 to ensure an even distribution of heat. This heated gas is collected via pipe 17, and is in this variation used to run a gas turbine powered generator 15118 before being re-directed into the heating chamber 7, via pipe 19, to assist in drying and pre-heating the raw material. An exhaust pipe 20 then vents gas to atmosphere, via commercially available cleaning devices if required. The burnt material from the auger tube 4 is discharged to a skip or other container at its termination 21.

Claims

A gasification auger comprising a hopper, an enclosed auger in which gasification occurs, a variable speed motor, means for controlling the progress of material, a heating chamber, a combustion chamber with burners and pipes for the introduction or extraction of gas at various points and an arrangement for controlling the gasification process.
2 A gasification auger as claimed in Claim 1 wherein the number of augers may be one or more.
3 A gasification auger as claimed in Claim 1 or Claim 2 wherein the auger helix is interrupted at two or more points by sections comprising agitation blades.
4 A gasification auger as claimed in any preceding claim whereby heating chamber receives heated gas directly from a combustion chamber or other equipment e.g. gas turbine.
a A gasification auger as claimed in any preceding claim whereby a twinwalled combustion chamber surrounds part of the auger tube.
6 A gasification auger as claimed in any preceding claim in which air direction tubes are placed between inner and outer combustion chambers to direct intake air into a vortex surrounding auger tube.

7 A gasification auger as claimed in any preceding claim in which initial heat for gasification can be supplied via conventional fuel sources e.g. gas oil or natural gas, or stored gas from earlier processing.

8 9 11 12 13 A gasification auger as claimed in any preceding claim in which heated gas is used to run a variety of engines or equipment.

A gasification auger as claimed in any preceding claim in which one or more points are provided for the removal of gases from the auger tube.

A gasification auger as claimed in any preceding claim whereby extracted gas from the auger tube is fed to the burners as fuel.

A gasification auger as claimed in any preceding claim with one or more points provided for the extraction of steam from the auger tube.

A gasification auger as claimed in any preceding claim whereby the gasification process can be halted by:

a) Controlling materials progress in auger tube via motor andlor b) Cutting fuel supply to burners.

A gasification auger substantially as described herein with reference to Figures 1 & 2 of the accompanying drawings.

- 4 Amendments to the claims have been filed as follows 1. Apparatus for gasification of material comprising a pre-heating chamber; an enclosed auger arranged to receive the material via a hopper; a variable speed motor arranged to control rotation of the auger; and a twin walled combustion chamber surrounding part of the auger, the combustion chamber comprising inner and outer chambers and in which air direction tubes are placed between the inner and outer combustion chambers for directing air into a vortex surrounding the auger.

2. An apparatus according to claim 1, in which the preheating chamber surrounds part of the auger.

3. An apparatus according to Claim 1 or Claim 2, wherein the auger helix is interrupted at two or more points by sections comprising agitation blades.

4. An apparatus according to any preceding claim whereby the heating chamber receives heated gas from the combustion chamber.

5. An apparatus according to any preceding claim in which heated gas is used to run a variety of engines or equipment.

2922.A2v2 07 June 2001 - 5 6. An apparatus according to any preceding claim in which one or more points are provided f or the removal of gases from the auger tube.
7. An apparatus according to any preceding claim whereby extracted gas from the auger tube is fed to burners as fuel.
8. An apparatus according to any preceding claim with one or more points provided for the extraction of steam from the auger tube.
9. A gasification auger substantially as described herein with reference to Figures 1 & 2 of the accompanying drawings.

2922.A2v2 07 June 2001