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WO2010093553A2 - Reacteur de gazeification au plasma - Google Patents

Reacteur de gazeification au plasma Download PDF

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Publication number
WO2010093553A2
WO2010093553A2 PCT/US2010/023184 US2010023184W WO2010093553A2 WO 2010093553 A2 WO2010093553 A2 WO 2010093553A2 US 2010023184 W US2010023184 W US 2010023184W WO 2010093553 A2 WO2010093553 A2 WO 2010093553A2
Authority
WO
WIPO (PCT)
Prior art keywords
feed
top section
ports
roof
vessel
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Ceased
Application number
PCT/US2010/023184
Other languages
English (en)
Other versions
WO2010093553A3 (fr
Inventor
Shyam V. Dighe
Mark F. Darr
Ivan A. Martorell
Pieter Van Nierop
Aleksandr Gorodetsky
Richard Dale Bower
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Alter NRG Corp
Original Assignee
Alter NRG Corp
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Priority claimed from US12/378,184 external-priority patent/US9222038B2/en
Priority claimed from US12/378,166 external-priority patent/US20100199556A1/en
Priority claimed from US12/378,167 external-priority patent/US20100199557A1/en
Priority to GB1114613.1A priority Critical patent/GB2480194B/en
Priority to AU2010213982A priority patent/AU2010213982B2/en
Priority to CA2751859A priority patent/CA2751859C/fr
Application filed by Alter NRG Corp filed Critical Alter NRG Corp
Priority to HK12105575.8A priority patent/HK1164778B/xx
Priority to CN201080007559.7A priority patent/CN102316974B/zh
Publication of WO2010093553A2 publication Critical patent/WO2010093553A2/fr
Publication of WO2010093553A3 publication Critical patent/WO2010093553A3/fr
Anticipated expiration legal-status Critical
Ceased legal-status Critical Current

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Classifications

    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B01—PHYSICAL OR CHEMICAL PROCESSES OR APPARATUS IN GENERAL
    • B01J—CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROCESSES, e.g. CATALYSIS OR COLLOID CHEMISTRY; THEIR RELEVANT APPARATUS
    • B01J19/00—Chemical, physical or physico-chemical processes in general; Their relevant apparatus
    • B01J19/08—Processes employing the direct application of electric or wave energy, or particle radiation; Apparatus therefor
    • B01J19/087—Processes employing the direct application of electric or wave energy, or particle radiation; Apparatus therefor employing electric or magnetic energy
    • B01J19/088—Processes employing the direct application of electric or wave energy, or particle radiation; Apparatus therefor employing electric or magnetic energy giving rise to electric discharges
    • C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
    • C10—PETROLEUM, GAS OR COKE INDUSTRIES; TECHNICAL GASES CONTAINING CARBON MONOXIDE; FUELS; LUBRICANTS; PEAT
    • C10G—CRACKING HYDROCARBON OILS; PRODUCTION OF LIQUID HYDROCARBON MIXTURES, e.g. BY DESTRUCTIVE HYDROGENATION, OLIGOMERISATION, POLYMERISATION; RECOVERY OF HYDROCARBON OILS FROM OIL-SHALE, OIL-SAND, OR GASES; REFINING MIXTURES MAINLY CONSISTING OF HYDROCARBONS; REFORMING OF NAPHTHA; MINERAL WAXES
    • C10G15/00—Cracking of hydrocarbon oils by electric means, electromagnetic or mechanical vibrations, by particle radiation or with gases superheated in electric arcs
    • C10G15/12—Cracking of hydrocarbon oils by electric means, electromagnetic or mechanical vibrations, by particle radiation or with gases superheated in electric arcs with gases superheated in an electric arc, e.g. plasma
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H05—ELECTRIC TECHNIQUES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
    • H05H—PLASMA TECHNIQUE; PRODUCTION OF ACCELERATED ELECTRICALLY-CHARGED PARTICLES OR OF NEUTRONS; PRODUCTION OR ACCELERATION OF NEUTRAL MOLECULAR OR ATOMIC BEAMS
    • H05H1/00—Generating plasma; Handling plasma
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B01—PHYSICAL OR CHEMICAL PROCESSES OR APPARATUS IN GENERAL
    • B01J—CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROCESSES, e.g. CATALYSIS OR COLLOID CHEMISTRY; THEIR RELEVANT APPARATUS
    • B01J2219/00—Chemical, physical or physico-chemical processes in general; Their relevant apparatus
    • B01J2219/08—Processes employing the direct application of electric or wave energy, or particle radiation; Apparatus therefor
    • B01J2219/0894—Processes carried out in the presence of a plasma

Definitions

  • the invention relates to plasma gasification reactors with features that can facilitate processes such as syngas production particularly including reactor vessel top section configurations; reactor outlet port configurations; and/or reactor feed port configurations, in combination with other aspects of plasma gasification reactors and systems in which they are used.
  • Plasma gasification reactors (sometimes referred to as PGRs) are known and used for treatment of any of a wide range of materials including, for example, scrap metal, hazardous waste, other municipal or industrial waste and landfill material to derive useful material, e.g., metals, or to vitrify undesirable waste for easier disposition. Interest in such applications continues. (In the present description "plasma gasification reactor” and “PGR” are intended to refer to reactors of the same general type whether applied for gasification or vitrification, or both.)
  • PGRs are also adaptable for fuel reforming or generating gasified reaction products that have applicability as fuels, with or without subsequent treatment.
  • this invention relates to reactor vessel features and combinations including reactor vessel geometries, outlet port (or exhaust port) configurations, and material feed port configurations also subject to independent utility.
  • the present invention is, in part, directed to a PGR particularly, but not limited to, one applied primarily as a gasifier capable of producing a synthesized gas (or "syngas”) that may be useful as a fuel, that is characterized, in a vessel of a vertical configuration, by having a bottom section, a top section, and a roof over the top section with certain geometric and structural characteristics, hi some disclosed embodiments the bottom section, which may be cylindrical, contains a carbonaceous bed into which one or more plasma torches inject a plasma gas to create an operating temperature of at least about 600 0 C (and typically up to about 2000 0 C), and the top section extends upward from the bottom section as a conical wall, substantially continuously without any large cylindrical or other configured portions, to the roof of the vessel, the conical wall being inversely oriented, i.e., its narrowest cross-section diameter being at the bottom where it is joined with the bottom section, and is sometimes referred to herein as having the form of a truncated
  • Such example embodiments may further include in their overall combination innovative arrangements of one or more feed ports for introduction of feed stock into the reactor vessel that can contribute to more uniform distribution of material.
  • Such distributive feed port configurations are also applicable to PGRs with other vessel geometries.
  • outlet ports each having a duct extending from the roof to the exterior of the vessel and also extending, by an intrusion, into the interior of the vessel.
  • Such outlet ports with intrusions can also be applied in other locations and vessel geometries of PGRs.
  • PGRs can be selectively applied, along with the referred to conical wall, for any of the general purposes of PGRs, particularly including, but not limited to, that of producing a syngas useful for fuel applications after exiting the vessel through the outlet ports.
  • Some disclosed examples take advantage of an improved understanding of how reactor structural features can affect characteristics such as gas flow and residence time of reactants that can contribute to achieving more complete reactions of supplied materials for enhanced production of desired output products.
  • FIG. 1 is an elevation view, partly in section, of one example of a plasma gasification reactor in accordance with the invention
  • FIGs. 2 and 3 are outline elevation views of other example PGRs
  • FIG. 4 is a plan view of the top roof of a PGR in accordance with an example of the invention.
  • FIGs. 5-8 are partial and schematic views of feed port arrangements that can be applied in some examples of the invention.
  • Fig. 9 is an outline schematic view of a PGR system in accordance with an example of the invention.
  • Fig. 1 illustrates an example PGR, such as for gasification of carbonaceous and non-carbonaceous feed material (e.g., a mixture of coal and biomass) to produce a syngas, slag and metals.
  • Syngas is a term referring to "synthesis gas” generally derived from a feed material, including carbon material (e.g., coal) or hydrocarbon material (e.g., biomass or heavy oils), subjected to gasification with oxygen (e.g., from air) and water (e.g., steam).
  • the resulting syngas typically contains hydrogen and carbon monoxide that can be useful. Additionally, depending on the solid and gaseous materials supplied, quantities of vaporized hydrocarbons may occur in the syngas.
  • the syngas produced may be applied to use as a fuel, for example fueling a gas turbine, or further processed to form a liquid fuel, e.g., ethanol, for transportation purposes.
  • a PGR such as that of Fig. 1 may also be applied to purposes, such as metal salvage, where gaseous products are exhausted with or without subsequent treatment.
  • the reactor of Fig. 1 shown in full elevation in its left half and vertically sectioned in its right half, has a reactor vessel 10, generally of refractory-lined steel (the lining not being specifically shown in the drawing), whose prominent parts include a top section 12, a bottom section 14, and a roof 16.
  • the top section 12 has its lower and upper ends joined, respectively, to the bottom section 14 and the roof 16 in a gas tight manner.
  • One aspect of particular interest in the Fig. 1 embodiment is that the top section 12 has a conical wall 18 from the bottom section 14 (smaller cross-section) to the roof 16 (larger cross- section).
  • the wall 18 has an angle ( ⁇ , in Fig.
  • FIGs. 2 and 3 illustrate embodiments in which a lower portion of the top section 12a has a conical wall portion 18a at a slightly different angle than the conical wall portion 18b of an upper portion of the top section 12b, as examples of other suitable innovative arrangements, hi Fig. 2, the wall 18a of the lower portion 12a is angled out more than wall 18b of the upper portion 12. In Fig. 3, the variation is that wall 18b is angled out more than wall 18a. Other aspects of Figs. 2 and 3 will be discussed below.
  • the bottom section 14 of the reactor vessel 10 example can be of any convenient configuration and is generally cylindrical. It fits directly with the circular bottom of the top section 12, however with a minor conical transition 13 with a greater angle than most of the wall 18. Thus, the top of the bottom section 14 and the bottom of the top section 12, have like configurations or have a transition of minor extent therebetween.
  • top section 12 and its substantially conical wall 18 it is generally convenient for the top section 12 and its substantially conical wall 18 to have a circular cross-section at horizontal levels over the vertical extent of the vessel.
  • lateral cross-section of the top section 12 is not circular; for example an oval cross-section with orthogonal lateral dimensions having a ratio in a range greater than 1 to 1, including those up to about 3 to 1, is suitable.
  • Any example described may have a circular or non-circular cross-sectional configuration, as well as the other described aspects of PGRs.
  • the wall 18, or at least about 80% to 90% of it has a slope relative to the vertical axis at an angle ⁇ that is between about 5° and about 25°; the wall angle ⁇ is either the same overall or is increasingly wider as one proceeds up from the bottom section 14 to the roof 16 or, in examples in which ⁇ becomes less, i.e., there is a transition from a larger ⁇ to a smaller ⁇ as one proceeds vertically up, any such transition is no more than about 5° of angle and the upper part still has an ⁇ greater than zero; the conical wall 18 can have either a circular cross-section (the most typical case) or some other including an oval cross-section, such as up to a ratio of about 3:1 in two orthogonal diameters; and any parts of a side wall of a PGR top section 12, from a bottom section 14 to a roof 16 that do not meet any of the
  • the conical wall 18 contrasts with prior PGR vessel configurations, e.g., those with substantial (at least about 25%) cylindrical portions or conical portions that are wider at bottom than top.
  • the upper section wall geometry referred to herein is the geometry of the interior surface of a wall such as wall 18 in Fig. 1.
  • the outer surface of a top section wall is parallel with the inner surface but that is not essential to meet the criteria of interest.
  • the bottom section 14 contains a space for a carbonaceous bed 20 (sometimes referred to as the carbon bed or the coke bed) that can be of constituents such as fragmented foundry coke, petroleum coke, or mixed coal and coke.
  • the bed 20 can be of particles or fragments of the mentioned constituents with average cross-sectional dimensions of about 5-10 cm., or are otherwise sized and shaped to have ample reactive surface area while allowing flow through the bed 20 of supplied materials and reaction products, all generally in accordance with past PGR practices.
  • the bottom section 14 has a wall 15 with one or more (typically two to four) nozzles, ports or tuyeres 22 (alternative terms) for location of a like number of plasma torches 24 (not shown in detail).
  • the plasma ports 22 may be either at an angle to the horizontal, inclined downward, as shown, or otherwise, such as horizontal (which is also the general case for feed ports 28 and additional tuyeres 30 of the top section 12 discussed below).
  • the bottom section 14 is also equipped with a number (one or more; typically one or two) of molten liquid outlets 26 for removal from the reactor of metal and/or slag.
  • the conical wall 18 is provided with a number (at least one; typically one to three) of lateral (i.e., through the wall 18) feed ports 28.
  • Lateral feed ports 28 make it generally unnecessary to have any feed port through the roof 16 although that form is not excluded as either an addition or an alternative.
  • the lateral feed ports 28 allow entry of feed material close to the primary reaction region of the reactor and can lessen the chance of unreacted feed material being blown out through outlet ports in or near the roof.
  • Figs. 5-8 below includes discussion of ways of getting substantially uniform distribution of material as well as thoroughness of reactions.
  • a feed port is equipped with a distributive feed mechanism to help get more uniform distribution of feed material over the interior of the reactor's top section.
  • the top section 12 of Fig. 1 has a number of tuyeres 30 (e.g., up to about a dozen in each of two rows) for use as needed or desired in any particular process that is performed to supply additional, generally gaseous, material.
  • the tuyeres 30 are, in this example, located through the conical wall 18 below the feed ports 28 and proximate the bottom section 14.
  • the plasma ports 22 of the bottom section 14 are sometimes referred to as primary tuyeres while the tuyeres 30 of the top section 12 are sometimes referred to as secondary tuyeres (those in a row closest to the bottom section 14) and tertiary tuyeres (in a row above the second tuyeres).
  • the roof 16 covers the upper end of the conical wall 18 of the top section 12. The perimeter of the upper end of the wall 18 is sealed in a gas-tight relation to the roof 16.
  • the roof 16 has a number, one or more, typically two to six, of outlet ports 32.
  • the outlet ports 32 constitute ducts for exit of gaseous products (e.g., syngas) from the reactor vessel 10.
  • gaseous products e.g., syngas
  • outlet ports 32 are only through the roof 16 of the reactor vessel 10 and feed ports 28 are only through the conical side wall 18.
  • the outlet ports 32 extend directly vertically through the roof 16.
  • roof outlet ports of whatever number, can be arranged with their axes at an angle to the vertical; one example being to have the axis of an outlet port at an angle substantially the same as the angle of the wall 18 and parallel with the wall 18.
  • the axis of outlet ports through the roof may be at any angle and in some instances be other than as shown through the roof 16, such as laterally through the upper periphery of the wall 18 itself, such as in Fig. 3, while the roof of the vessel has either none or also has one or more outlets.
  • a manway with a removable cover is also provided in the roof 16.
  • the outlet ports 32 are located in the roof 16 proximate the inner surface of the wall 18.
  • the outlet ports 32 can be mere openings through the roof (or wall) of the vessel 10, with suitable external ductwork, or, as shown in Fig. 1, the outlet ports 32 can be arranged with ducts 34 passing to the exterior of the vessel 10 from a location inside of the vessel 10.
  • the inner part of the ducts 34 is referred to as an intrusion or intruding port 36.
  • the intrusions 36 in some examples as shown in Fig. 1, extend into the space proximate the inner side of the side wall 18 of the top section 12.
  • Fig. 1 and the above description including various modifications provide examples of PGRs each utilizing a top section 12 with a substantially continuous conical wall 18, as described, in contrast to prior known PGRs of comparable parts and purposes that have, in one or more sections above that which contains a carbonaceous bed, a significant part of cylindrical or other configuration.
  • Practitioners can utilize and take advantage of a substantially continuous conical wall 18 in PGRs of otherwise conventional configuration, for example, with normal gravity fed feed ports and outlet ports anywhere near the top of the vessel and without an intrusion.
  • a continuous conical wall 18 can be part of overall altered PGR designs including, for example, one or more feed ports having means for enhanced distribution of feed material as well as one or more outlet ports having a duct with an intrusion, as described above.
  • outlet ports 32 are shown through a roof 116.
  • the roof 116 is domed shaped.
  • FIG. 3 a variation is shown with outlet ports 132 extending laterally from an extreme top portion 12c of the top section that also, in this example, is shown with a cylindrical configuration of a minor extent that still keeps an overall substantially conical configuration for the wall 18.
  • the conical shape of the wall 18 itself may continue up and the lateral outlet ports 132 provided through it.
  • Fig. 3 can be an example of outlet ports 132 without an inner intrusion, although intrusions can suitably be used there as well.
  • Figs. 2 and 3 for simplicity do not illustrate feed ports except the top central feature 116a' in the roof 116' of Fig. 3 can represent either a central gravity fed feed port or a manway.
  • Feed ports and tuyeres in the top section and the entire bottom section of the reactors in Figs. 2 and 3 are omitted for simplicity. They may, for example, be configured substantially as described in connection with Fig. 1 or the other examples herein.
  • PGR outlet ports with intrusions like outlet ports 32 having ducts 34 with intrusions 36 of Fig. 1, are not limited to use in PGRs with a substantially conical wall, such as the wall 18.
  • Favorable use of such outlet ports can be made with other side wall geometries, as well as in other locations than the specific examples shown.
  • the arrangements disclosed have particular relevance in their application to vertically oriented, atmospheric gasifier vessels. These are gasifier vessels for operation at or near atmospheric pressure (i.e., operable in a range from slightly negative pressure to slightly positive pressure) that are subjected to flow of gases and gas borne solid elements, with high temperatures, throughout their operation. It can be important how reactor configurations affect the movement of gases and particles in a freeboard region 38 of the reactor 10, as in Fig. 1.
  • the interior of the top section 12 can be considered to contain two principal regions.
  • a gasification region 29 is the region at or proximate the tuyeres 30 in which supplied material is (at least partially) gasified.
  • a water jacket 31 can be used as desired to moderate wall temperature.
  • the freeboard region 38 is the space in the top section 12 above the tuyeres 30 through which gasified materials ascend.
  • Studies by computational fluid dynamics can model heat transfer and fluid flow for the gasifier vessel in the freeboard region 38 to help achieve improved performance. Alternative designs can be evaluated based on a number of criteria such as the velocity flow field, the gas residence time distribution and the solids carryover to an outlet. Such studies can demonstrate how a benefit can be attained by having a conical expansion, as described above, for the wall 18.
  • the gas residence time distribution profile indicates the average gas residence time. A longer time is generally better for more consistent composition of products at the reactor outlets. Also, feed materials need a high enough temperature for a sufficiently long time for more thorough reaction, i.e., so an undesirable amount of unreacted feed material does not exit the reactor. This can be of particular importance with some heavy materials such as tar. A generally desirable characteristic is for the reactor to perform substantially like a plug flow reactor which means input solid materials descend mainly vertically and output gases ascend mainly vertically.
  • the gas generated within the reactor should have at least a minimum residence time of sufficient length to achieve satisfactory performance.
  • the solids carryover is mainly a function of the axial velocity along the main flow path apart from the solid physical properties.
  • the average axial velocity along the main gas flow path to the outlets is termed the "carry-over velocity”. It is desirable to have the carry-over velocity as low as possible to minimize the solids carryover.
  • outlets can be one effective arrangement.
  • a domed roof 116 of a reactor vessel with six outlet ports 32 uniformly arranged about, or near, the outer periphery of the roof 116, without any more centrally disposed outlets.
  • the roof 1 16 can be circular.
  • the outlet ports 32 may be circular in cross-section, as shown, or have some other cross-section.
  • a PGR roof can be of various forms including, for example, substantially planar across the top of the top end of the conical wall 18 or, as shown by roof 16 in Fig. 1, projecting upwardly from the top of the wall 18, either with joined roof portions, such as portions 16a and 16b, that are individually planar, or a continuous bowed out curved surface as shown by roof 116 in Figs. 2 and 4.
  • the individual outlet ports 32 can usefully include in their ductwork an intrusion, similar to the intrusions 36 of Fig. 1.
  • the intrusions can, for example, extend about 0.5-1.0 m. from the roof into the vessel (i.e., from the interior surface of the roof). These have been found, at least in some analyses, to contribute to stability of gas flow from the outlets.
  • the additional tuyeres 30 of Fig. 1 include a row of secondary tuyeres and a row of tertiary tuyeres.
  • the secondary tuyeres typically number about twelve in a row below, nearer the coke bed 20, than a row of a similar (or larger) number of the tertiary tuyeres.
  • the tuyeres 30 are used to admit materials, usually gaseous materials such as air (or other oxygen containing gas) and steam (or other water). Particulate solids can also be introduced through the tuyeres 30.
  • Embodiments like Figs. 2 or 3 can have similarly arranged additional tuyeres, which are emitted from those figures for simplicity.
  • feed material In some process operations it can be satisfactory for feed material to be supplied merely through an opening through the roof of a reactor but it can be more generally helpful to enhance the residence time of solids by only supplying feed material through lateral feed chutes such as feed port 28 through a side wall, such as 18.
  • lateral feed chutes such as feed port 28 through a side wall, such as 18.
  • feed chutes One or more of such feed chutes, with other wall arrangements, are included in prior examples of PGRs.
  • Further innovations can include some means for more uniform distribution of feed material into the top section of the reactor as is more fully described in connection with Figs. 5-8. For example, and without limitation, one may get reasonably uniform feed material distribution if a feed chute (even where just one is used) is angled down from the horizontal, such as the feed port 28 shown in Fig. 1.
  • Variations can include mechanisms that can be programmed or adjusted to vary the force applied to the feed material (to achieve variations in the distance it is injected, for example, in a radial inward direction) and/or to vary the angle or direction from the feed chute that the material is injected.
  • Fig. 8 further illustrates this aspect.
  • Plasma torches 24 that may be applied in the plasma torch ports 22 in Fig. 1 may be in accordance with prior practice such as that shown and described in U.S. Patent 4,761,793 by Dighe et al. that is hereby incorporated by reference for its description of the nature and operation of plasma torches and how they can be applied to a PGR.
  • PGRs to which the inventive features are applicable can be of a wide range of sizes.
  • the total vertical extent of a reactor vessel may be about 10-12 m. and the bottom section, containing the carbon bed, can have a width of about 3-4 m. and a depth of about 1-4 m.
  • the top section can be such as to expand from a bottom diameter like that of the bottom section (about 3-4 m.) to a top diameter, at the roof, of about 7-8 m.
  • Other dimensional examples are given in reference to the description of Fig. 9.
  • reactor vessel 10 can, as examples, be configured to have the secondary tuyeres located about 5-15% of the distance up from the top of the bottom section to the roof, the tertiary tuyeres about 10-30% of that distance up from the top of the bottom section, and the one or more lateral feed chutes at least about 40-60% of the distance up.
  • Figs. 5-8 generally illustrate some means for distributive introduction of feed material through ports into the top section 12 of a reactor vessel, such as one having a conical wall 18 although applicable to other configurations as well. It is recognized that having feed material relatively uniformly distributed within the reactor vessel is favorable to uniformity of performance and completion of reaction processes. These are some of the means that can be employed that can result in a better distribution than a single gravity feed port through a lateral wall, such as, but not limited to, the conical wall 18. These are means that also have an advantage over merely dropping material through an opening in the roof, which is a generally workable practice but risks considerable blowing out of unreacted material through nearby outlet ports.
  • Fig. 5 is an example with multiple (here two, typically two to four could be used) feed ports 128 through a wall 18 (just part of which is shown).
  • the feed ports 128 can be merely gravity fed without other distribution enhancements (which could be additionally provided if desired) and the different points of material introduction help to distribute the feed material.
  • multiple lateral feed ports have been previously disclosed in plasma rectors, such as in Dighe et al. U.S. patent 5,728,193 and Do et al. U.S. patent 5,987,792.
  • such multiple side entry points for feed material although generally effective as well as simple to construct, are not the only means for advantageous feed distribution.
  • Figs. 6, 7, and 8 illustrate other means for feed distribution. These are means for feed distribution applicable to use with even only one feed port, although not limited thereto.
  • feed material is supplied through a lateral feed port 228 that has a protrusion 229 (e.g., of refractory lined steel, which additionally may be water cooled) that extends into the vessel toward the vessel's center axis.
  • the protrusion 229 can also be, for example, angled down, such as at angle of about 60°, below horizontal and have an end from which feed material falls nearer to the center axis of the vessel 10 than to the side wall which in this example is a substantially conical wall 218 which includes a cylindrical section 218a (of no more than about 20% of the top section's height). Feed material will descend by gravity to the central region of the lower part of the reactor roughly along the dashed line trajectory shown.
  • Such a feed port 228 and protrusion 229 through a side wall can be applied to other wall configurations as well.
  • a protrusion 229 can be chosen to extend any desired distance into the reactor vessel's top section 12 from the conical wall 18. It can extend further toward the center of the vessel where it is intended to form a more uniform charge bed or where it is intended to further minimize the impact of feed material on the inner surface of the wall 18, that typically has a layer of refractory material.
  • Fig. 6 shows an example of a configuration of the wall 218 that can help minimize wear on the inner wall surface below the feed chute 228.
  • the wall 218 has outwardly extending, conical portions 218b and 218c with the feed port 228 located on the cylindrical wall portion 218a between portions 218b and 217c.
  • the cylindrical wall portion 218a extends below the feed port 228 before it meets the conical wall portion 218b. That means, in contrast to Fig. 1, material entering the vessel from the feed port 228 does not immediately descend onto the inner surface of a conical wall.
  • the material from the feed port 228 generally takes an arcurate path and scatters to some extent so the impact on an inner wall surface 218b is minimized and its wear is lessened.
  • Fig. 7 shows an alternative in which a feed port 328 is at least proximate the center of the roof 316 and has a protrusion 329, similar in form to protrusion 229 of Fig. 6 but here extending vertically down well into the top section 12, i.e., so material enters well below the outlet ports 332, which is also the case in Fig. 6.
  • the protrusion 329 can, although it need not, extend at least a third of the way down through the top section 12 at or near the center axis.
  • a feed port protrusion, such as 229 or 329 requires structural strength and/or cooling adequate for its exposure to high temperature.
  • Fig. 7 shows an outline 360 of the approximate maximum extent of any build up of feed material on a charge bed in the reactor.
  • Lines 322 and 330 in Fig. 7 are shown as representative indications of the location of primary and additional tuyeres of the example reactors.
  • the Fig. 7 embodiment can place feed material centrally on the charge bed.
  • Outlet ports 332 with intrusions 336 are also shown in the example of Fig. 7.
  • FIG. 8 shows another means for feed distribution.
  • a feed port 428 in a lateral wall 18 is arranged with a distributive feed mechanism 450 that has feedstock supplied to it from a supply 452 and by mechanical force injects or throws the material into the interior of the vessel.
  • the distributive feed mechanism 450 arranged in the combination can be like or similar to mechanisms heretofore applied for forced distribution of materials in apparatus applied in fields such as agriculture and mining.
  • One such mechanism is that commonly referred to as a slinger conveyor.
  • Other mechanisms can be used; for present purposes a distributive feed mechanism can be any that applies mechanical force to the feed material.
  • An air blower is one other such apparatus but is best used where the feed stock has a substantial amount of matter that is roughly consistent in size and weight.
  • Fig. 8 additionally shows, as an option in combination with the distributive feed mechanism 450, a force and direction controller 454, that can do either or both of two things: the controller 454 can be arranged so the feed mechanism 450 applies varying magnitudes of force to feed material to provide, over time, even better distribution than with constant force. Also, the controller 454 can be arranged so the feed mechanism 450 applies force at varying angles (e.g., by a range of movement of the mechanism 450), either, or both, in a horizontal plane or vertically, for better distribution than if material continuously enters at the same angle.
  • the particular mechanism 450 and controller 454 can be adapted from material handling equipment technology used in other contexts.
  • feed ports In the case of any of the feed ports described herein, they can either be open to admission of air along with feedstock, such as under normal atmospheric conditions, or the feed supply and feed ports can be restricted to limit air admission, which can sometimes be favorable for some reactions.
  • FIG. 9 shows an example of a system in accordance with the invention, in outline and schematic form, that includes a plasma gasification reactor vessel 510 in a form as previously described, and subject to variations such as those previously described.
  • a top section 512 of the vessel 510 within a conical wall 518, can have a cross-sectional diameter at a bottom level 512a (above a transition 513 between the bottom section 514 and this top section 512) of about 3.5 to 4.5 m. and a cross-sectional diameter at a top level 512b of about 7 to 8 m., resulting in an angle ⁇ of about 12°.
  • the cross-sectional diameter of the vessel can be about 4 to 5 m. and this would be the approximate diameter of the top surface of a charge bed 529 of feed stock fed into the vessel from a feed port 528, subject to all the prior descriptions of examples of feed ports, which can be one or more in number.
  • Fig. 9 does not intend to show a particular configuration for the top surface of the charge bed 529; it need not be level, although approximate levelness is favorable, and it typically is somewhat higher in one or more locations that are closer to (e.g., directly under) any gravity fed feed ports that the reactor has which do not have a distributive feed mechanism.
  • the overall height of the top section 512, from level 512a to level 512b can be about 11 to 13 m.; the charge bed 529 can have a height between the levels 512a and 512c of about 2 to 3 m.
  • the vessel 510 also has a bottom section 514. It can have a cylindrical diameter of about 1 to 2 m. and a height of about 3 to 4 m.
  • the bottom section 514 contains a bed 520 (labeled C bed) of carbonaceous material as described in connection with Fig. 1.
  • the bottom section 520 is here shown with a plasma torch nozzle or primary tuyere 522 for a plasma torch 524 injecting a plasma gas into the bed 520 that creates a suitably high temperature in the bed 520.
  • the torch 524 is supplied with a torch gas, conveniently air but other gases and gas mixtures are suitable as well.
  • the plasma torch in any of the embodiments may have an additional supply (not shown) of material such as steam, oil, or another material reactive in the bed 520 with the torch gas.
  • the additional material can be supplied to the nozzle 522 in front of the plasma generating torch 524 or a region of the C bed 520 proximate the location of the nozzle 522.
  • U.S. patent number 4,761,793 for further understanding of examples of plasma torch nozzles that may be applied in systems such as that of Fig. 9 and which have a shroud gas applied around the plasma plume of a torch.
  • the C bed 520 need not fill the bottom section 514 of the reactor 510 to the top of section 514; the charge bed 524 can extend part way within the top of section 514.
  • Fig. 9 also shows an outlet 526 for molten metals and slag from the bottom of the C bed 520.
  • the secondary and tertiary tuyeres 530 that supply the charge bed 529 in the gasification region of the reactor are shown connected with a supply 531 (which is representative of one or more supplies of the same or different materials) that is shown, for example, as introducing one or more fluids such as air or steam into the charge bed 529.
  • the charge bed 524 is formed of material fed into the vessel 510 from a feed port 528 that is shown in conical wall 518 and is merely representative of feed ports as previously described.
  • the feed port 528 is supplied from a feedstock supply 529 supplying, for example, coal or other carbonaceous material, waste which could be municipal solid waste or industrial waste, biomass, which could be any wood or plant material harvested for the purposes of the system or a byproduct of other agricultural activity, or some combination of such materials.
  • reactions performed in a system like that of Fig. 9 typically include fuel particle surface reactions and gas phase reactions.
  • the fuel particle surface reactions can include a gasification reaction of
  • the gas phase reactions can include a combustion reaction of a CO shift reaction of
  • the total reactions result in a syngas formed in the freeboard region 538, particularly in the region above the entry point for material from the feed port 528.
  • the syngas can have significant amounts of carbon monoxide and hydrogen, along with nitrogen from air supplied to the reactor. Lesser amounts of carbon dioxide and other compounds can occur in the syngas.
  • the roof 516 At the top of the top section 512 of vessel 510 is the roof 516 that has some number of outlet ports 532 from which the syngas exits for subsequent use as fuel or other disposition.
  • the roof 516 covers the maximum width of the top section 512 and also has a raised center about 1 to 2 m. above the top level 512b of the top section 512 with sloping surfaces (at, for example, about a 30° angle) therebetween in which the outlet ports 532 occur, near to the conical wall 518.
  • the outlet ports 532 can, for example, have a diameter of about 1 to 1.5 m. with each having an intrusion 536 of about 0.5 to 1 m.
  • a reactor vessel 510 can have four plasma torch ports 522 with plasma torches 524, twelve each of the secondary and tertiary tuyeres 530 and six of the outlet ports 532, with the several elements each being spaced around the circular periphery of the reactor structure, along with one or more feed ports 528.
  • PGRs can be configured with one or more innovative features. Without limitation as to particular levels of performance, it is believed that among the ways the innovations can be used are ways in which they contribute to overall efficiency in terms of thoroughness of reactions and yields of desirable reaction products.

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  • Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • Chemical Kinetics & Catalysis (AREA)
  • Organic Chemistry (AREA)
  • Plasma & Fusion (AREA)
  • Oil, Petroleum & Natural Gas (AREA)
  • Toxicology (AREA)
  • General Health & Medical Sciences (AREA)
  • Health & Medical Sciences (AREA)
  • Spectroscopy & Molecular Physics (AREA)
  • Electromagnetism (AREA)
  • Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
  • General Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
  • Processing Of Solid Wastes (AREA)
  • Devices And Processes Conducted In The Presence Of Fluids And Solid Particles (AREA)
  • Physical Or Chemical Processes And Apparatus (AREA)

Abstract

L'invention concerne une cuve de réacteur de gazéification au plasma comprenant une partie supérieure pourvue d'une paroi conique s'étendant vers le haut, d'une partie inférieure contenant un lit carboné dans lequel est injecté du plasma par des torches à plasma, à un toit de cuve. Cette cuve de réacteur est conçue pour améliorer les caractéristiques d'écoulement gazeux et de temps de rétention de matières solides permettant d'obtenir des réactions et un rendement de produits de réaction utiles. Dans certains cas, la paroi conique est combinée à d'autres éléments, tels qu'au moins un orifice d'alimentation placé de sorte à assurer une distribution plus uniforme, notamment un orifice d'alimentation pourvu d'un mécanisme d'alimentation de distribution. Dans certains exemples, le toit de la cuve comporte des orifices de sortie verticaux pourvus d'éléments pénétrant dans le volume intérieur du réacteur à proximité de la paroi conique de la partie supérieure. La configuration des orifices de sortie pourvus d'éléments pénétrants et la configuration des orifice d'alimentation permettant une distribution plus uniforme de matière d'alimentation peuvent également être appliquées à des cuves de réacteur présentant d'autres caractéristiques géométriques.
PCT/US2010/023184 2009-02-11 2010-02-04 Reacteur de gazeification au plasma Ceased WO2010093553A2 (fr)

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CN201080007559.7A CN102316974B (zh) 2009-02-11 2010-02-04 等离子体气化反应器
HK12105575.8A HK1164778B (en) 2009-02-11 2010-02-04 Plasma gasification reactor
GB1114613.1A GB2480194B (en) 2009-02-11 2010-02-04 Plasma gasification reactor
AU2010213982A AU2010213982B2 (en) 2009-02-11 2010-02-04 Plasma gasification reactor
CA2751859A CA2751859C (fr) 2009-02-11 2010-02-04 Reacteur de gazeification au plasma

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US12/378,166 2009-02-11
US12/378,167 2009-02-11
US12/378,184 US9222038B2 (en) 2009-02-11 2009-02-11 Plasma gasification reactor
US12/378,167 US20100199557A1 (en) 2009-02-11 2009-02-11 Plasma gasification reactor
US12/378,184 2009-02-11
US12/378,166 US20100199556A1 (en) 2009-02-11 2009-02-11 Plasma gasification reactor

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WO2013036281A3 (fr) * 2011-09-09 2013-07-04 Alter Nrg Corp. Réacteurs de gazéification plasma comportant des lits de charbon modifié et des besoins réduits en coke
US8980204B2 (en) 2010-05-24 2015-03-17 Air Products And Chemicals, Inc. Process and system for syngas treatment
US9493709B2 (en) 2011-03-29 2016-11-15 Fuelina Technologies, Llc Hybrid fuel and method of making the same
US10308885B2 (en) 2014-12-03 2019-06-04 Drexel University Direct incorporation of natural gas into hydrocarbon liquid fuels

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Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US8980204B2 (en) 2010-05-24 2015-03-17 Air Products And Chemicals, Inc. Process and system for syngas treatment
US9656915B2 (en) 2010-09-11 2017-05-23 Alter Nrg Corp. Plasma gasification reactors with modified carbon beds and reduced coke requirements
US9222026B2 (en) 2010-09-11 2015-12-29 Alter Nrg Corp. Plasma gasification reactors with modified carbon beds and reduced coke requirements
CN103502400B (zh) * 2011-02-05 2017-02-15 阿尔特Nrg公司 用于产生合成气的增强型等离子体气化器
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CN106675654A (zh) * 2011-02-05 2017-05-17 阿尔特Nrg公司 用于产生合成气的增强型等离子体气化器
US9493709B2 (en) 2011-03-29 2016-11-15 Fuelina Technologies, Llc Hybrid fuel and method of making the same
CN103958046A (zh) * 2011-09-09 2014-07-30 阿尔特Nrg公司 具有改进的碳床和降低的焦炭需求的等离子体气化反应器
WO2013036281A3 (fr) * 2011-09-09 2013-07-04 Alter Nrg Corp. Réacteurs de gazéification plasma comportant des lits de charbon modifié et des besoins réduits en coke
US10308885B2 (en) 2014-12-03 2019-06-04 Drexel University Direct incorporation of natural gas into hydrocarbon liquid fuels

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CA2751859A1 (fr) 2010-08-19
CN105126723A (zh) 2015-12-09
CA2751859C (fr) 2018-07-31
CN102316974B (zh) 2015-07-29
GB2480194B (en) 2015-01-07
AU2010213982A1 (en) 2011-08-18
CA3008823A1 (fr) 2010-08-19
CA3008823C (fr) 2022-10-18
WO2010093553A3 (fr) 2011-01-27
AU2010213982B2 (en) 2015-01-29
HK1164778A1 (zh) 2012-09-28
HK1218527A1 (zh) 2017-02-24
CN102316974A (zh) 2012-01-11
GB2480194A (en) 2011-11-09
GB201114613D0 (en) 2011-10-05

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