Claims
- 1. A system to generate gas products having useful B.T.U. values from waste cellulosic materials capable of being sintered and charred and comprising in combination:
- a. a metallic generator shell comprising a cone free of permanent insulation, positioned vertically, and tapering downwardly at a diverging angle of not substantially less than 35.degree., said shell also having means in the upper portion thereof to discharge the said products of combustion,
- b. a closure for the top of said generator shell which with the walls of the shell forms a gas accumulating chamber in the upper portion of the shell,
- c. material inlet means in the bottom of said shell,
- d. means to feed waste material compactly and progressively into said inlet means for gradual movement upwardly in a manner to permit the angle of divergence of the shell to cause loosening of the material as it moves upwardly in the shell.
- e. controlled air inlet ports spaced circumferentially around said shell substantially adjacent the vertical midportion of said shell and adapted to form a sintering type combustion zone with waste material only in the portion thereof above the level of said ports,
- f. gas outlet means communicating with and extending from the upper portion of said gas accumulating chamber,
- g. suction means downstream from the gas accumulating chamber to said shell and operable adjustably to induce the inlet of ambient air into said combustion zone through said ports,
- h. agitating means supported in the upper portion of said shell and engageable with the upper portion of the material in said combustion zone and operable to agitate it to facilitate discharge of said products of combustion from said discharge means therefor, and
- i. means communicating with said gas outlet means to receive gas therefrom and operable to separate the same from solid products of combustion contained therein.
- 2. The system according to claim 1 in which said means to feed waste material to the bottom of said cone comprises reciprocable ram means operable at the delivery end of chutes extending downwardly from supply means, and power means to reciprocate said ram means segmentially to feed said material under pressure in a manner to compress the material and comprising an air lock to prevent the ingress of ambient air into said cone except through said inlet ports.
- 3. The system according to claim 2 further including auger means rotatable rotatable upon a vertical axis in the lower portion of said cone and engageable with compacted material moved thereto by said ram means to move the material progressively upward in said cone for loosening of the material as aforesaid.
- 4. The system according to claim 3 further including a pair of said ram means respectively connected to opposite sides of a vertical material inlet member depending from the bottom of said cone and discharging material in compacted manner into said member, said auger means being rotatable within said material inlet member.
- 5. The system according to claim 4 further including additional power means operable to rotate said auger, and a shaft extending upwardly from said auger to said agitating means to rotate said means also.
- 6. The system according to claim 1 in which said agitating means comprises a transverse member fixed to a vertical shaft extending axially in said cone, power means interconnected to said shaft to rotate said agitating means thereby, and agitating plow members spaced fixedly along said transverse member and depending therefrom for engagement with the sintered material in the upper portion thereof in said cone to agitate it.
- 7. The system according to claim 6 in which said means to feed waste material to the bottom of said cone comprises ram means communicating with a source of supply of waste material, electric motor power means connected to said ram means to operate the same sequentially in accordance with the contents of the cone being processed, a limit switch in an electric power circuit for said electric motor, and means supporting said shaft of said agitating means for limit vertical movement as the height of the sintering mass of waste material varies in said cone, said limit switch being operated by means connected to said shaft, whereby as the agitating means is lowered due to removal of material engaged by said agitating means said shaft and agitating means are lowered and said electric motor is energized by said switch to drive said ram means to feed material to said cone to restore the same to working level in said cone.
- 8. The system according to claim 7 in which an auger is mounted for rotation about a vertical axis at the bottom of said cone in communication with said ram means to engage material moved thereby to the bottom of said cone and operable to move said material upwardly in said cone, a tubular shaft coaxial with said shaft of said agitating means and fixed to said auger, said power means commonly driving said coaxial shafts, and means supporting said tubular shaft for rotation but preventing vertical movement, whereby said agitating means and vertical shaft can float vertically a limited amount in accordance with the upper level of said material in said cone.
- 9. The system according to claim 8 further including a drive gear on the lower end of said vertical shaft driven by said power means, and flexible means extending between said drive gear and tubular shaft operable to effect said common drive of said shafts while permitting said limited relative floating movement of said vertical shaft.
- 10. The system according to claim 6 further including a horizontal baffle disc fixed to said vertical shaft above said transverse member of said agitating means, and a vane fixed dependingly to the top closure of said cone and disposed tangentially relative to the axis of said disc and engageable with accumulated material thereon to move it toward the perimeter of said baffle disc for discharging therefrom.
- 11. The system according to claim 10 further including a compartment extending upward from the closure for the top of said cone and comprising said gas outlet means therefrom, said compartment being offset from the axis of said cone and receiving gas for transmittal to further processing mechanism, and said baffle disc being operable to diminish the speed of gas and fine solid particles therein to said compartment for passage from the gas accumulating chamber of said cone.
- 12. The system according to claim 1 in which said gas outlet means comprise a gas discharge compartment open at the bottom and fixed over an opening in the closure top of said cone, a gas discharge conduit extending at one end laterally from said compartment to conduct hot gas and fine particles therein from said compartment, and spray means connected to a supply of cooling liquid discharges said liquid into said conduit to effect at least initial and/or partial cooling of said gas and entrain fine particles therefrom, said suction means being downstream from said discharge conduit and communicating with a riser from the opposite end of said discharge conduit, a further conduit depending from said opposite end of said discharge conduit and operable to conduct cooling liquid and entrained particles to collection means connected thereto, and said suction means being operable to draw gas into said riser for delivery to further processing equipment.
- 13. The system according to claim 12 in which said further processing equipment includes a liquid settling tank into which said cooling liquid and entrained fine particles are discharged for setting of heavier components of said liquid to the lower regions thereof for recovery as burnable fuel, and means connected to the upper portion of said settling tank and operable to transfer liquid therefrom to a liquid supply tank from which stored liquid is drawn for use in further equipment downstream from said discharge conduit extending from said compartment on the closure top of said cone.
- 14. The system according to claim 13 in which the further conduit from said discharge conduit from the gas discharge compartment includes a water seal to prevent ingress of gas to said further conduit.
- 15. The system according to claim 12 in which said suction means comprises at least one fan communicating with said riser and operated in a direction to withdraw gas from said gas discharge conduit, and said system further including a gas scrubber unit containing a high pressure liquid spray, a gas purifying unit connected by conduit means to the discharge of said gas scrubber unit, and means to discharge at least relatively clean gas from said purifying unit.
- 16. The system according to claim 15 in which said gas purifying unit includes a gas filtering medium and a mist eliminator thru which the gas from said fan passes to cool and purify the gas, and liquid discharge means extending from said gas purifying unit and connected to said collection means for re-use in the system.
- 17. The system according to claim 13 further including a liquid cooling tower, conduit means and a pump communicating with said settling tank and operable to draw relatively clean water from the upper portion of said settling tank and deliver it to said cooling tower to cool the liquid and return it to said settling tank.
- 18. The system according to claim 17 further including a liquid supply tank arranged to receive relatively clear liquid from the upper portion of said liquid settling tank, said system also including a gas scrubber having a high pressure liquid spray and receiving gas from said suction means and operable to entrain impurities in said liquid spray for delivery to a gas purifying unit, and said system further including pump means connected to said liquid supply tank and operable to deliver liquid at desired pressures to said gas scrubber and liquid cooling tower.
- 19. The system according to claim 18 in which said pump means comprises a plurality of pumps respectively of different pressures and arranged to deliver from said liquid supply tank liquid at high pressure to said gas scrubber and liquid at a lower pressure to said cooling tower.
- 20. The system according to claim 1 adapted to produce gas and a desirable amount of charcoal by means of adjusting the inlet of air to said inlet ports, said system further including charcoal discharging means in the well of said cone at a level above said air inlet ports and below the top of the mass of material being processed, and means operable to effect removal of charcoal from said discharge means and cool the same.
- 21. The system according to claim 20 in which said charcoal discharge means comprises a conduit connected at one end to said cone and extending outwardly therefrom, and movable gathering means extending into said cone and actuated by power means to engage charcoal within the portion of the mass of material being sintered which is above said air inlet ports and move it into and along said conduit for removal from said cone.
- 22. The system according to claim 21 in which said gathering means comprises an auger mounted for rotation within said conduit and extending at one end into said mass of material to engage the same and move it into and along said conduit as aforesaid.
- 23. The system according to claim 22 in which said agitating means in the cone comprises a cross member rotatable about a vertical axis and having agitating plow members rigidly depending from said cross member and extending downwardly into the mass of material being sintered a sufficient depth to dispose sintered charcoal adjacent said auger, said one end of said auger being spaced below the lower end of said plow members.
- 24. The system according to claim 22 further including a cooling jacket surrounding said conduit exteriorly of said cone and operable to cool the charcoal.
- 25. The system according to claim 24 in which said cooling jacket is connected to a source of liquid substantially cooler than the charcoal, said auger means also extending through the portion of the conduit within said jacket, and said power means comprising an electric motor on the outer end of said auger means.
- 26. A system to generate gas products having useful B.T.U. values from waste cellulosic materials capable of being sintered and charred and comprising in combination:
- a. a metallic generator shell comprising a cone positioned vertically and tapering downwardly at a diverging angle and having a gas accumulating chamber in the upper portion thereof,
- b. a closure extending across the top of said cone and a second panel similar to said closure extending across said cone below said closure to provide a heating space separated from the interior of said cone and having air inlet means,
- c. material inlet means in the bottom of said cone,
- d. means to feed waste material progressively into said inlet means for gradual movement upwardly in a manner to permit the angle of divergence of the cone to cause loosening of the material as it moves upwardly in the cone,
- e. air inlet ports spaced circumferentially around said cone substantially adjacent the vertical midportion thereof and adapted to form a sintering type combustion zone within waste material in said cone in the portion thereof above the level of said ports, said combustion zone effecting heating of air within said heating space,
- f. gas outlet means communicating with and extending from said gas accumulating chamber,
- g. air conduit means extending from said heating space to said air inlet ports to provide heated air for combustion to said combustion zone in said cone,
- h. agitating means movably supported in the upper portion of said cone and engageable with the upper portion of the material in said combustion zone and operable to agitate it to facilitate sintering of the material and discharge of the products of combustion from the upper portion of said cone, and
- i. suction means communicating with said gas accumulating chamber and operable to withdraw gas and entrained particles of material from said chamber.
- 27. The system according to claim 26 further including material delivery means extending exteriorly upward adjacent the side of said cone to a source of supply of waste material and operable to discharge said material to said means to feed waste material to said material inlet means in the bottom of cone, and additional conduit means extending from said heating space to said material delivery means to direct heated air into said delivery means in a manner to at least partially heat and evaporate moisture from said material prior to feeding the same to said inlet means in the bottom of said cone.
- 28. The system according to claim 26 further including a blower connected to said heating space and operable to introduce air into said space under limited pressure, an electric motor connected to said blower to operate it, and a pressure sensitive switch in a circuit to said motor responsive to pressure in said heating space and operable to maintain air pressure therein within pre-determined limits to control combustion within said cone to a desired extent and rate.
- 29. The system according to claim 26 in which said air inlet ports comprise short tubes extending through the walls of said cone, and nozzles of a smaller diameter than said tubes extending through said tubes into the interior of said cone and also being removable from said tubes to permit access to the interior of said cone for inspection and service to break clinkers and the like, the outer ends of said nozzles being connected to said air conduit means from said heating space, and said nozzles normally closing the outer ends of said tubes to prevent inlet of ambient air into said cone.
- 30. The system according to claim 26 in which said gas outlet means includes confined passage means extending through said gas accumulating chamber to receive a mixture of gas and solid particles entrained therein, a conduit extending laterally from said confined passage means to receive said mixture for longitudinal movement therealong by said suction means, spray means for cooling liquid discharging into said conduit to entrain solid particles and separate the same from said gas and effect at least initial cooling of said gas, and discharge means at the outer end of said conduit arranged and operable respectively to receive said gas for transfer to subsequent purifying means and transfer said liquid and entrained particles to additional treatment means.
- 31. The system according to claim 26 further including a shaft extending axially vertically in said cone from the lower portion thereof to a bearing supported adjacent said closure for the top of the cone, an auger connected to the lower end of said shaft and comprising said means to feed material into said material inlet means as aforesaid, and said agitating means being connected to the upper end portion of said shaft for rotation thereby, and power means interconnected to said auger to effect rotation of said shaft.
- 32. The system according to claim 31 in which said means to feed waste material to said cone further comprises reciprocable ram means operable to receive waste material from supply means and forcibly move it to said auger, and a reversible electric motor connected to said ram means and operable to cycle the ram means for sequential movement in feeding direction and retracting movement.
- 33. A system to generate gas products having useful B.T.U. values from waste cellulosic materials capable of being sintered and charred and comprising in combination:
- a. a generator shell comprising a cone positioned vertically and tapering downwardly at a diverging angle and having a gas accumulating chamber in the upper portion thereof,
- b. closure means for the top of said cone to define part of said chamber,
- c. material inlet means in the bottom of said cone,
- d. means to feed waste material progressively into said inlet means for gradual movement upwardly in said cone,
- e. air inlet ports spaced circumferentially around said cone substantially adjacent the vertical midportion thereof and adapted to form a sintering type combustion zone within waste material in said cone above the level of said ports,
- f. gas outlet means communicating with and extending from the upper portion of said gas accumulating chamber,
- g. agitating means supported in the upper portion of said cone and engageable with the upper portion of the material in said combustion zone and operable to agitate it to facilitate substantially even sintering of the material therein,
- h. suction means downstream from the gas accumulating chamber of said cone and operable to withdrawn gas therefrom,
- i. a conduit extending from said gas outlet means and provided with spray means for cooling liquid to entrain from the gas any solid particles of combustion products,
- j. means to separate gas from said liquid and entrained particles,
- k. means to subject said gas to high pressure liquid spray means, and
- l. a purifying unit adapted to receive gas and liquid therefrom and having means to filter said gas and eliminate mist and discharge cooled clean gas therefrom and direct the separated liquid to a settling tank for re-use.
- 34. The system according to claim 33 further including a settling tank arranged to receive liquid and any entrained particles from said purifying unit and also from said means to separate gas from liquid, said settling tank being arranged to hold in the lower portion thereof heavier components of the liquid which settle from the lighter liquid, and means to pump said lighter liquid to said spray means in said conduit and return it to said settling tank.
- 35. The system according to claim 34 further including a liquid storage tank, means connecting said storage tank to the upper portion of said settling tank for transfer of lighter liquid to said storage tank, multiple pump means connected to said storage tank respectively of different pressure capacities, and means respectively connecting the pump of higher pressure to the high pressure spray of said means to subject said gas thereto and connecting the pump of lower pressure to said spray means in said conduit and also to spray means directed against the filter means in said purifying unit.
Parent Case Info
The application is a continuation-in-part of application Ser. No. 231,987, filed Feb. 6, 1981, now U.S. Pat. No. 4,348,211.
US Referenced Citations (24)
Continuation in Parts (1)
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Number |
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231987 |
Feb 1981 |
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