Apparatus and method for fractionating alternative solid fuels

Abstract

An apparatus and a method for fractionating alternative solid fuels, specially whole tires, into volatiles and coal, to be used as alternative fuels, and metal, the apparatus comprising: a feeding zone wherein the solid fuels are feed to the apparatus, a gasifying zone into which the solid fuels are processed, obtaining a gaseous fraction, coal and metal; cooled grills controlling the bed permeability and permanence time of the solid fuels at the gasifying zone; and a discharging zone into which the resultant coal and metal are discharged.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . An apparatus for fractionating alternative solid fuels, into a gaseous fraction, a coal fraction, and a solid fraction, comprising: 
 gasifying means into which the solid fuels are processed, including a first end and a second end;    a feeding zone at the first end of the gasifying means;    feeding means, operatively placed at the feeding zone of the gasifying means, in order to control feeding of solid fuels;    a gasifying zone next the feeding zone, wherein the partial combustion of the solid fuels will take place;    air feeding means connected to the gasifying zone for feeding air for the combustion of the solid fuel;    mesh means at the gasifying zone, controlling the permeability and permanence time of the solid fuels at the gasifying zone;    cooling means associated with the mesh means, in order to control the temperature of the mesh means;    driving means for the mesh means which open or close said mesh means, for discharging the coal fraction and the solid fraction, after a complete separation of the gaseous fraction of said solid fuels in order to avoid the formation of agglomerates into the gasifying means;    gas exhaust means, into which the gaseous fraction is discharged from the gasifying zone for further use;    a discharging zone next the gasifying zone; and    discharging means at the discharging zone which receive the coal fraction and the solid fraction from the gasifying zone.    
     
     
         2 . The apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the gasifying means comprise a vertical column.  
     
     
         3 . The apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the gasifying means comprise a horizontal chamber.  
     
     
         4 . The apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the feeding means comprise feeding valve means including driving means to open and close said feeding valve means.  
     
     
         5 . The apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the feeding valve means comprise a plurality of gates in which the solid fuels are fed.  
     
     
         6 . The apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the driving means for the feeding valves means comprises hydraulic motors which lift and lower said feeding valve means.  
     
     
         7 . The apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the air feeding means comprise an air pump to feed air at ambient temperature.  
     
     
         8 . The apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the air feeding means further including a hot air input from a suitable source at the gasifying zone in order to control the temperature thereof.  
     
     
         9  The apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the mesh means comprise a plurality of grills.  
     
     
         10 . The apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the cooling means of the mesh means including internal pipes inside said mesh means, into which cool water is circulated by means of a pump.  
     
     
         11 . The apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the cooling means of the mesh means including internal pipes inside said mesh means, into which cool air is circulated by means of a pump.  
     
     
         12 . The apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the driving means for the mesh means comprise hydraulic motors for alternately introduce or withdraw said mesh means.  
     
     
         13 . The apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the discharging means comprise a plurality of gates.  
     
     
         14 . The apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the discharging means include driving means.  
     
     
         15 . The apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the driving means of the discharging means comprises hydraulic motors which lift and lower said discharging valve means.  
     
     
         16 . The apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the feeding means feed the solid fuel to the gasifying zone, by gravity.  
     
     
         17 . The apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the feeding means feed the solid fuel to the gasifying zone, by an hydraulic piston and cylinder assembly  
     
     
         18 . The apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the discharging means discharge the coal fraction and the solid fraction from the gasifying zone to the discharging zone, by gravity.  
     
     
         19 . The apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the discharging means discharge the coal fraction and the solid fraction from the gasifying zone, by an hydraulic piston and cylinder assembly.  
     
     
         20 . The apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the discharging means discharge the coal fraction and the solid fraction from the discharging zone to the outside of the apparatus, by gravity.  
     
     
         21 . The apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the discharging means discharge the coal fraction and the solid fraction from the discharging zone to the outside of the apparatus, by an hydraulic piston and cylinder assembly.  
     
     
         22 . The apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the discharging means discharge valve means including driving means which open and close said discharging valve means in order to discharge the coal fraction and the solid fraction from the apparatus.  
     
     
         23 . The apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein gasifying means are placed at a back end of a kiln for producing cement, the hot air input is taken from a tertiary air duct of the kiln, the discharging means discharge the gaseous fraction to a pre-calciner or calciner section of the kiln to substitute primary fuel, and the discharge means discharge the coal fraction to a kiln input to substitute primary fuel and the solid fraction is integrated to a cement clinker, substituting part of iron required in the form of an oxide.  
     
     
         24 . The apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the discharging means discharge the solid fraction to a feeding conveyor belt of a kiln for the production of cement..  
     
     
         25 . The apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the discharging means discharge the coal fraction to a main burner of a kiln for the production of cement.  
     
     
         26 . The apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the hot air input comes from residual air from a cement clinker cooler and the discharge means discharge the solid fraction outside of the gasifying means, to containers for an application to a recuperator of a kiln for the production of cement having no pre-calciner.  
     
     
         27 . The apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the discharging means discharge the coal fraction a main burner of a kiln fro the production of cement. having no pre-calciner.  
     
     
         28 . A method for fractionating alternative solid fuel, into a gaseous fraction, a coal fraction, and a solid fraction comprising the steps of: 
 providing an apparatus including a gasifying zone wherein the solid fuels will be partially burned and the volatiles will be emitted;    feeding the alternative solid fuel to the gasifying zone;    providing an air input to the gasifying zone;    partially burning the alternative solid fuels into the gasifying zone until most of the volatiles have been emmitted, coal with a minimum content of volatiles is obtained, and the non combustible solids are separated;    discharging the volatiles from the gasifier for further use;    discharging the resultant coal and solids from the gasifying zone for further use.    
     
     
         29 . A method according to  claim 7 , further comprising providing hot air from a suitable source to the gasifying zone in order to control the temperature in the gasifying zone.  
     
     
         30 . A method according to  claim 7 , wherein the discharging of the resulting coal and solids from the gasifying zone is carried out by gravity.  
     
     
         31 . A method according to  claim 7 , wherein the discharging of the resulting coal and solids from the gasifying zone is carried out by mechanical means.