Batch pyrolysis system

Abstract

Disclosed is a scaleable pyrolysis system for batch processing of waste vehicle tires and other waste to provide pyrolysis products. The core pyrolysis system includes one or more batch reactors, heating units, solids processing units, gas/liquid processing units and control units. In operation, the temperature gradients internal to the reactor are controlled by preferential channeling of heat to provide pyrolysis products that are of high quality, and hence commercially advantageous, while facilitating high throughput.

1 . A batch pyrolysis reactor for the recovery of pyrolysis products by batch processing waste material comprising, 
 a pyrolysis chamber having an opening for receiving and extracting solids,    a port for purging oxygen from the pyrolysis chamber,    cycling means for cycling the temperature of waste material in the pyrolysis chamber over a pyrolysis period including, 
 preferentially channeling heat to the waste material to accelerate raising the temperature of the waste material to a pyrolysis temperature, and  
 preferentially channeling heat from the waste material to accelerate cooling the temperature of the waste material,  
   a port for porting pyrolysis gas from the reactor during the pyrolysis period and leaving a solid residue in the pyrolysis chamber after the pyrolysis period.    
   
   
       2 . The reactor of  claim 1  including a combustion chamber surrounding said pyrolysis chamber with sides extending from a bottom to a top and wherein said cycling means for preferentially channeling includes one or more ports in said sides for injecting gases into said combustion chamber for accelerating the heating and cooling of said pyrolysis chamber.  
   
   
       3 . The reactor of  claim 2  wherein said ports are in said sides near the middle of the pyrolysis chamber.  
   
   
       4 . The reactor of  claim 2  wherein said ports are in said sides near the top of the pyrolysis chamber.  
   
   
       5 . The reactor of  claim 1  including a combustion chamber surrounding said pyrolysis chamber with sides extending from a bottom to a top and wherein said cycling means for preferentially channeling includes one or more ports in the bottom and one or more ports in said sides for injecting gases into said combustion chamber for accelerating the heating and cooling of said pyrolysis chamber.  
   
   
       6 . The reactor of  claim 5  including means for controlling the flow to each of said ports whereby the heat is preferentially channeled among said ports.  
   
   
       7 . The reactor of  claim 1  including a combustion chamber surrounding said pyrolysis chamber and wherein said cycling means for preferentially channeling includes one or more heat conductors extending into, while being sealed from, said pyrolysis chamber whereby combustion gases flow in said combustion chamber and in said heat conductors whereby heating and cooling is accelerated at internal portions of the pyrolysis chamber.  
   
   
       8 . The reactor of  claim 7  wherein said combustion chamber extends around side walls extending from a bottom to a top of the pyrolysis chamber and wherein said heat conductors are horizontal pipes extending through and from side wall to side wall of the pyrolysis chamber.  
   
   
       9 . The reactor of  claim 8  including means for controlling the flow to said heat conductors whereby heat is preferentially channeled through said heat conductors.  
   
   
       10 . The reactor of  claim 7  wherein said combustion chamber extends around a bottom of the pyrolysis chamber and wherein said heat conductors are vertical pipes extending from the bottom of and up into the pyrolysis chamber.  
   
   
       11 . The reactor of  claim 10  including means for controlling the flow to said heat conductors whereby heat is preferentially channeled through said heat conductors.  
   
   
       12 . The reactor of  claim 10  wherein said heat conductors are vertical pipes organized in pairs with a closed loop at the top whereby gases flow up in one pipe of a pair and down in another pipe of the pair.  
   
   
       13 . The reactor of  claim 12  including means for controlling the flow to one pipe of the pair of said heat conductors whereby heat is preferentially channeled up through one pipe of a pair and down in another pipe of the pair to vent into said combustion chamber.  
   
   
       14 . The reactor of  claim 10  wherein said pairs are arranged in two or more concentric rings.  
   
   
       15 . The reactor of  claim 1  wherein said cycling means for preferentially channeling includes one or more heat conductors extending into and opening in said pyrolysis chamber whereby pyrolysis gases flow into said pyrolysis chamber through said heat conductors whereby heating and cooling is accelerated at internal portions of the pyrolysis chamber.  
   
   
       16 . The reactor of  claim 1  including a combustion chamber surrounding said pyrolysis chamber and one or more ports sealed from said pyrolysis chamber whereby combustion gases flow in said combustion chamber around and sealed from said pyrolysis chamber and wherein said cycling means for preferentially channeling includes one or more heat conductors extending into and opening in said pyrolysis chamber whereby pyrolysis gases flow into said pyrolysis chamber through said heat conductors and whereby heating and cooling is accelerated at internal portions of the pyrolysis chamber and at external portions of the pyrolysis chamber.  
   
   
       17 . The reactor of  claim 16  including means for controlling the flow to said one or more ports and to said heat conductors whereby heat is preferentially channeled through said heat conductors and said combustion chamber.  
   
   
       18 . The reactor of  claim 1  including a combustion chamber surrounding said pyrolysis chamber with sides extending from a bottom to a top and wherein said cycling means for preferentially channeling includes one or more burners with nozzles directed at an angle for injecting gases into said combustion chamber so as to cause a rotational swirl to the combustion gases.  
   
   
       19 . The reactor of  claim 18  wherein said combustion chamber includes contoured walls for directing said combustion gases toward the top.  
   
   
       20 . The reactor of  claim 19  wherein said contoured walls are fluted.  
   
   
       21 . The reactor of  claim 1  further including sensor means for sensing the temperature at multiple locations internal to said pyrolysis chamber.  
   
   
       22 . The reactor of  claim 21  wherein said sensor means includes thermocouples supported by heat conductors internal to said pyrolysis chamber.  
   
   
       23 . The reactor of  claim 1  where the waste material is waste tires.  
   
   
       24 . The reactor of  claim 1  where the waste material is automobile fluff.  
   
   
       25 . The reactor of  claim 1  where the waste material is hospital waste.  
   
   
       26 . A pyrolysis system for the recovery of pyrolysis products by processing waste material comprising, 
 a batch pyrolysis reactor including, 
 a pyrolysis chamber having an opening for receiving and extracting solids,  
 a port for purging oxygen from the pyrolysis chamber,  
 cycling means for cycling the temperature of waste material in the pyrolysis chamber over a pyrolysis period including, 
 preferentially channeling heat to the waste material to accelerate raising the temperature of the waste material to a pyrolysis temperature, and  
 preferentially channeling heat from the waste material to accelerate cooling the temperature of the waste material,  
 
 a port for porting pyrolysis gas from the reactor during the pyrolysis period and leaving a solid residue in the pyrolysis chamber after the pyrolysis period,  
   a solid processing unit for placing waste material in the pyrolysis chamber prior to the pyrolysis period and for removing the solid residue after the pyrolysis period,    a heating unit for heating and cooling the pyrolysis chamber during the pyrolysis period,    a gas/liguid unit for processing the pyrolysis gas to form liquid and gas pyrolysis products,    a control unit for controlling the pyrolysis system.    
   
   
       27 . The pyrolysis system of  claim 26  wherein said gas/liguid unit includes a condenser unit for cooling the pyrolysis gas to provided liquid products and uncondensed gas, an uncondensed gas unit connected for processing the uncondensed gas to provide gas products including fuel to fire the batch pyrolysis reactor.  
   
   
       28 . The pyrolysis system of  claim 27  wherein said condenser unit operates over different temperature ranges to fractionally condense oils of different weights and wherein said gas/liguid unit includes a condensed liquid unit for processing and storing oil products by weights.  
   
   
       29 . An array for the recovery of pyrolysis products by processing waste material, said array comprising, 
 a plurality of pyrolysis systems and a control unit for controlling the pyrolysis systems, each pyrolysis system comprising, 
 a batch pyrolysis reactor including, 
 a pyrolysis chamber having an opening for receiving and extracting solids,  
 a port for purging oxygen from the pyrolysis chamber,  
 cycling means for cycling the temperature of waste material in the pyrolysis chamber over a pyrolysis period including,  
 preferentially channeling heat to the waste material to accelerate raising the temperature of the waste material to a pyrolysis temperature, and  
 preferentially channeling heat from the waste material to accelerate cooling the temperature of the waste material,  
 a port for porting pyrolysis gas from the reactor during the pyrolysis period and leaving a solid residue in the pyrolysis chamber after the pyrolysis period,  
 
 a heating unit for heating and cooling the pyrolysis chamber during the pyrolysis period,  
 a solid processing unit for placing waste material in the pyrolysis chamber prior to the pyrolysis period and for removing the solid residue after the pyrolysis period,  
 a gas/liguid unit for processing the pyrolysis gas to form liquid and gas pyrolysis products.  
   
   
   
       30 . The array of  claim 29  wherein said control unit operates to sequence said pyrolysis systems with one or more of said batch pyrolysis reactors operating in a pyrolysis period whereby said array is in continuous pyrolysis operation.  
   
   
       31 . The array of  claim 29  wherein two or more heating units are combined for groups of batch pyrolysis reactors.  
   
   
       32 . The array of  claim 29  wherein said port for purging oxygen from the pyrolysis chamber is supplied with nitrogen.  
   
   
       33 . The array of  claim 29  wherein two or more gas/liguid units are combined for groups of batch pyrolysis reactors.  
   
   
       34 . A method for the recovery of pyrolysis products by batch processing waste material in a pyrolysis reactor comprising, 
 placing the waste material in a pyrolysis chamber,    sealing the pyrolysis chamber to exclude oxygen,    purging said pyrolysis chamber with nitrogen to remove oxygen,    cycling the temperature of the waste material in the pyrolysis chamber over a pyrolysis period including, 
 first, raising the temperature of the waste material to a pyrolysis temperature by preferentially channeling heat to the waste material to accelerate the heating process, and  
 second, cooling the waste material by preferentially channeling heat from the waste material to accelerate the cooling process,  
   extracting pyrolysis gas from the reactor during the pyrolysis period,    processing the pyrolysis gas to form liquid and gas pyrolysis products,    unsealing the reactor,    extracting a solid residue from the pyrolysis chamber.    
   
   
       35 . A method according to  claim 34  characterized by introducing and circulating a preheated inactive gas in a starting phase of the pyrolysis period in order to preheat the waste material in the reactor.  
   
   
       36 . A method according to  claim 34  characterized in introducing and circulating a relatively cool inactive gas in a final phase of the pyrolysis period in order to achieve a rapid cooling.  
   
   
       37 . A method according to  claim 34  characterized by measuring the relative amount and the composition of the pyrolysis gas and using the information obtained for controlling and regulating the pyrolysis period.  
   
   
       38 . A method according to  claim 37  characterized in that chromatographs are used to determine the composition of the pyrolysis gas.  
   
   
       39 . A method according to  claim 37  characterized in that the composition of the pyrolysis gas is measured at a port from the pyrolysis chamber and at a condenser in a gas/liquid unit receiving the pyrolysis gas.  
   
   
       40 . A method according to  claim 34  wherein the waste material is in a largely fragmented condition.  
   
   
       41 . A method according to  claim 34  wherein the waste material is heated to a temperature of from 450 to 600 degree C.  
   
   
       42 . A method according to  claim 34  wherein the waste material is heated to a temperature of from 800 to 900 degree C.