Biofuel Gasification Reactor

Abstract

A biofuel gasification reactor for producing gases that are combustible in an internal combustion engine. The reactor includes a vessel with a loading port and cover, sized to receive biofuel of at least eight by twenty inches. A storage zone provides biofuel via gravity feed only to a plasma zone that oxidizes the biofuel into char and precursor gases. Air nozzles provide air to the plasma zone from a helical air preheater. A char zone receives the precursor gases and char. The precursor gases are substantially converted to effluent gases of hydrogen and carbon monoxide. A grating below the char zone holds the char until it is oxidized to ash. The grating covers the entire bottom of the char zone. The grating is disposed in a substantially fixed and immovable configuration during the operation of the reactor.

1 . A biofuel gasification reactor for producing effluent gases that are combustible in an internal combustion engine, the reactor comprising:
 an elongate vessel disposed in an upright orientation and having a top, a bottom, and a diameter,   a biofuel loading port at the top of the vessel, the loading port having a cover, the loading port sized to receive biofuel of at least about eight inches in diameter and twenty inches in length,   a biofuel storage zone disposed in the vessel below the loading port, the storage zone for storing the biofuel and providing the biofuel to lower zones within the reactor only via gravity feed,   a plasma zone disposed in the vessel below the storage zone for oxidizing the biofuel into char and precursor gases containing at least carbon dioxide and water vapor, the plasma zone having a tapered configuration that is wider at the top and narrower at the bottom,   air nozzles radially disposed through a circumference of the vessel at the plasma zone for providing air to the plasma zone,   a helical air preheater disposed outside the vessel and wrapped around the circumference of the vessel at the plasma zone for receiving air from an ambient environment and providing the air to the nozzles,   a reduction zone disposed in the vessel below the plasma zone for receiving the precursor gases and char from the plasma zone, and having a diameter that is less than the diameter of the vessel,   a char zone disposed in the vessel below the reduction zone for receiving the precursor gases and char from the reduction zone, the char zone having a tapered configuration that is wider at the bottom and narrower at the top,   the precursor gases being substantially converted to effluent gases comprising hydrogen and carbon monoxide within at least one of the reduction zone and the char zone,   a grating disposed at the bottom of the vessel below the char zone for holding the char until it is oxidized to ash and then permitting the ash to fall through the grating, the grating covering the entire bottom of the char zone, the grating disposed in a substantially fixed and immovable configuration during operation of the reactor, the grating for passing substantially all of the effluent gases there through,   an ash cone disposed beneath and partially around the vessel for receiving the ash through the grating, the ash cone having a service port formed therein, where the size of the service port is smaller than the size of the grating, the grating formed in pieces that can be disassembled and passed through the service port and reassembled within the ash cone, and   an effluent gas outlet port disposed in the ash cone above the bottom of the vessel for providing the effluent gases to an internal combustion engine.   
     
     
         2 . The reactor of  claim 1 , wherein the plasma zone, reduction zone, and char zone are all formed of refractory brick inside the reactor vessel. 
     
     
         3 . The reactor of  claim 1 , wherein the reactor vessel is formed of steel. 
     
     
         4 . The reactor of  claim 1 , wherein the grating is formed of steel. 
     
     
         5 . The reactor of  claim 1 , wherein the reduction zone has a diameter of about 27 inches. 
     
     
         6 . The reactor of  claim 1 , wherein the vessel has a diameter of about 108 inches. 
     
     
         7 . The reactor of  claim 1 , wherein the vessel has a length of about 200 inches. 
     
     
         8 . The reactor of  claim 1 , wherein the plasma zone and the reduction zone each have a height of about 28 inches. 
     
     
         9 . The reactor of  claim 1 , wherein the grating is about 24 inches square. 
     
     
         10 . The reactor of  claim 1 , wherein the preheater makes about three complete revolutions around the vessel. 
     
     
         11 . A biofuel gasification system comprising:
 the reactor of  claim 1 , for producing effluent gases,   a cyclone for receiving the effluent gases from the reactor, and for drying, cooling, and purifying the effluent gases at least in part,   a selectively by-passable blower for drawing the effluent gases from the cyclone during a startup phase of the system,   a condenser for selectively receiving the effluent gases from the blower during at least a portion of the startup phase of the system, and for drying, cooling, and purifying the effluent gases at least in part,   a first flare for receiving the effluent gases from the condenser and for indicating the presence of the effluent gases by igniting them,   a cooling tower for selectively receiving the effluent gases from the blower during at least a portion of the startup phase of the system, and for selectively receiving the effluent gases from the cyclone during an operational phase of the system, and for drying, cooling, and purifying the effluent gases at least in part,   a filter for receiving the effluent gases from the cooling tower, and for drying, cooling, and purifying the effluent gases at least in part,   a second flare for selectively receiving the effluent gases from the filter during at least a portion of the startup phase of the system, and for indicating the presence of the effluent gases by igniting them,   an output for selectively receiving the effluent gases from the filter during the operational phase of the system.   
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 11 , further comprising an internal combustion engine for receiving the effluent gases from the output, and burning the effluent gases to produce motive power. 
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 11 , wherein the filter further comprises first and second separate filters, the first filter for receiving the effluent gases from the cooling tower, and the second filter for receiving the effluent gases from the first filter. 
     
     
         14 . A method for producing effluent gases that are combustible in an internal combustion engine, the method comprising the steps of:
 receiving biofuel of at least about eight inches in diameter and twenty inches in length through a loading port at the top of an elongate vessel,   dropping the biofuel through a storage zone disposed in the vessel below the loading port, the storage zone providing the biofuel to lower zones within the reactor only via gravity feed,   oxidizing the biofuel into char and precursor gases containing at least carbon dioxide and water vapor in a plasma zone disposed in the vessel below the storage zone, the plasma zone having a tapered configuration that is wider at the top and narrower at the bottom,   providing air to the plasma zone with air nozzles that are radially disposed through a circumference of the vessel at the plasma zone,   receiving air from an ambient environment and providing the air to the nozzles through a helical air preheater disposed outside the vessel and wrapped around the circumference of the vessel at the plasma zone,   restricting passage of the biofuel through the plasma zone with a reduction zone that is disposed in the vessel below the plasma zone and has a smaller diameter than the plasma zone,   receiving the precursor gases and char from the reduction zone with a char zone disposed in the vessel below the reduction zone, the char zone having a tapered configuration that is wider at the bottom and narrower at the top,   substantially converting the precursor gases to effluent gases comprising hydrogen and carbon monoxide within at least one of the reduction zone and the char zone,   holding the char from the char zone with a grating until the char is oxidized to ash and then permitting the ash to fall through the grating, retaining the grating in a substantially fixed and immovable configuration during operation,   passing substantially all of the effluent gases through the grating, and   providing the effluent gases to an outlet.   
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14 , further comprising receiving the effluent gases at the outlet and filtering them to reduce particulate content. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 14 , further comprising receiving the effluent gases at the outlet and cooling them. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 14 , further comprising receiving the effluent gases at the outlet and drying them. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 14 , further comprising receiving the effluent gases at the outlet and burning them in an internal combustion engine. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 14 , further comprising receiving the effluent gases at the outlet and using them to power an electrical generator. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 14 , further comprising receiving the effluent gases at the outlet, filtering, drying, and cooling them, and burning them in an internal combustion engine to power an electrical generator.