Pyrolysis reactor with optimized reaction sequencing

Abstract

System and method for processing pyrolyzable materials in order to recover usable end products are disclosed. The pyrolysis process comprises a number of stages. First pre-treating is to reduce moisture content to approximately 15%. Second is to optimize the volatile organic under the heat and vacuum. This treatment stage is carried out at the temperature between 350 to 400° C. Next, the material is treated with heat and vacuum to produce hot gas and solid carbon residue. This stage is carried out at the temperature up to 800° C. The solid carbon residue can be separated from the hot gas, the volatile organic materials condensed to produce liquid hydrocarbon and gas products. Pyrolysis processes and system according to the present invention are able to thermally decompose carbon-containing materials, including, but not limited to, tires and other rubber-containing materials, hydrocarbon-containing products including pyrolysis oil, used oil and lubricants, organic wastes and alike, carbon containing minerals like brown and bituminous coal, oil shale and oil bearing schists. System and pyrolysis methods according to aspects of the present invention may be successful on a commercial scale.

1 . A pyrolysis reactor for processing pyrolyzable materials in order to recover usable end products comprising:
 (a) a substantially cylindrical retort, extending through and stationary relative to said reactor and having an upstream end and a downstream end, each end being outside of said reactor;   (b) feeding means for feeding the substance containing pyrolyzable materials into said retort, said feeding means communicating with the upstream portion of said retort;   (c) means located within said retort for moving the pyrolyzable materials from the upstream portion of said retort to the downstream portion thereof;   (d) solids residue removing means for removing solids residue from said retort, said solids residue removing means communicating with the downstream portion of said retort;   (e) solids residue introducing means for introducing said solids residue removed from said retort, one end of said introducing means communicating with said solids residue removing means and the other end thereof communicating with the bottom portion of said retort;   (f) solids residue extracting means for extracting solids residue from said retort and communicating with the lower downstream portion of said retort;   (g) heating means for heating the particles;   (h) usable end products means condensable hydrocarbon vapors and product gas   (i) hydrocarbon vapors removing means for removing hydrocarbon vapors from said retort, said hydrocarbon vapors removing means communicating with said retort at least one point located upstream, with respect to the flow of said pyrolyzable materials in said retort, from said feeding means;   (j) solids residue flow controlling means for controlling the flow of the solids residue while the solids residue is being employed as particles of the said retort such that the solids residue flow from the upstream portion to the downstream portion of said retort and in a direction substantially countercurrent to the flow within said retort of the pyrolyzable materials, said solids residue flow controlling means including at least one partition separating said retort into a plurality of successively adjacent sections, each partition which is downstream, with respect to the flow of particles in said retort; and   (l) regulating means for regulating the levels of the pyrolyzable materials maintained within the said retort whereby solids residue which is in a section of said retort downstream, with respect to the flow of particles in said retort, from another section thereof may be caused to overflow into the section of the retort which is immediately downstream therefrom with respect to the flow of particles in said retort.   
     
     
         2 . A system according to  claim 1  further including:
 (a) heating means to heat the granular material; and 
 (b) heating means coupled in gas flow communication with said heating means to pyrolyze said granulated material and to produce hot gases which are transferred from said heating means; 
 (c) classifier means coupled to receive granular material; 
 (d) transfer means coupled to said classifier means to convey the receive granular material to said heating means. 
 
     
     
         3 . A system to heat granular material and to pyrolyze comprising:
 (a) multiple hearth heating means including,   i. an upper zone to heat the granular material;   ii. a lower zone to receive hot granular material and to pyrolyze said material;   (b) classifier means coupled to receive granular material from said multiple hearth heating means;   (c) transfer means coupled to said classifier means to convey the granular material to said lower zone means.   
     
     
         4 . A system according to  claim 3  further including means to convey the hot granular material directly from said upper zone to said lower zone. 
     
     
         5 . A process for pyrolyze granular material comprising:
 (a) introducing the granular material into a heating means;   (b) heating the granular material to produce hot gases;   (c) transferring the hot gases from the heating means to heat the granular material;   (d) transferring the hot granular material to a classifier;   (e) transferring the granular material from the classifier to the heating means to be heated.   
     
     
         5 . The system claimed in  claim 1  wherein the hydrocarbon vapors removing means communicate with said retort at a plurality of points located substantially along the said retort and downstream, with respect to the flow of said granular material in said retort, from said feeding means. 
     
     
         6 . The system claimed in  claim 3  wherein:
 (a) the substance within the multiple hearth heating means of the said retort is heated to a temperature approximately 400° C. or 725° F., 
 (b) the substance within the middle section of the said retort is heated to a temperature approximately 900° C. or 1652° F., 
 (c) and the temperature of the section nearest the downstream end of the said retort maintained at approximately 149° C. or 300° F. 
 
     
     
         7 . The system claimed in  claim 3  wherein the length of time between when the said granular material is fed into the retort and when corresponding solids residue is removed from the retort is approximately:
 (a) 5 to approximately 15 minutes for the said upper zone of said retort; and 
 (b) 45 to approximately 55 minutes for the said lower zone of said retort. 
 
     
     
         8 . The system claimed in  claim 3  wherein the removal of the hydrocarbon vapors is performed by removing the hydrocarbon vapors at a plurality of points located substantially along the said retort. 
     
     
         9 . The system claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the thermal coating of the said reactor the inner metal bond coating layer, which contacts the surface of the said reactor, consists essentially of enamel frit, sand mixed with 50% solution of sodium tetra-Borat (Na 2 B 4 O 7 ), clay, titanium dioxide, and colloidal silicon dioxide (SiO 2 ). The metal bond coating layer is, in turn, coated with an outer layer containing fluoroplastic F4D and oxiethylated alkylphenols (polyethylene-ethylene-alkyl phenyl ethers) (RC 6 H 4 O(CH 2 CH 2 O) n H or Neonol AF 9-12 oxyethylated nonylphenol (C 9 H 19 C 6 H 4 O(C 2 H 4 O) 12 H). 
     
     
         10 . The system claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the anti-adhesive coating system of the said reactor the inner metal bond coating layer, which contacts the surface of the exhaust system, consists essentially of perfluoropolyetheric acid “6MFK-180” (CF 3 O(CF 2 CF 2 O)nCF 2 COOH where n=34-35) mixed with 1,2-difluorotetracloroethane (C 2 Cl 4 F 2 ) and 1,1,2-trifluorotrichlorethane (CF 2 ClCFCl 2 ) at the 4:1 weight ratio.