A rotary reactor for pyrolysis and torrefaction

Abstract

A continuous-feed rotary reactor system, for pyrolysis and torrefaction, said reactor comprising: an auger-based hopper system, to resolve bridging of waste during feeding, said hopper system comprising an input hopper (H 1 , H 2 ), being a two-step hopper (H 1 , H 2 ), for receiving input feed; a first combinatorial airlock valve system (AV 1 , AV 2 ) forming an airlock feeding system, to bridge transfer of feed, a reactor (R), containing a carbon removal mechanism (CRM) with a second combinatorial airlock valve system (AV 3 , AV 4 ), said carbon removal mechanism comprising at least a carbon removal screw configured to receive said carbon char, to process said carbon char, and to output biochar, alternative charcoal, feedstock for bitumen modifier, said carbon removal mechanism (CRM) comprising an auger screw mechanism, and an airtight collection mechanism, which comprises the second combinatorial airlock valve system (AV 3 , AV 4 ), to manipulate residence of time of said carbon char in said reactor.

1 . A continuous-feed rotary reactor system, for pyrolysis and torrefaction, said reactor comprising:
 an auger-based hopper system, to resolve bridging of waste during feeding, said hopper system comprising an input hopper (H 1 , H 2 ), being a two-step hopper (H 1 , H 2 ), for receiving input feed, said input hopper (H 1 , H 2 ) comprising:
 at least an operative top hopper (H 1 ) and at least an operative bottom hopper (H 2 ); 
   a first combinatorial airlock valve system (AV 1 , AV 2 ) forming an airlock feeding system, in order to bridge transfer of feed, said, in that,
 a first airlock valve (AV 1 ), at an operative bottom of the operative top hopper (H 1 ), configured to control feed flow between the operative top hopper (H 1 ) and the operative bottom hopper (H 2 ); 
 a second airlock valve (AV 2 ), at an operative bottom of the operative bottom hopper (H 2 ), configured to control feed to a subsequently located feeding screw (FS); 
   a reactor (R), containing a carbon removal mechanism (CRM), said reactor (R) located subsequent to said feeding screw (FS), configured to receive feed from said feeding screw (FS) in order mix said feed with a catalyst in order to output at least hydrocarbon gas and at least carbon char, said reactor (R) configured with internal circumferentially placed spiral ribbons (RB) such that one or more spiral ribbon elements line an inner circumference of the reactor (R); and   said carbon removal mechanism (CRM), with an auger screw mechanism (AS), located subsequent to said reactor (R), with a second combinatorial airlock valve system (AV 3 , AV 4 ), said carbon removal mechanism comprising at least a carbon removal screw configured to receive said carbon char, to process said carbon char, and to output biochar, alternative charcoal, feedstock for bitumen modifier, said carbon removal mechanism (CRM) comprising an auger screw mechanism, and an airtight collection mechanism, which comprises the second combinatorial airlock valve system (AV 3 , AV 4 ), in order to manipulate residence of time of said carbon char in said reactor, in that,
 a third airlock valve (AV 3 ), provided at the end of said carbon removal mechanism (CRM), configured to control said carbon char disposal; and 
 a fourth airlock valve (AV 4 ), provided at the start of an outlet from where hydrocarbon gas exits said system, configured to control said hydrocarbon gas disposal. 
   
     
     
         2 . The continuous-feed rotary reactor system as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein said first airlock valve (AV 1 ) and said second airlock valve (AV 2 ) being a valve selected from a group of valves consisting of slide gate valves, double flap valves, butterfly valves, and their combination valves. 
     
     
         3 . The continuous-feed rotary reactor system as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein said operative top hooper (H 1 ) is a relatively small hopper which is coupled to said operative bottom hopper (H 2 ) which is a relatively large hopper. 
     
     
         4 . The continuous-feed rotary reactor system as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein said operative top hooper (H 1 ) is a relatively small hopper which is coupled to said operative bottom hopper (H 2 ) which is a relatively large hopper, said hopper (H 2 ) comprising supplementary agitators depending on capacity. 
     
     
         5 . The continuous-feed rotary reactor system as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein said system comprising a control module for controlling said first combinatorial airlock valve system (AV 1 , AV 2 ), with instructions concerning controlling valves, said instructions being:
 shutting said first airlock valve (AV 1 ) and shutting said second airlock valve (AV 2 ) while a determined batch of feed is being input to said operative top hopper (H 1 );   opening said first airlock valve (AV 1 ) and keeping shut second airlock valve (AV 2 ) once said determined batch of feed in input into said operative top hopper (H 1 );   allowing flow of said determined batch of feed from said operative top hopper (H 1 ) to said operative bottom hopper (H 2 ); and   closing said first airlock valve (AV 1 ) and, subsequently, opening said second airlock valve (AV 2 ) to allow said determined batch of continuous feed, from said operative bottom hopper (H 2 ), to move forward in said system.   
     
     
         6 . The continuous-feed rotary reactor system as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein said each spiral ribbon having pitches selected from varying pitches, said pitch being correlative to desired feedstock and desired residence time in said reactor (R). 
     
     
         7 . The continuous-feed rotary reactor system as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein said system comprising a control module for controlling said second combinatorial airlock valve system (AV 3 , AV 4 ), with instructions concerning controlling valves, said instructions being:
 shutting said third airlock valve (AV 3 ) and shutting said fourth airlock valve (AV 4 ) when carbon char is to be removed;   controlling direction of said auger screw (AS), of said carbon removal mechanism (CRM), towards the reactor (R) when the third airlock valve (AV 3 ) is open; and   controlling direction of said auger screw (AS), of said carbon removal mechanism (CRM), away from the reactor (R) when the third airlock valve (AV 3 ) is shut and the fourth airlock valve (AV 4 ) is open.   
     
     
         8 . The continuous-feed rotary reactor system as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein said system comprising:
 a cyclone separator connected to said reactor (R) and to said carbon removal mechanism (CRM), said cyclone separator being configured to receive said hydrocarbon gas so as to separate solids and vapours in order to output tar and heavy fractions as separate outputs;   a catalytic tower (CT) configured to receive gaseous output of said cyclone separator in order to purify said hydrocarbon gas using catalyst in the vapour phase so as to ensure that only light hydrocarbon gas is forwarded to a condensation line;   a condenser (CS) configured to cool the hydrocarbon gas into liquid pyrolysis oil;   an oil gas separation tower wherein said oil and uncondensed hydrocarbon gas from the condenser (CS) are passed through said oil gas separator where the oil flows to a oil storage tank (OT) and the hydrocarbon gas is separated and taken to a gas scrubber; and   a gas scrubber for further cleaning of said hydrocarbon gas.   
     
     
         9 . The continuous-feed reactor as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein said reactor is a horizontal rotary type reactor.