Methods and systems for adjusting inputs to a pyrolysis reactor to improve performance

A pyrolysis system, comprising:

• (a) at least one combustion chamber having a fuel inlet, an oxidant inlet, a combustion product outlet, and an exhaust outlet;
• (b) at least one mixing chamber having a combustion product inlet communicative with the combustion chamber combustion product outlet, a feedstock inlet, and a reaction product outlet;
• (c) hydrogen and carbon sensors in communication with the reaction product outlet;
• (d) a controller having a memory encoded thereon with program code executable by the controller to:
• control supply of a first amount of fuel and oxidant into the at least one combustion chamber within a fuel/oxidant equivalence ratio range, wherein the first amount of fuel and oxidant combust to produce a combustion product;
• control supply of a feedstock and the combustion product into the at least one mixing chamber, wherein the combustion product mixes with the feedstock, and the feedstock is decomposed into reaction products including hydrogen and carbon in a pyrolysis operation;
• monitor the hydrogen and carbon sensors to determine production of the hydrogen and carbon during the pyrolysis operation;
• control supply of a second amount of oxidant into the at least one mixing chamber when the monitored carbon and hydrogen production is outside a target carbon and hydrogen specification, wherein the supplied oxidant is reacted with carbon attached to walls of the at least one mixing chamber;
• and
• control supply of a third amount of fuel and oxidant into the at least one combustion chamber at a rich fuel/oxidant ratio that is higher than the fuel/oxidant equivalence ratio range when only the monitored carbon production is outside a target carbon specification, wherein the third amount of fuel and oxidant combust to produce the combustion product and soot;
• control supply of the feedstock, the combustion product and the soot into the at least one mixing chamber, wherein the combustion product and soot mix with the feedstock, and the feedstock is decomposed into the reaction products in a pyrolysis operation and the soot seeds carbon formation.

A method of operating a pyrolysis reactor, comprising:

• supplying a first amount of fuel and oxidant within a fuel/oxidant equivalence ratio of 0.9 to 1.1 into a combustion chamber and combusting the first amount of fuel and oxidant to produce a combustion product;
• supplying a feedstock and the combustion product into a mixing chamber, wherein the feedstock mixes with the combustion product and is decomposed into reaction products including hydrogen and carbon in a pyrolysis operation;
• monitoring production of the carbon and hydrogen during the pyrolysis operation;
• and
• supplying a second amount of oxidant into the mixing chamber when the monitored carbon and hydrogen production is outside a target carbon and hydrogen specification, and reacting the supplied second amount of oxidant with the carbon attached to walls of the mixing chamber.

A method of operating a pyrolysis reactor, comprising:

• supplying a first amount of fuel and oxidant within a fuel/oxidant equivalence ratio of 0.9 to 1.1 into a combustion chamber and combusting the first amount of fuel and oxidant to produce a combustion product;
• supplying a feedstock and the combustion product into a mixing chamber, wherein the feedstock mixes with the combustion product and is decomposed into reaction products including hydrogen and carbon in a pyrolysis operation;
• monitoring production of the carbon and hydrogen during the pyrolysis operation;
• and
• supplying a second amount of fuel and oxidant into the combustion chamber at a rich fuel/oxidant ratio having a fuel/oxidant equivalence ratio greater than 1.1 when only the monitored carbon production is outside a target carbon specification and combusting the second amount of fuel and oxidant to produce the combustion product and soot;
• supplying the feedstock, the combustion product and the soot into the mixing chamber, wherein the combustion product and soot mix with the feedstock and the feedstock is decomposed into the reaction products in a pyrolysis operation and the soot seeds carbon formation.