Orthogonal pyrolysis system and associated methods

A pyrolysis system for biomass, comprising:

• a pyrolysis chamber having a chamber inlet end and a chamber outlet end comprising,
• an outer pyrolysis chamber having inner and outer chamber walls formed generally concentric to each other defining an outer passage as generally a toroidal passage extending between the chamber inlet end and chamber outlet end along a chamber axis,
• an inner pyrolysis chamber having an inner passage radially inward of the inner chamber wall and extending between the chamber inlet end and chamber outlet end along the chamber axis,
• an inner auger arranged within the inner pyrolysis chamber and operable to remove deposits therefrom;
• a plurality of outer heating elements arranged at the outer chamber wall and located radially outward of the outer passage,
• a plurality of inner heating elements arranged at the inner chamber wall and located radially inward of the outer passage and radially outward of the inner passage, and
• a pyrolysis auger arranged within the outer pyrolysis chamber and operable to advance pyrolyzing biomass from the chamber inlet end to the chamber outlet end, wherein the inner pyrolysis chamber, inner heating elements, pyrolysis auger, outer pyrolysis chamber and outer heating elements are generally concentric;
• a biomass feed extruder comprising an auger housing having a housing inlet that receives biomass and a distal end connected to the chamber inlet end, and a biomass feed auger arranged therein and configured to receive biomass at the housing inlet and advance the biomass from the housing inlet through the auger housing generally orthogonally into the outer pyrolysis chamber, said biomass feed extruder further comprising a ram drive operable to translate the biomass feed auger back and forth to compact the biomass fed into the outer pyrolysis chamber, said biomass feed extruder and outer pyrolysis chamber configured to create a shearing effect on the biomass as it enters the outer pyrolysis chamber from the biomass feed extruder;
• and
• a gas feed system operable to supply a controllable flow of gas to the inner pyrolysis chamber at the chamber inlet end, wherein each of the plurality of heating elements has an active region and of equal length, and different portions of the plurality of heating elements have different lengths, the active regions of each of the different portions of heating elements each terminating an equal distance from the chamber outlet end.

A method of operating a pyrolysis system for biomass, the pyrolysis system comprising a pyrolysis chamber having a chamber inlet end and chamber outlet end, the pyrolysis chamber comprising an outer pyrolysis chamber having inner and outer chamber walls formed generally concentric to each other having an outer passage as generally a toroidal passage extending between the chamber inlet end and chamber outlet end along a chamber axis, an inner pyrolysis chamber defining an inner passage radially inward of the inner chamber wall and extending between the chamber inlet end and chamber outlet end along the chamber axis, an inner auger arranged within the inner pyrolysis chamber and operable to remove deposits therefrom, a plurality of outer heating elements arranged at the outer chamber wall, a plurality of inner heating elements arranged at the inner chamber wall, and a pyrolysis auger operable to advance pyrolyzing biomass within the outer pyrolysis chamber as the toroidal passage from the chamber inlet to the outlet, wherein the inner pyrolysis chamber, inner heating elements, pyrolysis auger, outer pyrolysis chamber and outer heating elements are generally concentric, the method comprising,

• receiving biomass within a biomass feed extruder that includes an auger housing having a biomass feed auger and a housing inlet that receives the biomass and a distal end connected to the chamber inlet end, and advancing the biomass from the housing inlet through the auger housing generally orthogonally into the outer passage of the outer pyrolysis chamber, wherein the biomass feed extruder includes a ram drive operable to translate the biomass feed auger back and forth to compact the biomass fed into the outer pyrolysis chamber as the toroidal passage, said outer pyrolysis chamber configured as a constriction to cause a biofeed deceleration, and then acceleration, and create a shearing effect on the biomass as it enters the outer pyrolysis chamber as the toroidal passage from the biomass feed extruder, wherein each of the plurality of heating elements has an active region and of equal length, and different portions of the plurality of heating elements have different lengths, the active regions of each of the different portions of heating elements each terminating an equal distance from the chamber outlet end.