Process and system for converting waste material to fuel or synthetic gas feedstock
OwnerJohn R. Lersch, Lynell Braughtinventors
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Abstract
A waste processing system and method is described. The waste processing system may be used to treat any type of waste material that may be decomposed upon the application of energy, wherein recyclable metal and/or a gaseous end product is/are generated which may have commercial or industrial applications. The waste material may be reduced in size and passed to a purge vessel where the oxygen content of the waste material is reduced. The waste material is then heated in a heat exchanger which may be linearly elongated and passed to a conversion chamber where it is treated with H—H—O gas torches. A final gaseous end product is generated which may be used as a fuel source.
Claims20
A system for processing waste material, comprising:
- a means for reducing overall dimensions of a quantity of waste material;
- a temporary storage receptacle;
- a purging chamber in fluid communication with the temporary storage receptacle comprising at least one purging valve, wherein the purging chamber is flanked at both ends by closure valves;
- a conveyor/heat exchanger assembly in fluid communication with the purging chamber, wherein the conveyor/heat exchanger is linearly elongated and comprises:
- an inner bore, wherein the inner bore comprises a means for conveyance of the waste material, and
- an outer bore;
- a conversion chamber in fluid communication with both the inner and outer bores of the conveyor/heat exchanger assembly, comprising:
- a jacket of refractory material,
- at least one H—H—O gas torch, and
- at least one valve for removal of solids from the conversion chamber;
- and
- a gas storage container in fluid communication with the outer bore of the conveyor/heat exchanger assembly.
A method for processing waste, comprising:
- reducing dimensions of a quantity of waste material;
- passing the reduced dimension waste material to a purge chamber;
- reducing the quantity of oxygen in the purge chamber;
- passing the oxygen free reduced dimension waste material from the purge chamber through a heat exchanger;
- heating the oxygen free reduced dimension waste material in the heat exchanger;
- passing the heated oxygen free reduced dimension waste material from the heat exchanger to a conversion chamber;
- heating the oxygen free reduced dimension waste material in the conversion chamber using at least one H—H—O gas torch to generate at least a gaseous product;
- passing the gaseous product through a heat exchanger to cool the gaseous product;
- and
- harnessing the gaseous product.
The method according to claim 16, wherein the gaseous product is passed through a second heat exchanger to further cool the gaseous product before harnessing.
A gaseous fuel produced by a process, comprising:
- removing recyclable metal materials from a quantity of waste material;
- reducing the dimensions of the waste material;
- passing the reduced dimension waste material to a purge chamber;
- reducing the quantity of oxygen in the purge chamber;
- passing the oxygen free reduced dimension waste material from the purge chamber through a heat exchanger;
- heating the oxygen free reduced dimension waste material in the heat exchanger;
- passing the heated oxygen free reduced dimension waste material from the heat exchanger to a conversion chamber;
- heating the oxygen free reduced dimension waste material in the conversion chamber using at least one H—H—O gas torch to generate at least a gaseous product;
- and
- harnessing the gaseous product.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.