Garbage in power out (gipo) thermal conversion process
AssigneeSustainable Waste Power Systems, Inc.
InventorsMichael J. Gillespie, Christopher P. Gillespie
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A system for gasifying a carbonaceous feedstock, such as municipal waste, to generate power includes a devolatilization reactor that creates char from the feedstock and a gasifier that creates a product gas from both the char and from volatiles released when devolatilizing the feedstock. The product gas is reacted in a fuel cell to create electrical energy and process heat. The process heat is used to heat the devolatilization reactor and the gasifier. The gasifier comprises a plurality of configurable circuits that can each be tuned to meet the individual needs of the char material being gasified.
Claims24
A system for producing a product gas from a feedstock, the system comprising:
- a plurality of heating channels, each heating channel comprising a heating fluid metering device for metering the flow of a heating fluid through the respective heating channel;
- and
- a plurality of gasifying circuits, each gasifying circuit at least partially disposed within a respective heating channel, each gasifying circuit comprising a feedstock metering device for metering the flow of feedstock through the respective gasifying circuit.
A devolatilization reactor comprising:
- a pressurizable vessel body;
- a heating medium jacket disposed on the pressurizable vessel body and configured to accept a flow of a heating medium through the heating medium jacket, the heating medium jacket comprising an inlet port for the heating medium and an outlet port for the heating medium;
- a feedstock entrance port coupled to the pressurizable vessel body for introducing feedstock into the pressurizable vessel body;
- and
- a separation column coupled to the pressurizable vessel body, the separation column comprising:
- a steam admission port for introducing steam into the separation column;
- a volatile scavenging port for permitting the escape of volatile gases from the pressurizable vessel body;
- and
- a feedstock exit port for permitting feedstock to exit the pressurizable vessel body.
A method for processing a carbonaceous feedstock comprising:
- utilizing the feedstock to create a feedstock slurry comprising between 40% and 80% water;
- devolatilizing the feedstock slurry at between 300 and 900 psi and between 300 and 600 degrees F. for between 5 and minutes to generate a char slurry comprising char and between 40% and 80% water;
- subjecting the char slurry to temperatures between 500 and 2000 degrees Fahrenheit and pressures between 0 and 900 psia to gasify the char slurry to generate a product gas;
- supplying the product gas to a primary energy generator to generate mechanical or electrical power which exhausts a heated fluid, either gas or liquid;
- and
- utilizing the exhaust to indirectly heat at least one of the feedstock slurry and the char slurry.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.