Apparatus to convert organic waste into syngas while manufacturing glass products and method thereof
AssigneeGlass Incorporated
InventorAlbert Lewis
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
This invention relates to using a production glass furnace to melt waste glass and other glass constituents thereby providing a radiant heat source within the furnace to efficiently gasify organic waste materials recovered from a variety of waste streams to thereby produce a synthesis gas (“Syngas”) that is comprised mostly of carbon monoxide, hydrogen, and carbon dioxide that can be further refined and sold as a high value fuel. The gasification of the organic waste within the production glass furnace has minimal impact on the composition of the glass melt thus allowing for the production of the same range of glass products as if no organic waste was added to the furnace.
Claims44
A furnace comprising:
- a hollow body closed to outside air;
- a means for charging the lower portion of said body with material;
- a means of heating said material to a liquid state while not disturbing air movement in upper portion of said body;
- a means for charging the upper portion of said body with waste that separates into gaseous and non-gaseous components when exposed to the heat radiating from heated said material;
- a means of supplying one or more of steam, air, natural gas, hydrogen, or oxygen to said waste;
- a means of removing said material;
- a means of removing said gaseous components;
- a means of removing said non-gaseous component;
- and
- a means of presenting said material to production equipment and producing commercially valuable products.
A hollow body furnace closed to outside air consisting of a lower portion containing glass batch material and a upper portion being void the body comprising:
- one or more lower bubbler rings positioned about the outer periphery of said lower portion containing one or more tubes that protrude into and injects one or more of steam, air, natural gas, hydrogen, or oxygen into said body;
- one or more upper bubbler rings positioned about the outer periphery of said upper portion containing one or more tubes that protrude into and injects one or more of steam, air, natural gas, hydrogen, or oxygen into said body;
- a batch feeder positioned in said upper portion to charge said lower portion with glass batch material;
- a batch pressure feeder positioned in said lower portion to charge said lower portion with glass batch material;
- one or more burners combusting natural gas with air or air and oxygen positioned below said body;
- one or more side burners combusting natural gas with one or more of air, oxygen, or hydrogen positioned positioned about the periphery of said lower portion;
- one or more electrodes positioned about the periphery of said lower portion;
- a waste feeder positioned in said upper portion to charge said upper portion with organic waste that separates into gaseous and non-gaseous components when exposed to the heat radiating from heated said glass batch material;
- one or more channels positioned about the boundary of said lower and upper portions and leading away from said body to remove said gaseous component and melted said glass batch material in the channels:
- being divided into one or more independently electrode controlled temperature zones,
- having one or more vents at the end furthest from said body for said gaseous component to be captured, and
- having one or more production equipment at the end furthest from said body for said glass batch material to be captured and converted into commercially valuable products;
- and
- a slag removal device to capture said non-gaseous component.
A method for creating syngas from waste using a furnace comprising:
- charging the lower portion of said furnace with glass batch material;
- heating said glass batch material to a liquid state while not disturbing air movement above said glass batch material;
- charging the upper portion of said furnace with waste;
- supplying one or more of steam, air, oxygen, or hydrogen to said waste;
- allowing said waste to separate into a gaseous and a non-gaseous component when exposed to said glass batch material's radiant heat;
- capturing a portion of said glass batch material;
- capturing said gaseous component;
- and
- capturing said non-gaseous component.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.