Shear Retort for Ablative Pyrolysis

A shear retort processor apparatus for slow ablative pyrolysis, comprising:

• a rotating disk with a shearing surface centered on an axis of rotation and having a flattened conical profile;
• a drive motor coupled to the rotating disk to produce disk rotation on said axis of rotation;
• a cylindrical drum having a disk interior and enclosing said rotating disk, the drum also centered on said axis of rotation, having a drum interior and enclosing said disk, and having a shearing surface facing said shearing surface of said rotating disk;
• a workspace defined by the space between the rotating disk and the drum;
• a hollow feed shaft coupled to the rotating disk and centered on said axis of rotation;
• a feed introduced into the hollow feed shaft and then into the workspace to produce processed solid material, gaseous emissions and liquid fractions;
• a static exhaust pipe also centered on said axis of rotation, extending downwards into said workspace and upwards beyond said feed shaft, and serving as a conduit for the exhaust of gaseous emissions;
• and
• a drum storage area located in the interior of the drum and exterior to the workspace and the rotating disk, wherein pyrolyzed solid material accumulates after being extruded from the periphery of the workspace, with the accumulation being sufficient to cover at least part of the upper surface of the rotating disk.