US 2023/0103111 A1 · BED LEVEL SENSOR FOR SOLID BEDS WITH LEVELING ACTUATORS

Abstract

A biochar production system includes a reactor body, a central rod disposed within the reactor body, a leveling arm extending from the central rod and configured to rotate about the central rod, and a bed level sensor system. The bed level sensor system includes a float configured to move from a resting position on a biomass in the reactor to an ending position upon contact with the leveling arm, and a level sensor coupled to the float via a connector. The level sensor is configured to correspondingly move with the float. A controller is configured to detect bed levels of the biomass within the reactor body, and determine a plurality of sample readings based on the detected bed levels.

Claims23

Dependent claims

A biochar production system comprising:

a reactor body;
a leveling arm configured to move along a leveling place in the reactor body;
a bed level sensor system comprising:
a float configured to move from a resting position on a biomass in the reactor to an ending position upon contact with the leveling arm;
and
a level sensor coupled to the float via a connector, the level sensor configured to correspondingly move with the float;
and
a controller configured to:
detect bed levels of the biomass within the reactor body;
and
determine a plurality of sample readings based on the detected bed levels.

8 more elements

A method of selectively controlling a biochar production system, the method comprising:

receiving by a controller of the biochar production system, an operating parameter value, the operating parameter value determined by a bed level sensor system;
determining by the controller, whether the operating parameter value is greater than or meets a predetermined set point based on a bin volume of the reactor body;
responsive to determining the operating parameter value is greater than or meets the predetermined set point, activating at least one of (a) an extractor to direct more biochar out of the reactor body and (b) a conveyer to direct less biomass into the reactor of the biochar production system to maintain a target operating parameter value;
responsive to determining the operating parameter value is less than the predetermined set point, activating at least one of (a) the extractor to direct less biochar out of the reactor body and (b) the conveyer to direct more biomass into the reactor of the biochar production system to maintain the target operating parameter value.

1 more element

A controller communicatively coupled to a sensor of a biochar production system, the controller configured to:

receive an output from a bed level sensor, the bed level sensor configured to determine a bed level in a reactor body;
determine a set point indicative of a desired bed level;
determine whether the output from the bed level sensor is greater than or equal to the set point;
responsive to determining the output is greater than or equal to the set point, activate at least one of (a) an extractor to direct more biochar out of the reactor body and (b) a conveyer to direct less biomass into the reactor of the biochar production system to maintain a target operating parameter value;
responsive to determining the output is not greater than or equal to the set point, activate at least one of (a) the extractor to direct less biochar out of the reactor body and (b) the conveyer to direct more biomass into the reactor of the biochar production system to maintain the target operating parameter.

2 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application

17/948,507Filed 20 Sep 2022

Priority

29 Sep 2021

Published

30 Mar 2023

Term ends

Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification28 codes

B01J 6/008
Heat treatments such as Calcining; Fusing ; Pyrolysis: pyrolysis reactions
B01J 8/002
Feeding of the particles in the reactor; Evacuation of the particles out of the reactor: with a moving instrument
B01J 19/0006
Chemical, physical or physico-chemical processes in general; Their relevant apparatus: controlling or regulating processes
C10B 1/04
Stationary retorts: vertical retorts

Bed level sensor for solid beds with leveling actuators

Life of this patent

Bed level sensor for solid beds with leveling actuators

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims23