Pyrolysis apparatus
OwnerLeland T. Taylorinventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A conical reaction region in a pyrolysis device has an adjustable height, adjustable speed agitator in the vicinity of the grate and a second agitator stirring the incoming material. A feed auger stops short of the reaction chamber to produce a sealing region in which the incoming feed material effectively produces a gas tight seal preventing the exit of reaction products. A gas outlet flow rate sensor controls the air inflow rate and/or lower agitator speed. Temperature and other sensors may be used to further optimize the process.
Claims22
A pyrolysis apparatus comprising:
- (a) a sealed reaction vessel;
- (b) a lower portion of said vessel having a tapering shape, said tapering shape having its apex downwardly located;
- (c) a grate located intermediate the upper and lower ends of said tapering shape extending substantially across the entire cross-section thereof dividing said lower portion of said vessel into an upper sector and a lower sector;
- (d) a movable lower agitator above said grate;
- (e) said lower agitator being displaceable toward and away from said grate;
- (f) an upper agitator above said lower agitator operable independently of the lower agitator;
- (g) feed means for feeding raw material to be pyrolyzed to said reaction vessel above said grate;
- (h) means for varying the agitation of said lower agitator to control the feed rate of said material to be pyrolyzed to said grate;
- (i) air pressure supply means for supplying air under pressure to said reaction vessel below said grate to sustain a combustion zone within said upper sector just above said grate;
- (j) means for varying said air pressure;
- (k) means for removing uncombusted residue below said grate;
- and
- (l) means for removing gaseous products from the top of said reaction vessel.
In a pyrolysis apparatus of the type having a sealed reaction vessel, and means for removing gaseous product and other residues from the reaction vessel,
- (a) a grate located intermediate the upper and lower ends of said reaction vessel, extending substantially across the entire cross-section thereof;
- defining thereby an upper section and lower section of said sealed reaction vessel;
- (b) a movable lower agitator above said grate;
- (c) said movable lower agitator including:
- (i) a horizontally oscillatory bar having transverse bars attached thereto;
- (ii) means for translating said bar toward and away from said grate;
- (iii) means for horizontally oscillating said bar at a variable rate;
- (d) an upper agitator above said lower agitator operable independently of the lower agitator;
- (e) said upper agitator including:
- (i) a second bar extending horizontally across said upper section of said sealed reaction vessel;
- (ii) a plurality of plates disposed on said second bar;
- (iii) means for rotating said second bar at a rate independent of movement of said first bar;
- (f) feed means for feeding raw materials to said sealed reaction vessel;
- (g) air pressure means for supplying air under pressure to said sealed reaction vessel;
- and
- (h) means for varying said air pressure.
In pyrolysis apparatus of the type having a sealed reaction vessel, means for removing gaseous products from the sealed reaction vessel, means for feeding raw materials into said reaction vessel, air pressure supply means, means for removing uncombusted residue, and a grate supporting a combustion zone inside said sealed reaction vessel,
- (a) a movable lower agitator above said grate;
- (b) said lower agitator including:
- (i) a horizontally oscillatory bar having transverse bars attached thereto;
- (ii) means for translating said bar toward and away from said grate;
- (iii) means for horizontally oscillating said bar at a variable rate;
- (c) an upper agitator above said lower agitator and operable independently of the lower agitator;
- (d) said upper agitator including:
- (i) a second bar extending horizontally across said upper portion of said sealed reaction vessel;
- (ii) a plurality of plates disposed on said second bar;
- (iii) means for rotating said second bar at a rate independent of the movement of said first bar.
A pyrolysis apparatus comprising:
- (a) a sealed reaction vessel having a pyramidal lower portion joined to a parallelipiped upper portion;
- (b) a grate intermediate the top and bottom of said pyramidal lower portion and extending substantially across the cross-section thereof;
- (c) an air blower;
- (d) a conduit between said air blower and said reaction vessel below said grate;
- (e) control means for controlling the amount of air flowing through said conduit;
- (f) feed means for feeding material to be treated to said parallelipiped upper portion;
- (g) an out-flow line in said parallelipiped portion for carrying of gaseous products of the reaction;
- (h) an upper agitator;
- (i) said upper agitator comprising:
- (i) a bar extending horizontally across said parallelipiped upper portion;
- (ii) a plurality of plates disposed on said bar;
- (j) means for driving said upper agitator to rotate at a variable rate;
- (k) a lower agitator below said upper agitator and above said grate;
- (l) said lower agitator comprising;
- (i) a horizontally oscillatory bar having transverse bars attached thereto above said grate;
- (ii) at least a first end of said bar extending into and through said pyramidal lower portion;
- (iii) at least one seal for sealing about the portion of said bar which extends through said pyramidal lower portion;
- (iv) means for permitting translation of said bar toward and away from said grate.
In a pyrolysis apparatus of the type having a sealed reaction vessel, means for feeding raw materials to said sealed reaction vessel and means for removing gaseous product and residues from the reaction vessel,
- (a) a lower portion of said vessel having a tapering shape, the cross-sectional area at the bottom of said lower portion being less than the cross-sectional area at the top of said lower portion;
- (b) A grate located intermediate the top and bottom of said lower portion, said grate extending substantially across the entire cross-section thereof
- (c) movable lower agitator above said grate;
- (d) means for moving said lower agitator;
- (e) means for translating said lower agitator toward and away from said grate;
- (f) an upper agitator above said lower agitator;
- (g) means for moving said upper agitator independently of the movement of said lower agitator.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.