Thermochemical conversion of biomass to syngas via an entrained pyrolysis/gasification process
AssigneeGeorgia Tech Research Institute
InventorsKenneth R. Purdy, Charles W. Gorton, James A. Knight, Jr.
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Biomass feedstock raw material is converted to synthesis gas by drying and sizing biomass raw material, pyrolyzing the processed biomass in intimate mixture with inert gases such as combustion products, thereby obtaining a product mixture of char, pyrolysis oil, and pyrolysis gas, and gasifying the char and some of the pyrolysis oil in the presence of steam and oxygen at a temperature sufficient to form the synthesis gas product substantially comprising carbon monoxide and hydrogen.
Claims23
A method of converting biomass raw material to synthesis gas comprising;
- drying and sizing said biomass raw material;
- introducing said biomass raw material into an entrained pyrolysis chamber;
- pyrolyzing said biomass raw material with pyrolysis oil and preheated air and intimately mixing said entrained biomass raw material and pyrolysis oil and air with a hot inert gaseous mixture and conveying the mixture through the entrained pyrolysis chamber, thereby obtaining a product mixture of char, pyrolysis oil and pyrolysis gas, said pyrolysis gas being fed back for use in at least said drying step;
- and
- gasifying said char and pyrolysis oil in the presence of steam and oxygen by conveying the char, oil, steam, and oxygen through a flow reactor, at a temperature sufficient to form said synthesis gas product consisting essentially of carbon monoxide and hydrogen.
An apparatus for the conversion of biomass raw material to synthesis gas, comprising:
- means for drying said biomass raw material;
- means for grinding said dried biomass raw material;
- pyrolyzer means for pyrolyzing said ground biomass raw material at a temperature of 900.degree. to 1600.degree. F. as said material is intimately mixed with an inert carrier gas stream yielding a product mixture of pyrolysis oil, pyrolysis gas and char;
- means for feeding said pyrolysis gas back for use by at least said drying means;
- and
- gasifier means for gasifying said char in the presence of steam and oxygen to a synthesis gas product consisting essentially of carbon monoxide and hydrogen.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.