Cyclic char fuel oxidation reactors with cross flow primary reactors

In a cyclic char fuel oxidation reactor plant comprising:

• a separate compressor means for compressing reactant gases comprising at least one stage and each said stage comprising an outlet pipe for reactant gases being compressed therein;
• drive means for driving said compressor;
• at least one separate expander means for expanding reacted gases and each expander comprising at least one stage and each said stage comprising an inlet pipe for reacted gases to be expanded therein;
• a source of reactant gas containing appreciable oxygen gas;
• said compressor comprising an inlet to the lowest pressure stage thereof;
• a fixed open gas flow connection from said compressor inlet to said source of reactant gas;
• said expander comprising an outlet from the lowest pressure stage thereof;
• at least one receiver of expanded reacted gas;
• a fixed open gas flow connection from said expander outlet to said receiver of reacted gas;
• means for absorbing any work output of said expander;
• a number of primary reactor pressure vessel containers at least equal to the sum of the number of compressor stages plus the number of expander stages and each said primary reactor pressure vessel container comprising:
• at least a primary char fuel reaction chamber within said primary reactor pressure vessel container;
• an inlet to said primary reactor pressure vessel container;
• at least one first outlet from said primary reactor pressure vessel container,
• said primary char fuel reaction chamber comprising:
• a refuel end and an ash collection end;
• a refuel mechanism means for placing char fuel into said primary reactor via the refuel end thereof;
• a direction of char fuel motion within said primary reactor from said refuel end toward said ash collection end;
• a peripheral dimension around the outer surface of said primary reactor at right angles to said char fuel motion direction;
• a volatile matter distillation and fuel preheat zone positioned toward said refuel end of said primary reactor;
• an ash collection zone positioned toward said ash collection end of said primary reactor;
• a rapid reaction zone positioned between said volatile matter distillation and fuel preheat zone and said ash collection zone;
• at least one means for removing ashes from said primary reactor;
• means for preheating said char fuel within said primary reactor to that temperature at which said char fuel reacts rapidly with oxygen in adjacent compressed reactant gases when said cyclic char fuel oxidation reactor plant is being started;
• means for driving said compressor means when said cyclic char fuel oxidation reactor plant is being started;
• several separate changeable gas flow connections, comprising means for opening and closing, from each compressor stage outlet pipe to each primary reactor pressure vessel container inlet and from each expander stage inlet of at least one expander to each primary reactor pressure vessel container first outlet;
• control means for controlling said means for opening and closing said several separate changeable gas flow connections so that:
• each said primary reactor pressure vessel container is open gas flow connected, in a sequence of time periods, first to each compressor stage outlet in time order of increasing stage outlet pressure, then to each expander stage inlet in time order of decreasing stage inlet pressure;
• each compressor stage outlet is open gas flow connected to but one primary reactor pressure vessel container during any one time period of said sequence of time periods, and each expander stage inlet is open gas flow connected to but one primary reactor pressure vessel container during any one time period of said sequence of time periods, and each primary reactor pressure vessel container is open gas flow connected to but one stage during any one time period of said sequence of time periods;
• said sequence of time periods of open gas flow connections to compressor stage outlets and to expander stage inlets is repeated for each said primary reactor pressure vessel container;
• an improvement comprising:
• dividing said peripheral dimension of said primary reactor into a separate inlet portion, a separate outlet portion and a separate sealed portion;
• adding to each primary reactor:
• a reactant gas manifold comprising an inlet and an outlet, said outlet connecting to reactant gas inlet ports into said primary reaction chamber, and these ports positioned along at least that portion of the length of said primary reaction chamber in said direction of char fuel motion which is adjacent to said volatile matter distillation zone, and these ports also positioned around only said inlet portion of the periphery of said primary reaction chamber;
• a producer gas reservoir comprising an inlet, said inlet connecting to producer gas outlet ports of said primary reaction chamber,
• said inlet of said producer gas reservoir being positioned approximately radially central within said ash collection zone and said rapid reaction zone, said producer gas outlet ports being positioned along the length of said primary reaction chamber, in said direction of char fuel motion, which is adjacent to said rapid reaction zone, and approximately angularly uniformly around the periphery of said producer gas reservoir inlet at right angles to said char fuel motion direction;
• wherein all of said reactant gas inlet ports and also all of said outlet ports are smaller in at least one area cross section dimension than the char fuel particles being refueled into said primary reaction chamber;
• a fixed open gas flow connection from said primary reactor pressure vessel container inlet only to said reactant gas manifold inlet;
• wherein said primary reactor pressure vessel container inlet and outlet are combined.