US 6,148,599 A · Process and apparatus for gasifying solid carbonaceous material having a high moisture content

Abstract

A process and apparatus for gasifying high moisture content carbonaceous material by introducing a solid first carbonaceous material (1) into at least one pressurized drier vessel (2), the first carbonaceous material having a moisture content above about 30 wt % wet basis. The moisture content of the first carbonaceous material is reduced by passing a hot flue gas having a low oxygen content through the pressurized drier vessels. Then the dried first carbonaceous material is transferred from the drier vessels to a pressurized carbonizer vessel (10). The dried material is partially gasified in the carbonizer vessel to produce a high temperature fuel gas (18) and a solid residual material (16). The solid residual material is transferred to a pressurized combustion chamber (4) to produce the low oxygen content flue gas for the pressurized drier vessels. The fuel gas and the flue gas can be used in a topping combustor in which gases are burnt in the presence of air to produce hot turbine feed gases which are then supplied to a turbine in a combined cycle gas turbine for generating electricity. Low moisture fuels can also be effectively utilized in this process by adding water separately or with the fuel in the form of a paste or slurry.

Claims31

Dependent claims

A process for the gasification of a solid carbonaceous material having a high moisture content including the steps of:

(a) introducing a solid first carbonaceous feed material into at least one pressurised drier vessel, said first carbonaceous feed material having a high moisture content above about 30 wt % wet basis,
(b) reducing the moisture content of said first carbonaceous feed material by passing hot flue gas having a low oxygen content through said pressurised drier vessel to dry said first carbonaceous feed material,
(c) transferring the dried first carbonaceous feed material from said pressurised drier vessel to a pressurised carboniser vessel,
(d) partially gasifying said dried first carbonaceous feed material in said pressurised carboniser vessel to produce a high temperature fuel gas stream and a solid residual material,
(e) transferring said solid residual material to a pressurised combustion chamber, and
(f) combusting said solid residual material in said pressurised combustion chamber to produce said low oxygen content flue gas stream.

3 more elements

A method of producing electricity from a solid carbonaceous feed material having a high moisture content including the steps of

(a) introducing a solid first carbonaceous material into at least one pressurised drier vessel, said first carbonaceous feed material having a high moisture content above about 30 wt % wet basis,
(b) reducing the moisture content of said first carbonaceous feed material by passing hot flue gas having a low oxygen content through said pressurised drier vessel to dry said first carbonaceous material,
(c) transferring the dried first carbonaceous material from said pressurised drier vessels to a pressurised carboniser vessel,
(d) partially gasifying said dried first carbonaceous material in said pressurised carboniser vessel to produce a high temperature fuel gas stream and a solid residual material,
(e) transferring said solid residual material to a pressurised combustion chamber,
(f) combusting said solid residual material in said pressurised combustion chamber to produce said low oxygen content flue gas,
(g) transferring said flue gas and said fuel gas to a topping combustor,
(h) combusting said flue gas and said fuel gas in the presence of air in said topping combustor to produce turbine feed gases, and
(i) using the turbine feed gases to drive the rotor of a gas turbine to convert the energy of the turbine feed gases to electrical energy.

6 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Process and apparatus for gasifying solid carbonaceous material having a high moisture content

Life of this patent

Process and apparatus for gasifying solid carbonaceous material having a high moisture content

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims31