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US 6,149,773 AGranted
Generation of electricity from waste material
AssigneeWaste Gas Technology Limited
InventorsAnthony John Grimshaw, Maurice Edward George Maton
Life of this patent
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AssigneeWaste Gas Technology Limited
InventorsAnthony John Grimshaw, Maurice Edward George Maton
Estimating the term…
Apparatus (1) for producing gaseous energy which may be used as fuel for driving electricity generating means comprises an oven (2), a ram (11) for feeding gas-producing waste material to the oven (2), gas burners (5) for heating the waste material while in the oven (2), and a collection vessel (25) for collecting gaseous fuel liberated by heating the waste material. The oven (2) and waste material feeder duct (7) connected thereto are of airtight construction, so that combustion of the waste material is not allowed to take place. The airtight oven (2) has a central gasifier section (15) having an inlet end (15a) and an outlet end (15b). The feeder duct (7) is connected to the inlet end (15a) and an outlet duct (16) is connected to the outlet end (15b). The outlet duct (16) extends into the collection vessel (25), which has an upper end housing a gas filter (26) and a lower end connected to an ash receptacle (27). Gaseous fuel passing through the filter (26) enters a discharge fine (29) connected to a gas chiller unit (30). The unit (30) has a hot water/steam outlet (35), a cold water inlet (36), and a gas/vapor outlet (37) which discharges to a gas/water separator (38) wherein condensate (39) is collected, and gaseous fuel allowed to leave by way of a discharge line (40). The gas discharge line (40) incorporates a branch line (47) whereby usable gas is led away for combustion for driving the electricity generating means and a further branch line (48) whereby gas is fed to the oven burners (5) by way of a regulator valve (49) and a gas burner control unit (50).
A method of gasifying waste material to produce gaseous energy in an apparatus comprising at least one first hopper means and a second hopper means, both for accommodating said waste material, said first and second hopper means being interconnected by a transfer duct with a non-return gas sealing means at entry to the second hopper means, purging means being provided so as to introduce inert gas into the second hopper means and a gasifier connected to the second hopper means, said method consisting of the following steps:
Apparatus comprising an oven, feed means for continuously feeding the waste material to the oven, means for heating the waste material while in the oven without allowing combustion to take place, means for collecting gaseous energy liberated by heating the waste material, the oven feed means including at least a first hopper means and a second hopper means, both for accommodating the waste material, a transfer duct interconnecting the first hopper means and the second hopper means, a non-return gas sealing means at entry to the second hopper means, and purging means operable to introduce inert gas into the second hopper means, whereby the waste material is transferred from the first hopper means to the second hopper means before heating takes place, air being prevented from passing from the first hopper means to the second hopper means by use of said purging means and pressure in the oven being maintained at greater than atmospheric pressure wherein the oven comprises a drum rotatable about a substantially horizontal axis, the drum having an inlet and an outlet wherein the drum is provided with channel means for scooping up waste material ash from the bottom of the drum and for raising the ash above the drum axis of rotation so that the ash then slides downwards from the channel means into the drum outlet.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.