System and method for recycling waste into energy

A system for recycling waste into energy, the system comprising:

• a heated enclosure having an interior chamber and a plurality of internal baffles within the heated chamber;
• one or more input conveyors for inputting waste particles to the heated enclosure;
• a flow line within the heated enclosure in fluid communication with the one or more input conveyors for receiving waste particles and positioned with respect to the plurality of baffles to provide a temperature gradient along the flow line of at least 150 F.°, thereby producing hydrocarbon vapors and residual solids;
• a heated conveyor within the flow line mechanically moving the waste particles and the residual solids along the flow line;
• a heated rotary drum in fluid communication with an exit from the flow line for receiving the waste particles and residual solids from the flow line, the rotary drum having an interior temperature of from 730° F. to 800° F. for generating hydrocarbon vapors and carbon black solids;
• a condenser in fluid communication with the flow line and the rotary drum for receiving the vapors from the flow line and the rotary drum and outputting liquids including hydrocarbons and gas including hydrocarbons;
• one or more discharge conveyors for discharging the carbon black solids from the rotary drum;
• one or more input control valves positioned along the one or more input conveyors for sealing vacuum downstream from the one or more input conveyors, the input control valve having two or more axially spaced closure gates;
• one or more discharge control valves positioned along the one or more discharge conveyors for sealing vacuum upstream from the one or more discharge conveyors, the discharge control valve having two or more axially spaced closure gates;
• each of the one or more input conveyors, the one or more discharge conveyors, and the heated conveyor within the flow line includes a rotary auger;
• at least a portion of one or more of the gas including hydrocarbons and the liquids including hydrocarbons are input into a burner within the heated closure;
• a drum sensor senses a temperature within the rotating drum;
• fuel to the burner is controlled as a function of the measured drum temperature;
• each rotary auger is rotated by a drive motor and gearbox, a seal engaging a rotary shaft connected to each auger for sealing vacuum, and a sealed enclosure downstream from the seal for containing gases which pass by the seal;
• and
• a vacuum pump for maintaining a selected vacuum of less than 5 inches of water between the one or more input control valves and the one or more discharge control valves, such that hydrocarbon vapors are drawn from the flow line and the rotary drum into the condenser.

A system for recycling waste into energy, the system comprising:

• a heated enclosure having an interior chamber and a plurality of internal baffles within the heated chamber;
• one or more input conveyors for inputting waste particles to the heated enclosure;
• a flow line within the heated enclosure in fluid communication with the one or more input conveyors for receiving waste particles and positioned with respect to the plurality of baffles to provide a temperature gradient along the flow line of at least 150 F.°, thereby producing hydrocarbon vapors and residual solids;
• a heated conveyor within the flow line mechanically moving the waste particles and the residual solids along the flow line;
• a heated rotary drum in fluid communication with the flow line for receiving the waste particles and residual solids from the flow line, the rotary drum having an interior temperature of from 730° F. to 800° F. for generating hydrocarbon vapors and carbon black solids;
• a steam line for inputting steam at a temperature of greater than 800° F. into the rotary drum;
• a condenser in fluid communication with the flow line for receiving the vapors from the flow line and outputting liquids including hydrocarbons and gas including hydrocarbons;
• one or more discharge conveyors for discharging the residual solids;
• one or more input control valves each positioned along the one or more input conveyors for sealing vacuum downstream from the one or more input conveyors;
• one or more discharge control valves each positioned along the one or more discharge conveyors for sealing vacuum upstream from the one or more discharge conveyors;
• a vacuum pump for maintaining a selected vacuum of less than 5 inches of water between the one or more input valves and the one or more discharge valves, such that hydrocarbon vapors are drawn from the flow line and the rotary drum into the condenser;
• a plurality of leak detector sensors for detecting a leak within a vacuum system between the one or more input control valves and the one or more discharge control valves;
• each of the one or more input conveyors, the one or more discharge conveyors, and the heated conveyor within the flow line includes a rotary auger;
• one or more rpm sensors for monitoring a rotational rate of one or more of the augers;
• and
• a processor for controlling a rotational speed of each rotary auger in response to the flow meter and the plurality of leak detector sensors.

A system for recycling waste into energy, the system comprising:

• a heated enclosure having an interior chamber and a plurality of internal baffles within the heated chamber;
• one or more input conveyors for inputting waste particles to the heated enclosure;
• a flow line within the heated enclosure in fluid communication with the one or more input conveyors for receiving waste particles and positioned with respect to the plurality of baffles to provide a temperature gradient along the flow line of at least 150 F.°, thereby producing hydrocarbon vapors and residual solids;
• a heated conveyor within the flow line mechanically moving the waste particles and the residual solids along the flow line;
• a condenser in fluid communication with the flow line for receiving the vapors from the flow line and outputting liquids including hydrocarbons and gas including hydrocarbons;
• one or more discharge conveyors for discharging the residual solids;
• one or more input control valves each positioned along the one or more input conveyors for sealing vacuum downstream from the one or more input conveyors;
• one or more discharge control valves each positioned along the one or more discharge conveyors for sealing vacuum upstream from the one or more discharge conveyors;
• a vacuum pump for maintaining a selected vacuum of less than 5 inches of water between the one or more input valves and the one or more discharge valves, such that hydrocarbon vapors are drawn from the flow line and the rotary drum into the condenser;
• and
• the heated conveyor within the flow line including a rotary auger rotated by a drive motor and gearbox, a seal engaging a rotary shaft connected to the auger for sealing vacuum, and a sealed enclosure downstream from the seal for containing gases which pass by the seal.

A system for recycling waste into energy, the system comprising:

• a heated enclosure having an interior chamber and a plurality of internal baffles within the heated chamber;
• one or more input conveyors for inputting waste particles to the heated enclosure;
• a flow line within the heated enclosure in fluid communication with the one or more input conveyors for receiving waste particles and positioned with respect to the plurality of baffles to provide a temperature gradient along the flow line of at least 150 F.°, thereby producing hydrocarbon vapors and residual solids, the flow line extending in one axial direction within the heated chamber and extending in a substantially opposing axial direction within the heated chamber;
• a heated conveyor within the flow line mechanically moving the waste particles and the residual solids along the flow line;
• a heated rotary drum in fluid communication with an exit from the flow line for receiving the waste particles and residual solids from the flow line, the rotary drum having an interior temperature of from 730° F. to 800° F. for generating hydrocarbon vapors and carbon black solids;
• a condenser in fluid communication with the flow line and the rotary drum for receiving the vapors from the flow line and the rotary drum and outputting liquids including hydrocarbons and gas including hydrocarbons;
• one or more discharge conveyors for discharging the carbon black solids from the rotary drum;
• one or more input control valves positioned along the one or more input conveyors for sealing vacuum downstream from the one or more input conveyors;
• one or more discharge control valves positioned along the one or more discharge conveyors for sealing vacuum upstream from the one or more discharge conveyors;
• and
• a vacuum pump for maintaining a selected vacuum of less than 5 inches of water between the one or more input control valves and the one or more discharge control valves, such that hydrocarbon vapors are drawn from the flow line and the rotary drum into the condenser.

A system for recycling waste into energy, the system comprising:

• a heated enclosure having an interior chamber and plurality of internal baffles within the heated chamber;
• one or more input conveyors for inputting waste particles to the heated enclosure;
• a flow line within the heated enclosure in fluid communication with the one or more input conveyors for receiving waste particles and positioned with respect to the plurality of baffles to provide a temperature gradient along the flow line of at least 150 F.°, thereby producing hydrocarbon vapors and residual solids;
• a heated conveyor within the flow line mechanically moving the waste particles and the residual solids along the flow line;
• a heated rotary drum in fluid communication with an exit from the flow line for receiving the waste particles and residual solids from the flow line, the rotary drum having an interior temperature of from 730° F. to 800° F. for generating hydrocarbon vapors and carbon black solids;
• a condenser in fluid communication with the flow line and the rotary drum for receiving the vapors from the flow line and the rotary drum and outputting liquids including hydrocarbons and gas including hydrocarbons;
• a water chiller for cooling hydrocarbon vapors passing through the condenser;
• one or more discharge conveyors for discharging the carbon black solids from the rotary drum;
• one or more input control valves positioned along the one or more input conveyors for sealing vacuum downstream from the one or more input conveyors, the input control valve having two or more axially spaced closure gates;
• one or more discharge control valves positioned along the one or more discharge conveyors for sealing vacuum upstream from the one or more discharge conveyors, the discharge control valve having two or more axially spaced closure gates;
• each of the one or more input conveyors, the one or more discharge conveyors, and the heated conveyor within the flow line includes a rotary auger;
• each rotary auger is rotated by a drive motor and gearbox, a seal engaging a rotary shaft connected to each auger for sealing vacuum, and a sealed enclosure downstream from the seal for containing gases which pass by the seal;
• and
• a vacuum pump for maintaining a selected vacuum of less than 5 inches of water between the one or more input control valves and the one or more discharge control valves, such that hydrocarbon vapors are drawn from the flow line and the rotary drum into the condenser.