# US 8,372,169 B2 · Low temperature gasification facility with a horizontally oriented gasifier

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- Number: US 8,372,169 B2
- Document ID: US8372169B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 11/745,438
- Filed: 2007-05-07
- Published: 2008-09-04
- Granted: 2013-02-12
- Earliest claimed: 2006-05-05
- Assignees: Plasco Energy Group Inc.
- Applicants: Andreas Tsangaris; Scott Douglas Basham; Kenneth Craig Campbell; Ashish Chotaliya; Mao Pei Cui; Geofrey Dobbs; Douglas Michael Feasby; Pascale Bonnie Marceau; Alisdair Alan McLean; Zhiyuan Shen; Nipun Soni; Thomas Edward Wagler; Xiaoping Zou; Margaret Swain
- Inventors: Andreas Tsangaris; Scott Douglas Basham; Kenneth Craig Campbell; Ashish Chotaliya; Mao Pei Cui; Geofrey Dobbs; Douglas Michael Feasby; Pascale Bonnie Marceau; Alisdair Alan McLean; Zhiyuan Shen; Nipun Soni; Thomas Edward Wagler; Xiaoping Zou; Margaret Swain
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US8372169B2

## CPC

- C10J 3/84: with means for removing dust or tar from the gas
- C10J 3/18: using electricity
- C10J 3/20: Apparatus; Plants
- C10J 3/463: {in stationary fluidised beds}
- C10J 3/482: {Gasifiers with stationary fluidised bed}
- C10J 3/723: {Controlling or regulating the gasification process}
- C10J 3/82: Gas withdrawal means
- C10K 1/003: {of acid contaminants, e.g. acid gas removal}
- C10K 1/024: {by filtration}
- C10K 1/101: {with water only}
- C10K 1/12: alkaline-reacting {including the revival of the used wash liquors}
- C10K 1/122: {containing only carbonates, bicarbonates, hydroxides or oxides of alkali-metals (including Mg)}
- C10K 1/14: organic
- C10K 1/16: with non-aqueous liquids
- C10K 1/20: by treating with solids; Regenerating spent purifying masses {(separation by adsorption B01D53/02; separation by chemical reaction B01D53/34; refining of hydrocarbon oils with acids C10G17/02, C10G27/02, C10G29/12)}
- C10K 1/32: with selectively adsorptive solids, e.g. active carbon
- C10K 3/008: {by cracking}
- F23G 5/027: pyrolising or gasifying stage (pyrolisation of sludge C02F11/00; destructive distillation of carbonaceous materials C10B53/00)
- F23G 5/085: {High-temperature heating means, e.g. plasma, for partly melting the waste}
- F23J 7/00: Arrangement of devices for supplying chemicals to fire
- C10J 2200/09: Mechanical details of gasifiers not otherwise provided for, e.g. sealing means
- C10J 2300/0946: Waste, e.g. MSW, tires, glass, tar sand, peat, paper, lignite, oil shale
- C10J 2300/0983: Additives
- C10J 2300/1223: by burners
- C10J 2300/1238: by plasma
- C10J 2300/1634: Ash vitrification
- C10J 2300/165: integrated with a gas turbine or gas motor
- C10J 2300/1671: with the production of electricity
- C10J 2300/1681: with biological plants, e.g. involving bacteria, algae, fungi
- C10J 2300/1693: with storage facilities for intermediate, feed and/or product
- F23G 2204/201: Plasma
- F23G 2209/262: Agricultural waste
- F23J 2219/70: Condensing contaminants with coolers
- Y02E 20/12: Heat utilisation in combustion or incineration of waste
- Y02E 20/18: Integrated gasification combined cycle [IGCC], e.g. combined with carbon capture and storage [CCS]
- Y02E 50/30: Fuel from waste, e.g. synthetic alcohol or diesel
- Y02P 20/129: Energy recovery, e.g. by cogeneration, H2recovery or pressure recovery turbines
- Y02W 10/37: using solar energy
- C10J: PRODUCTION OF PRODUCER GAS, WATER-GAS, SYNTHESIS GAS FROM SOLID CARBONACEOUS MATERIAL, OR MIXTURES CONTAINING THESE GASES (synthesis gas from liquid or gaseous hydrocarbons C01B; underground gasification of minerals E21B43/295); CARBURETTING AIR OR OTHER GASES
- C10K: PURIFYING OR MODIFYING THE CHEMICAL COMPOSITION OF COMBUSTIBLE GASES CONTAINING CARBON MONOXIDE
- F23G: CREMATION FURNACES; CONSUMING WASTE PRODUCTS BY COMBUSTION
- F23J: REMOVAL OR TREATMENT OF COMBUSTION PRODUCTS OR COMBUSTION RESIDUES; FLUES (combustion apparatus for consuming smoke or fumes, e.g. exhaust gases, F23G7/06)
- Y02E: REDUCTION OF GREENHOUSE GAS [GHG] EMISSIONS, RELATED TO ENERGY GENERATION, TRANSMISSION OR DISTRIBUTION
- Y02P: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES IN THE PRODUCTION OR PROCESSING OF GOODS
- Y02W: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TO WASTEWATER TREATMENT OR WASTE MANAGEMENT

## Abstract

A low-temperature gasification system comprising a horizontally oriented gasifier is provided that optimizes the extraction of gaseous molecules from carbonaceous feedstock while minimizing waste heat. The system comprises a plurality of integrated subsystems that work together to convert municipal solid waste (MSW) into electricity. The subsystems comprised by the low-temperature gasification system are: a Municipal Solid Waste Handling System; a Plastics Handling System; a Horizontally Oriented Gasifier with Lateral Transfer Units System; a Gas Reformulating System; a Heat Recycling System; a Gas Conditioning System; a Residue Conditioning System; a Gas Homogenization System and a Control System.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A facility for conversion of carbonaceous feedstock into reformulated syngas containing CO and H2, the facility comprising:
a horizontally oriented low temperature gasifier for conversion of carbonaceous feedstock into off-gas and a solid residue, the gasifier comprising a horizontally oriented gasification chamber having one or more feedstock inputs, one or more gas outputs and a solid residue output, wherein the one or more feedstock inputs is proximal to a first end of the gasification chamber and the solid residue output is proximal to a second end of the gasification chamber;
a chamber heating system configured to provide two or more substantially laterally distributed processing zones; and one or more lateral transfer units configured to laterally transfer, during processing, solid reactant material from the first end of the gasification chamber through the two or more substantially laterally distributed processing zones to the second end of the gasification chamber, thereby sequentially promoting drying, volatilization, char-to-ash conversion;
a gas reformulating system in gaseous communication with the gasifier, the gas reformulating system comprising a gas reformulating chamber comprising one or more plasma torches and one or more inputs for oxygen sources, wherein the gas reformulating system is configured for the conversion of the off-gas into a reformulated syngas containing higher levels of CO and/or H2 than the off-gas;
a residue conditioning system, the residue conditioning system comprising a residue conditioning chamber configured to receive the solid residue from the gasifier and output molten slag and a source of plasma heat for converting the solid residue into molten slag; and
a feedback control system to regulate operation of the facility.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The facility of claim 1 comprising one or more heat recycling systems configured to recover sensible heat from the gasification process.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The facility of claim 2, wherein the heat recycling system comprises a gas-to-air heat exchanger configured to transfer heat from hot syngas to ambient air to produce heated exchange-air, and wherein the chamber heating system is configured to receive the heated exchange-air and pass the heated exchange-air into the gasifier.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The facility of claim 3 comprising one or more gas conditioning systems for removal of a majority of particulate matter and at least a portion of heavy metal contaminants from the reformulated syngas.

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

The facility of claim 4 comprising one or more gas homogenization systems for receiving gas comprising the reformulated syngas and providing a substantially homogenized gas comprising the reformulated syngas.

### Claim 6 (depends on 2)

The facility of claim 2, wherein the heat recycling system further comprises one or more heat recovery steam generators to generate steam.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The facility of claim 1 comprising one or more gas conditioning systems for removal of a majority of particulate matter and at least a portion of heavy metal contaminants from the reformulated syngas.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The facility of claim 1 comprising one or more gas homogenization systems for receiving the reformulated syngas and providing a substantially homogenized gas comprising the reformulated syngas.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The facility of claim 1, wherein the control system comprises:
a) one or more sensing elements for monitoring one or more processes occurring within the facility;
b) one or more response elements configured to effect one or more changes in one or more of the processes; and
c) one or more computing platforms communicatively linked to the one or more sensing elements and to the one or more response elements, the one or more computing platforms configured to receive input signals from at least one sensing element and to provide control signals to at least one response element to either maintain or adjust a process characteristic with the facility, and
wherein the control system optionally comprises one or more proportional (P), integral (I) or differential (D) controllers, and utilizes adaptive, predictive, and/or fuzzy logic control.

### Claim 10 (depends on 1)

The facility of claim 1, wherein the gasifier comprises one or more inlets for the input of one or more process additives therein.

### Claim 11 (depends on 1)

The facility of claim 1, wherein the gasifier comprises a steeped floor and wherein each step is provided with a lateral transfer unit.

### Claim 12 (depends on 1)

The facility of claim 1, wherein the control system is configured to monitor lateral transfer and adjust lateral transfer in response thereto.

### Claim 13 (depends on 1)

The facility of claim 1, wherein the gasifier comprises one or more of a thermocouple, material height detector, pressure sensor, and/or gas analyzer.

### Claim 14 (depends on 1)

The facility of claim 1, wherein each lateral transfer unit comprises a shelf, platform, ram, plow, screw, carrier ram, conveyor, or belt.

### Claim 15 (depends on 1)

The facility of claim 1, wherein the gas comprising reformulated syngas is a gas of a consistent quality suitable for a selected downstream application.

### Claim 16 (depends on 1)

The facility of claim 1, wherein the carbonaceous feedstock comprises municipal solid waste.

### Claim 17 (depends on 1)

The facility of claim 1, wherein the feedback control schemes are configured to ensure the H2:CO ratio of the reformulated gas is maintained within a specified predetermined H2:CO ratio range and/or the amount of CO and H2 in the reformulated gas are each maintained within a specified predetermined range.

### Claim 18 (depends on 1)

The facility of claim 1, wherein the gasifier comprises three laterally distributed processing zones and the control system is configured to maintain a first laterally distributed processing zone at a temperature between 300 and 900° C.; a second laterally distributed processing zone at a temperature between 400 and 950° C. and a third laterally distributed processing zone at a temperature between 500 and 1000° C.

### Claim 19 (depends on 1)

The facility of claim 1, wherein the gasification chamber comprises refractory material suitable for use up to 1100° C. and wherein the residue conditioning chamber comprises refractory material suitable for use up to 1800° C.