Method and apparatus for coproduction of pig iron and high quality syngas
OwnerXiaodi Huang, Jiann-Yang Hwanginventors
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Combined microwave heating and plasma/electric arc heating is utilized in several processes and apparatus which involve co-production of pig iron and high quality syngas, biomass to liquid fuel production, coal to liquid fuel production, co-gasification of biomass and coal, municipal solid waste treatment, waste-to-energy (agriculture waste, ASR and PEF), EAF dust and BOF sludge treatment to recover zinc and iron, hazardous bottom ash vitrification, and bromine, chlorine and sulfur removal/recycling.
Claims27
A method for co-production of pig iron and high quality syngas from iron oxides, carbon-bearing materials, and hydrogen-containing compounds with combined microwave and plasma/electric arc heating, comprising:
- forming a mixture of iron oxide particles, carbon containing particles and hydrogen-containing compounds including H2O and hydrocarbons in a form of solid particles, liquid or gas;
- said iron oxide and carbon containing particles in said mixture being set to be in a ratio that enables said carbon bearing particles to remove oxygen completely from said iron oxide in reducing said iron oxide to form metallic iron having a carbon content in a range between 2.06 to 6.67% by weight;
- charging said mixture as a feedstock in a 0.5″ to 12″ deep layer into an air tight chamber provided with microwave irradiation ports, plasma and/or electric arcs, a feedstock charging port, a pig iron solid material discharging port, and a syngas exporting port;
- heating said mixture by applying microwave energy of a predetermined wavelength to said mixture in a microwave heating zone in said chamber until said mixture is rendered electrically conductive by at least a partial reduction of said iron oxide and formation of metallic iron while releasing reaction exhaust gases comprised of hydrocarbons, CO, CO2 and steam causing said mixture which has become electrically conductive and exhaust gases to move into an adjacent plasma and/or electric arcing zone within said air tight chamber;
- further heating said electrically conductive mixture with added carbon particles by applying plasma and/or electric arcing in said arcing zone until achieving substantially complete reduction of iron oxides and formation of molten pig iron and slag;
- creating in-situ reforming, thermal cracking and partial oxidation of substantially all of said reaction exhaust gases in said plasma and/or electric arcing zone by sufficient heating and plasma gas agitation, with metallic iron acting as a catalyst and reacting carbon particles with remaining CO2, to form a syngas almost entirely comprised of a mixture of H2 and CO;
- transporting said molten pig iron and slag into an adjacent cooling zone to form solid pig iron and slag;
- exporting said syngas out of said arcing zone and removing impurities therefrom to create a high quality syngas;
- and
- discharging said solid pig iron and slag through said solid material discharging port.
A method of concurrently forming pig iron and syngas by creating a mixture of coal particles and iron oxide particles, said coal particles containing hydrocarbon volatiles and moisture, the coal in said coal particles being sufficient to reduce all of said iron oxide and having unreacted coal particles remaining after reduction;
- heating said mixture in a first heating zone in an air tight chamber to partially reduce said iron oxide with carbon and with CO formed in said first heating zone, while releasing steam and hydrocarbon volatiles included in reaction gases;
- causing said reduced iron oxide and unreacted coal and reaction gases to move from said first heating zone into a second heating zone in said chamber and subjecting said partially reduced iron oxide and reaction gases to further heating by operation of one or more electric plasma torches sufficient to complete said reduction of said iron oxide particles and to melt iron from said reduced iron oxide, reacting CO2 formed by reduction of said iron oxide with said unreacted coal to form CO, and forming hydrogen and CO from said hydrocarbons by reacting, cracking and reforming of components of said hydrocarbons thereby forming syngas comprised almost entirely of H2 and CO.
A method for direct conversion of biomass and organic waste to high quality syngas from various biomasses, organic wastes, and hydrogen-containing compounds with unique combined microwave and plasma and/or electric arc heating comprising:
- processing a bulk or organic waste to pieces smaller than 2.0″;
- providing carbon particles smaller than 2 mesh as a microwave receptor;
- providing other hydrogen-containing compounds in either solid particles, liquid or gas;
- mixing the above materials to form a mixture in a ratio to be able to absorb microwave energy effectively and result in a syngas with a H2/CO ratio in a range of from 0.5 to 3.0;
- charging said mixture in a 0.5″ to 23″ layer continuously into an air tight chamber with multiple microwave irradiation ports, arrayed plasma/electric arcs, a feedstock charging port, a charcoal discharging port, and a syngas exporting port;
- heating said mixture by applying microwave energy until pyrolysis of said mixture is complete and resulting in charcoal while releasing exhaust gases;
- transporting said charcoal into an adjacent plasma and/or electric arcing zone;
- forcing said exhaust gases to pass through said constraint plasma/electric arcing zone;
- conducting in-situ reforming, thermal cracking and partial oxidation to said exhaust gases in said plasma/electric arcing zone to form a syngas with a H2/CO ratio in the range from 0.5 to 3.0 and hydrocarbons, CO2, H2O and O2 less than 5% by weight;
- transporting said charcoal into an adjacent cooling zone to cool;
- exporting syngas into a cleanup system to remove impurities;
- and
- discharging said charcoal through said charcoal discharging port in said chamber.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.