# US 8,769,964 B2 · System and method for cooling syngas produced from a gasifier > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 8,769,964 B2 - Document ID: US8769964B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 12/652,659 - Filed: 2010-01-05 - Published: 2011-07-07 - Granted: 2014-07-08 - Earliest claimed: 2010-01-05 - Assignees: General Electric Company - Applicants: Pradeep S. Thacker; Paul Steven Wallace - Inventors: Pradeep S. Thacker; Paul Steven Wallace - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US8769964B2 ## CPC - F28D 9/0006: {the plate-like or laminated conduits being enclosed within a pressure vessel} - C10J 3/526: {for entrained flow gasifiers} - C10J 3/845: {Quench rings} - C10J 3/86: combined with waste-heat boilers - C10K 1/04: by cooling to condense non-gaseous materials {(C10K1/001 takes precedence)} - C10K 1/08: by washing with liquids; Reviving the used wash liquors (gas washers B01D) - C10K 1/101: {with water only} - F28F 13/06: by affecting the pattern of flow of the heat-exchange media {(F28F13/003 takes precedence; static flow control means in header boxes F28F9/026)} - F28F 13/08: by varying the cross-section of the flow channels - C10J 2300/0959: Oxygen - C10J 2300/0969: Carbon dioxide - C10J 2300/1603: with gas treatment - C10J 2300/1671: with the production of electricity - C10J 2300/1675: making use of a steam turbine - F28D 2021/0075: {for syngas or cracked gas cooling systems} - Y02E 20/16: Combined cycle power plant [CCPP], or combined cycle gas turbine [CCGT] - Y02E 20/18: Integrated gasification combined cycle [IGCC], e.g. combined with carbon capture and storage [CCS] - Y02P 20/129: Energy recovery, e.g. by cogeneration, H2recovery or pressure recovery turbines - F28D: HEAT-EXCHANGE APPARATUS, NOT PROVIDED FOR IN ANOTHER SUBCLASS, IN WHICH THE HEAT-EXCHANGE MEDIA DO NOT COME INTO DIRECT CONTACT (fluid heaters having heat generating means and heat transferring means F24H; furnaces F27; details of heat-exchange apparatus of general) - 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 - F28F: DETAILS OF HEAT-EXCHANGE AND HEAT-TRANSFER APPARATUS, OF GENERAL APPLICATION (water and air traps, air venting F16) - 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 ## Abstract A syngas cooler that includes an outer wall defining a cavity. A first membrane water wall is positioned within the cavity. A thermal siphon is positioned between the first membrane water wall and the outer wall and is configured to channel a flow of syngas therethrough to facilitate cooling the channeled syngas. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A syngas cooler comprising: an outer wall defining a cavity; an inner membrane water wall positioned within said cavity; an outer membrane water wall substantially concentrically aligned with said inner membrane water wall, such that said outer membrane water wall is positioned between said inner membrane water wall and said outer wall; at least one half pipe having a semicircular cross-section directly coupled to an inner surface of said outer membrane water wall; and a thermal siphon positioned between said inner membrane water wall and said outer wall, said thermal siphon configured to channel a flow of syngas therethrough to facilitate cooling the channeled syngas. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) A syngas cooler in accordance with claim 1 further comprising a middle membrane water wall substantially concentrically aligned with said outer membrane water wall, wherein said middle membrane water wall is positioned between said inner and said outer membrane water walls. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) A syngas cooler in accordance with claim 2 further comprising a lockhopper coupled to said outer wall for collecting slag contained in the injected syngas. ### Claim 4 (depends on 2) A syngas cooler in accordance with claim 2 further comprising a first angled wall extending inward from said inner membrane water wall, and a second angled wall coupled to said first angled wall, said first angled wall and said second angled wall are configured to promote recirculation of the syngas. ### Claim 5 (depends on 2) A syngas cooler in accordance with claim 2 further comprising first radial wing walls coupled between said inner membrane water wall and said middle membrane water wall, and second radial wing walls coupled between said middle membrane water wall and said outer membrane water wall. ### Claim 6 (depends on 2) A syngas cooler in accordance with claim 2 further comprising a ramming mix refractory coating layer coupled to a top section of said inner membrane water wall. ### Claim 7 (depends on 2) A syngas cooler in accordance with claim 2 further comprising at least one entry coupled to at least one of said inner membrane water wall, said outer membrane water wall, and said middle membrane water wall for channeling a flow of cooling fluid therethrough. ### Claim 8 (depends on 2) A syngas cooler in accordance with claim 2 further comprising a quench wall coupled to said outer membrane water wall for channeling the syngas from the thermal siphon to a quench chamber, wherein said quench chamber facilitates rapidly cooling the syngas. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) A syngas cooler in accordance with claim 1, wherein said half pipe comprises a low alloy half pipe and a SiC coating. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) A syngas cooler in accordance with claim 1 further comprising a gasifier positioned within a top portion of said inner membrane water wall and configured to channel hot syngas downward inside said inner membrane water wall. ### Claim 11 A gas turbine engine system comprising: a compressor; a combustor in flow communication with said compressor to receive at least some of the air discharged by said compressor; and a syngas cooler coupled in flow communication with said combustor for channeling a flow of syngas to said combustor, said syngas cooler comprising: an outer wall defining a cavity; a inner membrane water wall positioned within said cavity; a outer membrane water wall substantially concentrically aligned with said inner membrane water wall, such that said outer membrane water wall is positioned between said inner membrane water wall and said outer wall; at least one half pipe having a semicircular cross-section directly coupled to an inner surface of said outer membrane water wall; and a thermal siphon positioned between said inner membrane water wall and said outer wall, said thermal siphon configured to channel the syngas therethrough to facilitate cooling the channeled syngas. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) A gas turbine engine system in accordance with claim 11, wherein said syngas cooler further comprises a middle membrane water wall substantially concentrically aligned with said outer membrane water wall, wherein said middle membrane water wall is positioned between said inner and said outer membrane water walls. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) A gas turbine engine system in accordance with claim 12, wherein said syngas cooler further comprises a quench wall coupled to said outer membrane water wall for channeling the syngas from the thermal siphon to a quench chamber, wherein said quench chamber facilitates rapidly cooling the syngas. ### Claim 14 (depends on 11) A gas turbine engine system in accordance with claim 11, wherein said syngas cooler further comprises a gasifier positioned within a top portion of said inner membrane water wall and configured to channel hot syngas downward inside said inner membrane water wall. ### Claim 15 (depends on 11) A gas turbine engine system in accordance with claim 11, further comprising a heat exchanger coupled between said syngas cooler and a syngas scrubber, wherein said syngas cooler channels a first flow of syngas to said heat exchanger, said syngas scrubber channels a second flow of syngas to said heat exchanger for transferring heat from said first flow of syngas to said second flow of syngas. ### Claim 16 A method for cooling syngas produced in a gasifier and separating slag and particulate matter from the syngas, the method comprising: surrounding a flow of syngas with three concentric, vertically oriented membrane water walls inside a syngas cooling unit; channeling cooling fluid through the three concentric membrane water walls; passing the syngas down through a first of the three membrane water walls to partially cool the syngas and separate slag and particulate matter from the syngas; and utilizing a thermal siphon to pass the partially cooled syngas up between the first of the three membrane water walls and a second of the three membrane water walls and then down between the third of the three membrane water walls and the second of the three membrane water walls to produce cooled output syngas; wherein at least one half pipe having a semicircular cross-section is directly coupled to an inner surface of said third membrane water wall. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) A method in accordance with claim 16 further comprising using the cooled output syngas to generate electrical power. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) A method in accordance with claim 17 wherein using the syngas to generate electrical power comprises burning the cooled output syngas to produce hot, high pressure gas. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) A method in accordance with claim 18 wherein using the syngas to generate electrical power further comprises channeling the hot, high pressure gas and compressed air from a compressor over a turbine to power a first electrical generator. ### Claim 20 (depends on 19) A method in accordance with claim 19 further comprising operating a second generator using waste heat from the turbine.