Carbonization method and device

#The invention relates to a process for manufacturing charcoal, or/and activated carbon, from a wood load.

#The invention also relates to a kiln module for manufacturing charcoal or/and activated carbon, by implementing this process, designed to be capable of receiving, in a carbonization chamber, a basket designed to be capable of receiving a wood load, said carbonization chamber being positioned between an upstream chamber and a downstream chamber, said kiln module comprising or being connected to at least one heating means external to said load and designed to be capable of generating first non-oxidizing hot fuel gases.

#The invention also relates to a carbonization installation, in particular for the manufacture of charcoal or/and activated carbon, according to one such process, comprising several such kiln modules.

#Other features and advantages of the invention will emerge from the detailed description which follows of non-limiting embodiments of the invention, with reference to the appended figures in which:

#FIG. 1 represents, schematically, partially and in cross section, a device for implementing the invention;

#FIG. 2 represents, in a similar manner, the device from FIG. 1 during the beginning of a first start-up phase of the process according to the invention;

#The invention relates more particularly to a process and a kiln module 100 for manufacturing charcoal, or/and activated carbon, from a wood load 6. A first embodiment of the invention is illustrated in the figures.

#The invention uses an innovative process for manufacturing charcoal or/and activated carbon from a wood load 6 positioned in a carbonization chamber 25, the distinctive feature of which process is the initiation, by at least one heating means external to the load 6, or else external to a kiln module 100 into which this carbonization chamber 25 is integrated, of a pyrolysis front 20, followed by the controlled propagation of this pyrolysis front 20. For this purpose, the process comprises the following steps: via at least one heating means external to said load 6, first hot gases known as non-oxidizing fuel gases G1, are generated, that is to say gases that do not comprise oxygen in gaseous form O2; for this purpose, use is preferably made of a reducing boiler that consumes, at the inlet, gases that are depleted in gaseous oxygen O2, and that delivers, at the outlet, gases which do not contain any thereof; these first hot fuel gases G1 are mixed with second gases known as dilution gases G2, in order to form a mixture of non-oxidizing incoming gases G0 that do not comprise oxygen in gaseous form O2; this mixture of incoming gases G0 is sent upstream into the load 6 in order to generate therein a pyrolysis front 20; an overpressure is created between the upstream end and the downstream end of the load 6 in order to force said pyrolysis front 20 to pass through it in a single direction from the upstream end to the downstream end; downstream of the load 6, at a downstream chamber 19, third gases known as exiting gases G3 in a line 21, are recovered, at least a first portion of which gases G3 is transported in the form of a flow of said second dilution gases G2 by a transportation means 4, and a second portion constituted of gases known as service gases G4 of which complementary to the first portion constituted of said dilution gases G2, is discharged in the form of a flow of these fourth service gases G4 by a transportation means 8 to an outlet orifice or usage orifice, for example for filling cylinders with a view to reusing these service gases G4, or for supplying another installation, such as a dryer or the like.

#In one preferential embodiment of the invention, the wood, or/and logging or saw mill products, or other plants, that will be referred to as “wood” in the remainder of the document, are arranged in order to form a load 6 in at least one basket 7 that allows the circulation of the gaseous or/and liquid fluids through the load 6. They will remain in this basket 7 throughout the duration of the carbonization operation and of the cooling operation after the actual carbonization. This basket 7, which contains a wood load 6, may be used as a perforation pallet and also as a storage pallet, both for the raw material and for the finished product. This basket 7 may be of very large size, for example having a length of a few meters. This basket may especially be filled directly in the forest. It makes it possible to treat loads that are heterogeneous in terms of species, moisture content and dimensions. This basket may be positioned in various orientations, and not necessarily vertical or horizontal, even though these are preferred embodiments of the invention.