Ash filter and reboiler
AssigneeInfinitus Renewable Energy, LLC
InventorDavid W. Fowler
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An ash filter and reboiler (ash filter/reboiler) includes an inlet tube heat exchanger including an outer column (column) having a vapor inlet tube through an inlet of the column coupled therein to receive fuel vapors including entrained ash particles and to direct the fuel vapors including the entrained ash particles out from a bottom of the vapor inlet tube toward a bottom portion of the column. A cooler over the bottom portion of the column for condensing the fuel vapors including the entrained ash particles to liquid fuel. A pump coupled to an outlet in a bottom of the column is for pumping out an ash particle laden portion of the liquid fuel. A heater is above the cooler for vaporizing the liquid fuel into reboiled vapor, and a vapor outlet is at a top of the column for releasing the reboiled vapors out from the column.
Claims16
An ash filter and reboiler (ash filter/reboiler), comprising:
- an inlet tube heat exchanger including an outer column (column) and an inner vapor inlet tube (vapor inlet tube) having a tube length extending inside said column from an inlet of said column to a bottom opening at a bottom portion of said column, wherein said vapor inlet tube is coupled to receive fuel vapors including entrained ash particles and to direct said fuel vapors including said entrained ash particles out from said bottom opening to said bottom portion of said column;
- a cooler jacket over said bottom portion of said column for condensing said fuel vapors including said entrained ash particles to liquid fuel;
- a pump coupled to an outlet in a bottom of said column for pumping out an ash particle laden portion of said liquid fuel;
- a heater above said cooler jacket for vaporizing said liquid fuel into reboiled vapors, and
- a vapor outlet at a top of said column for releasing said reboiled vapors out from said column.
A method of ash filtering and reboiling, comprising:
- receiving fuel vapors including entrained ash particles at an inner vapor inlet tube of an inlet tube heat exchanger having a bottom opening that is inside[r] an outer column (column), wherein said vapor inlet tube comprises a thermally conductive material, wherein said vapor inlet tube has a tube length extending inside said column from an inlet of said column to a bottom opening at a bottom portion of said column and wherein said vapor inlet tube directs said fuel vapors including said entrained ash particles out from said bottom opening to said bottom portion of said column;
- condensing said fuel vapors using a cooler jacket over a bottom portion of said column including into liquid fuel including said entrained ash particles;
- pumping out an ash particle laden portion of said liquid fuel from said bottom opening of said column using a pump;
- vaporizing said liquid fuel into reboiled vapor using a heater above said cooler jacket,
- heating said reboiled vapor from radiant heat from said vapor inlet tube, and
- releasing said reboiled vapor out from a vapor outlet at a top of said column.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.