Process and apparatus for the treatment of tar in syngas

Abstract

The present invention relates to a method and apparatus (10) for use in rarefying a syngas so as to improve a calorific value of the syngas through the reduction of a concentration of tar from the syngas. The apparatus (10) comprises a gasification/pyrolysis means (12) such as a kiln (11), for generation of a flow of syngas from a raw material, and a cracking means (14). The cracking means (14) comprising a body (42) having an insulated internal volume (44) adapted to hold a heated bed of char. The flow of syngas from the kiln (11) is directed through the cracking means (14) where it comes into contact with the heated bed of char. Heavy long-chained carbon based molecules within the syngas undergo a cracking reaction and are broken into constituent lighter carbon based molecules. The method and apparatus of the present invention provides a rarefied output flow of syngas having an improved calorific quality and a substantially reduced concentration of tar.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.