Garbage in power out (GIPO) thermal conversion process
AssigneeSustainable Waste Power Systems, Inc.
InventorsMichael J. Gillespie, Christopher P. Gillespie
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A system for gasifying a carbonaceous feedstock, such as municipal waste, to generate power includes a devolatilization reactor that creates char from the feedstock and a gasifier that creates a product gas from both the char and from volatiles released when devolatilizing the feedstock. The product gas is reacted in a fuel cell to create electrical energy and process heat. The process heat is used to heat the devolatilization reactor and the gasifier. The gasifier comprises a plurality of configurable circuits that can each be tuned to meet the individual needs of the char material being gasified.
Claims15
A method for processing a carbonaceous feedstock comprising:
- utilizing the feedstock to create a feedstock slurry comprising between 40% and 80% water;
- said carbonaceous feedstock comprising one or more of municipal waste, rubber, livestock manure, municipal wastewater, food processing waste and wood;
- producing a char slurry by devolatilizing the feedstock slurry at between 300 and 900 psi such that the water does not flash to steam while heating at a temperature of between 300 and 600 degrees F. for between 5 and 30 minutes to generate a char slurry comprising char and between 40% and 80% water;
- subjecting the char slurry to temperatures between 500 and 2000 degrees Fahrenheit and pressures between 0 and 900 psia to gasify the char slurry to generate a product gas, comprising methane;
- supplying the product gas to a primary energy generator to generate mechanical or electrical power which exhausts a heated fluid, either gas or liquid;
- and
- utilizing the exhaust to indirectly heat at least one of the feedstock slurry and the char slurry,
- wherein said carbonaceous feedstock is substantially free of coal.
A method for processing a carbonaceous feedstock comprising:
- producing a char slurry by devolatilizing a wet carbonaceous feedstock slurry at between 300 and 900 psi and between 300 and 600 degrees F. for between 5 and 30 minutes to generate a char slurry;
- said wet carbonaceous feedstock comprising one or more of municipal waste, rubber, livestock manure, municipal wastewater, food processing waste, and wood;
- subjecting the char slurry to temperatures between 500 and 2000 degrees Fahrenheit and pressures between 0 and 900 psia to gasify the char slurry to generate a product gas;
- supplying the product gas to a primary energy generator to generate mechanical or electrical power which exhausts a heated fluid, either gas or liquid;
- and
- utilizing the exhaust to indirectly heat at least one of the feedstock slurry and the char slurry,
- wherein said carbonaceous feedstock is substantially free of coal.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.