Continuous high capacity system for biomatter conversion

A continuous high capacity system for converting hydrocarbon-containing post-consumer waste, post-industrial waste, and/or renewable hydrocarbon feedstock into biofuels having an extruder for agglomerating particles and pressurizing them, a shredder to shred the agglomerated particles, a heating system to rapidly heat the fine particulate, a separator that receives heated solids and prevents heated vapors from leaving the system, and a filter with solids separator that receives the heated vapor and further separates microfine solids from the heated vapor forming a substantially cleaned vapor. A vapor cooling system receives the substantially cleaned vapor and using controlled pressure and controlled temperature, cools the substantially cleaned vapor to at least one hydrocarbon liquid and a gas, forming a hydrocarbon liquid for transfer to another device and/or using the gas as a fuel.

FIELD

The present disclosure generally relates to a continuous flow, high capacity system for converting biomatter, such as hydrocarbon-containing post-consumer and/or post-industrial waste and renewable feedstocks, into bioproducts such as biofuels.

BACKGROUND

A need exists to reduce hydrocarbon waste in landfills.

A further need exists to use hydrocarbon waste and renewable hydrocarbon feedstocks to create a fuel usable in transportation vehicles and for other energy requirements.

The present embodiments may meet these needs.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS

The present embodiments relate to a continuous flow, high capacity system for rapidly converting hydrocarbon-containing post-consumer and post-industrial waste and/or renewable feedstocks into biofuels.

Implementation of this invention may transform biomass such as wastepaper; cardboard; plastics; rubber; sewage treatment solid waste; animal manure; switch grass; and other solid hydrocarbons into liquid fuels.

The implementation of this invention nationwide may eliminate or reduce landfills and the landfill potential to leak the greenhouse gas methane into the atmosphere and potential to leak contaminants into the water table below the landfill site.

In addition, implementation of this invention nationwide could provide approximately five percent of the nation's total energy requirement from renewable energy sources. There is sufficient biomass waste generated on a daily basis to produce the cited amount of renewable energy. This level of production could contribute to attaining the goal of energy independence and reduction of the potential for foreign energy suppliers to disrupt the economy of the United States.

Implementation of this invention may significantly reduce the amount of carbon dioxide emitted into the atmosphere.

Distribution of the implementation of this invention throughout the United States in order to process the biomass waste generated throughout the United States could greatly reduce the necessity of transporting liquid fuels from the liquid fuel sources to the refineries and from the refineries to the market. The liquid fuels produced with this invention could already be distributed, with the location of the fuel production closely matching the greatest market needs since the greatest market needs are where the greatest biomass waste is generated.

Since energy is required to raise the temperature of the biomass in order to transform the biomass into a gas in this process, any of the biomass gas not converted into a liquid in the biomass gas condensing process could be used to provide a significant portion of the energy input required in the process. Any biomass not converted to a gas in the solid to gas transforming part of this invention may be captured and recycled through the process or sequestered in soil as a soil enhancer in the form of char.

Feed materials such as consumer waste, industrial waste, cow manure, paper, cardboard, wood, plastic, tires, switch grass, farm residue, and any type of materials containing both organic and inorganic materials are finely ground, then passed into a vacuum chamber via a sealing auger and then into an extruder. The sealing auger and the extruder agglomerate and pressurize the finely ground materials so as to prevent or reduce ambient air leakage into the vacuum chamber via the sealing auger and prevent or reduce leakage of the heating system gases into the vacuum chamber via the extruder. The extruder also allows pressures in the heating system to pressures greater than local atmospheric pressure.

In some embodiments, a vacuum chamber and vacuum pump are not utilized. Instead, the feed materials may be directed to the extruder under atmospheric conditions. In such embodiments, a sealing auger also might not be utilized. It is to be understood that embodiments that include a vacuum chamber and/or sealing auger as well as embodiments that do not include a vacuum chamber and/or sealing auger fall within the scope of the present disclosure.

Extruded feed material may be passed through a shredder in order to reduce the extruded feed material to smaller pieces as the material enters the heating system. The feed material is then rapidly heated to a temperature sufficient to form gases of most (during the heating process some of the organic material may form “char” which is carbon—and char is a solid) of the organic materials.

The organic materials and inorganic materials plus char (solids) are passed along the heating system, the organic materials as gases are evolved, the solids as fine particles via various renditions of a screw conveyor.

The outer and/or inner housing(s) of the screw conveyor serving as the surface(s) of a heat exchanger in the event of indirect heating. The indirect heating being electric heaters, air-fuel burners, oxygen-fuel burners, or any other method to apply heat to the indirect heating heat exchanger.

The material may be heated directly with internal heating while inside the heating system wherein the heat is added directly to the materials to be separated. The internal heating being electric heaters, oxygen-fuel burners, air-fuel burners, burning some of the material being processed with oxygen, an electric arc heater, and/or any other method of directly heating the material to be separated. A combination of indirect heating and direct heating may also be employed.

The organic gases travel along the screw conveyor housing to a gas exhaust port located at or near the discharge end of the screw conveyor wherein the gases then enter a cooling system via a cyclone, the cooling system reduces the organic gases to liquids and gases.

The solids are carried along the screw conveyor to the solids discharge port and enter a solids discharge system such as a rotary gas lock or other sealing type devices which allow most of the solids to exit the screw conveyor while preventing or restraining all or almost all of the organic gases from exiting via the solids exhaust system.

The gas discharge port and the solids discharge port may be located along the screw conveyor discharge end separated from each other or in close proximity to each other.

Other gas-lock systems other than a rotary gas lock system may be used to achieve the same screw conveyor exhaust organic gases and solids separation. The solids are carried away from the solids exhaust via belt conveyor, screw conveyor, or other conveying methods.

The cooling system can range in surface area in an embodiment to allow sufficient temperature variations along the cooling chamber for a given desired flow rate in order to separate the liquid fuels according to their particular condensing temperatures.

The cooling chamber can range in surface area based on the preset temperatures desired by the user. A larger cooling surface area cooling chamber can allow up to 100 tons per hour of hydrocarbon material to be processed, a smaller cooling surface area cooling chamber can only allow 1 ton of hydrocarbon material to be produced.

Upon extrusion into the heating system, the heating system can directly heat the particles to change the hydrocarbons in the hydrocarbon materials into a gas or almost all into a gas. In another embodiment, a heating system can indirectly heat the particles to change the hydrocarbons in the hydrocarbon materials into a gas or almost all into a gas. The particles can be heated directly by introduction of an oxidizing agent into the heating chamber thus oxidizing some of the carbon and/or hydrogen contained in the material to cause the particles to be rapidly heated, causing transformation of all or almost all of the particles into a gas. Other type heaters, such as electric heaters, may also be used to heat the particles.

The heating system in maintained at the desired temperature to which the hydrocarbon material is to be subjected so that the material is quickly raised to the desired temperature in the heating chamber.

Any liquids or solids not converted into a gaseous state in the heating system are collected at the bottom of the exit of the heating system or bottom of the entrance to the cooling system, or in between.

In order to change the gaseous hydrocarbon to a liquid state, or combination of liquid and gas, the gaseous hydrocarbon produced by the heating system is next introduced into a cooling system whereby the gaseous hydrocarbon is changed, via temperature regulation, or temperature and pressure regulation, to various liquids or gaseous biofuels and hydrocarbons. The pressure in the heating system, the cyclone, the solids separator, and the cooling system is maintained by regulating the gas exhaust area of the cooling system.

Additional hydrogen can be introduced into the heating system to increase the amount of hydrogen contained in the fuel/hydrocarbon to be produced by injecting high hydrogen products, such as methane, liquid water, or steam at or above the heating system pressure in the amount required to produce the desired hydrocarbon products. If water, either gaseous or liquid, is used to supply additional hydrogen to the evolved gasses, the oxygen in the water will react with some of the carbon in the evolved gasses thus reducing the amount of carbon available in the evolved gasses to produce the desired product.

Water, oils or high hydrogen to carbon ratio liquids or a combination thereof can be premixed with the hydrocarbon material to help change the hydrocarbon material to the desired plasticity for extruding and sealing while also enhancing the amount of hydrogen in the final product.

In order to facilitate the addition of high hydrogen gasses, such as natural gas, as the hydrocarbon material enters the heating system, a gas manifold can be attached to the exit of the extruder and entrance to the heating system such that the high hydrogen gas and the extruded hydrocarbon material enter the heating system together and thus react together as they proceed along the heating system while increasing in temperature in the heating system.

The heating system and cooling system can operate at pressures other than the ambient pressure external to the heating and cooling chambers since the extruding auger used to extrude the hydrocarbon material into the heating system is capable of producing extruder exhaust pressures at pressures well above the ambient pressure, whatever pressure in the heating system is desired. The pressures above ambient in the heating system, the cyclone, the solids separator, and cooling system is regulated by regulating the gas exhaust area of the cooling system.

Pressures in the heating system and the cooling system can be controlled by regulating the release of the remaining gasses in the cooling system.

In embodiments, the controller can communicate with the network for monitoring from a remote location, and the controller can be a computer, a laptop, a cellular or mobile phone, a tablet, a meter, or similar device.

In embodiments, the network can be a cellular network, a satellite network, the internet, a local area network, a wide area network, separate meters, a similar network, or combinations thereof.

In embodiments, the system can continuously produce biofuel from up to 100 tons an hour of the hydrocarbon-containing material per extruder.

External heat can be applied to the heating system screw conveyor outer housing or inner housing by one or more heating system ducts surrounding the screw conveyor outer housing and/or within a shaftless screw conveyor inner housing, the duct(s) supplying high temperature gasses or liquids to the exterior of the screw conveyor outer housing. The entrance of the heating system duct(s) for the high temperature gasses or liquids comprises input duct port(s) and exhaust duct port(s) to exhaust the high temperature gasses or fluids from the heating system duct(s). External heat may also be applied to the materials inside a screw conveyor by applying external heat to the inside of a hollow screw conveyor shaft.

The heating of the continuous stream of agglomerated fine particulate81can be by direct or indirect heating.

In one or more embodiments, usable extruders can be a singled shaft or multiple shaft extruders.

The following terms are used herein:

The term “a substantially cleaned vapor” refers to a mixture of gas and liquid which contains by weight between 0.01 and 10% microfine solids based on the total weight of the substantially cleaned vapor.

The term “a rotating shaft” for a screw conveyor can denote a hollow shaft or a solid shaft.

The term “microfines” or “microfine solids” are defined as solid particles of less than approximately 50 microns in diameter.

The term “approximately” is used to convey that in processes and operations of the kind described herein, operating tolerances and variations from the norm may be experienced as a result of difficulties in control, timing, and setting various parameters of the process and/or operation. Thus, the term “approximately” denotes “within acceptable operating tolerances and parameters in light of the process and/or operation described and/or claimed.”

Turning now to the Figures,FIG. 1is a diagram of an overall system for a continuous high capacity system for converting hydrocarbon-containing post-consumer waste, post-industrial waste, renewable hydrocarbon feedstock and/or combinations thereof, into at least one biofuel, such as biodiesel, or other bioproducts.

The continuous high capacity system8has a sealing auger13fluidly connected to a vacuum chamber15.

In embodiments, a vacuum pump16is fluidly connected to the vacuum chamber.

The vacuum chamber15is fluidly connected to the sealing auger13and the vacuum pump16removes air from the blended stream14forming a de-aerated blended stream21.

The sealing auger prevents or inhibits leakage of ambient air into the continuous high capacity system.

The vacuum chamber is fluidly connected to an extruder1, which is fluidly connected to a shredder75.

The extruder1extrudes and pressurizes the de-aerated blended stream21containing post-consumer waste, post-industrial waste, and/or renewable hydrocarbon feedstock to a pressure of up to approximately 500 psi, agglomerating the de-aerated blended stream21into a continuous stream of agglomerated fine particulate81.

The agglomeration and pressurizing of the de-aerated blended stream21may reduce and/or prevent leakage of gases back to the extruder entrance.

The extruder1conducts the agglomerated fine particles81in a continuous stream to the shredder75.

A heating system30is fluidly connected to the extruder1and is configured to evolve a heated vapor32and heated solids18.

The heating system can heat shredded particulate83to a temperature of approximately 500 to approximately 1500 degrees Fahrenheit, thereby forming heated vapors32and heated solids18.

In embodiments, a separator17receives the heated solids18from the heating system30.

The separator17(i) receives the heated solids18and (ii) prevents or restricts the heated vapors32from leaving the heating system via the separator17. Separated solids19are flowed from the separator17.

A filter23fluidly connected to the heating system30receives the heated vapors32and separates microfine solids25from the heated vapors32forming a substantially cleaned vapor34.

A vapor cooling system24fluidly connects to the filter23.

The vapor cooling system24receives the substantially cleaned vapor34and using pressure and temperature, cools the substantially cleaned vapor to a hydrocarbon liquid44and a gas46.

The vapor cooling system24liquefies at least 50 percent of the substantially cleaned vapor34for transfer to a liquid fuel tank45or a combustion device47for use as fuel.

A pressure regulator valve70fluidly connects to an output from the vapor cooling system.

The pressure regulator valve controls pressure throughout the continuous high capacity system. The pressure regulator valve is depicted electronically connected to the controller80.

The gas46is conveyed to a gas fuel collection49.

FIG. 2shows an embodiment of the heating system30using a screw conveyor2having a rotating shaft3with a plurality of screw conveyor flights4a-4einstalled on the rotating shaft3.

In this embodiment, the rotating shaft3has a hollow core which can additionally be used to heat particulates by passing hot liquid and/or hot gas through the hollow core. Alternatively, the screw conveyor can be heated by passing hot liquid and/or hot gas through the hollow core and outside the housing. In other embodiments, the rotating shaft can be solid and the screw conveyor can be heated from outside sources, such as burners that electronically connect to the controller80.

In this embodiment, the heating system30rapidly heats shredded particulate83to a temperature of approximately 500 to approximately 1500 degrees Fahrenheit, thereby forming heated vapors32and heated solids18. In other embodiments, no shredder is needed and the heating system heats the continuous stream of agglomerated fine particulate81.

FIGS. 3A-3Dshow a plurality of temperature sensors and pressure sensors installed on components of the system.

A temperature sensor T1is mounted at an inlet of the heating system30to detect temperatures of the shredded particulate83from the shredder or, in other embodiments, the temperature of a continuous stream of agglomerated fine particulate as the particles enter the heating system30. This temperature sensor communicates with a controller80in a wired or wireless communication. The temperatures sensed are stored as T1temps in the computer readable memory of the controller80.

The heating system30rapidly heats the agglomerated fine particulate to a temperature of approximately 500 to approximately 1500 degrees Fahrenheit.

A first pressure sensor P1sensing vapor pressure at an input of the heating system30is used.

A second pressure sensor P2sensing vapor pressure at an output of the heating system30is used.

Each pressure sensor is electronically connected to a controller80.

A temperature sensor T2is used to detect temperature outlet temperature of the heating system30.

A plurality of third temperature sensors T3aand T3bfor detecting external heat source temperatures from external heat sources55aand55bare used.

A plurality of fourth temperature sensors T4a-T4dfor detecting temperature of a screw conveyor housing200are used.

Each of these temperature sensors electronically connects to the controller80.

The temperatures sensed by temperature sensor T2are stored as T2temps in the computer readable memory of the controller80.

The temperatures sensed by temperature sensors T3aand T3bare stored as T3temps in the computer readable memory of the controller80.

The temperatures sensed by temperature sensors T4a-T4dare stored as T4temps in the computer readable memory of the controller80.

In embodiments, the screw conveyor2has a hollow shaft to which a plurality of conveyor flights are connected.

The hollow shaft is heated via various means as the conveyor housing is heated for indirect heating of at least one temperature sensor detects the hollow shaft input temperature(s) and at least one temperature sensor detects the hollow shaft output temperature(s).

FIG. 3Bdepicts a temperature sensor T5, which detects temperatures of the heated solids18as the heated solids18enter the separator17. The temperature sensor T5is electronically connected to the controller80.

FIG. 3Cdepicts a sixth temperature sensor T6used to detect temperature of heated vapors32as they enter the filter.

In an embodiment, the filter can be a cyclone.

The temperature sensor T6is electronically connected to the controller80.

A temperature sensor T7shown inFIG. 3Cis used to detect temperature of substantially cleaned vapor34in the filter, such as a cyclone. The temperature sensor T7is electronically connected to the controller.

A third pressure sensor P3is depicted for detecting pressure of heated vapor32in the filter such as a cyclone. The third pressure sensor is electronically connected to the controller.

FIG. 3Dshows a plurality of temperature sensors T8aand T8bfor detecting temperature of the hydrocarbon liquid44and the gas46in the vapor cooling system24. Each temperature sensor is electronically connected to the controller.

A ninth temperature sensor T9detects hydrocarbon liquid temperature at an outlet of the vapor cooling system24. The T9temperature sensor is connected to the controller80.

A tenth temperature sensor T10detects gas temperature at an outlet of the vapor cooling system24. The tenth temperature T10sensor is connected to the controller.

A fourth pressure sensor P4is depicted detecting pressure of vapor in the vapor cooling system. The fourth pressure sensor P4is also connected to the controller.

FIGS. 4A-4Cshows an embodiment of a controller80for the system.

The controller80can be used to monitor any or all of the sensors of the continuous high capacity system.

The controller80is electronically connected to a display82which can be a wireless or wired connection. The display can be a monitor.

The controller80contains a processor84connected to a computer readable memory86.

The processor can be a computer, a laptop, or a processing board.

FIG. 4Bshows an example of the computer readable memory86.

The computer readable memory86can contain instructions instructing the processor to automatically shut down the system when temperatures of the continuous high capacity system exceed a preset limit102.

The computer readable memory86has instructions instructing the processor to automatically control the temperature of inputs to the system based on preset limits104.

The computer readable memory86has instructions instructing the processor to automatically display of any of the pressures and temperatures sensed by the system simultaneously106.

In various examples of the present disclosure, some values are provided as approximations. In one example, the term “approximately” signifies within one percent of the stated value. In another example, the term “approximately” signifies within five percent of the stated value. In another example, the term “approximately” signifies within ten percent of the stated value. In another example, the term “approximately” signifies within fifteen percent of the stated value. In another example, the term “approximately” signifies within twenty percent of the stated value.

A continuous high capacity system for converting hydrocarbon-containing post-consumer waste, post-industrial waste, renewable hydrocarbon feedstock, and/or combinations thereof can produce approximately 8 gallons per hour of biodiesel in a continuous process.

A two-ton-per-hour pilot plant can produce approximately 3800 gallons per day of at least one biofuel, namely biodiesel, in this Example.

It is anticipated that the example system can feasibly scale up to a 50-tons-per-hour system.

Based on cow manure availability within 50 miles of the plant, it is expected to obtain approximately 20 tons per hour of dry cow manure

The system includes: an extruder sized at 2 tons to 35 tons per hour of 100% renewable hydrocarbon feedstock which can pressurize within the heating system to the desired pressure of 2 psi.

The extruder can pressure the blend to a pressure of 200 psi within the extruder, agglomerating the blended stream into a continuous stream of agglomerated fine particulate at a flow rate of 670 pounds per minute.

The agglomeration and pressurizing of the blended stream within the extruder can prevent and/or reduce leakage of gases back to the extruder inlet.

The agglomerated blended stream flows at a rate of approximately 670 pounds per minute to a heating system fluidly connected to the extruder.

The heating system of this example has a screw conveyor that is 45 feet long and has a hollow rotating shaft of 42 inches in diameter with 28 screw conveyor flights are installed on the rotating shaft and with a outer housing 54 inches in diameter. The hollow shaft and the outer housing are made from 304 stainless steel.

The heating system rapidly heats the continuous stream of agglomerated fine particulate to a temperature in this Example of approximately 950 degrees Fahrenheit.

A separator made from 304 stainless steel is used to receive the heated solids and prevent the heated vapors from leaving the heating system via the separator.

In this example, a filter is a cyclone having a flow rate of approximately 45 cubic feet per second and is fluidly connected to the heating system. The cyclone is made of 304 stainless steel.

The filter receives the heated vapors and separates out microfine solids which can consist of char from the heated vapors forming a substantially cleaned vapor with only 0.1 micron of microfines in the vapor.

A vapor cooling system made up of stainless steel receives the substantially cleaned vapor at a flow rate of approximately 45 cubic feet per second at the entry vapor temperature of approximately 950 degrees Fahrenheit and outputs approximately 1600 gallons per hour at approximately 100 degrees Fahrenheit. Using pressure of approximately 1 psi and temperature of approximately 100 degrees Fahrenheit, the vapor cooling system reduces the temperature of the substantially cleaned vapor to a hydrocarbon liquid and a gas that are mostly approximately 100 degrees Fahrenheit.

The vapor cooling system liquefies at least 50 percent of the substantially cleaned vapor for transfer to a liquid fuel tank and the gas is conveyed to a gas fuel collection.

In another example, a continuous high capacity system for converting hydrocarbon-containing post-consumer waste, post-industrial waste, renewable hydrocarbon feedstock and/or combinations thereof produces biofuel in a continuous process.

In this example, illustrated inFIG. 5, the system has a heating system500with a shaftless conveyor502comprising a plurality of shaftless conveyor flights504a-504fjointly forming a helical structure.

In this embodiment, the shaftless conveyor502is driven by drive plate503. Drive plate503is rotationally affixed to shaftless conveyor flights504a-504f, such that rotation of drive plate503can drive shaftless conveyor flights504a-504fto convey materials through heating system500.

Drive plate503is driven by drive shaft505, which is held and rotated within bearing and seal assembly507. In this embodiment, bearing and seal assembly507are adapted to enable rotational movement of drive shaft505while preventing and/or mitigating contamination into rotating elements of drive shaft505and maintaining bearing lubrication within bearings of assembly507.

Heating system500further comprises an annular inner housing509defining a center volume within shaftless conveyor flights504a-504f. As depicted inFIG. 5, inner surfaces of shaftless conveyor flights504a-504fabut outer surfaces of inner housing509. Inner heating chamber511is contained within inner housing509.

In embodiments, hot liquid and/or hot gas may be introduced into inner heating chamber511so that heat may be conducted via inner housing509to matter being conveyed by shaftless conveyor flights504a-504f. Said hot liquid and/or hot gas may enter inner heating chamber511through inner heating chamber input513and exit through inner heating chamber exhaust515.

Heating system500further comprises an annular outer housing517defining an annular volume around shaftless conveyor flights504a-504f. As depicted inFIG. 5, outer surfaces of shaftless conveyor flights504a-504fabut inner surfaces of outer housing517. Outer heating chamber519contains outer housing517.

In embodiments, hot liquid and/or hot gas may be introduced into outer heating chamber519so that heat may be conducted via outer housing517to matter being conveyed by shaftless conveyor flights504a-504f. Said hot liquid and/or hot gas may enter outer heating chamber519through outer heating chamber input521and exit through outer heating chamber exhaust523.

Feed material may be fed into heating system500via material feed port525, after which said material can be conveyed through heating system500via shaftless conveyor flights504a-504fwhile being heated from heat passed via inner housing509and outer housing517. Heated vapor from feed material may exit heating system500via vapor exhaust port527. Heated solid material may exit heating system500via solids exhaust port529.

As may be understood by a person of ordinary skill in the art having the benefit of this disclosure, by heating material via both the inner housing and the outer housing, the system of the present example may provide the benefit of more rapid heating of said material compared to heating from solely an outer surface or solely an inner surface of a heating system. In the same vein, a heating operation carried out by heating material via both the inner housing and the outer housing may be accomplished in a relatively linearly shorter heating system compared to heating from solely an outer surface or solely an inner surface of a heating system.