A gasifier for the gasification of a fuel material includes a chamber in which the material is converted into a gas and a molten slag. A quenching apparatus is provided for cooling and solidifying the molten slag. A nozzle extends between the chamber and the quenching apparatus. The nozzle includes an orifice having an inlet end for receiving the molten slag from the chamber and an outlet end for discharging the molten slag into the quenching apparatus. A recessed zone is provided between the outlet end of the orifice and the quenching apparatus. The recessed zone may be formed within the nozzle. An electric induction heating coil provides heat in the recessed zone to prevent the solidification of the slag at the outlet end of the orifice.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
The above referenced patent discloses a method and apparatus for the 
production and treatment of gases. In this same patent, a disclosure is 
made of a novel gasifier adapted for the continuous flow of slag from an 
orifice disposed to the bottom of the gasifier. FIGS. 3 and 5 accompanying 
the above referenced patent illustrate this slagging gasifier. 
The present invention relates to gasifiers which gasify materials that 
contain ash, such as coal, trash, tires, etc. but in particular to 
gasifiers that gasify such materials and convert their residue to a molten 
slag, as for example the gasifiers described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,129,422 
and 4,195,978. These referenced patents possess a slag removal, high 
thermal conductive metallic orifice which is centrally located in the 
bottom of the gasifier and through which orifice a liquid coolant 
circulates in order to prevent this metallic orifice from melting or 
distorting. The said orifice is adapted to have hot burner gases directed 
up through the bore of the orifice itself in order to have the gases 
retain the slag in molten condition on the hearth or bottom of the 
gasifier and to maintain a pool of slag above said orifice or said hearth. 
Periodically the slag is discharged through the liquid-cooled metallic 
orifice by stopping or reducing the burner gases output and by reducing 
the pressure in the quenching chamber located below the orifice by 
controlled venting to the atmosphere through a venting system so as to 
produce a differential pressure between the quenching chamber and the 
gasifier vessel (par. 1, col. 1 of U.S. Pat. No. 4,129,422 and par. 2 , 
col. 1 of 4,195,978), thereby providing an intermittent-flowing slagging 
gasifier. The disadvantages of such gasifiers are as follows: 
1. That a pressure differential between the hearth of the gasifier and the 
quenching chamber must be provided to cause the slag to flow. 
2. That a pool of slag is made to form at the hearth. 
During the formation of such pool, the separation of the iron component in 
the slag from the silicates and aluminates takes place by virture of the 
iron being the heaviest. This iron tends to solidify at the orifice much 
quicker than if the iron component had not separated from the slag. In 
order to prevent such solidification, hot burner gases are directed up 
through the bore of the orifice in order to maintain the slag above the 
orifice in molten state and to cause the buildup of a molten pool of slag. 
3. The system is much too complex structurally by virtue of having a 
metallic orifice in a critical area that possesses passages for a coolant 
in an environment that is difficult to maintain. 
4. The referenced system cited is too costly. 
Attempts have been made to provide a slagging gasifier with an orifice 
which is devoid of circulating coolant features and devoid of features for 
directing hot burner gases up through said orifice. However, since the 
outlet of the orifice is adjacent to the quenching chamber, excessive heat 
loss takes place causing the slag to form icicles (stalactites) which 
ultimately plug the orifice and interrupt the flow of the slag. 
OBJECTIVES OF THE INVENTION 
The present invention overcomes the disadvantages mentioned above and 
provides a superior and efficient gasifier adapted to produce vitrified 
slag from such materials like ash which is contained in coal, lignite, 
wastes, trash, tires and the like materials, this vitrified slag being 
inert as evidenced by Exhibit 1 attached herein. 
Therefore, the main object of this invention is to provide a slagging 
gasifier which will produce inert vitrified slag from ash. 
Another object of the present invention is to provide a slagging gasifier 
which is operated at pressure and is adpated to drain the slag therefrom 
without the depressurization of the gasifier. 
Still another object of the present invention is to provide a slagging 
gasifier that is adapted for the flow of the slag therefrom in a molten 
state with features which prevent the gravitational separation of the 
constituents of the slag to result in an inert vitrified slag with said 
constituents being essentially uniformly blended in the slag, and in 
particular the prevention of the separation of the iron from the other 
constituents of the slag. 
Further, another object of the instant invention is to prevent the 
formation of icicles or stalactites at the slag drainage orifice of the 
gasifier by insuring the conditions which are conductive for the free flow 
of molten slag from the gasifier. 
Yet another object of the instant invention is to provide a quenching zone 
remotely below said slag draining orifice in order to solidify the molten 
slag. 
It is still another object of the present invention to provide a hot 
radiant zone intermediate of said slag draining orifice and said quenching 
zone or make up for heat loss by said slag orifice in order to insure the 
prevention of the premature solidification of the slag prior to its entry 
into said quenching zone. 
It is further another object of the present invention to provide a heating 
means surrounding said slag draining orifice to maintain the temperature 
of said slag draining orifice above the melting point of the slag to 
insure its flow in molten state through said slag draining orifice. 
It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a heating 
means surrounding said radiant zone in order to maintain it at such 
temperature as to minimize the heat loss of the outlet end of said slag 
draining orifice. 
It is therefore another object of the present invention to provide means 
for gasifying materials which contain ash to yield vitrified slag wherein 
the following is provided: means for charging materials containing ash; 
means for pyrolyzing said materials to form a char; means for feeding said 
char into a gasifier; means for gasifying said materials at such 
temperature as to yield a molten stag; a slag draining orifice equipped 
with heating means; means for maintaining the slag in a molten state to 
prevent the premature formation of solidified slag to avoid the closure of 
said slag draining orifice; a hot radiant zone beneath said slag draining 
orifice to separate said slag draining orifice from a subsequent quenching 
zone which quenches the slat after said slag is discharged from the bottom 
of said orifice; and means for removal of solidified slag from said means 
for gasifying said materials without the depressurization of said means 
for gasifying said materials. 
These and other objects of the instant invention will become more apparent 
to those skilled in the art to which this invention pertains, and 
particularly from the following description and appended claims. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
The instant invention integrates the following: 
1. Means for handling a material that contains ash; 
2. Means for pyrolyzing said material under pressure; 
3. Gasifying means adapted to gasify under pressure the residue of said 
material subsequent to its pyrolysis, and capable of producing a molten 
slag; 
4. Orifice means to direct said molten slag out of said gasifying means 
being equipped with heating means to insure that no solification of said 
molten slag takes place in said orifice means. 
5. Hot radiant means disposed below said orifice to prevent the formation 
of stalactites at the exit end of said orifice means; 
6. Means for quenching the molten slag after it leaves said hot radiant 
means to solidify it; and 
7. Means for removing the solidified slag out of said quenching means while 
still maintaining pressure in said gasifying means. 
For a more detailed description of the instant invention reference is now 
made to the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification 
wherein like reference characters designate corresponding parts in the 
various views. It is to be understood herein that the embodiments shown 
herein are for the purpose of description and not limitation.

Before proceeding with the detailed description of the drawings, it is to 
be noted that for the sake of clarity reference will be made with numerals 
to represent the various components of the invention. 
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS 
In FIG. 1, reference numeral 10 is the gasifier and numeral 11 is the 
pyrolysis chamber which preferably is disposed essentially horizontal and 
is connected at one end to gasifier 10. Both gasifier 10 and pyrolysis 
chamber 11 are preferably made in the form of pressure vessels lined with 
refractory material 12. The other end of pyrolysis chamber 11 is connected 
to a charging mechanism represented by numeral 13 which force feeds the 
solid material containing the ash. 
This material is delivered by any one of conventionally known systems that 
deliver bulk material as for example elevating conveyor 14, screw conveyor 
15, and locking chamber 16 which possesses upper isolation valve 17 and 
lower isolation valve 18. 
Gasifier 10 at the top end thereof, may in some cases be equipped with a 
char isolation bell represented by numeral 19 which is adapted to be 
raised and lowered by means of mechanism 20; in other cases, bell 19 may 
be obviated. At the bottom end of gasifier 10, a slagging nozzle 
represented by numeral 21 is disposed. Slightly above nozzle 21, a 
plurality of tuyeres represented by numeral 22 are provided for the 
injection of oxidant, such as air or pure oxygen, into gasifier 10. The 
gases from gasifier 10 and pyrolysis chamber 11 may be carried by 
conventional piping, as for example pipes 23, 24 and 25. 
Referring to FIG. 2, beneath slagging nozzle 21, a means to cool the slag 
is provided which may take the form of a quench chamber shown by numeral 
26; quench chamber 26 is adapted to contain water for the cooling of slag 
in order to solidify it. And, beneath quench chamber 26, a lockhopper is 
provided represented by numeral 27. Lockhopper 27 possesses isolation 
valves 28 and 29; valve 28 being positioned at the top of lockhopper 27 
and valve 29 being positioned at the bottom of lockhopper 27. Valves 28 
and 29 serve to discharge the slag from the system without the 
depressurization of gasifier 10. The discharged slag which is in solid and 
vitrified form is collected in bin 30. 
Referring to FIG. 3, pyrolysis chamber 11, may be structured in such a way 
as to have gas passages represented by numeral 31 which are contained in a 
jacket shown by numeral 32. Refractory 12 is contained between jacket 32 
and a surrounding pressure boundary which is represented by numeral 33. 
Instead of housing only one pyrolysis chamber 11 in pressure boundary 33, 
a plurality of pyrolysis chambers may be bundled together in such a way as 
to be contained in a single pressure boundary 33; FIG. 4, shows one 
configuration for grouping a bundle of pyrolysis chambers, such as 
pyrolysis chamber 11, together. Other configurations may also be used. 
Referring to FIG. 5 for a more detailed description of the construction of 
the bottom of gasifier 10, preferably this bottom possesses a flange shown 
by numeral 34 to which slagging nozzle 21 is connected. Slag nozzle 21 
comprises the following: 
(a) Pressure shell 35 which serves as a pressure boundary and is equipped 
with flanges 36 and 37 for mounting to the bottom of gasifier 10 with 
flange 36 and to the top of quenching hopper 26 with flange 37; 
(b) Insulation 38 which is disposed to shell 35, serves for the prevention 
of heat loss from shell 35; 
(c) Refractory 39 which is disposed within insulation 38 is used for the 
containment of thermal energy input into slag nozzle 21; 
(d) Fiberboard insulation 40 is disposed between the flange 34 of gasifier 
10 and flange 36 of slag nozzle 21, and between flange 37 of slag nozzle 
21 and flange 41 of quench hopper 26; and 
(e) Pressure burner 42 which supplies the thermal energy to slag nozzle 21. 
Burner 42 is equipped with combustion chamber 43, air inlet 44, gas inlet 
45 and igniter 46. 
Refractory 39, which contains the orifice through which the slag flows, is 
represented by numeral 47. Refractory 39 is a material resistant to slag 
attack, as for example "Greencast 94" or "Jade Pak 88" as manufactured by 
the A. P. Green Co. of Missouri, or a dense graphite which is also 
resistant to slag attack. Concentric to orifice 47 and below it, radiant 
zone 48 is provided in such a way as to have orifice 47 recessed into and 
above radiant zone 48. Both radiant zone 48 and orifice 47 are 
circumscribed by a spiral conduit, shown by numeral 49 which conduit 
serves to conduct hot gases from combustion chamber 43 of burner 42 and to 
discharge the products of combustion into the bottom of gasifier 10 
through discharge aperture 50. Orifice 47 may be made as an integral part 
of refractory 39 as an independent replaceable insert. 
Spiral conduit 49 may take the shape of an electric induction heating coil 
shown in FIG. 6 and denoted by numeral 51 which coil heats susceptor 52. 
Susceptor 52 which could be made of graphite and may have orifice 47 as an 
integral part of susceptor 52 or provided with a separate insert. Radiant 
zone 48 is also provided with the same structure as that shown in FIG. 5, 
in order to recess orifice 47 above radiant zone 48, and away from 
quenching chamber 26. The exit end of orifice 47 may be designed with 
dripping feature by having the bottom of orifice 47 protrude downwardly a 
short distance into zone 48. 
Referring to FIG. 7, spiral 49, which is the heating flue, heats orifice 47 
as well as the bottom of gasifier 10 indirectly. The flue gases from 
burner 42 are first spun around orifice 47, then they are directed under 
the bottom of gasifier 10 and thence discharged into gasifier 10, this 
configuration being an alternate way of heating nozzle 21. 
OPERATION 
Referring to the drawings, the material containing the ash is raised by 
conveying means 14 and fed by means of feeder 15 into lockhopper 16 by 
having valve 18 closed and valve 17 open. In charging the material, valve 
17 is closed and valve 18 opened, and piston 13 being used to force feed 
the material into pyrolysis chamber 11 where the material is pyrolyzed to 
form a residue (char) which is fed into gasifier 10. Heat for pyrolysis 
may be applied by any one of known ways including the useage of gases 
generated in gasifier 10 directed in space 31 between jacket 32 and the 
outside surface of chamber 11. 
The residue or char discharged into gasifier 10 is gasified preferably with 
air injected at the bottom of gasifier 10 through tuyeres 22 to gasify the 
carbon in the residue (char) by partially combusting part of the carbon in 
the ash. The temperature at the bottom of gasifier 10 becomes very 
elevated, 2500.degree.+ to cause the ash contained in the material to melt 
and become a vitrious slag. This slag flows through orifice 47 but it 
tends to cool quite rapidly and solidify while forming icicles 
(stalactites) at the bottom of orifice 47, slowing down the flow. These 
icicles eventually close orifice 47 and the flow of the slag is 
interrupted. 
To prevent the formation of icicles at the exit end of orifice 47, the 
folloiwng conditions are provided; 
1. Orifice 47 is recessed to remove it away from quenching hopper 26 which 
is maintained cool. 
2. Radiant zone 48 is provided below orifice 47 and concentric to it in 
order to provide a hot buffer between the exit of orifice 47 and quenching 
hopper 26. 
3. Heat is applied to both orifice 47 and radiant zone 48 in order to make 
up for heat loss to maintain the slag in molten form until it leaves the 
bottom of orifice 47; and, 
4. The diameter between the walls of radiant zone 48 is made somewhat 
larger than the diameter of orifice 47 in order to prevent flowing slag 
from touching or sliding against the walls of radiant zone 48. 
All in all, it is submitted that the instant invention provides a new and 
improved apparatus for gasifying a fuel or a mixture of fuels containing 
ash or residue adapted to produce a molten slag from said ash, which when 
such slag is solidified, this slag becomes vitrified (glassy) and 
essentially inert. The intention herein is to use coal, lignite, trash, 
ash, tires, municipal waste, etc. singularly or in combustion.