Abstract:
A method and system for clean burning organic or synthetic material, particularly vulcanized rubber, where fuel is ignited and the heat and smoke by-product is maximized by controlling the amount of oxygen available to the fire. The smoke by-product in an afterburner is reacted with steam, producing hydrogen and carbon monoxide, the products may be collected and stored. The extreme heat in the afterburner reduces the amount of pollutants and toxins in the air. Excess heat generated by burning the fuel may be used to power an engine.

Description:
CLAIM OF PRIORITY  
       [0001]     This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application 60/504,903, filed Sep. 22, 2003. 
     
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION  
       [0002]     The present invention relates to generating power from organic and/or synthetic fuels. More specifically, the present invention relates to burning tires to create a clean fuel source.  
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0003]     Presently there is a shortage of energy for the world&#39;s needs. Generally the world relies upon oil and fossil fuel to generate the majority of the electricity consumed by industrial nations. Furthermore, while the finite supply of fossil fuels to continues to dwindle, the demand for energy continues to increase.  
         [0004]     As a result of the continued depletion of energy sources and the continued increase of energy demand, many inventions have looked to alternative sources of fuel. The alternative fuel sources include solar power, wind power, or even burning of garbage in landfills. While the need for alternative fuel sources increases, many of those already in use present limited solutions to the current energy problems. These limitations result from the prohibitive costs associated with manufacturing, the alternative fuel source, or as a result of general societal indifference to energy shortage.  
         [0005]     While scientists and engineers continue their search for viable alternative fuel sources, industrial nations continue to produce large amounts of waste. Attempts to reduce the amount of waste produced in many nations has resulted in recycling initiatives, government regulations, and reduced consumption. However, several manufactured items do not lend themselves to recycling or other modes of disposal, and thus present a long-term environmental and landfill threat. One such product is vulcanized rubber, or automobile tires. It is estimated that each year at least 1 billion tires are discarded around the world with the majority of those coming from the United States of America. These tires are often placed in large piles which present environmental and health hazards if they were to burn. Controlled tire burning has been seen as a way to alleviate the energy crisis the world faces, yet generally tire fires are logical disasters, due to the extreme pollutants released when the rubber is burnt. Furthermore, it is seen that tire fires contribute to pollutants that can cause global warming. As a result, burning of old tires is not generally seen as a viable option for disposing of tires.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0006]     The present invention teaches a method and system for burning tires in a controlled environment whereby the pollutants generally associated with tire burning are reduced and the energy generated is utilized. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0007]      FIG. 1  illustrates a manual feed unit; and  
         [0008]      FIG. 2  illustrates an automated gravity feed system. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
       [0009]     The present invention relates to a system where organic or synthetic, combustible material is incinerated and processed to produce a clean heat source or combustible heat for commercial value. Generally, the present invention teaches incinerating organic or synthetic materials, particularly used tires, by placing them in an airtight chamber, lighting the tires on fire, capturing the gaseous byproducts or smoke, super heating the gaseous byproducts, and injecting steam into the super heated byproduct to react the byproduct and the steam. This reaction results in the creation of hydrogen, carbon dioxide as well as other byproducts. This method of burning old tires results in generation of heat in the actual burning which can be used to power a variety of energy generators. In addition, this method of tire burning generates hydrogen which can be captured and used for commercially, beneficial processes. Furthermore, finally, by super heating the gaseous byproducts, the present invention teaches a method of reducing many of the pollutants associated with tire burning, leaving behind the beneficial and clean power sources.  
         [0010]     Referring now to  FIG. 1 , there is main reactor chamber  1  with a pressure release door  2  positioned such that it can create an airtight chamber in main reactor chamber  1 . Valve control oxygen inlet vent  3  is positioned on the main reactor chamber such that the flow of oxygen can be controlled into the main reactor chamber  1 . Finally, gas igniter torch  4  is positioned on the main reactor chamber  1  to ignite the combustible material placed in main reactor chamber  1 .  
         [0011]     The present invention teaches the user to add sodium into main reactor chamber  1  and then to seal the unit with pressure released door  2  before igniting the organic or synthetic material in chamber  1 .  
         [0012]     A user of the present invention must monitor the present temperature in the main reactor chamber and regulate the heat at an optimal temperature. This is done by adjusting oxygen vent valves  3 . Furthermore, by reducing the amount of oxygen available to the burning material inside reactor chamber  1 , the user is able to increase the temperature inside main reactor chamber  1 , without consuming the fuel.  
         [0013]     In addition to conform to environmental protection and standards, scrubbers may be used. As the combustible materials burn inside main reactor chamber  1 , the user will regulate the amount of oxygen to maintain not only the temperature, but also to maximize the amount of smoke being emitted from the burning tires.  
         [0014]     The smoke generated by the burning fuel inside chamber  1  is conducted into afterburner  6 , where again the user is able to regulate the amount of oxygen available. The oxygen intake in the afterburner is adjusted by manipulating the blower and inlet  5 . While the afterburner is filled with the gaseous byproduct or smoke of the burning fuel, steam is injected into the afterburner, thus allowing the steam and gaseous byproduct to react. Steam is generated in copper coils  8  wrapped around the exterior of the afterburner  6 . The reaction of the steam with the carbon monoxide in the afterburner yields hydrogen and carbon dioxide and it introduces a water/gas shift into the burner. This water/gas shift supplies the afterburner with a combustible gas to escalate the temperature to burn off the exhaust or gaseous byproduct of the burnt fuel, and cause a clean burn. Once the afterburner has reached the minimum temperature of 1800° f., igniters  4  are turned off, and the system reaches a self-sustaining temperature. The exhaust gases are then forced down an exhaust stack  9  and into a reactor water bath  10 . Water bath  10  sits on top of dispersion grate  11  that allows gas to permeate through the grate  11  and into the water, but doesn&#39;t allow the water to descend into stack  9 . Vacuum  12  sits above the water line in water bath  10  and sucks gas through exhaust stack  9  and forces it through exhaust outlet  13 . By burning at such high temperatures, afterburner  6  is able to burn off toxins in the exhausts typically found when burning tires.  
         [0015]     Furthermore, during the first cycle of burning, the oxygen is controlled by a blower and inlet valve  5 . This is a delicate process; and to achieve maximum heat output, it has to be monitored and adjusted during the process. Even after the afterburner  6  achieves the minimum operating temperature to be self-sustaining, the user must continue to monitor the temperature and adjust oxygen intake and regulate blower  5  to maintain maximum heat output. Heat output can be used to power a variety of engines, including steam turbine engines and boiler systems. When cooling down the apparatus, the user must monitor the temperature in afterburner  6  until it is 1200° f., at which point the user turns back on the gas burner  4  in main chamber  1  and afterburner  6 . This process is continued until the primary fuel inside primary chamber  1  is exhausted. The user then opens the main reactor door  2  and removes the remaining debris for disposal.  
         [0016]     Turning now to  FIG. 2 , which illustrates an automated gravity feed system. While the primary function of  FIG. 2  is substantially similar to that of  FIG. 1 , an essential difference lies in that fuel may be continuously loaded into the apparatus of  FIG. 2  and thus eliminate the need for manually opening or closing a main reactor door. There is a staging hopper  100  wherein fuel such as used tires may be placed in bulk. A conveyor belt  105  lifts the fuel placed in staging hopper  100  to the top of the gravity fed apparatus. The fuel drops through the limiting hopper  110  which limits the amount of fuel the user can burn at one time. A pair of reactor doors  165  positioned over each of the reactive chambers, and a removable grate  160 , is opened to allow the material to gravity feed into the main reactor chamber  140 . The removable grate  160  is then closed and the chamber  135  is filled with the combustible fuel. The door  165  over chamber  135  is then closed allowing chamber  115  to fill. The door over  115  is then closed and finally the limiting hopper is filled. Thus there is a steady supply of fuel lined up over a main reaction chamber  140 .  
         [0017]     To begin burning fuel, vent valves  120  are then opened and the gas burners are ignited to combust the fuel in combustion chamber  140 . The temperature in the main reaction chamber  140  can be monitored either manually or by automation to optimize the temperature inside main reactor  140 . As discussed above, the temperature in the main reactor chamber  140  is controlled by the amount of oxygen allowed through the vent  125 . The temperature in the afterburner  155  must also be monitored; and when the temperature reaches the desired heat to burn the main reactor, the exhaust is allowed into afterburner  155 . The amount of oxygen in the afterburner  155  is adjusted by using the blower  130  and vent valves  125 .  
         [0018]     Copper coils  145  are wrapped around afterburner  155  to convert liquid water into steam. This steam is injected into the afterburner  155  and allowed to react with the gaseous byproduct of the burnt fuel from reaction chamber  140 . The desired reaction is carbon monoxide with water to yield hydrogen and carbon dioxide. This reaction causes a water/gas shift in the afterburner and supplies the afterburner  155  with the oxygen and hydrogen to escalate the temperatures to burn off the exhaust and cause a clean burn. This clean burn eliminates many of the pollutants and toxins associated with burning tires in an uncontrolled manner. Once the critical temperature is reached, generally a temperature of over 1800° f., the user may turn off the gas burners and main reactor chamber  140  and afterburner  155 , as the system will be self-sustaining after reaching this temperature. The temperature inside the reactor  140  and the afterburner  155  must be continually observed and maintained by adjusting the amount of oxygen allowed through oxygen vent  125  and by incorporating the blower  130 . By adjusting these oxygen input mechanisms, the maximum heat output can be obtained.  
         [0019]     As stated earlier, these operations and maintenance features can be either performed manually or can be automated. Much of the heat generated in the main reactor and in the afterburner can be utilized to power a variety of energy generating devices such as a steam turbine engine or a boiler system.  
         [0020]     The system and method just described can be performed cyclically by allowing the exhausted material in main reaction chamber  140  to drop out of the bottom of the chamber into water bath  150 . The removable gate  160  then allows the preheated material from emission chamber  135  to drop into main reactor chamber  140  to be combusted. Similarly, the material in equalizing chamber  115  is allowed to drop into igniting chamber  135  and begin its preheat treatment.  
         [0021]     The exhaust that is reacted with the steam in afterburner  155  is then passed through exhaust stack  170  and into reactor  175 , which is comprised of dispersion grate  180  and a water bath  150 . As with the manual reactor, a vacuum  185  sucks the gas through the dispersion grate  180  and water bath  175  and passes it through exhaust outlet  190 . Gas sucked exhaust outlet  190  is then stored for commercially viable purposes.  
         [0022]     Beneath main reactor chamber  140  is a water bath  150  wherein a magnetic separator (not shown) collects all commercially valuable material such as the metal radial belts found in automobile tires. These commercially valuable materials are pulled out of the water bath and collected for recycling.  
         [0023]     Having described these aspects of the invention, it is understood that the invention defined by the appended claims is not to be limited by particular details set forth in the above description, as many apparent variations thereof are possible without departing from the spirit or scope thereof.