Abstract:
The invention relates to a tubular reactor with a rotating reactor chamber ( 9 ) for thermal treatment of biomass. It is characterized by the reactor chamber ( 9 ) being subdivided into zones by ring-shaped plates ( 10 ). These zones cause the particles to be retained in a particular area and thoroughly mixed there, i.e., the particles being treated are homogenized and the retention time also becomes more homogenous.

Description:
BACKGROUND 
     The invention relates to a tubular reactor with a rotating reactor chamber for thermal treatment of biomass. 
     Reactors of this kind are also known as heated drum reactors. In addition to controlling and checking the process temperature in thermal treatment of biomass, e.g. torrefaction, it is also necessary to control the retention time in the tubular reactor in order to ensure uniform treatment. The retention time distribution should be as narrow as possible in order to obtain a product that is as uniform as possible. In the tubular reactors known, however, the spectrum of retention times, depending on length and speed, is very broad. 
     SUMMARY 
     The aim of the invention is, therefore, to provide a drum or tubular reactor that delivers a product that is as uniform as possible. 
     According to the invention, this is achieved by the reactor chamber being subdivided into zones by means of ring-shaped plates. These zones cause the particles to be retained in a particular area and thoroughly mixed there, i.e. the particles being treated are homogenized. Material (particles) cannot pass into the next chamber or be discharged at the end of the reactor until their height reaches the inner circumference of the ring-shaped plate. 
     An advantageous further embodiment of the invention is characterized by a conveying tool being secured to at least one plate, where the conveying tool can be mechanically adjustable. As a result, the material is conveyed evenly into the next chamber according to the reactor speed, thus the distribution of retention times for all particles in the chamber becomes more homogenous. 
     If conveying tools for different directions of rotation are provided on at least one plate, these tools either convey material or convey no material, depending on the direction of rotation. In this way, the reactor can be emptied more quickly by changing the direction of rotation. This also prevents caking and/or overheating of the particles when the reactor is shut down. 
     A favourable further embodiment of the invention is characterized by a conveying spiral being provided on the shell of the reactor&#39;s inner drum. With a conveying spiral of this kind, preferably with a low height, it is possible to empty the reactor completely. If rotated in the opposite direction to the operating direction of rotation of the reactor, this spiral also contributes additional mixing within a zone. 
     A favourable embodiment of the invention is characterized by heating tubes being arranged in longitudinal (axial) direction in the reactor chamber, where the heating tubes can be arranged in several circular rows, preferably two circular rows, on the reactor&#39;s inner drum shell. A heating medium, e.g. flue gas, is fed through these tubes, ensuring on the one hand that the particles are heated evenly and, on the other hand, that they are also well homogenized. 
     If the rotating reactor chamber is enclosed in an outer reactor drum and an annular gap is provided between the rotating reactor chamber and the outer reactor drum, where the outer reactor drum can rotate together with the reactor chamber, the particles can be heated even better with a large transfer surface area. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING 
       In the following, the invention is exemplified on the basis of the drawings, where 
         FIG. 1  shows a 3D view of a tubular reactor according to the invention, 
         FIG. 2  shows a schematic view of a tubular reactor according to the invention, and 
         FIG. 3  shows a section through the line marked III-III in  FIG. 2 . 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       FIG. 1  shows a tubular reactor according to the invention. It is designed as an indirectly heated drum reactor  1 . The biomass to be treated, e.g. wood chips, is fed through an inlet flange  2  to a heated feed screw  3 , which conveys it into the rotating reactor chamber (not shown here). The heating medium—in this case flue gas—is introduced into the reactor chamber and into the gap between the reactor chamber and the reactor&#39;s outer drum  6  through the connection  4  at a temperature of approximately 360-450° C. Rotary valves are used before and after the reactor  1  and the cooling screw conveyor, respectively, as seal against the atmosphere. 
     The cooled heating medium—in this case flue gas—then leaves the drum reactor  1  through the connection  7  at an approximate temperature of 280-300° C. The gas generated by thermal treatment is discharged at the connecting piece  8 . If the reactor is used for torrefaction, the torrefaction gas is discharged here. 
       FIG. 2  now shows the tubular reactor design according to the invention in a schematic diagram that is used to help describe its mode of operation. The reactor chamber  9  of the drum reactor  1  is divided into several zones by ring-shaped zone plates  10  in order to keep mixing in axial direction to a minimum. In the reactor chamber  9 , heat is applied to the input material by means of the inner reactor drum  11  and the heating tubes  12 , both of which are heated by flue gas. The process temperature here is approximately 280-300° C. The individual zone plates  10  are fitted with at least one conveying tool  13  on each zone plate  10 . The conveying tools  13  transport more or less material over the zone plates  10  towards the reactor outlet  15  depending on the reactor speed and design. The speed here ranges between approximately 8 and 20 rpm. 
     The conveying tools  13  are specially shaped either to convey material or not convey material, depending on the direction of rotation. In addition, conveying tools  13 ′, preferably several, are provided, which only convey material when rotating in the opposite direction to the operating direction of rotation of the reactor. These can be used to accelerate emptying of the reactor by changing the direction of rotation, thus there can be no caking and also no overheating of the material. This also prevents any outbreak of fire. 
     In addition to the conveying tools  13 ,  13 ′, a conveying spiral  14  of low height is mounted, making it possible to empty the reactor completely when rotating in one direction. If it is rotated in the opposite direction, the spiral provides additional mixing within a zone. A certain filling level according to the conveying capacity of the conveying tools  13  is the result. The retention time of the material in the tubular reactor is approximately 20 to 40 minutes. 
     At the reactor outlet  15 , there is a conical tube section  16  attached through which material is conveyed towards the cooling screw  17  independently of the speed. 
     In the cooling screw  17 , very finely atomized water is sprayed onto the hot product through a nozzle system  18  comprising several nozzles. The water volume is controlled by switching single nozzles on and off. A temperature measurement at the screw shell is used as command variable. The water vapour forming is removed through the connection  8  together with the torrefaction gas or through an additional connection  19 . 
       FIG. 3  shows a sectional view along the line marked in  FIG. 2  looking towards the reactor inlet. The zone plate  10  and the heating tubes  12  are visible, arranged in this example in two rows, but they can also be arranged in one or several rows. Between the reactor&#39;s inner drum shell  11  and outer reactor drum  6  there is a ring-shaped chamber  20  through which flue gas, for example, is directed. As a result, the reactor&#39;s inner drum shell  11  heats up, thus enlarging the heat transfer surface area. The conveying tool  13  that conveys the material in the direction of the reactor outlet  15  when rotating in the operating direction of rotation  21  of the reactor is also visible. It would be possible, however, to include several such conveying tools. For rapid emptying, the direction of rotation is reversed and the conveying tools  13 ′ (this figure shows three) convey the material out of the respective zone rapidly and completely. Several conveying tools may also be provided here, however the number of conveying tools  13 ′ for emptying must always be (much) larger than the number of conveying tools  13  to control the retention time in normal operation. The portion of conveying tool  13  that projects into the center of the ring shaped zone plates  10 , is indicated at  13 ″. As an example, the conveying tool  13  (and also the conveying tools  13 ′) can be considered as a steel strip which passes into the material and due to the rotation takes particles with it to push over the edge of the ring shaped zone plates  10  by extension  13 ″ into the next zone.