Patent EA-004195-B1 (EA)
Title: Reactor for gasifying and/or melting feed materials and method therefor
Inventor: TISCHER ECKHARDT
IPC: F23G5/24
Filed: 2001-02-13
Abstract: 1. Reactor for gasifying and/or melting feed materials, which comprises - a charging section (1) with a feed opening (2), through which the feed materials are charged to the reactor from above; - a pyrolysis section (8), which has an expanded cross section and is located below the preceding section (1, 5), so that a discharge cone (9) of the feed material can form; - gas supply devices (10), which open into the pyrolysis section (8) approximately at the level of the expanded cross section and through which hot gases can be fed to the discharge cone (9); - a melting and superheating section 14, which is located below the pyrolysis section (8) and is characterized by a narrowing of the cross section; - upper injection devices (15), through which an energy-rich medium is supplied to the melting and superheating section (14) immediately below the level of the narrowing of the cross section; - a reduction section (20), which is located below the melting and superheating section (14) and comprises gas exhaust devices (21 ), through which excess gases are exhausted; - a hearth (25) with a tap (27) below the reduction section (20) for accumulating and draining molten metal and molten slag; and - lower injection devices (26), through which an energy-rich medium is supplied directly above the molten material and below the gas exhaust devices (21) to prevent solidification of the molten material. 2. Reactor in accordance with Claim 1, characterized in that a preliminary heat-treatment section (5) is located between the charging section (1) and the pyrolysis section (8). 3. Reactor in accordance with Claim 2, characterized in that the preliminary heat-treatment section (5) is constructed at least partly with a jacketed wall to create a space (6) between the walls, in which a heat-exchange medium is circulated. 4. Reactor in accordance with any of Claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the gas supply devices are designed as a gas supply chamber (10), into which at least one combustion chamber (11) opens, such that the combustion chamber (11) is equipped with at least one burner (12), which furnishes hot gases at a temperature of about 1,000 degree C to the discharge cone (9) via the combustion chamber and the gas supply chamber. 5. Reactor in accordance with any of Claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the charging section (1), possibly the preliminary heat-treatment section (5), the pyrolysis section (8), and the reduction section (20) are cylindrical or show slight conical expansion towards the bottom; that the total length of the charging section (1) and the preliminary heat-treatment section (5) is at least three times greater than the diameter of the upper end of the charging section; and that the cross section of the pyrolysis section (8) is at least twice as great as the cross section of the lower end of the preliminary heat-treatment section (5). 6. Reactor in accordance with Claim 1, characterized in that the gas supply devices (10) and the gas exhaust devices (21) are arranged annularly around the circumference of the reactor. 7. Reactor in accordance with any of Claims 1 to 6, characterized in that the pyrolysis section (8) is designed with a jacketed wall to create an additional space in which a heat-exchange medium is circulated. 8. Reactor in accordance with any of Claims 1 to 7, characterized in that the upper and/or the lower injection devices (15, 26) comprise several oxygen lances (16) or jets arranged annularly around the circumference of the reactor, through which oxygen or a mixture of fuel gases is supplied. 9. Reactor in accordance with any of Claims 1 to 8, characterized in that the gas supply devices (10) are connected with a liquid injection port (3), through which liquid or gaseous substances can be supplied. 10. Reactor in accordance with any of Claims 1 to 9, characterized in that a dust charging device (31) is also provided, through which dusts can be supplied directly at the level of the expanded cross section between the charging section (1) and the pyrolysis section (8). 11. Reactor in accordance with any of Claims 1 to 10, characterized in that the charging section (1) is sealed largely gas-tight at its upper end by charging the feed materials through a lock mechanism. 12. Process for gasifying and/or melting feed materials, which comprises the following steps: - formation of a feed column (4) that is largely shielded from the outside in a shaft-like reactor; - shock-like heating of the feed column (4) by supplying hot gases in the upper region to initiate pyrolysis in the feed materials; - production of a hot zone (17) at a lower level with temperatures above 1,000 degree C by supplying energy-rich media; - combustion of the pyrolysis products, melting of any metallic and mineral constituents that may be present, and extensive coking of the residual matter of the feed materials in the hot zone (17); - drawing all gases downward through the feed column (4), through the hot zone (17), and through a reduction zone (22) located below the hot zone; - drawing off reduced excess gases from the reactor in the region of the reduction zone (22); - accumulation of any molten metal and/or molten slag in the lowermost section of the reactor; - introduction of energy-rich media directly above the accumulated molten material to maintain it in a molten state; and -tapping the molten material as necessary. 13. Process in accordance with Claim 12, in which oxygen, fuel gases, portions of the exhausted excess gas, liquid fuels, or particulate fuels are supplied as the energy-rich media. 14. Process in accordance with Claim 12 or 13, which comprises the following additional steps: - monitoring of the reactor level, so that the feed column is always maintained between a minimum level and a maximum level; - adjustment of the minimum value in such a way that the feed column is shielded from the outside environment by relatively densely packed feed material above the level at which the shock-like heating occurs. 15. Process in accordance with any of Claims 12 to 14, which comprises the step of predrying the feed materials by heating the feed column to about 100 degree C above the level at which the shock-like heating occurs. 16. Process in accordance with any of Claims 12 to 15, which comprises the step of controlling the underpressure for exhausting the gases, so that virtually no gases escape from the top of the reactor and only minimal amounts of additional outside air are drawn through the feed column from above. 17. Process in accordance with any of Claims 12 to 16, which comprises the following additional steps: - production of the hot gases for the shock-like heating of the feed column by combustion of externally supplied fuels in the start-up phase of the process; and - production of the hot gases for the shock-like heating of the feed column by combustion of the at least partially purified, reduced excess gases that are drawn off from the reactor, possibly in combination with externally supplied fuels. 18. Process in accordance with Claim 17, in which the combustion takes place with a deficiency of oxygen to produce an inert combustion gas that consists largely of carbon dioxide and water vapor. 19. Process in accordance with any of Claims 12 to 18, in which the excess gases that have been drawn off are fed to a gas management system for cooling and/or purification. 20. Process in accordance with any of Claims 12 to 19, in which dusts to be utilized are added to the feed column in the immediate vicinity of the shock-like heating. 21. Process in accordance with any of Claims 12 to 20, in which a reactor in accordance with any of Claims 1 to 11 is used.