Patent GB-191117610-A (GB)
Title: Improved Process for the Commercial Utilisation of Peat.
Inventor: TESTRUP NILS
IPC: C10F5/00
Filed: 1911-08-03
Granted: 1912-11-04
Abstract: 17,610. Testrup, N., Rigby, T., and S÷derlund, O. Aug. 3. Peat, preparing for use as fuel. A process for utilizing peat for the production of ammonia and fuel consists in subjecting the peat to " wet - carbonization," removing the bulk of its accompanying liquid matter bv internally transmitted pressure, as in a filter-press, and then removing more water by externally applied pressure. This further quantity of water may alternatively be removed by a wasteheat drying-method employing hot products of combustion from apparatus employed in the process. The peat thus partly dried is used in gas - producers adapted for ammonia recovery, at least such a portion of the peat being so gasified as will supply the fuel needs of the process, and a balance of gaseous or solid fuel being produced. In one modification, the peat, dried to a water content of 55 per cent, is divided into two portions, one being used, either with or without briquetting, in the gas-producer, and the other for making fuel briquettes, the steam and air from the drying in the briquetting process being used in the gas-producer. In another modification, all of the partly dried peat is used in the gas-producer for the production of sulphate of ammonia, tar, and gas for use in the process, as well as for the generation of electricity. In a third modification, the peat, dried to a water content of 68 per cent, is partly delivered directly to the gas-producer and partly to the briquetting-plant, the briquettes being either all used in the producer with the partly dried peat, or party used in the producer and partly used as fuel elsewhere. Peat is excavated from the bog and introduced into a disintegrator adapted to cut the peat fibres and reduce the mass to a fluid condition to enable it to be pumped through a pipe line to the factory, as described in Specifications 13,391/10 and 13,281/11. It is then, if necessary, further subdivided and forced through the tubes of a wet-carbonizer in the manner described in Specification 6041/10. This apparatus may be heated either by a gas burner or by flue gases as described in Specification 14,131/11, [Class 51 (ii), Furnaces &c. for applying &c.], or by superheated steam. In the last - mentioned case the carbonizer tubes are enclosed in boiler shells 54, 55, Fig. 13, to which steam is admitted through a pipe 56, water of condensation leaving by a pipe 60. The incoming raw peat may be heated by the warm effluent from filterpresses used in a subsequent part of the process, by passing the effluent through a receptacle 67 enclosing the part of the tubes which the peat first enters. The hot liquid enters by a pipe 69 and leaves by an outlet 70, baffles 68 being arranged to prolong its path in contact with the carbonizer tubes. The carbonizer tubes may be cleaned bv the means set forth in Specifications 5467/11 and 9105/11, [both in Class 55 (i), Coking &c.]. The heat necessary for effecting wet - carbonization may be obtained by introdncing steam under pressure directly into the material. The pulp from the carbonizer then enters a receiver 73, Fig. 16, by a pipe 74 and passes through a valve 80 to a filterpress 79. The material from the filter - press is thrown into a bunker 81 and conveyed to a press 83 of the band type such as is described in Specification 13,656/10, [Class 46, Filtering &c.]. For the band press a drier such as that described in Specification 16,958/11 may be substituted, which employs hot flue gases from the carhonizer. Further drying may be effected by reducing the press-cake material to a finely divided condition in a pulverizer and introducing this into a current of heated gas, from which by means of a cyclone extractor the peat dust is finally removed as described in Specification 14,624/11. The dried material can be then subjected to compression in a brick-making machine or the like to convert it into a form suitable for fuel in the producer. Tar such as that obtained as a by-product in the gas-producer plant may be added to the material prior to or during compression to obtain a briquette of higher calorific value. Ammonia-recovery gas-producer plant may be used in conjunction with the drying and briquetting plant as described in Specification 12,013/10, [Class 55 (i), Coking &c.], so that the waste steam from the driers may be employed in the producer blast, or the vapours from the driers may be used to superheat the peat for briquetting before being supplied to the producer. The process may be rendered still more economical by combining an electric smelting-furnace, deriving its energy from the producer gas, with the gas-producer, and utilizing as reducing-agent coke or charcoal obtained either by the coking of the briquettes or press cake in by-product ovens or in the manner described below. The gas from the producer 163, Fig. 33, is drawn into the ammoniarecovery plant 208, into which also pass distillation gases from the shaft 191 of the furnace. As reducing-agent the charcoal obtained by charring peat in the upper part of the shaft may be employed. Pasages 192 in the shaft connect with a dust separator 195 and fan 196, by which gases drawn off from the passages 192 are passed into the upper part of the crucible 198 in which the electrodes 199 are situated. Air may be admitted into the shaft to burn the gas therein and so obtain a higher temperature. It may be desirable to use steam for power and heating throughout the process, the producer gas being in this case burned under steam boilers. Specifications 10,834/03, 20,420/03, 12,010/09, 4684/11, and 11,554/11 are also referred to.