Patent Publication Number: US-10329489-B2

Title: Hybrid system and process for converting whole tires and other solid carbon materials into reclaimable and reusable components

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
     This application is a continuation of Ser. No. 13/735,113, filed Jan. 7, 2013, which is a continuation of Ser. No. 13/178,683, filed Jul. 8, 2011, now U.S. Pat. No. 8,350,105, Issued Jan. 8, 2013, which claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 61/362,517 entitled “PYROLYSIS CHAMBER AND METHOD OF PYROLYZING MATERIAL” filed on Jul. 8, 2010, incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. 
    
    
     FIELD OF THE DISCLOSURE 
     The present disclosure relates to a unique hybrid system and process for converting whole tires and other solid carbon based materials into reclaimable and reusable components, such as one or more of syngas, oil, carbon black and steel without combustion of the carbon based materials. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE DISCLOSURE 
     Various methods are used to dispose of tires. For example, they can be simply ground up or mulched, or used for fuel referred to as tire derived fuel (TDF). Tires have been used as fuel in the cement industry in cement kilns, in boilers in pulp and paper mills, in power plants of electric utilities and in industrial boilers. When used for fuel the tires are typically first ground up or shredded and then placed in an incinerator at high temperatures, for example, above 1500° F., and incinerated as, for example, in US application publication no. US 2004/0025763. 
     There are a number of problems, however, with incinerating tires or using tires as fuel. One is the metal in the tires. The metal in the tires tends to clog feed systems in the pulp and paper industry. As a result, the pulp and paper industry needs to remove the metal, or de-wire the tires, before using them as fuel. Similarly, the tires must be de-wired and typically ground up before use by electric utilities. Also, when grinding the tires, tiny fines of metal from the steel bead ring in the tires and the steel belts in radial tires are left in the ground up material. 
     Other problems with incinerating tires for fuel involve environmental issues with air emissions that can include dioxins, furans, carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide, hydrogen sulfide, nitrous oxides (NOx), carbon dioxide, and/or particulates. There can also be problems with disposal of resulting ash that can include metals and heavy metals from the tires, such as zinc, chromium, cadmium and lead. Moreover, these methods of disposal also do not reclaim for reuse any of the various components of the tires. 
     There is a need, therefore, for an improved system for not only disposal of used tires, but also for recovery of the tire components for reuse. Additionally, there is a need for more energy efficient disposal of tires and recovery of tire components for reuse. 
     SUMMARY OF THE DISCLOSURE 
     The carbon hybrid system and method of the present disclosure overcomes the aforementioned disadvantages and results in creating up to 8 times or more useable energy than it consumes to convert the tire or other solid carbon based materials into useable products or fuels. The present carbon hybrid system and method are unique in the design of the machinery and in the process. In an exemplary embodiment the present system includes a chamber designed to receive and process tires, in particular whole tires, or other solid carbon based material in the existing form. The tires from lawn and garden size of 15 inches in diameter to large mining tires about nine feet in diameter can be processed as manufactured in the chamber saving all the energy needed to shred or cut the tires into smaller parts. 
     In an embodiment the carbon hybrid system and process includes a chamber and is designed to move the tires or other solid carbon based materials (“product”) from a loading door at one end of the chamber, through which product is loaded into the chamber, by an internal rib system to move the product to the opposite end of the chamber. As the product is heated the chamber is rotated so that the heat is indirectly applied to the product allowing the product to liquefy and vaporize. In an embodiment, the rotation and indirect heating of the product causes a tumbling and roasting of the product in the chamber. 
     Where the product is a tire, the tire collapses in the chamber. The steel wire that is in the tire is exposed. The steel wire starts to beak down the tire and grind the carbon back into a powder. As the tire is heated in the chamber the tire rubber begins to liquefy and low temperature gases, such as methane, benzene and other low flash point gase&#39;s, are emitted from the tire. These gases are captured in the process, for example by a vacuum system, and re-pressurized. Some or all of the re-pressurized gases, now for example natural gas or propane, can be used to heat the chamber. 
     In an embodiment by capturing the low temperature gases, called syngas, up to 85 percent of the energy required to convert the tires to the separate components of oil, carbon black and steel is generated by the tire or other solid carbon material in the carbon hybrid system. The system can be controlled by a computer software program designed to achieve this result in the conversion process. 
     In an embodiment of the present disclosure the system and process is designed to heat tires or other solid carbon based material to a designed temperature, for example about 500° F. to about 1000° F. This results in the following benefits for the products produced from the reaction of the present system. One, the collected low temperature gases, called syngas, can generate up to about 85 percent of the energy needed to convert the tire or other solid carbon based material. Two, the oil that results is useable grade to make into gasoline, diesel, and other usable oil base products. Three, steel of a useful size can be recovered to be re-melted into new products. Four, the carbon black created by the process is reusable to make new tires based on, for example, a mixture of about 20 to 30 percent recovered carbon black to about 70 to 80 percent virgin carbon black. This is the first known result of converting tire carbon black to a re-useable carbon black material useful for the manufacture of new tires. 
     In another embodiment, the present system and process for converting tires or other solid carbon based material to the useable products of one or more of syngas oil, carbon black and steel generates only trace amounts of CO 2 . The CO 2  generated in converting a passenger tire can be as low as 1/20th of a pound of CO 2 . No other green house gases are generated in the process. Furthermore, the steel bead wire of the tire and the radial carcass wire are as manufactured by the tire company. The wire is clean and ready to be processed into new steel. This can save up to 70 percent of the energy needed in making steel from pig iron and other products. 
     In an embodiment, the chamber of the present system has tapered, or conically shaped, side walls and has a rib system, such as spiral ribs on the inside of the side walls that help move the tires or other solid carbon based material to an end of the chamber to be collected. As the chamber is rotated the steel in the tires acts as a grinding material to break up the carbon black in the product into the useable sizes. The rotation of the tires while the tires are heated in an indirect method allows for the tires to be fluffed and allows the heat to penetrate the product surface indirectly. This is the only known design or system that uses this method allowing the vapors of syngas and oil to escape quickly without too much direct heat resulting in deteration of the materials. The structure of carbon black can be changed by direct heat that is too high. The present system further pulls the carbon black up the side wall to ensure that the material does not receive direct heat that will result in deterioration of the material. 
     In one embodiment, present system includes a chamber having a substantially circular wall which may or may not be tapered and opposed end panels, one end panel providing a feed inlet and an opposed end panel providing an outlet, the interior of the circular wall having an arrangement of inwardly projecting ribs, heating means for heating the interior of the chamber, and means for rotating the chamber, the chamber being designed to process product, such as whole tires or other solid carbon based material, converting the product into vapor, oil and solid residue, for example, syngas, high grade oil, an carbon black and metal. 
     In another embodiment, a system is provided including the aforementioned chamber, a solid residue collection chamber connected to the outlet of the chamber, a vapor collection chamber also connected to the outlet of the chamber, and one or more condensers coupled to the vapor collection chamber for receiving vapor from the vapor collection chamber and for converting the vapor to a liquid, for example, oil. In a further embodiment, the system may also include one or more scrubbers coupled to an outlet from the one or more condensers, a compressor for re-pressurizing the remaining vapor and converting the remaining vapor to a liquid, such as liquid natural gas or propane, and a holding tank for the liquid resulting from the compressor. 
     In one embodiment, the present method of converting solid carbon based material comprises the steps of providing a rotatable chamber in which the material can be heated introducing the material into the chamber, rotating the chamber and heating the material in the chamber to reduce the material, collecting low temperature gases or oil or both from the chamber; and collecting residual solids form the material. The chamber has an interior surface and the interior surface is provided with a rib system including one or more ribs to rotate the material in the chamber and cause a tumbling of the material in the chamber. 
     In a further embodiment of the present method, the material includes a solid whole tire. The chamber can be heated, for example to a temperature between about 500° F. and about 1000° F. The collected low temperature gases include one or more of methane and benzene. The collected residual solids include carbon solids and metal from the tire. The heating and rotating of the tire in the chamber causes the tire to collapse and liquefy giving off the low temperature gases. As the tire liquefies the steel in the tire becomes exposed and aids in breading down the tire and grinding carbon from the tire into a powder as the tire is tumbled inside the chamber. At least a portion of the low temperature gases can be collected and used to heat the chamber. The low temperature gases provide up to 85% of the energy needed to heat the chamber and convert the tire. 
     In a further embodiment, a method of converting tires or other solid carbon based material is disclosed, wherein the method includes providing a chamber such as the aforementioned chamber, feeding tires or other solid carbon based material or both into the chamber, heating and reducing the material in the chamber, collecting solid residue from the chamber, collecting vapor from the chamber, and converting vapor collected from the chamber to a liquid. In another embodiment, wherein the material includes tires, the method includes collecting solid residue, for example, tire carbons, such as carbon black, and collecting vapor, for example, vaporized oil, and benzene and methane gas from the chamber and converting the oil to, for example, No. 2 to No. 6 fuel oil. In yet another embodiment, the method includes heating the chamber to a temperature from about 500° F. to about 1000° F. 
     Other systems, devices, features, and advantages of the disclosed system will be or become apparent to one of skill in the art upon examination of the following drawings and detailed description. It is intended that all such additional systems, devices, features, and advantages be included within this description, be within the scope of the present invention, and be provided by the accompanying claims. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       Many aspects of the system and method of converting material, in particular tires and other solid carbon based material, of the present disclosure can be better understood with reference to the attached drawings,  FIGS. 1-3 . The components of the drawings are not necessarily to scale, emphasis instead being placed on clearly illustrating the principles of the present system and method. Moreover, in the drawings, like reference numerals do not need corresponding parts throughout the several views. 
         FIG. 1  illustrates a system layout for carrying out one method of the present disclosure, including an exemplary chamber. 
         FIGS. 2A-C  illustrate one embodiment of a chamber of the present disclosure. 
         FIGS. 3A-C  illustrate another exemplary embodiment of a chamber of the present disclosure. 
     
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE EXEMPLARY EMBODIMENTS 
     Referring more specifically to the drawings in which like reference numerals refer to like elements throughout the several views, exemplary non-limiting embodiments of the system and method of converting material, in particular tires and other solid carbon based material, of the present disclosure is illustrated in  FIGS. 1-3 . Referring to  FIG. 1 , one embodiment of a system for carrying out the method of the present disclosure is illustrated. 
       FIG. 1  illustrates an exemplary embodiment of a system and method of converting material, in particular, tires and other solid carbon based material. The system  10  includes a gasifier chamber  12 , typically insulated, for converting material, in particular, tires and other solid carbon based material. In one embodiment the gasifier chamber  12  is a rotary chamber having opposed end panels, one end panel having a feed inlet  14 , such as a door, allowing for the introduction of the material into the chamber  12 . The chamber  12  includes one or more heaters  15 , for example low-nox gas heaters for heating and converting the material. An opposed end panel  17  includes a chamber outlet  20  for removing material from the chamber  12  resulting from the heating and rotation of the chamber. In one embodiment the outlet  20  includes an auger system  22  for removing solid materials from the chamber  12 . The gasifier chamber  12  may have a vane and collection chute  18  associated with the chamber outlet  20  for removing solids from the chamber in cooperation with the auger  22 . 
     In one embodiment, the gasifier chamber  12  is a cylindrical rotating chamber having a substantially circular wall  16  in cross-section. A motor and associated coupling means (not shown) are provided to rotate the chamber. The wall  16  can be tapered having a larger diameter at one end panel than at an opposed end panel. For example, the chamber  12  can have a larger diameter at the end of the chamber having feed door  14  than at its opposite end having chamber outlet  20 . 
     In another embodiment, the circular wall  16  includes a plurality of ribs or vanes  19  mounted or attached to the interior surface of the circular wall  16  and projecting inwardly from the wall&#39;s interior surface. In one embodiment, the ribs  19  may project inwardly anywhere from about ⅛ of an inch to about 3 inches in height. In one embodiment, the ribs  19  can be positioned in a helical manner, as illustrated, for example, in  FIG. 2A . Further, the ribs  19  may have a constant height throughout the chamber, or alternatively may have varying heights within the chamber. For example, as illustrated in  FIG. 2B , the height of the ribs  19  may increase from the feed end, having feed door  14 , towards the outlet end panel  17 . In yet another embodiment, the ribs  19  may not be parallel to each other. Instead, as illustrated for example in  FIG. 3A , the ribs closest to the feed end  14  of the chamber  12  may initially be parallel to each other and then change in angle such that they are angled toward the interior of the chamber away from the feed end. Similarly, the ribs at the chamber outlet  20  end may be angled in a manner such that they also converge towards the middle of the chamber. 
     The chamber  20  may optionally further include ribs  19 ′ mounted to the inside surface of the outlet end panel  17  of the chamber  12 , as illustrated, for example, in  FIGS. 3B and 3C . In one embodiment, the ribs  19 ′ mounted to the interior surface of the outlet end panel  17  may project inwardly from the interior surface of the outlet panel either perpendicular to the interior surface of the panel, as illustrated, for example, in  FIG. 3A , or at an angle to the interior surface of the outlet panel  17 , as illustrated, for example, in  FIG. 3B . In one embodiment, the ribs  19 ′ may be angled in a manner such that they converge towards each other and towards the chamber outlet  20  and unloading auger  22 . In yet another embodiment, the ribs  19 ′ may have a nautilus-type configuration, as illustrated, for example, in  FIG. 3C . 
     Connected to the chamber outlet  20  is a conduit  24  which at one end directs solid materials resulting from the heating and grinding of the materials within the chamber  12  towards a collection chamber  28 . An unloading valve  26  may be included in the conduit  24  to assist in periodically discharging solids, such as carbon black, from the collection chamber  28 . In another direction conduit  24  directs off gases from the chamber  12  towards a vapor collection chamber  40 . Before the conduit  24  reaches vapor chamber  40 , an exhaust conduit  30  having exhaust valve  32  may be included along with exhaust fan  34 . 
     High temperature gases from the conversion of the material in chamber  12  are temporarily collected in vapor chamber  40  where they may begin to cool. Vapor chamber  40  has an outlet having including outlet conduit  42  that leads to one or more condensing chambers  44 , which have an outlet  46  leading to one or more collection tanks and, for example, an overpressure safety valve  48 . In one embodiment, the one or more condensers  44  may be water cooled to further cool the gases exiting the chamber  12 . 
     The one or more condensers  44  have an outlet including an outlet conduit  50  that leads to one or more gas scrubbers  52 . An outlet conduit  54  is provided for the one or more scrubbers  52  that lead to a compressor  56 , to condenser outlet conduit  58  and ultimately to a holding tank  64 . Included in the compressor outlet conduit  58  can be a gas vapor meter  62 . An outlet conduit  66  can be provided for the holding tank  64 . 
     In an exemplary embodiment, the method of converting material of the present disclosure involves converting tires and recovering, for example, syngas, carbon black, metal or steel, and oils from the tires. Whole tires may be introduced into the chamber  12  through feed door  14 . The tires need not be ground up or pulverized before being placed in the chamber  12 . Further, there is no need to de-wire the tires before placing them in chamber  12 . For example, whole tires ranging from 4 inches in diameter to 120 inches in diameter can be placed into the chamber and processed by the present system and method. 
     The chamber is heated and rotated. This causes the tires or other solid carbon based material, or both, to be rotated by the chamber by the internal ribs  19 ,  19 ′ of the chamber  12 . In the case of tires, the ribs  19  lift the tires and allow them to fall over as they are lifted up the side wall of the chamber allowing for the heat from the surface of the chamber  12  to be delivered over and over similar to a clothes dryer. This allows for continuous heat transfer to the tires and control of the surface temperature of the tires. In an embodiment of the process, rotating the tires up the side wall of the chamber  12  allows the tires to be evenly roasted, in particular the surface of the tires. Further, by controlling the temperature in the chamber  12  from about 500 to about 1000 degrees F. the carbon black in the tires is released without total deteration. The carbon black reclaimed from tires maintains its tensile strength, yield and necessary properties to be re-used in the manufacture of tires, making this process unique. 
     The inside surface of the chamber  12  with ribs  19  that lift and rotate the tires with a taper have at least two unique advantages. In addition to lifting and rotating the tires and controlling the temperature of the tires, the steel wire in the tires to acts as a grinding or impacting tool to reduce the size of the tires, in particular their carbon products, to a fine grain powder. As the tires loose their shape and come apart the ribs and/or tapered wall of the chamber  12  move the material to one end of the chamber. Further, the now released bead wire of the tires and the ribs of the chamber reduce the size of the carbon black and clean the steel wire of all remaining hydrocarbon materials from the steel. 
     In one embodiment, the circular wall  16  of chamber  12 , as mentioned above, is tapered such that its diameter narrows in the direction of the chamber outlet  20 . Such a taper can assist in pushing the tires from the feed end  14  of the chamber  12  towards the outlet  20 , as the chamber is rotated and as the tires are processed, to enhance the grinding of the tire carbon material into a fine powder. 
     In another embodiment, the ribs in the chamber  12  can also be tapered to push the material in the chamber towards the outlet  20  and for better grinding. In another embodiment, the present method can involve changing the direction of rotation of the chamber to the opposite direction to assist in grinding the tire material such that, for example, chamber  12  is rotated first in one direction and subsequently in the opposite direction to process the tires. 
     In one embodiment, the conversion process carried out in chamber  12  is a batch process in which one or more tires are placed in the chamber and processed. Tire carbon, for example carbon black, in the form of a fine powder is removed by the unloading auger  22  at the chamber outlet  20  into conduit  24 , ultimately falling into collection chamber  28 . At the end of the process only the steel beads, and in the case of radial tires, the cord wire, are left in the vessel or chamber  12 . This metal can be subsequently removed and sold as scrap metal. 
     In the case of processing tires, the vapor exiting chamber  12  can include vapor in the form of vaporized oil and benzene and syngas, which vapor is delivered by conduit  24  to vapor chamber  40  where the vapor is temporarily held and begins to cool. The vapor exits vapor chamber  40  by way of conduit  42  and is delivered to the one or more condensing chambers  44 . In one embodiment, the condensing chambers can be water cooled to assist in the condensation of the vapor into a liquid, in particular oil. The oil that collects at the base of the one or more condensing chambers  44  can be removed by way of the condensing chamber outlet  46  and delivered to one or more collection tanks (not shown). 
     Remaining vapor is delivered from the one or more condensing chambers  44  by way of conduit  50  to one or more gas scrubbers where impurities can be removed. The cleaned vapor can then be delivered by way of conduit  54  to the compressor  56 . In one embodiment, compressor  56  can re-pressurize the remaining vapor up to about 40 psi, allowing conventional burners to use the vapor or gas for heating the chamber  12 . The syngas in holding tank  64  can be sold. Some of the oil from holding tank  64 , however, may be returned back to the one or more heaters  15  to assist in heating chamber  12 . The use of syngas from holding tank  64  for heaters  15  can reduce the need for an outside fuel source for heating chamber  12  by as much as 85%. 
     The system and process of the present disclosure can, therefore, not only recover the tire black, for example in the form of carbon black, from tires, but also recover the steel in the tires for salvage as well as recovering the organics in the tires in the form of, for example, No. 2 to No. 6 fuel oil that can be used refining into petroleum products. 
     The present disclosure is not limited to processing tires. For example, any solid carbon based material such as shoes, plastic, rubber belting, and rubber construction tracks of any size can be processed by the present system and method. 
     It should also be emphasized that the above-described embodiments of the present disclosure are merely possible examples of implementations set forth for a clear understanding of the principles of the present disclosure. Many variations and modifications may be made to the above-described embodiments without departing substantially from the spirit and principles of the disclosure. All such modifications and variations are intended to be included herein within the scope of this disclosure and protected by the following claims.