Abstract:
A system for generating energy from biomass uses an arc-produced gas, either in the primary burn process to achieve higher burning temperatures, in a secondary after-burn process to reduce pollutants, or in both the primary burn process and after-burn process. The use of arc-produced gas results in increased efficiency, reduced emissions, and additional heat energy. Heat produced is used, for example, to generate electricity. In some embodiments, the arc-produced gas is combined with another fuel such as oil or natural gas for desired burn characteristics and/or for economic reasons.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
       [0001]    This application claims the benefit of U.S. provisional application No. 62/026,102 filed on Jul. 18, 2014, the disclosure of which is incorporated by reference. 
     
    
     FIELD 
       [0002]    This invention relates to the field of Energy Production and more particularly to a system, method and apparatus for using an arc-produced gas, here within referred to as Magnegas, in the process of producing energy from biomass. 
       BACKGROUND 
       [0003]    It is known to use many different forms of biomass to produce energy. The most common way to produce energy from biomass is to burn the biomass, as has been done for centuries by burning wood or other biomass materials to produce heat, cook, produce light, etc. Another way to produce energy from biomass is to capture gases (e.g. methane gas) from landfills and sewerage treatment plants for later burning of the captured gases. In recent years, methods of converting biomass into liquid fuels in a process called “gasification” has produced combustible gases, which reduces various kinds of emissions from the latter biomass combustion, especially particulate emissions. 
         [0004]    Using biomass to produce energy has many advantages compared to using fossil fuels. First, biomass is typically renewable over a short period of time. Biomass captured from wood production, urban waste, etc. is continually available. Biomass from crop residuals such as the straw remaining after heat is removed and corn stover (leaves and stalks) is available every year after harvest. Several crops are grown for the purpose of generating biomass, hopefully not displacing food production, such as grasses, sugar cane, trees, etc. For example, short-rotation trees allow trimming of branches every three to eight years and survive for many years, providing several crops of biomass. 
         [0005]    Many reports have been produced showing advantages of producing energy from biomass, including numerous environmental advantages over burning fossil fuels. For example, there is little probability that biomass from a crop of corn will pollute a large body of water like the Gulf of Mexico. 
         [0006]    Direct burning of biomass, for example to produce steam to turn a turbine, has been shown to be less efficient, in that much of the heat is wasted and some levels of air pollution are produced during the burning. To improve upon the efficiency, co-firing with, for example, coal is sometimes performed, reducing operating costs and certain emissions typically resulting from coal burning (e.g., sulfur and mercury). 
         [0007]    Biomass gasification is performed by heating the biomass with a controlled amount of oxygen and under pressure, which creates a mixture of hydrogen and carbon monoxide, often called syngas. Syngas is, for example, burned to produce steam that is directed at a turbine connected to a generator that produces electricity, etc. Biomass gasification is generally cleaner and more efficient that direct combustion of biomass. It is also possible to convert syngas into a liquid biofuels, useful for example in mobile applications such as vehicles. 
         [0008]    Burning or gasifying biomass emits carbon into the atmosphere. In order to further improve the processing and use of biomass, cleaner burning systems are needed, otherwise, the cost and inefficiencies of scrubbing systems reduce the benefits of producing energy from biomass. 
         [0009]    What is needed is an incineration system that uses an arc-produced gas (e.g. Magnegas) to facilitate proper combustion and/or secondary combustion of biomass to limit pollutants that are emitted into the atmosphere. 
       SUMMARY 
       [0010]    A system for generating energy from biomass uses an arc-produced gas either in the primary burn process to achieve higher flue temperatures, in a secondary after-burn process to reduce pollutants, or in both the primary burn process and secondary (after-burn) process. In some embodiments, the arc-produced gas is combined with another fuel such as oil or natural gas to produce the desired burn characteristics required for the particular biomass and/or for economic reasons. 
         [0011]    In one embodiment, a system for generating energy from biomass is disclosed including a device for producing a gas. The device for producing the gas comprising a pressure vessel having there within a volume of feedstock and a pair of electrodes, electric power is provided to the electrodes, producing an arc between the electrodes, the arc being submerged within the feedstock and the interaction between the arc and the feedstock produces the gas. The system includes a primary combustion chamber into which an amount of biomass is placed and combusted using the gas, thereby producing heat. An exhaust interfaced to the primary combustion chamber provides for removing flue gases. 
         [0012]    In another embodiment, a method for generating energy from biomass is disclosed including producing a gas within a pressure vessel by exposing a volume of feedstock to an arc between the electrodes that are submerged within the feedstock and combusting an amount of biomass and an amount of the gas in a primary combustion chamber, thereby producing heat. Flue gases are then exhausted from the primary combustion chamber. 
         [0013]    In another embodiment, a method for generating energy from biomass is disclosed including producing a gas within a pressure vessel by exposing a volume of feedstock to an arc between the electrodes then combusting an amount of biomass and an amount of the gas in a primary combustion chamber, thereby producing heat. Flue gases from the primary combustion chamber are mixed with an additional amount of the gas and the flue gases and the additional amount of the gas are combusted in a secondary combustion chamber, thereby producing additional heat. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0014]    The invention can be best understood by those having ordinary skill in the art by reference to the following detailed description when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which: 
           [0015]      FIG. 1  illustrates a schematic view of an exemplary system for generating energy from biomass. 
           [0016]      FIG. 2  illustrates a schematic view of a second exemplary system for generating energy from biomass. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0017]    Reference will now be made in detail to the presently preferred embodiments of the invention, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. Throughout the following detailed description, the same reference numerals refer to the same elements in all figures. 
         [0018]    Throughout this description, the apparatus is described as a system for producing energy from biomass, including any type of biomass such as crops dedicated to energy production, crop residue, municipal waste, waste from wood/paper production, forest residue, municipal and industrial waste, etc. 
         [0019]    Referring to  FIG. 1 , an exemplary system for the production of an arc-produced fluid herein called Magnegas, which is typically in gaseous form as used herein. This is but an example of one system for the production of Magnegas, as other such systems are also anticipated. Examples of fully operational systems for the production of Magnegas can be found in U.S. Pat. No. 7,780,924 issued Aug. 24, 2010, U.S. Pat. No. 6,183,604 issued Feb. 6, 2001, U.S. Pat. No. 6,540,966 issued Apr. 1, 2003, U.S. Pat. No. 6,972,118 issued Dec. 6, 2005, U.S. Pat. No. 6,673,322 issued Jan. 6, 2004, U.S. Pat. No. 6,663,752 issued Dec. 16, 2003, U.S. Pat. No. 6,926,872 issued Aug. 9, 2005, and U.S. Pat. No. 8,236,150 issued Aug. 7, 2012, all of which are incorporated by reference. The production of such a fluid (e.g. Magnegas) is performed by exposing a feedstock  22  to the plasma of an electric arc  18 , which is supplied electricity from a power source  10 , either AC power, DC power, or pulsed-DC power. The feedstock  22  is circulated within a pressure vessel  12  and is injected into the plasma of an electric arc  18  between two electrodes  14 / 16 , causing the feedstock  22  to react, depending upon the composition of the feedstock  22 , the composition of the electrodes  14 / 16  used to create the arc, the pressure within the pressure vessel  12 , flow rates, etc. One exemplary feedstock  22  is oil, and more particularly, used vegetable or animal oil such as that from deep-fat fryers, etc. Of course, any oil is anticipated, including unused vegetable oil and oil from animal fat. 
         [0020]    Any feedstock  22  is anticipated either in fluid form or fluid mixed with solids such as fine-grain metal dust as found in used motor oil, etc. The gas  24  produced from this process is typically combustible and the composition of the gas  24  is dependent upon the fluid base of the feedstock  22  and the composition of the electrodes  14 / 16 . 
         [0021]    In the example in which the feedstock  22  is vegetable oil and the electrodes  14 / 16  are carbon, the oil molecules separate within the plasma of the electric arc  18  into a gas  24  referred to here-within as Magnegas, typically including hydrogen (H 2 ) and carbon monoxide (CO) atoms, which percolate to the surface of the feedstock  22  for collection (e.g. extracted through a feed line  26 . This gas  24  (e.g. Magnegas) is similar to synthetic natural gas or syngas, but the gas produced through this process behaves differently and produces a higher temperature burn. In embodiments in which at least one of the electrodes  14 / 16  that form the electric arc  18  is made from carbon, the electrode(s)  14 / 16  and serves as a source of charged carbon particles (e.g. carbon nanoparticles) that become suspended within the gas  24  and are collected along with the gas  24 , thereby changing the burning properties of the resulting gas  24 . 
         [0022]    In examples in which the feedstock  22  is a petroleum-based liquid, the exposure of feedstock  22  that is petroleum-based to the arc (as above) results in a gas  24  that includes polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons which, in some embodiments, are quasi-nanoparticles that are not stable and, therefore, some of the polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons will form/join to become nanoparticles or a liquid. Therefore, some polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons as well as some carbon particles/nanoparticles are present in the resulting gas  24 . In some embodiments, some of the carbon particles or nanoparticles are trapped or enclosed in poly cyclic bonds. Analysis of the gas  24  produced by the electric arc  18  typically includes polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons that range from C6 to C14. The presence of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons as well as carbon particles or nanoparticles contributes to the unique burn properties of the resulting gas  24 . This leads to higher burning temperatures of the gas  24 . 
         [0023]    In another example, the feedstock  22  is used motor oil and at least one of the electrodes  14 / 16  is carbon. In this, the petroleum molecules separate within the plasma of the electric arc  18  into a gas  24  that includes hydrogen (H 2 ) and aromatic hydrocarbons, which percolate to the surface of the liquid feedstock  22  (petroleum) for collection. In some embodiments, the gas  24  made by this process includes suspended carbon particles since at least one of the electrodes of the electric arc  18  is made from carbon and serves as the source for the charged carbon particles or nanoparticles that travel with the manufactured hydrogen and aromatic hydrocarbon gases and are collected along with, for example, the hydrogen and aromatic hydrocarbon molecules, thereby changing the burning properties of the resulting gas  24 , leading to a hotter flame. In this example, if the feedstock  22  is used motor oil and the collected gas  24  includes any or all of the following: hydrogen, ethylene, ethane, methane, acetylene, and other combustible gases to a lesser extent, plus suspended charged carbon particles or nanoparticles that travel with these gases. 
         [0024]    The resulting gas  24  is fed into either one or both burning operations as shown in  FIG. 1 . The gas  24  produced by the above operation, referred to as Magnegas, is introduced to the process of burning the biomass  130  at any step of the burning process. 
         [0025]    In the exemplary incineration system shown in  FIGS. 1 and 2 , biomass  130  is staged before entry into the system in, for example, a hopper or pile of biomass  130 . Some amount of the biomass  130  is fed into a primary combustion chamber  140  through a feed mechanism  134 , for example, through a feed screw. Within the primary combustion chamber  140 , heat is generated by burning of the biomass  130  and/or burning of the gas  24 . In some embodiments, air is injected to improve the burning of the biomass  130 , for example by a pump or blower  144 . In some embodiments, a another fuel  138  such as oil or natural gas is also injected into the primary combustion chamber  140 , either with separate injectors  139  or mixed with the gas  24  before the gas  24  is injected into the primary combustion chamber  140 . The gas  24  travels from the pressure vessel  12  through a feed line  26  and into the primary combustion chamber  140  through a feed line  180 , either separate, or in conjunction with another fuel  138  such as oil or natural gas. The gas  24  produces a significantly higher temperature, providing a more complete burning of the biomass  130 , reducing emissions and waste. In some embodiments, an agitator  142  agitates and/or rotates the primary combustion chamber  140  to expose more of the biomass  130  and effectively/thoroughly burn all of the biomass  130  within the primary combustion chamber  140 . 
         [0026]    For brevity purposes, the exit for solids from the primary combustion chamber  140  is not shown, but it is anticipated that a dumping action or another screw device will remove residual solids (not shown) from the primary combustion chamber  140 . 
         [0027]    In some embodiments, as shown in  FIG. 1 , exhaust gases from the kiln are directed into a secondary combustion chamber  150  through an exhaust mechanism  145 . In some such embodiments, the exhaust mechanism  145  is a simple length of insulated or uninsulated pipe, transferring exhaust gases into the secondary combustion chamber  150 . In some such embodiments, the exhaust mechanism  145  includes a device  143  that treats and/or scrubs the exhaust gases by, for example, cooling the exhaust gases or filtering the exhaust gases. In some such embodiments, the device  143  is a chiller that cooled cools the exhaust gases before the exhaust gases are mixed with the gas  24  (Magnegas) from a gas feed line  182 . Either the exhaust gases or the exhaust gases mixed with the gas  24  then enter the secondary combustion chamber  150  where the exhaust gases and optionally the gas  24  are combusted. 
         [0028]    In some embodiments, some of the gas  24  is also feed directly into the secondary combustion chamber  150  through a gas line  184 . The secondary burn takes place in the secondary combustion chamber  150 , re-combusting the exhaust gases from the primary burn chamber  140 . The secondary burn further combusts, producing exhaust gases that contain fewer pollutants, for example, reducing dioxin by breaking down the molecular bonds of dioxin. By using gas  24  in the secondary burn process, the resulting exhaust which travels out of the system through an exhaust device/chimney  152  is cleaner than if the exhausts from the initial burn were allowed into the atmosphere. 
         [0029]    In some embodiments, as shown in  FIG. 2 , the exhaust  145  from the primary burning chamber  140  is released into the atmosphere. In some such embodiments the exhaust  145  from the primary burning chamber  140  is scrubbed by a scrubber device  155  before being released into the atmosphere. In either such embodiment, it is anticipated that, optionally, the exhaust  145  be eventually released into higher levels of the atmosphere through a chimney  152 . 
         [0030]    The burning of the biomass, along with the gas  24  and, optionally, with other fuels (e.g., oil, gas, etc.) generates heat  141 / 151 . This heat  141 / 151  is used to generate power  192  (e.g. electrical power) using an energy conversion system  190 , for example, using the heat to produce steam that turns a steam turbine or providing the heat to a fuel cell. 
         [0031]    In summary, the gas  24  as produced within the electric arc  18  is used in any or all of the following incineration steps: the gas  24  is used in the primary burning chamber  140  to improve burning of the biomass  130 ; the gas  24  is mixed with exhaust gases  145  from the primary incineration and, the mixed exhaust gases  145  and gas  24  is burned in a secondary combustion chamber  150 ; and the gas  24  is fed directly into the secondary combustion chamber  150  to completely burn all exhaust gases  145  from the primary burning process. In all cases, it is anticipated that the gas  24  (e.g. Magnegas) is either used as a sole fuel to facilitate combustion, or is used in conjunction with another fuel including, but not limited to, oil, propane, natural gas, synthetic natural gas, diesel, gasoline, etc., depending upon temperatures required and economic factors. 
         [0032]    In some embodiments, the primary burn process in the primary burn chamber  140 , after initiation, continues thorough combustion of the biomass  130  being incinerated in the primary burn chamber  140 , without further injection of other fuels. In such, in some embodiments, the gas  24  is mixed with exhaust gases  145  from the primary combustion chamber  140  and, the mixed exhaust gases  145  and gas  24  is burned; and/or the gas  24  is injected into the secondary combustion chamber  150  to completely burn all exhaust fumes from the primary burning process. 
         [0033]    Note that, although it is shown that the gas  24  is co-produced at the location of the biomass  130  to heat  192  operation, there is no limitation on the location for the production of the gas  24  and it is equally anticipated that the gas  24  be produced at a remote location and the gas  24  is piped or placed in containers that are transported to the location of the biomass  130  to heat  192  operation. 
         [0034]    Equivalent elements can be substituted for the ones set forth above such that they perform in substantially the same manner in substantially the same way for achieving substantially the same result. 
         [0035]    It is believed that the system and method as described and many of its attendant advantages will be understood by the foregoing description. It is also believed that it will be apparent that various changes may be made in the form, construction and arrangement of the components thereof without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention or without sacrificing all of its material advantages. The form herein before described being merely exemplary and explanatory embodiment thereof. It is the intention of the following claims to encompass and include such changes.