Patent ID: 8323589

Claim:
A pyrolysis system, comprising: a pyrolysis thermal processor holding at least one porous container having a waste under a sealed, substantially anaerobic atmosphere, the at least one porous container removable from the pyrolysis thermal processor, the pyrolysis thermal processor having an internal baffling, the pyrolysis thermal processor further having a gas inlet and a gas outlet formed therein, the pyrolysis thermal processor also having a purge gas inlet formed therein, the purge gas inlet in communication with an at least one anaerobic gas stream from an inert gas system for purging the pyrolysis thermal processor with the at least one anaerobic gas stream after the at least one porous container is inserted and the pyrolysis thermal processor is sealed; a heater in communication with the thermal processor to heat the at least one anaerobic gas stream and a recirculation stream to a temperature sufficient to pyrolyze the waste and produce a carbonaceous char; and at least one variable speed fan in communication with the thermal processor, the variable speed fan disposed above the internal baffling, the at least one porous container disposed within the internal baffling, wherein the variable speed fan and the internal baffling regulate a circulation rate of the at least one anaerobic gas stream in the pyrolysis thermal processor, and the internal baffling of the pyrolysis thermal processor is arranged in the pyrolysis thermal processor to militate against a flow rate of the at least one anaerobic gas stream outside the at least one porous container being greater than a flow rate of the at least one anaerobic gas stream through the at least one porous container, and wherein the gas inlet and the gas outlet are in communication with the recirculation stream that is withdrawn from the pyrolysis thermal processor by the fan through the gas outlet and returned back to the pyrolysis thermal processor through the gas inlet after removal of condensable hydrocarbon products from the recirculation stream.