Patent ID: 8226798

Claim:
A method for combining drying and cooling operations with thermal energy recovery in a pyrolyzing process, comprising the steps of: providing a carbonizer circuit having a drying stage, pyrolyzing stage and cooling stage, said pyrolyzing stage including: pyrolyzing organic materials to generate biocarbon and exhaust gas containing combustible volatiles and tars; combining at least a portion of said exhaust gas with air to form a combustible mixture; igniting said mixture to form a purified hot gas stream; said drying stage including: circulating at least a portion of said purified hot gas stream into direct contact with said entering pyrolyzable organic materials to augment drying of said pyrolyzable organic materials and generating a high humidity dryer exhaust stream; condensing a portion of said high humidity dryer exhaust stream by heat removal; said cooling stage including: providing condensate from the dryer stage to the cooling stage; and introducing said condensate into the cooling stage in a manner to cool hot biocarbon sufficiently to allow safe discharge from said carbonizer circuit.