CA1081647A - Loop pyrolysis process for organic solid wastes - Google Patents

Abstract

LOOP PYROLYSIS PROCESS FOR ORGANIC SOLID WASTES

Abstract of the Invention Particulate organic solid waste is pyrolyzed in the presence of an inert particulate source of heat and a carrier gas in a pyrolysis reactor to form char, pyrolytic oils and gases. The particulate source of heat and char are separated from the product stream. The particular source of heat and char are transported to a combustion zone where through partial or total combustion, fresh inert particles are formed at a temperature requisite for feed to the pyrolysis reactor and are transported to the pyrolysis reactor.

Description

lS Background of the Invention The present invention is directed to the pyro7ysis of organic solid wastes from industrial and municipal sources.
The disposal of wastes bo-th from municipal and industrial sources, such as trash, rubbish, garbase, animal wastes, agricultural wastes, and waste of plastic processing opera~ions is rapidly becoming of immense national concern.
The cost of disposal ranks third behind public schooling ana highways as municipal expense in the United States.
It is estimated that each individual in the country generates between 4 and 6 pounds of waste per day, that the industrial output is equivalent to approximately 5 pounds of solid waste per person per day. Previous methods of mass waste disposal, such as landfill, are becoming impossi~le, while others such as incinceration are costly and result in air pollution problems.
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~)81647 A vast majority of the waste which is presently dis-posed of contains products which are immediately recyclable back into the economy or products into which the waste can be converted for recycle back to the economy. Directly recyclable constituents are the various metals present, such as aluminum and steel, and glass. For the most part, the organic solid waste fraction may be subject to a flash pyrolysis as an oper-ation independent of recovery of the directly recyclable inorgan-ic fraction and any organic portion recovered as pulp. Flash pyrolysis yields char, pyrolytic oil and gases as products.
According to the present invention, there is provided a loop process for pyrolysis of organic solid waste which com-prises continuously:
(a) pyrolyzing particulate organic solid waste having a maximum particle dimension less than 1 inch by combin-ing and passing the particulate organic solid waste and a hot particulate source of heat selected from the group consisting of a carbon containing solid residue of pyrolysis, an inorganic heat source formecl from decarbonization of the carbon containing solid residue of pyrolysis and mixtures thereof, with a fluid-izing transport carrier gas which is nondeleteriously reactive with respect to the products of pyrolysis through a transport flash pyrolysis zone under turbulent flow conditions for a time sufficient to pyrolyze the organic solid waste to the carbon containing solid residue of pyrolysis, pyrolytic oils and gases, said flash pyrolysis zone being maintained at an operating pressure above atmospheric and at an operating temperature be-tween about 600F and the introduction temperature of the part-iculate heat source to said pyrolysis zone;
(b) withdrawing a fluidized mixture of the carrier gas, particulate source of heat, the carbon containing solid residue of pyrolysis, pyrolytic oils and gas from the flash ~ - 2 -~0~164~
pyrolysis zone;
(c) separating the particulate source of heat and the carbon containing solid residue of pyrolysis from the fluidized mixture and collecting the separated particulate source of heat and carbon containing solid residue o:f pyrolysis in a first particles collection zone wherein the particles are maintained in a dense fluidized state;
(d) withdrawing from the first particles collection zone a dense fluidized mixture of the particulate source of heat and carbon containing solid residue of pyrolysis through a first vertically oriented fluidized leg coupled to a first solids transport conduit connected to a fluidized solids trans- -port burner, the particles in said first fluidized leg providing at the base thereof, a static pressure greater than the operating pressure of the fluidized solids transport burner;
~ e) transporting the withdrawn particulate mixture through said first solids transport conduit to said fluidized solids transport burner;
~ f) decarbonizing at least a portion of the carbon containing solid residue of pyrolysis in said fluidizing char transport burner to form the particulate source of heat at a temperature at least sufficient for feed to said pyrolysis zone;
~g) removing the formed particulate source of heat . from the fluidized solids transport burner and collecting a .` portion of the formed particulate source of heat in a second particles collection zone; and ~ h) withdrawing from the second particles collection zone particulate source of heat to a second vertically oriented fluidized leg coupled to a second solids transport conduit con-nected to said transport flash pyrolysis zone and transportingunder fluidized conditions the withdrawn particulate source of heat to said transport flash pyrolysis zone, the height of the ~ - 2a -, .

particulate static source in said second fluidized leg beingsufficient to maintain a static pressure at the base of said second fluidized leg greater than the operating pressure of the flash pyrolysis zone.
Thus, in the process of the invention, particulate organic solid waste dried to a transportable state and a part-iculate heat source and a non-deleterious carrier gas are com-bined and passed under turbulent flow conditions through a flash pyrolysis zone where solid organic waste converted to char, pyrolytic oils and gases occur. The heat required for pyrolysis is supplied by the particulate source of heat which is char and/or ash formed by decarbonization of char.
Following pyrolysis, the particulate source of heat and char are separated from the product gas and passed to a first particles collection zone. The first particles collection vessel supplies char or a representative mixture of the formed char and particulate source of heat to a first loop through which the particu:late mixture is transported under fluidized conditions to a fLuidized solids char burner. The loop includes : 20 a fluidized - 2b -108~647 1 leg in which particles are rnaintained at a heiyht sufficient to provide a pressure at the base greater than the operating pressure of the char burner. In the char burner, all or a portion of char is oxidized to raise the resultant mixture to a temperature requisite for feed to the pyrolysis zone.
The particulate source of heat is separated from the flue gas oE the char burner and collected in a second fluidized particles collection vessel. Particles are fed from the second fluidized particles collection-vessel to a second loop in which 0 the particles are transported at high temperatures to the -pyrolysis reactor. Again the loop includes a fluidized leg which provides at its base a pre,sure greater than the operating pressure of the pyrolysis zone.
, In the flash pyrolysis process of the invention, the -particulate solid organic waste may include ash forming inorganic constituents. The carrier gas is non-deleteriously reactive with respect to the pyrolysis products. The pyrolysis zone is maintained at a temperature between about 600 F and the in-troduction temperature of the particulate heat source to the pyrolysis zone preferred temperatures are from about 600F to about 2000F or below the sintering temperature of the ash if ash is part of the particulate source of heat. Dependent on sintering temperature, the preferred pyrolysis temperature for ash is from about 600 to about 1700F. Preferably, the particulate pyrolysis temperature is from about 900 to about 1350F. To maximize fluidized density where ash is employe~, the ash is to be 90~ carbon free.
In the pyrolysis process, the solid or~anic waste exists as discrete particles having a diameter less than one inch, and are preferably of a size less than about 5 mesh, more preferably, less than 8 mesh. The particulate inert source o heat which is the char and/or ash9 for ease of mass transport and transfer of heat to the organic solid waste undergoing pyrolysis, is generally of a particle size in the range from about 10 to about 2,000 microns and preferably from about 20 to about 1000 microns.
Although any carrier gas which is non-deleterious, i.e.
essentially oxygen free, to the products of pyrolysis may be used as a transport gas for both the organic solid waste and the particulate source, it is preferred for expediency in the process to use the gases which are the by-products of the pyrolysis process itself. The principal constituents of the gas are the oxides of carbon.
Residence time during pyrolysis is generally less than 10 seconds, preferably from 0.1 to 2 seconds, and more - preferably, from about 0.1 to 1 second. Residence time in char burner is also less than 10 seconds, preferably from 0.1 to 2 seconds and more preferably from about 0.2 to 0.4 second if char is to be recycled as the best carrier. Longer residence times are preferable if ash is the best carrier.
The preferred range for ash is from about 0.3 to about 10 seconds. In either instance, it is desirous to maximize the C2 to C0 ratio in the effluent gas.
The weight ratio of the particulate source of heat to organic solid waste fed to the pyrolysis zone will vary depending upon temperature of the particulate heat source and the temperature desired in the pyrolysis zone. To achieve requisite temperatures from about 2 to about 20, preferably from about 4 to about 6 pounds of the particulate source of heat per pound of the comminuted antecedent organic solid waste is fed to the pyrolysis zone. Pyrolysis results from heating of the solid waste primarily by solid to solids heat transfer wlth some solid .

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1 to ~as to solid heat transfer occurring. To achieve this, turbulent flow conditions are required. Reynolds flow index numbers, therefore, will exceed 2,000 with Reynolds numbers in excess of 50,000 frequently employed.
S The Drawing The attached drawing schematically illustrates the pyrolysis process of this invention and apparatus associatea with its use.
Detailed Description 0 There is provided in accordance-with-the practice of-this invention an essentially closed loop process for the pyrc,lysis of the organic solid waste fraction of municipal and industrial wastes.
As used herein, the term "organic solid wastes" means the predominately organic portion derived from as received waste source, domestic and/or industrial in origin after gross separation into an inorganic constituent such as iron, aluminum,glass and other values including paper pulp.
Because the several comminuting operations attendant to the gross separation, there may appear in the organic solid waste fraction some inorganic sol d fines. In municipal waste the fines are predominately glass. The inorganic fraction constituents, except for fly ash, is the "ash"
formed from the chax.
The organic constituents of the organic solid wastes include cellulosic materials, plastic, rubber stock, and animal waste. Included in the meaning of "cellulosic materials'i are paper, tree trimming and bark,sawdust, crop waste, vegetable and fruit processing waste, and the like "Plastics" include discarded household plastics, as well as the waste of indus~rial polymer forming and processing 10816q~7 1 operations. "Rubber stock" includes waste tires. "Animal wastes" include household discards, slaughter house wastes, poultry processing wastes, manure, and the like.
Resulting from a generally sundry mixture of waste materials after gross separating substantially inorganic values, the organic solid waste may have, after drying to the extent prepared for transport to a pyrolysis reactor, the following typical analysis:

~0 Table 1 Constituent ~ by Weight Organics 92.29 Metals 0.38 Glass 1.69 Other Inorganics 2.0 Water 3.62 When the organic solid waste is pyrolyzed, there is formed a mixture of char, pyrolytic oils and gas. The gas includes transport gas and gases resulting from pyrolysis. The gas on a dry basis consists primarily of the oxides of carbon and hydrogen.
The char may, depending on the waste source, contain from about 5~ to about 70~ ash, the balance being carbon.
Bulk density of the char is from about 5.5 to 12.5 lbs/cu. ft.
Ash wnich i~ for~ed hy decarbonization of thP char has, in contrast, aftex 90~ or more carbon removal, a bulk density between about 35 and 70 lbs/cu. ft. Its hard, glass -6~

10#1647 1 like nature makes an ideal source which may be readily generated from within the process itself. The ash has a fusion temperature between about 1425 and about 1450~F, and a particle and skeletal density of about 150 lbs/cu. ft.
The pyrolytic oils formed while varying in nature depending upon the composition of the waste material processed and pyrolysis conditions employed are at the same time unique. They may be characterized as an oxygenated, complex organic fluid, typically up to 40~ and in some cases up to 85% soluble in water, acids ~~ ba~e. Solubility in polar organic solvents such as glycerol is limited and the pyrolytic oils are r!latively insoluble in non-polar organic solvents, such as diesel oil, carbon tetrachloride, pentane, decane, benzene, toluene and hexane. The pyrolytic oil, however, can be successively blended and mixed with various ~6 fuel oils. Combustion stability of the mixture is about the same as #6 fuel oil alone.
A typical example of an elemental analysis of the pyrolytic oil is that obtained from the pyrolysis of a waste material containing about 70~ cellulosics. The oil thus obtained will contain from about 52 to about 60% carbon, from about 6 to about 8% hydrogen, from about 1 to about 2 nitrogen and from about 29 to about 33% oxygen. The empirica~
formula which best fits the pyrolytic oil analysis is C5~8O2 Specific gravities are unusually high, ranging from about 1 1 to about 1.4 By a "non-deleteriously reactive" carrier gas, there is meant a gas stream which is essentially free of free oxygen.
Although constituents may react under non-oxidizing conditions with pyrolysis products to upgrade their value, to be avoided are constituents which degrade pyrolysis products.

~08164~7 The attached drawing illustrates the practice of the process of this invention, and apparatus associated with its use.
With reference thereto, the organic solid waste from which there has been a gross separation of inorganics and which has been dried, is comminuted to particles having a maximum particle dimension less than 1 inch, preferably a particle size less than 5 mesh, and more preferably less than 8 mesh, and stored in tank 10.
The organic solid waste is conveyed at a desired rate by screw conveyor 12 to transport line 14. The solid organic waste is transported through transport line 14 as a concentrated fluidized mass using a transport gas, preferably product gas of the process to pyrolysis reactor 20. The transport gas is introduced directly to line 14 and at several points along its length from line 16. If organic feed rate is in excess of that required by the pyrolysis reactor 20, control valve 18 is closed and control valve 22 opened enabling a portion of solid organic waste to be returned by line 24, and separated from its transport gas, introduced by line 26, by cyclone 28 for return to tank 10.
Simultaneous with the introduction of the organic solid waste into pyrolysis reactor 20, there is introduced a particulate heat source along with its transport gas through vertical riser 30. The particulate heat source may be any material capable of transferring heat to the organic solid waste to cause its pyrolysis into gases, pyrolytic oils and char. The preferred heat source is char, the ash derived from the decarbonization of char and mixtures thereof. Ash derived from the decarbonization char is a particularly preferred heat source because it is relatively attrition free, and is of high bulk density minimizing the height for the fluidized leg or standpipe 40 essential to continuous operation without backflow at the pressure differentials employed.
Pyrolysis reactor 20 is operated, depending upon the temperature and the nature of the particulate heat source, at an average exit temperature from between about 600 and the introduction temperatures of the particulate heat source to the flash pyrolysis reactor. Reactor temperature is essentially sustained by the particulate heat source. Within this temperature range, pyrolysis occurs primarily with liquefraction below about 1400F and by gasification at temperatures above 1400F. Where char is the source of heat temperatures will range from about 600 to about 2000F.
Where ash in whole or in part is used as the source of heat, the upper temperature limit is ascertained by the sintering temperature of the ash which is between about 1425 and 1700F.
Ash, the preferred source of heat, requires, when used, depending on its sintering temperature, an operating temperature between 600 and 1700F. The preferred pyrolysis temperatures is between about 900 and 1400F.
In pyrolysis reactor 20, heat transfer occurs primarily by solids to solids with some solids to gas to solids heat transfer occurring. In general operation, organic solid waste feed temperature is approximately 100F and its transport gas from ambient up to about 500F. The preferred transport gas for both the organic solid waste and the particulate heat source is the gas resulting from the pyrolysis of the organic solid waste.
Since pyrolysis occurs at some temperature intermediate of the temperature of the particulate heat source introduced into pyrolysis reactor 20 and the temperature of the feed.

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iO81647 1 For minimum utilization of the particulate heat source, the transport gas for the particulate heat source should approach its temperature.
The gas used to transport the solids laterally is introduced, in part, by a plurality of oriented nozzles 32 projecting from lateral gas line 34 at angle bend 36 beneath slide valve 38 of standpipe 40. Nozzles 32 project gas flow along angle riser 42 to urge the transported particles to vertical riser 30. At this point, there is added secondar-y transport gas through nozzle 35 which provides the final force to lift the solid particles under hicJh flow rates to pyrolysis reactor 20.
No~inal operating pressure of pyrolysis reactor 20 is about 11 to ]2 psig. Residence time during pyrolysis is lS generally less than 10 seconds, preferably from 0.1 to 2 seconds, and more preferably, from about 0.1 to 1 second.
The weight ratio of the particulate heat source to organic solid waste will vary depending upon temperature of the particulate heat source and the temperature desired in the pryolysis reactor 20. Generally about 2 to about 20, preferably from 4 to 6 pounds of the particulate heat source per pound of the comminuted organic solid waste is fed to the pyrolysis reactor 20. To achieve intimate mixing turbulent flow conditions are required. Reynolds flow index numbers, therefore, will exceed 2,000 with Reynolds numbers in excess of 50,000 frequently employed.
Products of the pyrolysis, including the particulate heat source leave reactor 20 via line 44 and enters product cyclone 46 where heavy particles and particles of large 3 diameter are separated. Par~icles settle through dip leg 48 into the constricted area 58 of stripper hopper 60. Finer .
1 dense particles and char particles are separated by cyclone 62 and are fed to hopper 60 through dip leg 64. Each dip leg has on its end a flap valve to prevent backflow of fluidizing gas in hopper 60 from interrupting the operation of cyclones 46 and 62. Cyclones 46 and 62 are designed to operate at a high efficiency to maximize separation of particles from the gas stream.
The residual gas stream which includes the condensible pyrolytic oils and product gases leave by line 66 and enter fines separator cyclone 70 where fine char particles are recovered. The finechar particles descend dip leg 72 into char bin 74 for recovery as produ.t. Inert aeration gas at a low temperature is introduced at: the base of char hopper 74 to cool the-char and maintain the-char in a free flowing semi-fluid state.
The residual gases, substantially free of fines, pass byline 76 to quench venturi scrubber 78 where by the introduction of a quench oil the pyrolytic oils are caused to condense from the gas stream and collect in vessel 80. A second quench venturi scrubber 82 is used to remove residual pyrolytic oil which collects in settler 84. After scrub~ing the gas in scrubber 86 and compression residual condensates are collected in separator 88 to provide product gas for use in the process. Excess gas may be flared to the atmosphere ~5 The char and the particulate heat source collect in zone 58 of hopper 60 and maintained at a predetermined height as part of fluidized leg 92 by the rate of solids withd~awal.
Aeration gas,.normally the product gas, is introduced into the : vertical and anyles side of zone 58 to maintain the solids in a concentrated fluidized state. Aeration gas also serves to ¦ remove oils which cling to the surface of the particles which-I . -11-108~647 1 are exhausted back to the pro~uct gas loop via by-pass line 40. Pa~ticles which are en~rained by the aeration gas except extrel~e fines lose velocity in the upper expanded section of hopper 60 and fall back to the fluidized mass of S particles in the zone 58.
Particles in zone 58 are mixtures of the pyrolysis heat source and char. Where the pyrolysis heat source is char alone, the content is essentially particulate char. Standpipe or fluidizer 92 extends into zone 58 of hopper 60 and serves 0 to sample particles at an average composition and/or particle size.
In the instance where char alone is present, the larl~er char particles tend to gravitate towards the base and tha-finer towards the top, with-particles representing a cross section of the particles in leg 58 being at the middle. Thus, the particles admitted to standpipe 92 tend to represent the average particle size of the particles in leg 58.

Where leg 58 contains product char and a different high density heat source such as ash, the heavier ash particles tend to gravitate towards the bottom and the lighter char particles towards the top. By mixing with the aeration gas, the particles at the point of sampling, 94, represent composition wise, the composltion of the char and ash entering hopper 62.
If the extension of standpipe 92 into hopper 60 were eliminated, the feed to standpipe 92 would tend to contain only large particles where char is only content or the hea~ier particles where a dense heat source is used in the pyrolysis operation. The point of sa~pling 94 is, as shown, screened to reject clinkers.

,' .-..,. , 108~647 1 There is provided a second sampling tube 93 with associated feed line 95 connected through valve 97 to leg 98. This is to cover the contingency when ash is the source of heat, that the char may be fine and light, and therefore, will not readily mix wi-th the ash. To prevent a fuel deficiency in burner 100, the light char can be drawn off the top of the bed for feed with ash to burner 100.
Standpipe 92 in cooperation with slide valve 94, control the rate of feed of particles from hopper 60 to char burner 96;-maintained under dense-fluidized conditions. The--particles dispensed through siide valve 92 are transported by a non-deleterious transport gas essentially along angle rise 96 to verticle riser 98 where it is combined with a transporting flow of carrier gas or air for feed to-char burner 100. Fluidized leg 92 serves as a pressure seal which provides through its height, a base pressure at valve 94 greater than the operating pressure of char burner 100. A
pressure at valve 94 of about 1.5 to 3 times the operating pressure of char burner 100 is desired to account for line losses. The typical operating pressure of char burner 100 is about 10 psig. The same is true for the pressure at ~al~e 38 of fluidized leg or standpipe 40. Pyrolysis reactor 2~
for this instance normally operates at a pressure of about 12 psig.
In char burner 100, the particles used for pyrolysis are raised to the temperature requisite for introduction to the pyrolysis rea¢tor by partial or total combustion. In the instance wherechar is a source of heat, a portion of the char is combusted in the presence `of the air introduced as the transport air and/or by combustion air introduced by llne 102 to char burner 100. The air is preheated in exchanger 10 10~31647 1 by the flue gas from char burner 100. Where char is the inert source of heat, control may be exercised over the combustion conditions in char burner 100 by limiting the amount of air introduced.
Where ash is to be employed as the heat source, char burner 100 must be maintained at a temperature below the sintering temperàture of the ash formed as a-corsequence Oc oxidative decarbonization of char. To form ash,combustion in-char burner 100 is.from about--80 to 100%-complete, ana~.
sufficent air is introduced to achieve this end. To control 10 .
combustion temperature, water is introduced along with air to convert the water into mist, to act as a uniform quench which through vapori.zation, absorbs the heat of combustion.
In the ins-tance of- the use -of.ash:as the-heat--source,-char burner 100 is maintained at a temperature between 1350 and 1400F. Water requirements are maintained ana controlled : by valve 103.
The products from char burner 100 leave by line 106 and pass through burner cylcones 108 and 110. Both cyclones are ~0 low efficiency cyclones to control the size of the particles separated from the gas streams and eliminate from them, fines.
Cyclone 108 serves primarily for the separation of course particles and cyclone 110 for particles of intermediate size. The collected particles are transferred by dip legs 112 and 114 to surge hopper 116.
;. The particles in surge hopper 116 and standpipe 40 are maintained in a dense fluidized state by the flow of fluidized gases therethrough. In the event that ash is the source of heat and combustion in the burner incomplete, air may be introduced as part of the fluidizing gas to complete combustion with controlled introduction of water as a quench.

.. ~ . ; : ' ~ 1081647 1 ¦ To maximize fluidized solids density combustion should ¦ be sufficient to provide an ash which is at least 90~ carbon ¦ free.
l Surge hopper 116 is insulated and serves as the reservoir 5 ¦ for the hot particulate particles for feed by fluidized leg 40, angle riser 42 and vertical riser 30 to pyrolysis reactor 20. While air, if required, may be-introduced to-standpipe 40 as a fluidïzing fluid, the gas present beyond -sl-ide-valve 38 is the non-deleterious carrier gas.-For good transport,-the particles-in`-surge hopper~ 6,~
are in a particle si:e range between about 10 to about 20~0 microns, preferably between about 20 to about 1000 microns.
To maintain the part cles in surge hopper 116 within the desired particle size range, requires some-periodic-manipulation of the particles in surge hopper 116. In the instance where the particles become too fine, the level of particles in surge hopper 116 is allowed to rise, this alone or in combination with the introduction of a small amount of transport gas into the dip tube of cyclone 110 serve to disrupt the operation of cylcones 108 and 110 to reduce their efficiency still further. This maximizes the size of the particles collected by surge hopper 116 and increases the average particle size in surge hopper 116.
If, in contrast, particles tend to become too coarse, particles are withdrawn through line 118 at a rate greater than production for passage to elutriator quench drum 120.
By the flow of an elutriating gas, the fines are returned by line 122 to hopper 116 to increase the overall average particle size of the particles contained in hopper 116.
Surge hopper 116 is provided with by pass line 124 to remove fines entrained by its fluidizing gas.

10816~7 1 The product not required for return to pyrolysis reac-tor 120 is passed from elutriator quench drum 120 to product trim cooler 122 for withdrawal of char or ash.
The fines from char burner 100, along with any fines S removed with exhaust gas from hopper 116 by line 124, pass by line 126 containing velocity reduction zone 128, fines cyclone 129 and velocity reduction zone 130. After removal of settled fines from fines cyclone 129, the flue gas is,-used in preheater 104 prior to passage to a suitable stack.-For start up, there is employed reservoir 132 which i5 used to transport particulate materials to hopper 116 for initiation of the pyrolysis process. Anyinert material such as sand or glass, may be used for initicil start up.
It is, however, supplanted by the char or ash formed in the pyrolysis process.
The use of the double closed loop process of this inventioneliminates through the fluidized legs, the need for the use of star valves and the like. While star valves can be used for hopper 60, no practical valve exists to enable the feed of the high temperature particulate feed contained in surge hopper 116 on a continuous basis. Because the standpipe pressures,are a function of particle density, the preferred particulate source of heat is the high density ash formed by decarbonization of 'char.

While no wise limiting, the following Example is illustrative of the presently preferred practice of the invention.

EXAMPLE

Organic solid waste after treatment of municipal solid waste to remove the inorganic constituents, is dried and '1081647 1 and comminuted to a particle size less than 8 mesh. The organic solid waste having the composition shown in Table

2 is fed at a rate of 9491.4 pounds per hour to a pyrolysis reactor using as the carrier gas a product gas of the composition shown in Table 3.
Table 2 Component Wt.
Organics 92.29 10 Metals 0.38 Glass 1.69 Inorganics 1.40 Other- Solids 0.62 Water 3.62 Table 3 Carrier Gas ~Vol. %
Composition H2S 0.31 N2 0.86 C2 32.~2 CO 31.13 H2 10.54 4 5.13 C2H4 2.56 C2H6 0.88 C3 0.88 H2O 15.28 Total 100.00 Ave. M.W. 28.43 10~647 1 The carrier gas has a temperature of 500F and the organic solid waste to carrier gas weight ratio is 2Ø The nominal solids temperature is 100F. Inlet pressure is 13 psig.

Simultaneously, 49,831 pounds per hour of an ash formed from decarbonazation of char is transported along by about 480 pounds per hour of the carrier gas employed to the pyrolysis reactor. Ash temperature is about 1350F. The ash for feed is maintained in-surge hopper 116~at a bulk-density of 60 lbs./cu. ft. Bulk density-in standpipe~40 is 65 lbs./cu. ft. Bulk density is reduced to 60 lbs./cu. ft in angle riser 42 and 14.8 lbs./cu. ft. in vertical riser 30.
Pressure at valve 38 is 23.5 psig.

The average temperature in pyrolysis reactor 20 is 950F.

Operating pressure is 10.5 psig. Average residence time of the organic solid waste and ash is 0.6 second.
After pyrolysis, the discharge composition from pyrolysis reactor 20 is 12,883.6 pounds per hour of gas including 3,659 pounds per hour water, 1,829.5 pounds of char, and the total ash fed to the pyrolysis reactor. The gas effluent is passed to a first product cyclone which separates 51,120 pounds per hour of solids from the gas stream and a second cylcone which separates 269 pounds per hour of solids from the gas stream. The balance of the gas stream advances to fine cyclone which separate 207 pounds per hour of essentially fine char, as product from the gas stream. After quench separation of pyrolytic oil, the residual gas stream at a rate of 13,419 pounds per hour, is made available as a heating gas and gas for the process. The excess ls flared to the atmosphere. The composition of the pyrolytic oil and char is shown in Table 4.

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l ( ( ¦ lOB1647 1 I Table 4 ¦ DR~ CHAR AND DRY PYROLYTIC PRODUCT COMPOSITIONS (WT. %) 51 Char Oil Carbon 48.8 57.0 Hydrogen 3.3 7.7 Nitrogen 1.1 1.1 . Sulfur 0.2 0.2 Chlorine 0.3 0.2 10 . .
: Ash 33.0 0.2 Oxygen 13.3 33.6 : . .
The--physical properties and particle size distribution.
of the ash and char fed to the product cyclones is shown in Table 5.

Table 5 Ash Virgin Char Composition, wt. % 3 96.5 3 5 Particle density, lbs/ft 150.0 112 0 Skeletal density, lbs/ft3 150.0 150.0 Settled bulk density, lbs/ft3 58 12.5 Size Distribution, wt. ~
: 0 ~ 10 microns 1.2 34.0 10 ~ 20 7.8 24.0 20 ~ 40 13.0 19 0 40 ~ 80 16.0 10 0 80 ~ 120 18.0 4.0 120 ~ 160 13.0 2 0 160 ~.200 10.0 1 5 200 ~ 400 15-.0 2.5 400 ~ 600 2.5 1 2 600 ~ 1000 2.0 1 1 1000 ~ 2000 1.5 0.7 2000 + 0.0 0.0 . -19-~081647 1 of the particles 99.96% are received as an ash char mixture and the balance as fine char product.
Of the mlxture of ash and char collected in the ash stripper 60, solids are removed at a rate of 51,388 pounds per hour, and fed to char burner 100. Solids density in ash stripper 60 is 50 lbs./cu~ ft. The solids density in standpipe 92 is 55 lbs./cu. ft and is reduced to 50 lbs./cu. ft in angle riser 96 and to 16 lbs./cu. ft by diluting air in vertical riser 98. Static pressure at-~alve 94 is 22 psig.-Nominal operating pressure-of char burner-l~0 is -9.3 psig.
Decarbonlzation of the char by oxidation in char burn-r 100 is at an average burner temperature of 1350F. Char :is supplied in excess of that required to achieve total -decarbonization-in char~burner ~00. To-maintain burner :15 temperature~, water is fed as a fog to burner 100 at a rate of 2904 lbs./hr. The resultant ash and gases are passed to a first burner cyclone which separate ash at the rate of 49,914 pouncls per hour and then to a second burner cyclone 34 which receives ash at the rate of 306 pounds per hour.

The ash collects in hopper 116 and is maintained at the-ash particle size shown in Table 5. Residual gas stream ; containing 120 pounds per hour of fines is passed to a fines accumulator. The ash collected in ash storage hopper is withdrawn as product net recovery rate of 84 pounds per hour. The flue gas from the char burner is employed to preheat the air required for combustion. In this instance the air is heated to a temperature of 650F by indirect heat exchange with flue gas following which the flue gas is flared to the atmosphere. In the operation, nominal residence time in the pyrolytic reactor is 0.3 second, and in char burner 0.6 second. Average residence time of solids in ash stripper is 3 minutes and the ash surge hopper 5.5 minutes.

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Claims (16)

THE EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION IN WHICH AN EXCLUSIVE
PROPERTY OR PRIVILEGE IS CLAIMED ARE DEFINED AS FOLLOWS:

1. A loop process for pyrolysis of organic solid waste which comprises continuously:
(a) pyrolyzing particulate organic solid waste having a maximum particle dimension less than 1 inch by combining and passing the particulate organic solid waste and a hot particulate source of heat selected from the group consisting of a carbon con-taining solid residue of pyrolysis, an inorganic heat source formed from decarbonization of the carbon containing solid residue of pyrolysis and mixtures thereof, with a fluidizing transport carrier gas which is nondeleteriously reactive with respect to the products of pyrolysis through a transport flash pyrolysis zone under turbulent flow conditions for a time sufficient to pyrolyze the organic solid waste to the carbon containing solid residue of pyrolysis, pyrolytic oils and gases, said flash pyrolysis zone being maintained at an operating pressure above atmospheric and at an operating temperature between about 600°F and the introduc-tion temperature of the particulate heat source to said pyrolysis zone;
(b) withdrawing a fluidized mixture of the carrier gas, particulate source of heat, the carbon containing solid resi-due of pyrolysis, pyrolytic oils and gas from the flash pyrolysis zone;
(c) separating the particulate source of heat and the carbon containing solid residue of pyrolysis from the fluidized mixture and collecting the separated particulate source of heat and carbon containing solid residue of pyrolysis in a first part-icles collection zone wherein the particles are maintained in a dense fluidized state;
(d) withdrawing from the first particles collection zone a dense fluidized mixture of the particulate source of heat and carbon containing solid residue of pyrolysis through a first vertically oriented fluidized leg coupled to a first solids transport conduit connected to a fluidized solids trans-port burner, the particles in said first fluidized leg providing at the base thereof, a static pressure greater than the operat-ing pressure of the fluidized solids transport burner;
(e) transporting the withdrawn particulate mixture through said first solids transport conduit to said fluidized solids transport burner;
(f) decarbonizing at least a portion of the carbon containing solid residue of pyrolysis in said fluidizing char transport burner to form the particulate source of heat at a temperature at least sufficient for feed to said pyrolysis zone;
(g) removing the formed particulate source of heat from the fluidized solids transport burner and collecting a portion of the formed particulate source of heat in a second particles collection zone; and (h) withdrawing from the second particles collection zone particulate source of heat to a second vertically oriented fluidized leg coupled to a second solids transport conduit connected to said transport flash pyrolysis zone and transport-ing under fluidized conditions the withdrawn particulate source of heat to said transport flash pyrolysis zone, the height of the particulate static source in said second fluidized leg being sufficient to maintain a static pressure at the base of said second fluidized leg greater than the operating pressure of the flash pyrolysis zone.

2. The process of claim 1 in which the particulate source of heat is the inorganic heat source formed from decarbon-ization of the carbon containing solid residue of pyrolysis and said pyrolysis zone is maintained at a temperature from about 600°F to about 1700°F and said inorganic heat source is formed by decarbonization of the carbon containing solid residue of pyrolysis in said fluidized solids transport burner at a temperature below the fusion temperature of said inorganic heat source.

3. The process of claim 2 in which at least 80% of the carbon containing solid residue of pyrolysis is decarbonized in said fluidized solids transport burner.

4. The process of claim 2 in which said pyrolysis zone is maintained at a temperature from about 800° to about 1400°F.

5. The process of claim 1 in which the carrier gas is the gas formed by pyrolysis of the solid organic waste.

6. The process of claim 2 in which the carbon containing solid residue of pyrolysis and char are withdrawn from said first particles collection zone at a composition approximate that of the composition of said carbon containing solid residue of pyrolysis and inorganic heat source exiting said pyrolysis zone.

7. The process of claim 1 in which the particulate source of heat is the carbon containing solid residue of pyrolysis and said pyrolysis zone is maintained at a temperature from about 600° to about 2000°F.

8. The process of claim 1 in which the particulate source of heat is of a particle size from about 10 and 2000 microns.

9. The process of claim 1 in which the particulate source of heat is of a particle size from about 20 to about 1000 microns.

10. The process of claim 1 in which the weight ratio of the particulate source of heat to the organic solid waste fed to said pyrolysis zone is from about 2 to 1 to about 10 to 1.

11. The process of claim 1 in which the weight ratio of the particulate source of heat to the organic solid waste fed to said pyrolysis zone is from about 4 to 1 to about 5 to 1.

12. The process of claim 1 in which residence time of particles in the pyrolysis zone is from 0.1 to about 2 seconds.

13. The process of claim 1 in which residence time of particles in the pyrolysis zone is from about 0.1 to about 1 second.

14. The process of claim 1 in which the pressure at the base of the first fluidized leg is greater than the pressure in said fluidized solids transport burner, and the pressure at the base of the second fluidized leg is greater than the pressure of said flash pyrolysis zone.

15. The process of claim 1 in which the particulate solid organic waste is of a particle size less than about 5 mesh.

16. The process of claim 1 in which the particulate solid organic waste is of a particle size less than about 8 mesh.