CA2279821A1

CA2279821A1 - Process and device for gasification of waste

Info

Publication number: CA2279821A1
Application number: CA002279821A
Authority: CA
Inventors: Siegmar Marschner; Sven Halang
Original assignee: Linde KCA Dresden GmbH
Current assignee: Linde Engineering Dresden GmbH
Priority date: 1999-08-10
Filing date: 1999-08-10
Publication date: 2001-02-10

Abstract

A process and a device for gasification of waste is provided which allows economical operation at comparatively low flow rates. Gasification is performed in a gasifier having a gasification space (1) and a liquid rotating slag bath (2). Slag bath (2) is preferably caused to rotate by tangentially injecting the gasification medium and/or at least a portion of the waste. While waste with a diameter of to 5 mm is introduced into the gasifier above slag bath (2), larger wastes are introduced directly into the slag bath.

Description

Process and Device for Gasification of Waste ,SUMMARY OF INVENTION
It may be that in the future, waste with organic admixtures will no longer be disposed of in landfills.
Therefore, to an increasing extent, waste is being subjected to thermal disposal in the form of burning (refuse incineration) or gasification.
For refuse incineration there are technically sophisticated processes which, with maximum efficiency for the generation of thermal and electrical energy, produce environmentally neutral by-products. This requires incineration parameters that ensure the production of slags that are highly resistant to the having the heavy metals contained therein being leached out by water. It is also necessary to ensure that dust, nitrogen oxides, and dioxins/furanes are extensively scrubbed out of the flue gases. Filter dust and processing water that are produced also need to be converted into environmentally neutral products at a reasonable cost. As a result, the technical costs involved in the environmentally neutral incineration of waste products are so high that only units with large throughput rates are able to work economically on waste.
Large throughput rates in turn require a large area from which to draw raw material to supply the requisite amount of waste. This causes the cost of shipping the waste from the point of origin to the incineration facility to become a non-negligible part of the overall cosh .
As an alternative to incineration, waste can also be gasified with oxygen. Compared to incineration, gasification has a number of advantages:
~~ j': u.=1:° 1.:1C'_I12?"~t'_O:':, C=.Sl'~lC2t~ 0:1 O~°?'dtF_'S
Wi.t~'1 an oxygen deficit. The main components in the gasification flue gas are therefore Hz, CO, and CH4.
Thus, the gasification flue gas can be used as a fuel gas. Sulfur turns into HzS, which is comparatively easier to remove from the combustion gas than removing SOZ from the flue gas of incineration. Also, no NOX is produced.
b) As a rule, gasification takes place at a higher temperature than incineration. This ensures that organic oolltitants are more efficiently destroyed, the dioxin-furane problem is reliably solved, and heavy metals can be bonded into the slag to form compounds that cannot be eluted.
c) The amount of fuel gas used in incineration processes, relative to a standard state, is approximately one-tenth of the volume amount of flue gas generated by i5 incineration. When gasification is carried out under pressure, the volume flow of the fuel gas amounts to even less than one percent of the volume flow of flue gas.
This means that the equipment required to scrub the gas is kept relatively small, especially in comparison to incineration processes.
In making a cost comparison between incineration and gasification, the oxygen costs for gasification are a drawback.
Technically, gasification is performed in a fixed-bed pressure gasifier. This gasifier is combined with a slag reactor and is characterized by a relatively low oxygen demand. See, e.g., Thome-Kozmiensky:
Reaktoren zur thermischen Abfallbehandlung, EF-Verlag fur Energie and Umwelttechnik GmbH, Berlin, 1993. Such a gasifier has the disadvantage, however, that large pieces of coal have to be added in order to create a support structure for the waste. In addition, the thermodynamically inherently favorable counter-current type of flow of waste and gasification gas builds up a pyrolysis zone in the gasifier shaft, so that the flue gas discharged from the fixed bed gasifier contains

2 typical admixtures of a pyrolysis gas (pyrolysis oils, tars) that require expensive gas scrubbing.
The gasification of waste in an entrained bed is known as the Noell-KRC process. See, e.g., Gorz, J..
Anforderungen an Einsatzstoffe and Prozei3parameter bei der Nutzung der Flugstromvergasung fur die Vergasung von Abfallstoffen, [Requirements for Feedstocks and Process Parameters in the Use of Flystream Gasification for Gasification of Wastes). VDI-Seminar 43-40-O1, Freiberg, 20.-21.03.1997. Here, the scrubbing of the gas is comparatively simple because, except for methane, the gas does not contain any hydrocarbons. Entrained-bed gasification requires, however, that the waste be ground up to a grain size of <0.5 mm.
In the :~;oel? -YRC process, to act~:al a~trai~ed-bed gasifier is preceded by a pyrolysis drum. In this pyrolysis drum, waste that is only coarsely ground is converted into a pyrolysis gas, as well as an easily grindable pyrolysis coke. The pyrolysis gas and ground pyrolysis coke are then further decomposed in the entrained-bed gasifier. This upstream pyrolysis stage, the subsequent compression of the pyrolysis gas to the pressure of the entrained-bed gasifier, and the equipment required for cooling, grinding, intermediate storage, and proportioning of the pyrolysis coke are highly cost-intensive. An aavantage of slag bath gasifiers is that such upstream pyrolysis drums are not necessary. .
In the Thermoselect process, a pyrolysis stage also precedes gasification. See, e.g., G. Haf~ler:
THERMOSELECT-Der neue Weg, Restmull umweltgerecht zu behandeln, Verlag Karl Goerner, Karlsruhe, 1995. In this case, the costs for preparing the waste for gasification are very low because the waste is pressea into the horizontal pyrolysis pit without any special pre-treatment.
To be sure, however, the gasification process can be run only at normal pressure because tua pyrolysis pit

3 does not ensure reliable sealing of the gas space. This makes the equipment required for gas scrubbing comparatively large and expensive.
In addition, the pyrolysis process in the pyrolysis pit is very incomplete, so that waste with sometimes very large dimensions drops into the gasification chamber uncontrolled and floats there on the slag. This makes the ox~eration of the gasifier very irregular, leading to large variations in the amount and composition of the gasification flue gas and/or a highly variable oxygen demand. These large variations in the gasification flue gas make it difficult to use the gas. It is also difficult to compensate for the fluctuating oxygen demand.
An object of the i~e~ ~i~n is, ,..._r~~io~e, to provide a process and a device for the gasification of waste that allow economical operation even at relatively low throughput rates.
Upon further study of the specification and appended claims, further objects and advantages of this invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art.
Or. the process side, these objects are accomplished according to the invention by virtue of the fact that gasification takes place in a single stage in a gasifier with a liquid, rotating slag bath.
This makes it possible to have smaller, decentralized plants, thereby reducing the costs for transporting waste.
The process according to the invention is characterized by a single-stage gasification process by which feed waste material is converted into a usable fuel gas and a slag granulate that can be disposed of in a landfill. Expensive pry-treatment of the feed material is not required.
The feed material can be fed into the gasifier with grain sizes of up to 40 mm, so that only coarse crushing of the waste is required in advance. The mixture is

4 divided by screening, for example, into the following fractions:
d = 0-5 mm d = 5-40 mm d > 40 mm.
The overflow from the screen is fed to a mill and then recycled to the screening machine.
A magnetic separator can be installed upstream of the gasifier to remove iron components.
10 The liquid slag bath, located in the gasification zone, performs a number of functions. Mineral components and heavy metals in the feed material are melted down and adsorbed. At the same time the slag bath acts as a heat buffer and reaction mediator and thus ensures an 15 intensive exchange of heat and material.
An important function is the reliable ignition and, optionally, re-ignition of the burners, to provide the desired reaction temperature.
According to a preferred embodiment of the 20 invention, excess slag is removed by a slag drain along with the cracked gas that accumulates during gasification. The slag drain protrudes above the slag bath, and the slag flows down into it through a lateral discharge opening.
25 The slag bath is preferably caused to rotate by tangentially feeding in the gasification medium and/or at least a portion of the waste. It is advantageous for at.
least a portion of the waste to be fed to the gasifier in the form of pellets via at least one solid burner, with 30 recycled cracked gas as a carrier gas. In this case waste with a diameter of up to 5 mm is fed into the gasifier above the slag bath, and a jet of this waste is formed and aimed at the surface of the slag bath, while waste with a diameter of 5 to 40 mm is introduced 35 directly into the slag bath.
Preferably, at least one gas burner is used that is supplied with oxygen as well as with natural gas during

5 start-up and with recycled cracked gas during operation.
In addition, it is advantageous for oxygen to be injected via one or more oxygen lances directly into the slag bath.
According to an enhancement of the concept of the invention, sand, lime, and/or other materials are fed into the slag bath in order to influence the melting behavior and viscosity of the slag.
Slag that is removed from the slag bath is preferably allowed to drip into a water bath and is converted there into a vitreous state that is not subject to elution.
When the gasifier is started, the slag bath is preferably formed by a synthetic slag.
An apparatus for implementing the process has means defining a gasification space, such as a covered reactor, for gasification of the waste.
On the apparatus side, the objects of the invention are accomplished by virtue of the fact that the gasification space has fittings for forming a rotating slag bath.
The reactor structure defining the gasification space preferably has an essentially cylindrical shape with a concentrically arranged slag drain that is lead through the bottom of the reactor structure.
The rea.ctor jacket should be protected on the inside by a cooling shield preferably made of finned-tube coils which are welded together gas-tight and through which cooling water is forced. On the product (slag bath) side, the tubes are preferably provided with pins and packed with a ceramic tamping mass. A layer of slag cools solidly on this layer and forms a heat-insulating "slag coat", which protects the cooling shield against the high operating temperature and against direct attack by the liquid slag. The thickness of the slag protection layer depends on the operating conditions (temperature, sla:.g cor.;posi t~_on) .

6 BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
Various other features and attendant advantages of the present invention will be more fully appreciated as the same becomes better understood when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which like reference characters designate the same or similar parts throughout the several views, and wherein:
Figure 1 illustrates a cross-section through a gasifier with a rotating slag bath;
Figure 2 illustrates a longitudinal section through the gasifier depicted in Figure 1;
Figure 3 illustrates a cross section through the gasifier showing tangential arrangement of the burners;
and Figure 4 illustrates the finned-tube coils with pins and the slag bath.
In the figures the same parts are referred to by the same reference numbers.
The gasifier comprises a gasification space 1, that is formed by a reactor jacket 5 and a reactor cover 7.
Reactor jacket 5 is protected by a cooling shield that is composed of finned-tube hoses which are welded together gas-tight and through which cooling water is forced.
Since in the upward direction the gasifier is closed by cover 7, cracked gas that accumulates during gasyv'_c.~-~o~ :~s o::l y abi a to Tlo~a ou~ of t'~e a=s_=i er, together with excess slag, through the slag drain formed.
by central tube 6.
The gas outlet in the lower part of the gasifier, via central tube 6, ensures internal circulation of the accumulated cracked gas. Swirling of the gas evens out the dwell time and thus ensures a more complete establishment of equilibrium. Slag droplets that are entrained with the swirling cracked gas precipitate, for the most part, on the gasifier wall and flow off the wall into slag bath 2. .

7 To feed the feed material and gasification medium into gasification space 1, two types of burners, 8 and 9, are used that are oriented obliquely downward, tangential to the surface of the slag bath. For example, the burners can be oriented at an angle of about 30°-60° with respect to the horizontal. The linear momentum that is transferred causes the slag to rotate, thus ensuring thorough mixing of slag bath 2. See Figure 3.
During the start-up phase, natural gas is burned in gas burners 8. During operation, recycled cracked gas with oxygen (if necessary, with the addition of steam) is burned in gas burners 8. Steam can be added to provide adjustment of process temperature.
In solid burners 9, the fine-grain fraction (d < 5 mm) of the feed waste material is burned with oxygen, in which process recycled cracked gas acts as a carrier gas.
Small particles are converted in the gas space above slag bath 2 in an entrained-bed gasification process. Because of the longer reaction time that is required, larger particles have time to hit the slag and sink into it.
The coarse-grain fraction (d = 5-40 mm) of the feed material is fed directly into slag bath 2 by means of a proportioning screw via a radially arranged nozzle 10.
The intensive transfer of heat and material ensures the reliable gasification of the organic components, rl.~.~.i.~i..'~. t:.iC ~i~.~.=.c:- CO,urC:°_T?t8 c:=c ti:'_,.=ca COY:_'1 a:':G ai~SCi.'Dc''CI
by the slag.
Only a portion of the required oxygen is fed with the burners. The rest passes through tangentially arranged oxygen lances 11 directly into slag bath 2; this offers a number of advantages.
The direct injection ensures intensive and thorough mixing of the slag bath since, on the one hand, the linear momentum is transferred better and, on the other hand, the rising oxygen bubbles provide additional turbulence.

8 In addition, the oxygen makes it possible to gasify in the slag bath the organic components that are introduced into the slag, thereby, on the one hand, accelerating the gasification reaction and, on the other, reducing the number of crystal nuclei, which increase the viscosity of the slag.
When the device is started up, the slag bath should be formed by a synthetic slag (Ca0 + SiOz + A1203) . To this are added lime and sand at a lime:sand ratio of approximately 0.8 to approximately 1.2, as well as a smaller proportion of A1203 (approximately 10 wt% based on the total weight), whereby the latter are dumped into the reactor. During start-up, the mixture is melted down by the combustion of the natural gas is injected into the burners and is thereby brought up to operating temperature.
While the gasifier is in operation, the slag bath is constantly replenished with mineral components that are brought in with the waste.
The properties of the slag (melting point, viscosity) are determined by its composition. Main components of the slag are CaO, Si02, and A1203. Other slag components are metals and their oxides that are brought in with the waste. Together with the slag components, they form eutectics whose melting points lie considerably below those of the individual components (see Pawlek; Metallhuttenkunde [Metal Foundry Practice],~
Walter de Gruyter (1983)).
An important parameter of the operation of the slag bath gasifier is the viscosity of the slag. Silicic acid is formed by Si0° tetrahedra whose centers'contain a Si atom surrounded by four O atoms. Because of common oxygen atoms, these tetrahedra form space lattices which also remain in the liquid state as coherent complexes.
The limited mobility of these large structures ensures high viscosity. The A13' cations can substitute the Si°+
CatlOnS ciIlG i0~~ iil~q tt''.t=c:~'1~::1'i:~:.. 1.~.'_S, ~i~~g haS ci:'1

9 effect on the viscosity of slag that is similar to that of SiOz . SiOz and A1203 are so-called network co-formers (see Kozakevitch, Urgain; Viscositat and Gefiige von fliissigen Schlacken [Viscosity and Structure of Liquid Slags], Metz 1954).
So-called network co-formers, such as Ca0 and MgO, are capable of breaking the tetrahedral bonds of the oxygen atoms and thus cause a reduction in the viscosity of the slag.
In the range of Ca0/SiOz = 0.8-1.2, the Ca0-Si02 system is sufficiently liquid at temperatures above 1450°C. Via a radially arranged nozzle 12 above slag bath 2, materials such as sand and/or lime can be added to the slag, so that the melting and viscosity behavior of the slag can be influenced within certain limits.
To the same extent as slag-forming components are fed to slag bath 2, excess slag flows off via slag drain 6. According to the invention, the drain tube protrudes above slag bath 2 and has a drain opening at the desired height. Compared to a design where the slag overflow has a drip edge, this design according to the invention creates a concentrated, thicker jet of slag, thereby keeping strands from forming. Slag drain 6 is built as the crucible structure composed of finned-tube coils that are welded together and cooled with pressurized water.
These tubes are provided with pins on both sides and are packed with a ceramic tamping mass. A layer of slag cools solidly on this layer and protects the material aaainst the high operating temperature and against direct attack by the chemically aggressive slag. See Figure 4.
Because slag and hot cracked gas are tapped off together, the slag is kept liquid by the high temperatures of the gas.
The rest of the removal process takes place via the post-reaction space 13. This space may be designed as, e.g., a pot furnace or, as shown in Figure 1, as a cyclonic zur :ace. T:_ ti:e lat''_ ~i-:e slGr i5 rei~-ned, so that any foaming that may occur will not impede removal.
In the event that temperatures in cyclonic furnace 3 are not sufficient to allow the slag to flow freely, a burner 14, shown in Figure 2, that is operated with recycled cracked gas and oxygen may be installed.
Before the product gas leaves the gasifier, carbon-containing particles that are not converted in the gasification zone may undergo further conversion in the post-gasification zone.
In the case of the cyclonic-type design, slag droplets and solid particles that are entrained with the cracked gas are deposited on the walls, thus significantly reducing the removal of entrained flue dust.
As shown in Figure 2, a water bath 4 is attached to the post-reaction space to granulate the slag. The slag granulate cannot be eluted and may be disposed of in landfills without restrictions.
If enough is spent on hardware, it is possible to operate the gasifier according to the invention under elevated pressure.
The gasifier according to the invention can be used advantageously for a broad range of waste materials.
Below two sample applications are described in greater detail.
The working temperature of the slag bath gasifier is set at 1600°C. Waste gasification is carried out as an autothermal process, in which case the amount of heat that is required to cleave the waste as well as to melt the mineral components is generated by partial oxidation of the combustible components with oxygen.
In the foregoing and in the following examples, all temperatures are set forth uncorrected in degrees Celcius; and, unless otherwise indicated, all parts and percentages are by weight.
The entire disclosure of all applications, patents and publications, cit~cc~.':O-~c: cicQ ~~:~;:low, and of corresponding German application no. 19735153.0 filed August 13, 1997 is hereby incorporated by reference.
F~MPLES
Example 1: Refuse IncinPrarinn Table 1 shows the composition of a standard refuse according to the Land Environmental Department of North Rhine-Westphalia.
The pre-treatment of the refuse is limited to the coarse crushing of the feed material to a grain size of less than 40 mm. Iron may also be removed by magnetic separation.
The 0-5 mm grain fraction is fed into the gasification space via the solid burners, while the 5-40 mm grain fraction is fed in via a nozzle by means of feed screws.
Table 1: Composition of a Standard Refuse According to the Land Environmental Department of North Rhine-Westphalia.
Refuse Mass-% Ash Component kg/t of Refuse Components C 27.16 Si02 110 H 3 . 45 A1203 34 O 18.39 Ca0 31 N 0.3 Fe 30 25- S 0.5 Na20 15.205 Cl 0 . 5 Fe203 15 i :v-~~.s pure :? ~ r,c~ i ~ !
(Hz0) Ash 25 A1 4 As Table 3 indicates, 357m3i.N. [i.N. - in normal state] of oxygen (96 vol-% of Oz) is used for the autothermal gasification of 1.0 ton of refuse.
Owing to the moisture content of the feed material, t':e cracked gas that is obtainec: ~as a lance ~ro::or tion of vapor. In addition, the cracked gas has large CO and Hz contents, so that sufficient energy reserves are available to cover any higher heat losses that may occur.
The ash from the refuse has high contents of Si02 and A1Z03, which make the slag highly viscous. If this causes operating problems, the viscosity of the slag can be reduced by feeding in lime via a nozzle.
E~s.~mole 2 : Ga ' f i c-afi i nn Of Old PVC'' An advantageous application of the slag bath gasifier according to the invention is the gasification of.waste PVC since, in addition to refuse disposal, the HC1 contained in the PVC can be recovered and used as HC1 gas in oxychlorination and ultimately to produce PVC
again.
Table 2 presents the composition of a PVC-containing waste mixture.
Table 2: Waste Mixture with a High PVC Content Component Mass-%

Pure PVC 61 Softener 20 Chalk g,6 Combustible waste 6.4 Non-combustible waste ~ 4 In addition to screening with corresponding crushing of the waste PVC to a grain size of d < 40 mm and the magnetic separator for removing iron, an additional air separator (zigzag separator) should be pro-.-=ded for the pre-treatment process. In the latter separator, heavy non-ferrous metals are separated which, in the slag bath', are converted into metal chloride for the most part and thus would reduce the HC1 yield. By contrast, the silicates and light metals (A1, Mg) are desired slag formers .
The option of using relatively coarse-grain feed ma~~~:iai is especially economical in the case of ~'JC

because this means that crushing in a cutting mill is sufficient and it is no longer necessary to carry out low-temperature grinding, which is cumbersome and very cost-intensive.
The d = 0-5 mm grain fraction is fed into the gasification space via the solid burners, while the d =
5-40 mm grain fraction is fed in via a nozzle by means of feed screws.
Table 3 shows that an oxygen demand of 420 m3i.N. Per ton of waste PVC is used for autothermal gasification of waste PVC.
An almost 100% HC1 yield is obtained. The HC1 is recovered from the cracked gas via subsequent absorption and distillation and sent for further processing. The formation of metal chlorides in the slag bath may reduce the HC1 yield. Injecting oxygen directly into the slag bath creates an oxygen surplus in the slag; this causes the formation of metal chlorides by the slag components to be suppressed or metal chlorides to be oxidized with C12 cleavage, to the extent that the tendency of the elements toward oxidation predominates over that towards chlorination (compare free reaction enthalpy).
MeCl2 + ~ OZ ~ Me0 + ~ C12 The HCl-free cracked gas is rich in CO and HZ and can be used to produce electrical energy and process steam.
The chalk that is contained in the old PVC is cleaved into COZ and Ca0 in the slag bath, so that it may be necessary t~c add sand to the slag.

Table 3: Balancing for Cracked Gas of Waste Materials in the Slag Bath Gasifier (T = 1600°C, Q" = 0) .
Waste Oxygen Amount Composition of Cracked Gas Demand of HC1 HZ

CO
COZ

(96 Cracked vol-% Gas of O) 3 /t 3 /t m i.N m I.N VOl .
-%

Re- 357 1230 0 13.7 42.6 23.6 17.5 1.3 fuse (NRW) 422 1531 14. 27.1 1.4 55.2 0.7 1.1 Old 4 PVC

The two examples given with wastes of very different compositions show that, from the standpoint of the energy budget, gasification with oxygen in the slag bath can act on a large variety of types of waste without major problems.
The preceding examples can be repeated with similar success by substituting the generically or specifically described reactants and/or operating conditions of this invention for those used in the preceding examples.
From the foregoing description, one skilled in the art can easily ascertain the essential characteristics of this invention, and without departing from the spirit and scope thereof, can make various changes and modifications of the invention to adapt it to various usages and conditions.

Claims

Claims We claim:

1. A process for gasification of waste, comprising:
wherein the performing gasification of waste in a single stage gasifier having a gasification space (1) and a liquid rotating slag bath (2).

2. A process according to claim 1, wherein excess slag is removed, together with cracked gas accumulated during gasification, via a slag drain (6), which protrudes above said slag bath (2) and into which slag flows via a lateral drain opening.

3. A process according to claim 1, wherein said slag bath (2) is caused to rotate by tangentially injecting, into said single stage, gasification medium;
at least a portion of the waste; or both gasification medium and at least a portion of the waste.

4. A process according to claim 2, wherein said slag bath (2) is caused to rotate by tangentially injecting, into said single stage, gasification medium;
at least a portion of the waste; or both gasification medium and at least a portion of the waste.

5. A process according to claim 1, wherein at least a portion of the waste is fed into said gasifier in the form of pellets, with recycled cracked gas as a carrier gas, via at least one solid burner (9).

6. A process according to claim 2, wherein at least a portion of the waste is fed into said gasifier in the form of pellets, with recycled cracked gas as a carrier gas, via at least one solid burner (9).

7. A process according to claim 3, wherein at least a portion of the waste is fed into said gasifier in the form of pellets, with recycled cracked gas as a carrier gas, via at least one solid burner (9).

8. A process according to claim 1, wherein waste with a diameter of up to 5 mm is introduced into said gasifier above said slag bath (2), forming a jet of waste directed at the surface of said slag bath (2), and waste with a diameter of 5-40 mm is fed directly into said slag bath (2).

9. A process according to claim 1, wherein at least one gas burner (8), fed with oxygen and natural gas, is used during start-up, and, during operation, said at least one gas burner (8) is fed with recycled cracked gas.

10. A process according to claim 5, wherein at least one gas burner (8), fed with oxygen and natural gas, is used during start-up, and, during operation, said at least one gas burner (8) is fed with recycled cracked gas.

11. A process according to claim 1, further comprising injecting oxygen directly into said slag bath (2) via oxygen lances.

12. A process according to claim 1, further comprising feeding materials into said slag bath (2) to influence melting behavior and viscosity of said slag.

13. A process according to claim 1, wherein removed slag is allowed to drop into a water bath (4) and is converted there into a vitreous state that is not subject to elution.

14. A process according to claim 1, wherein at start-up said slag bath (2) is a synthetic slag.

15. An apparatus for gasification of waste comprising a gasifier defining a gasification space (1) and means for forming a rotating slag bath (2) within said gasifier.

16. An apparatus according to claim 15, wherein said gasifier has an essentially cylindrical shape with a concentrically arranged slag drain (6) through the floor of said gasifier.

17. An apparatus according to claim 15, wherein said gasifier and slag drain (6) are formed from finned-tube hoses which are welded together gas-tight, pegged and packed with a ceramic tamping clay, through which cooling water is forced.

18. A device according to claim 15, further comprising a cyclonic furnace (3) defining a post-reaction space into which slag droplets and flue dust, entrained with cracked gas, are precipitated.

19. A device according to claim 18, wherein a supplementary burner (14), supplied with recycled cracked gas, is installed in said cyclonic furnace (3).