ES2339320A1 - Hydrotermal carbonization method with reversed flow reactor, enlightening (Machine-translation by Google Translate, not legally binding) - Google Patents

Abstract

Hydrothermal carbonization method with inverted flow reactor and installation. The present invention relates to a method for the hydrothermal carbonization of an aqueous mixture of biomass and catalyst comprising, at least, the following steps: (a) feeding said aqueous mixture of biomass and catalyst to a vertical inverted flow reactor through a riser tube, wherein the monomerization of the biomass is initiated giving rise to a first reaction product; (b) polymerizing said first reaction product to give a second reaction product; (c) the accumulation and subsequent evacuation of gases and water vapor through the upper part of the reactor. (Machine-translation by Google Translate, not legally binding)

Description

Hydrothermal carbonization method with reactor of inverted flow, and installation.

Technical field

The scope of the present invention is the process of hydrothermal carbonization, hereinafter HTC process (Hydrothermal Carbonization)

State of the art prior to the invention

In recent years, due to the need growing to meet the energy demand of countries industrialized, numerous studies have been directed to the promotion of new sources of energy, renewable in nature, in order to reduce the adverse environmental effects associated with the continuum industrial development.

While there have been many projects aimed at reducing CO2 emissions to the atmosphere, fewer studies have been aimed at reducing the percentage of CO2 that has accumulated throughout these years in the environment. Among the solutions that have been raised it should be noted, for example, the creation of large extensions of artificial forest capable of sequestering and storing CO2 present in the biosphere (José Carlos del Álamo, "Forests and Change Climate: The role of forests as carbon sinks and their contribution to compliance with the Kyoto protocol by Spain ", Forum on Forests and Climate Change, December 2007).

However, most of these options, besides being expensive, they have the inconvenience of not being energy efficient.

Therefore, the most recent research in this field has been directed, among other alternatives, to the development of new techniques for the use of biomass. Although one of the most studied techniques has been gasified at elevated temperatures (Zuberbühler, U. et al., ZSW, "Gasification of Biomass. An Overview on Available Technologies", 2005, 1 ^ {st} European Summer School on Renewable Motor Fuels), the team of Professor Markus Antonietti of the Max Planck Institute has recently presented a new effective method to clean the atmosphere of CO2 emitted in the past. This method is based on the hydrothermal carbonization of biomass (Elton Jacquot, J., "Back in Black: Using hydrothermal Carbonization to clean Emissions", 2007, Science & Technology). The HTC process basically consists of subjecting an aqueous solution of the biomass, in the presence of a catalyst, at temperatures of about 180 to 210 ° C and pressures of 10 to 19 bar, obtaining, after about 4 to 24 hours, a structural product similar to coal. Once activated, it is a spontaneous and exothermic process, which releases up to a third of the energy stored in the form of carbohydrates in the biomass, taking advantage of the high thermodynamic stability of the water.

Its main advantage, compared to the techniques Previous, is its great simplicity. Unlike in other processes carbonization, in which it is necessary to carry out a stage high energy consumption for drying biomass (WO 2003/002690), hydrothermal carbonization allows the use as a wet biomass raw material, which is an important Savings in operating costs.

Moreover, this carbonization process wet biomass has already been previously described in the bibliography. Specifically, ES 0160612 protected a method of treatment of plant waste, in which said waste was placed in previously moistened retorts to which injected superheated steam until it reached a temperature of about 180 to 220 ° C and a pressure of 2 to 10 atm. This operation is extended from about 6 to 20 hours until the conditions were reached desired of the final product. The inconvenience of this process, against the present invention, it was the need to operate in a manner discontinuous

Years later, in US 4579562, a new alternative for the carbon enrichment process of under calorific value, which allowed to carry out the continuous operation. In this case, the main difference of this procedure regarding the current one is in the stage of reaction, which is carried out in a mobile bed reactor, in countercurrent, instead of the present device, in which the Flow is reversed. The advantage obtained with this new reactor It is a better control of the temperature and pressure of the process.

Other alternatives that have been studied for carry out the process consist, for example, in the realization of the hydrothermal reaction stage under supercritical conditions (JP 2003/300099). However, although the results obtained until They have been good moments, the costs of this process remain quite high, which hinders its industrial viability.

The object of the present invention is to present a new method and improved device for thermal carbonization of the biomass. Its main advantage, compared to techniques already known in the state of the art, consists essentially of the great simplicity of the equipment with which said is carried out process. Specifically, the use of a flow reactor inverted allows a continuous supply of biomass to the reactor, which ensures evacuation to the top of the device gases and water vapor generated. In this way, and in combination With a continuous supply of process water, the evacuation of heat produced during the reaction and at the same time, it is possible to keep the temperature and pressure of the process.

An additional advantage of the present invention is the absence of moving parts and heat exchangers in the inside the reactor, thereby improving its durability and reliability, while reducing the cost and time of maintenance.

It also allows to dispose of surpluses of process heat in the form of saturated steam at a pressure close to that of the carbonization process itself. So, part of the steam generated can be used to preheat the aqueous mixture of the biomass before entering the reactor, being able to take advantage of the excess of it in the generation of electrical energy through the use of steam turbines or in the production of heat for others Uses or processes

The result of the HTC process is obtaining a product of high energy density from almost Any type of biomass. In addition, this product presents the advantage of being easily recoverable, being able to separate from the phase liquid by filtration, centrifugation or pressing, among others methods

While there are different possibilities of use of the product, it should be noted its use, so preferred, as solid fuel or as raw material for production of liquid hydrocarbon fuels.

Description of the invention

The present invention relates to a method for hydrothermal carbonization of an aqueous mixture of biomass and catalyst, characterized in that it comprises at least the following stages:

to)

the feed of the aqueous mixture of biomass and catalyst to a vertical reactor of inverted flow through a riser, tube in which the monomerization of the biomass begins giving rise to a first reaction product;

b)

the polymerization of said first reaction product to give place to a second reaction product;

C)

the evacuation of gases and water vapor from inside the reactor.

In addition to these minimum and essential stages for that the method is carried out, it can comprise at least the next additional stage:

d)

the maturation of the second reaction product, forming a mixture of, at least water and carbonized biomass;

Likewise, and optionally, the method may include an additional phase of pretreatment of the biomass prior to feeding the HTC process, in order to achieve adequate conditions for processing in addition to facilitating the subsequent carbonization process. In particular, a preferred embodiment of this additional pretreatment phase will comprise at least one crushing stage and a biomass washing stage:

i.

In the first stage of this additional phase, the biomass will be crushed to a maximum particle size that allows its subsequent passage through the pressurization equipment. In the case of, for example, biomass from agricultural or forestry farms, the final particle size will be less than 30 cm and, preferably, less than 15 cm;

ii.

then, in order to eliminate the contaminants present in the biomass, such as sands, stones, crystals, metals or other elements of greater density than water, the biomass will be introduced into a water wash pool, or a mixture of water with acid, for a time of 5 to 120 minutes, preferably 10 to 30 minutes. By means of this washing, the contaminants will be separated from the biomass and will descend to the bottom of the pool, while the biomass will remain floating on the surface until its density is increased above that of the water due to its absorption. Other pollutants not suitable for the HTC process, such as plastics, and with a tendency to float on water, must be removed by other selection and separation processes, both naturally, and through centrifuges or air systems. Pressure.

After this previous pretreatment phase, the biomass will be stored in a hopper or container from where the HTC process will be fed. An advantage of this process is that it is applicable to any type of biomass, in particular biomass that contains sugar, cellulose and other organic components, which may consist, for example, of forest, agricultural, garden waste, sewage sludge, algae, waste of agricultural industries, urban waste, domestic organic waste etc. The final product obtained depends on the raw material. If the raw material contains a lot of carbon, the carbon that comes out is quite pure. On the other hand, if it contains a lot of sand, salts, and other impurities, the coal obtained will keep these impurities and will remain as ashes in case of combustion.
tion

The final product (solid) comes out in powder form Small charred pieces.

In the event that the biomass consists of sludge of sewage treatment plant or household waste previously selected, the described pretreatment phase will not be necessary, so the Biomass can be fed directly to the HTC process.

This process begins with the mixing of the biomass selected as raw material with a certain amount of Processed water. Said mixture will also contain at least one medium. acceleration of the chemical reaction, which can be a organic or inorganic catalyst, preferably an acid and more preferably citric acid or sulfuric acid. In that case, the acid is added in an amount sufficient to obtain a pH in the inside the reactor between 4.5 and 6.5, preferably between 5 and 6, and more preferably 5.5.

In a particular embodiment of the invention, the aqueous mixture of biomass and catalyst is subjected, to then to a pressurization stage. So, from the hopper or storage vessel, the aqueous mixture of biomass and catalyst will be compressed to a pressure that is at least the necessary to be able to introduce it to the preheating tube and, from there, to the reactor. This pressure shall be greater than 10 bar and, of preferred way, greater than 13 bar.

In turn, at a stage prior to its feeding to the reactor, the aqueous mixture of biomass and catalyst can be subjected to a preheating stage, in order to reach the starting temperature of the HTC process in its monomerization phase. This preheating stage can be carried out in a heat exchanger, preferably a preheating tube, in which the mixture will be heated thanks to the heat input received through the walls of the pipe, until temperatures of 170 to 210 ° C are reached. , more preferably 180 to
200 ° C

Additionally, as an alternative or complement to the indirect heat exchange carried out in the preheating tube, there is the possibility of injecting directly steam to the aqueous mixture of biomass and catalyst at a pressure greater than that of the preheating tube itself. The added amount of steam will be necessary to reach temperatures mentioned above.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention the two previous stages will be carried out in a manner consecutive.

Next, the mixture is fed to a vertical reactor of inverted flow through a riser, tube in which the monomerization or hydrolysis of the biomass At the same time, the formation of oils begins, as well as the evolution of gases, such as methane or CO2, from the natural decomposition of biomass. These gases then ascend through the inside of the ascent tube until accumulate at the top of the reactor, from where they are evacuated, together with saturated steam, to the tank of pressure control

Under normal conditions, the reactor is fed with the mixture of biomass and process water until reaching between 60% and 90%, preferably between 70% and 80%, of reactor volume Although biomass density may vary and be less than or greater than that of water, once the stage of monomerization, the components derived from it tend to ascend and float on the surface. This effect allows said compounds stay close to the waterline once they have reached the mouth of the ascent tube.

In this way, and under normal conditions, to the Exit of this conduit the HTC process has already begun, and the components resulting from the first monomerization phase enter in a second stage, of polymerization. In this new phase, the oils and other components that have formed during the monomerization, polymerize and form a kind of resin or state previous coal. Depending on the type of biomass and the conditions of the process, this phase lasts between 1 and 6 hours, preferably between 2 and 4 hours.

Moreover, being a process exothermic nature, it is important to control the conditions of pressure and temperature, preferably within the limits established by the process Planck Institut Max. In particular, the preferred temperature range must be between 170 ° C and 230 ° C, preferably between 179.9 and 219.6 ° C and more preferably between 191.6 and 209.8 ° C; while, in the case of pressure, the range of preference should be from 8 to 28 bar of absolute pressure, preferably from 10 to 23 bar, and more preferably between 13 and 19 bar. These values will be a function of both the type of biomass, and the product you want to obtain.

The carbonization is preferably carried out at a temperature between 180 and 225 ° C, a pressure between 10 and 25 bar and a pH of 4.5 to 6.5.

Even more preferably, the method comprises In addition to the three essential stages (a), (b) and (c), one stage (d) of evacuation of gases and water vapor inside the reactor at the top of it; and it takes place during a period of 2 to 12 hours at a temperature between 180 and 225 ° C, a pressure between 10 to 25 bar and a pH of 4.5 to 6.5.

The reason why it is necessary to get a good control of process conditions is to avoid reaching excessive operating temperatures at which they may arise chemical processes additional to HTC that can lead to, by example, an excess of CO2, which, if not evacuated properly, it could in turn cause an unwanted rise in the pressure inside the reactor.

As the HTC process progresses, the density of the solid compounds formed increase while time, the thermal activity is decreasing. As a consequence of these effects produce a decrease of the compounds, within the process water, towards the ripening zone.

At the beginning of this third phase, the main Carbon formations have already been developed, although they are still they can give off H2O molecules from the structures of carbon formed. After about 2 to 12 hours, depending on the type of biomass and process conditions, thermal activity It will have dropped to almost zero.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention, Once the carbonization process is finished, the biomass mixture carbonized together with at least process water, is directed to a cooling tube, in which its temperature is reduced to values below the evaporation temperature under pressure atmospheric, that is, below 100 ° C. In this way, they are avoided possible instantaneous evaporations in depressurization equipment located next, through which it is extracted, so controlled, the aqueous mixture of carbonized biomass. After a some time, the solid particles of said mixture will deposit at the bottom of the outlet vessel or they will be separated from the liquid phase through a mechanical separation operation, preferably by centrifugation or filtration, being able to take advantage of its purity as a solid fuel or as raw material for other processes.

In a particular embodiment of the invention the coal will be used as solid fuel, in particular, compressed in the form of pellets or briquettes. As an alternative, the obtained coal may be used as raw material for others industrial processes, preferably in processing liquid hydrocarbon fuels.

Alternatively, there is the possibility of reduce the time needed for the process, specifically decreasing the time required for maturation. In this case, the final product will be a kind of peat that can be used as fertilizer

The present invention also has as its object a reactor to carry out a carbonization process hydrothermal as defined, characterized in that it is a reactor vertical inverted flow comprising inside a tube of ascent, as well as a zone of accumulation of steam and / or gases located on top of it. You can also understand at least one of the following devices: safety valve, probe pressure, temperature probe, filling level probe, eliminator of air and gases or vacuum breaker. Can also understand in addition, at least one steam injection inlet, and / or at least one condensate injection inlet. It is preferably found thermally insulated from the outside by rock wool and finish aluminum sheet exterior.

A further objective of the present invention is the installation to carry out the carbonization process Hydrothermal described, installation comprising at least following main teams:

\ sqbullet

A team of pressurization;

\ sqbullet

A team of preheating;

\ sqbullet

a vertical flow reactor invested;

\ sqbullet

a cooling equipment Y

\ sqbullet

A team of depressurization

The pressurization equipment consists of a device to compress the mixture of at least biomass, catalyst and process water, until reaching the necessary pressure to, on the one hand, overcome the pressure inside the reactor and the back pressure created in the supply pipe to the reactor and, on the other hand, to prevent the recoil of the material and possible leaks of the process water. This equipment will consist of at least one gate valve and / or a pressure pump and, preferably, at least one piston or membrane type pump, designed to work both continuously and at short intervals of time, so as to allow Carry out the carbonization operation continuously.

The preheating equipment consists of at least one heat exchanger, preferably a double-walled pressurized tube, in which the mixture of at least biomass, catalyst and process water is transported and, on the outside, the fluid for heat input. This fluid will consist of thermal oil or water vapor, preferably, water vapor.

Optionally, as indicated previously, there is the possibility of directly injecting steam to the aqueous mixture of biomass and catalyst at a pressure greater than that of the preheating tube itself and, therefore, greater than The process pressure. The source of said steam can be both a external, preferably a boiler, such as the steam itself process fed through a compressor.

Moreover, the transport speed of the mixture of biomass and process water along the pipe preheating is controlled by the equipment pressurization and its diameter is designed in such a way that time permanence of the mixture in it is about 20 to 60 minutes, preferably 30 to 40 minutes, and the resulting temperature at output rises at least 170 ° C, preferably more than 175 ° C and, more preferably, at more than 180 ° C.

The reactor of the installation is a reactor as previously defined. It is preferably a pressurized deposit where part or all of the chemical carbonization process takes place. Said reactor is characterized by a continuous supply or at regular intervals of biomass, as well as by a continuous extraction, or at regular intervals, of the transformed matter without, on the other hand, the temperature or the pressure of its interior being modified. Preferably, the process is carried out continuously. In turn, the reactor preferably consists of at least four different zones: an ascent tube, a gas zone, a polymerization zone and a maturation zone:

i.

He ascent tube is the extension of the preheat tube and occupies the central area of the reactor from the bottom to, approximately 50 to 80% of the reactor height, preferably from 60 to 70%.

ii.

To its once, the reactor has a tube, in its upper part, which allows to communicate with the pressure regulation tank, tank through which the reactor pressure is controlled. TO through this connecting tube the generated steam can be evacuated for the exothermic nature of the HTC process, along with the air dissolved in the process water or gases emitted by the decomposition of biomass.

iii.

Additionally, the reactor can be equipped, on top, with safety valves, pressure probe, temperature probe, filling level probe, air and gas eliminator, as well as with a breaker empty.

iv.

Around the mouth of the tube of ascent and in the upper half of the reactor, is the area of polymerization. The residence time of the biomass in this zone depends solely on its density and thermal activity and, therefore Therefore, the progress status of the HTC process. In this way, it allows a certain variation for the different compounds of the mixture, which, after this time, descend to the area of maturation.

v.

The maturation zone is located in the lower part of the reactor cylindrical, then the polymerization zone and around of the ascent tube. Optionally, it could also be located in areas outside the reactor, if they are provided thermal stability conditions than in said equipment.

saw.

To its at the side and at the bottom of the reactor and the tube Ascent, one or several entrances are located to take carry out steam injection during cold start or in case of possible thermal deficiencies inside.

vii.

They are also distributed, on the side wall of the reactor, one or more entrances for the condensate injection. Their contribution is intended homogenize the reactor temperature, as well as compensate for water evaporated due to the exothermic nature of the HTC process.

viii

Similarly, to control the operating temperature and avoid uncontrolled heat losses towards the outside, the reactor will be thermally insulated, preferably by means of rock wool and exterior finish of sheet metal aluminum.

After the reactor, the cooling equipment is located, which preferably comprises one or more parallel tubes containing inside the hot and pressurized mixture from the reactor and, outside, a cooling fluid that can be thermal oil or pressurized water, preferably thermal oil, which is responsible for cooling said mixture to the desired temperature.

Finally, the depressurization equipment is located. This equipment preferably comprises two gates or valves arranged in series, which must be suitable for operation in the conditions under which the process is carried out. Additionally, a "flash" tank will be placed, in the middle of the two gates or valves, in order to better absorb the opening blows thereof.

Brief description of the process figure

Figure 1 shows a diagram of the HTC process. Below is a list of references corresponding to said figure:

one.

Hopper storage

2.

Mix of biomass, process water and catalyst

3.

Bomb Of compression

Four.

Gate valve

5.

Tube preheating

6.

Hot fluid

7.

Vertical flow reactor invested

8.

Tube of ascent

9.

Zone monomerization

10.

Zone of gases and water vapor

eleven.

Zone polymerization

12.

Zone of maturation

13.

Regulation Deposit Pressure

14.

Regulating valve

fifteen.

Regulating valve

16.

Cooling equipment

17.

Decompression valve

18.

Flash tank

19.

Decompression valve

twenty.

Heat exchanger

twenty-one.

Condensate tank

22

Final product

2. 3.

Steam boiler

24.

Regulating valve

Currents

A. Cooling fluid

B. Cooling fluid

Preferred Embodiment of the Invention

Next, the description of a particular example of the invention, referring to the numbering adopted in figure 1.

Thus, in view of Figure 1, it is observed how the process begins in the storage hopper (1), from where a mixture of biomass, process water and catalyst (2) at a pH of 5.5 part towards the compression pump (3), in which it is compressed up to a pressure of at least 13 bar, which is the reactor pressure added to the pressure necessary to overcome the back pressure created in the path of the preheat tube (5) and the rise tube (8). Once compressed, the mixture is transported along the preheating tube (5), until reaching a temperature of about 180 ° C

After this preheating stage, the mixture it is fed to the vertical inverted flow reactor (7), 6 m long length and 1 m in diameter, through the ascent tube (8), the which has a diameter of 20 cm and is occupying 60% of the reactor height

Then, in the case of cold start from the reactor, steam is injected at a temperature of about 195 ° C by the lower part thereof, both by the ascent tube (8) and by the ripening zone (12), until reaching the temperature and pressure of process, then starting the monomerization phase. The same time, due to the natural decomposition of biomass, it initiates a gas evolution, such as methane or CO2, which ascend through the inside of the riser (8) to accumulate in the area of gases and water vapor (10) located in the upper part of the reactor. From there they are evacuated, together with saturated steam, towards the regulation tank pressure (13).

On the other hand, once they reach the exit of the ascent tube (8), the products resulting from the first phase of monomerization begin the second stage of polymerization, during which they are transformed into a kind of resin or state previous coal. This stage takes place in the area of polymerization (11). In addition, during this stage, being a phase of exothermic nature, it will be necessary to provide a certain amount of process water to maintain the temperature of stable operation around 191ºC, as well as to ensure a constant volume in the reactor. This condensate contribution is will be done through valves (14) and (15) and will come from pressure regulating tank (13).

After about 3 hours, the density of solid compounds is high enough to start its descent into the ripening zone (12), in which they remain about 8 more hours until its thermal activity has dropped practically zero.

Once the carbonization process is finished, the mixture of carbonized biomass and process water enters the cooling equipment (16), where its temperature is reduced to about 90 ° C. Finally, once cooled, the mixture is extracted to through the decompression valves (17) and (19), passing through the intermediate flash tank (18), obtaining a constituted product by a liquid phase and by solid biomass particles carbonized Next, these solid particles are separated of the liquid phase by centrifugation and are compressed in form of pellets or briquettes for use as fuel solid.

Claims (35)

1. Method for hydrothermal carbonization of an aqueous mixture of biomass and catalyst, characterized in that it comprises at least the following steps:

(to)

the feeding said aqueous mixture of biomass and catalyst to a vertical reactor of inverted flow through a riser, tube in which the monomerization of the biomass begins giving rise to a first reaction product;

(b)

the polymerization of said first reaction product to give place to a second reaction product;

(C)

the accumulation and subsequent evacuation of gases and water vapor by the top of the reactor.

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2. Method according to claim 1, characterized in that it further comprises an additional stage of maturation of the second reaction product, forming a mixture of at least water and carbonized biomass. 3. Method according to claims 1 or 2, characterized in that it also comprises an initial phase of pretreatment of biomass. Method according to claim 3, characterized in that said pretreatment comprises at least one crushing stage and a biomass washing stage. 5. Method according to claim 4, characterized in that the biomass is crushed to particle sizes smaller than 30 cm. Method according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that it also comprises, prior to step (a), a step of pressurizing the aqueous mixture of biomass and catalyst to a pressure of at least 10 bar. Method according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that it also comprises, prior to step (a), a stage of preheating the aqueous mixture of biomass and catalyst to a temperature of at least 170 ° C. Method according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that it also comprises, prior to step (a), a pressurization stage of the aqueous mixture of biomass and catalyst to a pressure of at least 10 bar, followed by a preheating step of the aqueous mixture of biomass and catalyst to a temperature of at least 170 ° C. 9. A method according to claim 2, characterized in that it further comprises, after maturation, a cooling step of the mixture of at least water and carbonized biomass, to a temperature below 100 ° C. Method according to claim 9, characterized in that it further comprises, after the cooling stage, a depressurization stage of the mixture of at least water and carbonized biomass. 11. Method according to any one of claims 1 to 10, characterized in that it is carried out continuously. Method according to any one of claims 1 to 10, characterized in that the carbonization is carried out at a temperature between 180 and 225 ° C, a pressure between 10 and 25 bar and a pH of 4.5 to 6.5.

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13. Method for hydrothermal carbonization of an aqueous mixture of biomass and catalyst, characterized in that it comprises at least the following steps:

(to)

the feeding said aqueous mixture of biomass and catalyst to a vertical reactor of inverted flow through a riser, tube in which the monomerization of the biomass begins giving rise to a first reaction product;

(b)

the polymerization of said first reaction product to give place to a second reaction product;

(C)

the maturation of said second reaction product, forming a mixture of at least water and carbonized biomass;

(d)

the evacuation of gases and water vapor from inside the reactor by the top of it;

and because it takes place over a period of 2 at 12 hours at a temperature between 180 and 225 ° C, a pressure between 10 to 25 bar and a pH of 4.5 to 6.5.

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14. Installation for carrying out the method defined in claim 1, characterized in that it comprises at least the following main equipment:

(to)

a pressurization equipment;

(b)

a preheating equipment;

(C)

a vertical inverted flow reactor;

(d)

a cooling equipment and

(and)

a depressurization equipment.

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15. Installation according to claim 14, characterized in that the preheating equipment consists of a double wall pressurized tube. 16. Installation according to claim 14, characterized in that the vertical inverted flow reactor contains an inlet tube inside. 17. Installation according to claim 15, characterized in that the riser tube of the inverted vertical flow reactor is occupying between 50% and 80% of the total height of the reactor. 18. Installation according to claim 14, characterized in that the vertical inverted flow reactor has in its upper part an area of accumulation of steam and / or gases. 19. Installation, according to claim 14, characterized in that the vertical inverted flow reactor contains in its interior an ascent tube, as well as an area of accumulation of steam and / or gases located in the upper part of said reactor. 20. Installation according to claim 14, characterized in that the reactor further comprises at least one of the following devices: safety valve, pressure probe, temperature probe, filling level probe, air and gas eliminator or breaker of emptiness. 21. Plant according to claim 14, wherein the reactor further comprises at least one inlet steam injection. 22. Installation according to claim 14, characterized in that the reactor further comprises at least one condensate injection inlet. 23. Installation according to claim 14, characterized in that the reactor is thermally insulated from the outside by means of rock wool and exterior finish of aluminum sheet. 24. Installation according to claim 14, characterized in that the cooling equipment consists of a heat exchanger of tubular type. 25. Installation according to claim 14, characterized in that the depressurization equipment comprises at least 2 valves placed in series. 26. Installation according to claim 25, characterized in that the depressurization equipment further comprises a flash tank located between the depressurization valves.

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27. Installation for carrying out the method according to claim 1, characterized in that it comprises at least the following main equipment:

(to)

a pressurization equipment;

(b)

a double wall pressurized tube;

(C)

a vertical inverted flow reactor comprising a riser inside;

(d)

a tubular type heat exchanger;

(and)

two depressurization valves and

(F)

a flash computer

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28. A reactor for carrying out a hydrothermal carbonization process as defined in claim 1, characterized in that it is a vertical inverted flow reactor comprising in its interior an ascending tube, as well as a steam accumulation zone and / or gases located on top of it. 29. A reactor according to claim 28, characterized in that it further comprises at least one of the following devices: safety valve, pressure probe, temperature probe, filling level probe, gas and air eliminator or vacuum breaker . 30. A reactor according to claim 28, characterized in that it further comprises at least one steam injection inlet. 31. A reactor according to claim 28, characterized in that it further comprises at least one condensate injection inlet. 32. A reactor according to claim 28, characterized in that it is thermally insulated from the outside by rock wool and exterior finish of aluminum sheet.

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33. Product obtained according to a method of hydrothermal carbonization of an aqueous mixture of biomass and catalyst comprising at least the following steps:

(to)

the feeding an aqueous mixture of biomass and catalyst to a vertical reactor of inverted flow through a riser, tube in which the monomerization of the biomass begins giving rise to a first reaction product;

(b)

the polymerization of said first reaction product to give place to a second reaction product;

(C)

the maturation of said second reaction product, forming a mixture of at least water and carbonized biomass;

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34. Use of the product defined in the claim 33 as solid fuel. 35. Use of the product according to claim 33 as raw material for the production of liquid fuels of hydrocarbons