PT92044A

PT92044A - APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR THE PROCESSING OF SOLID WASTE PER PYROLYSIS

Info

Publication number: PT92044A
Application number: PT9204489A
Authority: PT
Inventors: Richard J Taeger
Original assignee: Frontier Ind Inc
Priority date: 1989-06-19
Filing date: 1989-10-20
Publication date: 1991-02-08
Also published as: EP0403708A1

Description

FBQNirER.rNDUSTBIES*.!!^ "APARELHO E MÉTODO PARA O PROCESSAMENTO DE RESÍDUOS S0LIDOS POR PIROLISE"FBQNIRER.RNDUSTBIES *. &Quot; APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR THE PROCESSING OF SOLID WASTE PER PYROLYSIS "

Fundamento da Invenção A presente invenção diz respeito a aperfeiçoamentos num aparelho e num método para converter sólidos carbonosos nos resT duos municipais, tais como o lixo e outros desperdícios, para se obter produtos úteis e um certo rendimento financeiro.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to improvements in an apparatus and method for converting carbonaceous solids into municipal waste, such as waste and other wastes, to provide useful products and a certain financial return.

Actualmente, em grau limitado, os materais recicláveis, tais como jornais, vidro, metais e plásticos, são Drocessados pa ra serem reutilizados, mas a grande maioria dos resíduos municipais é recolhida e transportada para areas de aterro para serem enterrados ou para instalações de incineração, sendo os vidros, metais e outras matérias orgânicas queimadas igualmente enterra^ dos, Nenhum dos métodos se mostrou inteiramente satisfatório, continuando o assunto da eliminação de tais resíduos a ser uma matéria ainda a considerar. As ãreas de aterro começam a estar cheias e a ampliação das existentes ou a criação de outras novas tém dado origem a oposições e controvérsias, em particular oor parte dos proprietários próximos ou outros que sejam directameii te afectados. Os incineradores criam problemas de ambiente, seji do por isso também fonte de controvérsias. E bem sabido que os sólidos carbonosos existentes nos ma_At present, to a limited extent, recyclable materials, such as newspapers, glass, metals and plastics, are recycled for reuse, but the vast majority of municipal waste is collected and transported to landfills to be buried or to incineration plants , with glasses, metals and other organic materials being equally buried. None of the methods proved entirely satisfactory, and the subject of the disposal of such wastes remains to be considered. Landfill areas are becoming full and the expansion of existing landfills or the creation of new landfills has led to oppositions and controversies, in particular to nearby owners or others who are directly affected. Incinerators create environmental problems, which is why it is also a source of controversy. It is well known that the carbonaceous solids in the

teriais residuais, tal como o lixo e outros refugos, podem ser transformados por pfrõltse, na ausência de ar, em produtos valio sos, tais como carvão, cinza, fosfatos, por exemplo, que produzem carvão animal que ê utilizável como condicionador de solos ou cq mo combustível, para o qual hã um mercado fãcil, para se obter rendimento financeiro, reduzindo assim os custos globais da eliminação dos resíduos. Os métodos actuais para o tratamento dos resíduos municipais não utilizam completamente os aspectos econí) micos dos materiais residuais. Igualmente, embora isso não faça parte da presente invenção, e possível recuperar certos Õleos das correntes de gases produzidas pela pirolise, os quais podem depois ser processados, com procedimentos disponíveis, para se obter produtos valiosos.such as waste and other refuse, may be converted in the absence of air into valuable products such as charcoal, ash, phosphates, for example, which produce char which is usable as a soil conditioner or as a fuel for which there is a soft market for financial returns, thus reducing the overall costs of waste disposal. Current methods for the treatment of municipal waste do not fully utilize the economic aspects of waste materials. Also, although this is not part of the present invention, it is possible to recover certain oils from pyrolysis gas streams, which can then be processed, with available procedures, to obtain valuable products.

Com as observações anteriores em mente, um dos objectos importantes da presente invenção consiste em proporcionar um aparelho e um método aperfeiçoados para processar os resíduos sólidos de base carbonosa por pirolise, para recuperar material de carvão, numa forma que apresenta valor económico a escala comercial,With the foregoing observations in mind, it is an important object of the present invention to provide an improved apparatus and method for processing carbonaceous solid waste by pyrolysis to recover coal material in a form having a commercial scale economic value,

Outro objecto consiste em proporcionar um aparelho e um processo do gênero anterior que altamente eficiente e de operação extremamente económica,Another object is to provide a prior art apparatus and process which is highly efficient and extremely economical in operation,

Mais particularmente, constitui um objecto da presente invenção proporcionar um aparelho e um método, caracterizadospor se fornecerem os resíduos sólidos, previamente moídos para se obter pedaços pequenos, e com os materiais recicláveis, tais como metais e vidro, substancial mente removidos, para a parte supe_More particularly, it is an object of the present invention to provide an apparatus and method, characterized in that the solid wastes, previously ground to obtain small pieces, and with the recyclable materials, such as metals and glass, substantially removed, are provided for the part supe_

ríor.de uma retorta de modo a catrem no interior desta ultima por gravidade, em contracorrente com gases quentes- que são gerados na parte inferior da retorta, inicialmente por ignição temporária do referido material a partir de uma fonte de qãs combustível natural, que é desligada quando o material se inflamar, de modo que o material que cai continuamente serve de combustível para manter o sistema de geração de gases, ardendo numa corrente de ar ambiente, que consome o oxigénio nele existente, sem necessidade de outra fonte de combustível exterior,In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the apparatus is provided with a retort so as to fit inside the latter by gravity, countercurrent with hot gases, which are generated in the lower part of the retort, initially by temporary ignition of said material from a natural fuel source, which is off when the material ignites so that the continuously falling material serves as fuel to maintain the gas generation system, burning in a stream of ambient air, which consumes the oxygen therein, without the need for another external fuel source,

Ainda outro objecto consiste em proporcionar um aparelho e um processo do género anterior no qual o material para processa^ mento na retorta e fornecido a partir de uma tremonha num ambiente ao ar livre, proporcionado pela canalização de gases de escape quentes provenientes da parte superior da retorta através de con dutas fechadas para a tremonha, para servir de veículo para trans^ portar material para a retorta e auxiliado por uma ventoinha de aspiração associada ã tremonha,Still another object is to provide an apparatus and a process of the foregoing kind in which the material for processing in the retort is supplied from a hopper in an open air environment provided by the channeling of hot exhaust gases from the upper part of the retorts through closed conduits to the hopper to serve as a vehicle for transporting material into the retort and aided by a suction blower associated with the hopper,

Sumário da InvençãoSummary of the Invention

Segundo a presente invenção, os resíduos solidos, tais como o lixo e outros materiais residuais, como material reciclã-vel, tal como metais, nomeadamente alumínio, e vidro, substancial_ mente removido, são moídos para se transformarem em pequenos pedaços de dimensões relativamente uniformes para o processamento por pirõlise numa retorta vertical, 0 material para processar é transportado de um deposito de armazenamento para uma tremonha de alimentação com fecho, a partir da qual é transportado pneuma -4- ticamente por uma ventoinha que aspira o referido material por via de uma corrente de gases proveniente da tremonha e dirigi_n do-a para a parte superior da retorta, como num ciclone ou em movimento turbilhonar onde eles caem por gravidade, em contra-corrente com os gases quentes, para sair na parte inferior da retorta sob a forma de carvão vegetal, que tem valor económico como condicionador de solos, fertilizante e combustíveis para cen trais de energia. Os gases quentes são gerados, na operação de arranque, inflamando as partículas que caem com um acendedor de gãs piloto, que Ó desligado quando o material estiver suficiente mente inflamado e insufla-se ar ambiente para a parte inferior da retorta, num movimento turbilhonar, para manter a combustão do material inflamado arrastado no turbilhão, de modo que o fluxo con_ tinuo de material em queda constitui o combustível para manter o processo sustentado da produção de gases quentes. 0 materail es tã em movimento constante a partir do instante em que entra na re^ torta até que sai na parte inferior, não havendo em instante nenhum leito ou uma coluna compactada de material. Os gases saem na parte superior da retorta, de preferência para dois ciclones e para os dois braços de uma conduta em Y, Numa das condutas, a correji te do gãs passa através de um arrefecedor para reduzir a temperatura dos gases, onde ela se desloca através de um circuito fecha do para a tremonha de alimentação com fecho para servir de veiciu lo para o deslocamento de materiais frios da tremonha para a pa_r te superior da retorta. Na outra conduta, a corrente restante dos gases é dirigida para um queimador secundário onde são incine radas todas as impurezas para evitar a contaminação da atmosfera, gerando-se também calor que pode ser utilizado para produzir vapor de ãgua e electricidade. 0 escoamento da corrente de gases -5- da retorta para os ciclones e através da conduta fechada para e através da tremonha de alimentação com fecho proporciona um anel fechado no qual o material se desloca, entrando e saindo do siste ma, sem permitir que o ar entre ou se escape do sistema, A quan-titade de material processado por hora pode ser modificada fazendo variar a velocidade de entrega de material na tremonha de alimentação com fecho para a corrente de gases que transporta o mate rial para a retorta. A velocidade de entrega de material pelos transportadores do deposito para a tremonha de alimentação com fecho e constante mas a velocidade de entrega de material do depósito para o transportador pode fazer-se variar Dara corresponder ao material que esta a ser retirado da tremonha de alimentação com fecho e o fluxo de ar ambiente pode ser aumentado quando aumentar o fluxo dos materiais da tremonha de alimentação com fe cho.According to the present invention, solid wastes, such as waste and other waste materials, such as recyclable material, such as metals, namely aluminum, and glass, substantially removed, are milled to small pieces of relatively uniform size for pyrolysis processing in a vertical retort, the processing material is transported from a storage tank to a catch hopper, from which it is pneumatically conveyed by a fan which draws the material through a stream of gases from the hopper and directing it to the top of the retort, as in a cyclone or in a whirling motion where they fall by gravity in countercurrent with the hot gases, to exit at the bottom of the retort under the form of charcoal, which has economic value as a soil conditioner, fertilizer and fuel for power plants. The hot gases are generated in the starting operation by igniting the falling particles with a pilot lighter, which turns off when the material is sufficiently ignited and the ambient air is blown into the bottom of the retort in a whirling motion, to maintain combustion of the flammable material entrained in the swirl so that the continuous flow of falling material forms the fuel to maintain the sustained process of the production of hot gases. The material is in constant motion from the moment it enters the package until it exits at the bottom, there being no instant bed or compacted material column. The gases exit at the top of the retort, preferably for two cyclones and for the two arms of a Y-conduit. In one of the conduits, the gas flow passes through a cooler to reduce the temperature of the gases, where it moves through a circuit closes to the feed hopper with lock to serve as the shuttle for moving cold materials from the hopper to the top of the retort. In the other conduit, the remaining gas stream is directed to a secondary burner where all impurities are incinerated to avoid contamination of the atmosphere, also generating heat which can be used to produce water vapor and electricity. The flow of the retort gas stream from the retort to the cyclones and through the closed conduit to and through the catch feed hopper provides a closed ring in which the material moves, entering and leaving the system without allowing the The amount of material processed per hour can be modified by varying the delivery rate of material in the feed hopper with closure to the gas stream that transports the material to the retort. The rate of delivery of material by the conveyors of the hopper to the hopper and constant hopper but the rate of delivery of material from the hopper to the conveyor can be varied to correspond to the material being withdrawn from the feed hopper with and the ambient air flow can be increased when increasing the flow of materials from the feeder hopper.

Os objectos anteriores e outros que aqui possam aparecer ou que sejam indicados no seguimento, juntamente com as vantagens da presente invenção, serão examinados mais completamente e desein volvidos na descrição pormenorizada seguinte, com referência aos desenhos anexos. greve descrição dos desenhosThe foregoing and other objects which may appear or are indicated hereunder along with the advantages of the present invention will be more fully examined and desirably in the following detailed description with reference to the accompanying drawings. strike description of the drawings

Nos desenhos anexos, as figuras representam: A fig. 1, uma vista de cima, esquemática, de um aparelho ou instalação que apresenta as caracterTsticas da presente i nvenção; -6-In the accompanying drawings, the figures show: Fig. 1 is a schematic top view of an apparatus or apparatus having the features of the present invention; -6-

A fig. 2, uma vtsta lateral, esquemática, do aparelho da fíg. 1; A fig. 3, uma vista esquemática parcial de uma porçáo do sistema de alimentação do material em anel fechado ao ar livre de acordo com a presente invenção, segundo a linha (3-3) da fig. 1; A fig. 4, uma vista em perspectiva ampliada, com arranque parcial, mostrando a tremonha de alimentação com fecho, que faz parte do sistema em anel fechado segundo a presente invenção, na qual o material de resíduos e deslocado para uma retorta para processamento num ambiente de ar livre; e A fig, 5, uma vista em alçado ampliada da parte inferior da tremonha de alimentação com fecho, segundo a linha (5-5) da fig. 1, com a parte lateral da tremonha removida para mostrar o seu interior, quando em funcionamento.FIG. 2 shows a schematic side view of the apparatus of Fig. 1; FIG. 3 is a partial schematic view of a portion of the feed system of the closed-loop outdoor material in accordance with the present invention along line 3-3 of FIG. 1; FIG. 4 is an enlarged perspective view, partially exploded, showing the feed hopper with closure forming part of the closed ring system of the present invention in which the waste material is moved to a retort for processing in an air environment free; and Figure 5 is an enlarged elevational view of the bottom of the zipper feed hopper, along line 5-5 of Figure 1; 1, with the side of the hopper removed to show its interior when in operation.

Descrição das formas de realização preferidasDESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Com referencia aos desenhos, este aparelho para o proces^ sarnento de resíduos sólidos por pirÔlise está designado genericamente pela referência (10), como mehlor se vê na fig, 1 e, como muitos dos componentes usados, tais como depósitos, transportado res, ventiladores e similares são antigos e bem conhecidos, eles são representados e identificados de uma maneira esquemática , excepto quando forem necessários outros pormenores para o comple to entendimento da sua disposição e funcionamento, -7 0 aparelho CIO) tnclut um deposito de armazenamento (12) de preferência em posição elevada, a partir do qual o material a processar e distribuído por um transportador (14) para a parte superior aberta de um alojamento, que aqui se designa por tremo-nha de alimentação com fecho (16), que e uma das características novas e importantes da presente invenção e que mais adiante se descreve com mais pormenor.Referring to the drawings, this apparatus for processing solid waste by pyrolysis is generally designated by reference 10, as shown in Figure 1, and, as many of the components used, such as tanks, conveyors, fans and the like are well known and well known, they are represented and identified in a schematic manner except where further details are required for the full understanding of their arrangement and operation, the CIO apparatus has a storage tank 12 preferably in a raised position, from which the material to be processed and distributed by a conveyor (14) to the open top part of a housing, which is referred to herein as a locking power flange (16), which is one of the new and important features of the present invention and which are described in more detail below.

Uma conduta (18) comunica numa das extremidades com a parte inferior da tremonba (16) (fig, 5) e na outra extremidade com uma ventoinha de aspiração (20) para mover o material de re-sTudos através da conduta (22) para a parte superior, aberta, de uma retorta vertical (24). Na parte inferior da retorta (24) (fig, 2) ha um acendedor de gas (26) adaptado para ser ligado, através de uma conduta (28), a uma fonte de gas natural combustT^ vel, estando colocada uma ventoinha (30) com um comando de regi£ tos (31) para o ar ambiente, para fazer a descarqa para o interior da parte inferior da retorta (24), A parte inferior da retorta (24) comunica com uma conduta (32), que comunica com uma extremidade de um transportador helicoidal de cinzas (34), para depositar material na sua outra extremidade numa tremonha das cin zas (36), para serem removidas por qualquer meio aproDriado.A conduit 18 communicates at one end with the lower part of the hopper 16 and at the other end with a suction blower 20 for moving the refilling material through the conduit 22 to the open top part of a vertical retort (24). In the lower part of the retort 24 there is a gas lighter 26 adapted to be connected via a conduit 28 to a source of combustible natural gas, a fan 30 is provided. with a region control 31 for ambient air to discharge into the lower portion of the retort 24. The lower portion of the retort 24 communicates with a conduit 32 which communicates with one end of an ashes helical conveyor (34), to deposit material at its other end into a hopper of the belts (36), to be removed by any suitable means.

Na parte superior da retorta (24), uma caixa (38), em comunicação com a mesma, inclui as condutas (40) e (42), para co municar respectivamente com ciclones (44) e (46) que, por sua vez, comunicam com a câmara (48) ligada as condutas em Y (50) e (52), A parte inferior de cada ciclone (44) e (46) estã provida de um receptãculo para as cinzas (54), A conduta (50) liga-se ν -8 com um queimador secundário (56] provido de uma chaminé de escape (58) e a conduta (52) liga-se a um condensador (50) e .-continua a comunicar com a parte inferior da tremonha de alimentação com fecho (16), como se ve na fíg, 5, A Darte interior da tremonha (16) esta equipada com os cilindros rotativos (62), accion<a dos por ummotor de velocidade variável (64) para distribuir material (66), de uma maneira bem conhecida. Com o aparelho ou insta^ lação (10) construído e disposto como se descreveu, o processamen to dos resíduos sÕlidos faz-se da seguinte maneira:In the upper portion of the retort 24, a housing 38 in communication therewith includes the conduits 40 and 42 to respectively communicate with cyclones 44 and 46 which, in turn, the lower part of each cyclone 44 and 46 is provided with a receptacle for the ashes 54, the duct 50 is connected to the chamber 48, ) connects ν -8 with a secondary burner (56) provided with an exhaust flue (58) and the duct (52) connects to a condenser (50) and continues to communicate with the bottom of the hopper (16) is provided with the rotating cylinders (62), driven by a variable speed motor (64) to deliver material (16), as shown in Fig. 66) in a well-known manner. With the apparatus or installation (10) constructed and arranged as described, the processing of the solid wastes is done as follows:

FuncionamentoOperation

Inicialmente, os resíduos sÕlidos, tais como lixo, refu^ gos ou similares, dos quais foram substancialmente removidos os materiais recicláveis, tais como metais, alumínio e vidro, embora, como se vera mais adiante, quaisquer desses materiais recicláveis residuais não afectem o processo que vai descrever-se , são moídos por qualquer processo convencional para se obter ped^a ços pequenos, com dimensões relatfvamente uniformes, da ordem de 6 mm (1/4") ou menores, indicadas em (66) na fig, 5, 0 material (66) e transportado por quaisquer meios apro priados para um deposito de armazenamento (12) com um fundo mõvel rotativo para regular a quantidade de material distribuído a pajr tir do mesmo, tudo de uma maneira conhecida. Um transportador (14), concebido para se deslocar com uma velocidade constante, distribui o material (661 a partir do deposito (12) para a parte superior da tremonha de alimentação com fecho (16) onde se acumu la, como se mostra na fig. 5, No arranque inicial deste processo» -9Initially, solid wastes, such as refuse, refuse or the like, from which recyclable materials such as metals, aluminum and glass have been substantially removed, although, as will be seen later, any such recyclable waste material does not affect the process which are to be described, are milled by any conventional method to obtain small, relatively uniform dimensions of the order of 6 mm (1/4 ") or smaller, indicated at 66 in Fig. 5, The material (66) is conveyed by any suitable means to a storage tank (12) having a rotatable mobile bottom to regulate the amount of material distributed thereto, all in a known manner. A conveyor (14), designed to move at a constant speed, distributes the material (661 from the hopper (12) to the top of the catch feed hopper (16) where it accumulated, as shown in fig 5, At the initial start of this process »-9

a tremonha (16) é cheia ate cerca de 2,5 m (8 pes) com material (66), como barreira para o ar que entra pela sua parte inferior, devendo a profundidade desse material (66) na tremonha (16) ser mantida a pelo menos cerca de 60 cm (2 pes) para esse fim. 0 material (66} é distribuído para uma corrente de gas, como 5 evidente, e e aspirado para essa corrente a partir da tre monha (16) pela ventoinha (20), através das condutas (18) e (20) para o interior da parte superior da retorta (24) de maneira ci-clÕnica ou em movimento turbflhonar, caindo por gravidade para a parte inferior. Inicialmente, as partículas que caem são inflamadas por um acendedor de gãs combustível (26) para criar gases quentes que se deslocam para a parte superior da retorta (24) em contracorrente com as partículas que descem (66), 0 fluxo turbi_ lhonar das partículas (66) que caem mantém o material que chega frio junto das paredes da retorta (24), proporcionando a redução das dimensões dos pedaços espaços de ar suficientes entre as par tículas de modo que elas absorvem calor por radiação e por conv£ xão dos gases quentes, o que é preferível a uma coluna compacta^ da de material onde o calor teria que transmitir-se de partícula a partícula, 0 material (66) esta em movimento contínuo a partir do momento em que entra na retorta (24) ate que sai, sob a forma de carvão, na parte inferior para o parafuso transportador (34). A combustão do material inflamado (66) é mantida na par, te inferior da retorta (24) por introdução de ar ambiente a partir do ventilador (30) na parte inferior da retorta (24) para criar e manter um leito contínuo quente de partículas turbilhonan-tes-que el imina todos os-vapores, condensãvei s e nãocondensáveis e.ovaporde -1 água transportados para fora da retorta para os ciclones (44) e (46). 0 queimador (26) é desligado quando a temperatura na par te inferior da retorta (24) atingir aproximadamente cerca de 538°C (1 000°F), o que pode· ser feito manualmente ou por qualquer comaji do automático apropriado. Uma vez desligado o acendedor (26), o material (66) mantido em combustão pelo ventilador (30) passa a ser o combustível para manter o sistema liberto de qualquer fonte de combustível exterior. 0 oxigénio do ar ambiente e consumido na combustão do material (66), de modo que o escoamento ascendente em contracorrente de gases quentes mantém a retorta (24) sem oxigénio. A temperatura na parte superior da retorta (24) sera aproximadamente de'415°C (7800F) a 482°C (900°F), aumentando esta temperatura ã medida que as partículas (66) que caem se aprox^ mam da zona de turbilhão na parte inferior onde a temperatura é de 607°C a 662°C (1125oF a 12250F). A acção de turbilhão dos gases quentes na parte inferior da retorta (24), produzida pelo fluxo de ar ambiente, cria uma acção de ciclone de modo que quando eles embatem no fundo plano da retorta dão uma volta de 180° e começam a sair para cima para fora do sistema. A medida que isso se veH fica, as partículas (66) pesadas caem através da conduta (32) para o transportador de parafuso (34) sob a forma de carvão, para se depositarem na tremonha (36) para serem removidas para um local de depósito ou utilização.the hopper 16 is filled to about 2.5 m (8 feet) with material 66 as a barrier to the air entering from its bottom, the depth of the material 66 in the hopper 16 being maintained at least about 60 cm (2 feet) for this purpose. The material 66 is distributed to a gas stream, as is apparent, and is drawn into the stream from the chamber 16 by the fan 20, through the conduits 18 and 20 into the interior of the top part of the retort 24 in a cyclic or turbulent manner, falling by gravity to the bottom. Initially, the falling particles are ignited by a fuel gauge lighter 26 to create hot gases moving to the top portion of the retort 24 countercurrent with the falling particles 66, the turbinate flow of the falling particles 66 holds the material arriving cold close to the walls of the retort 24, of the pieces sufficient air spaces between the particles so that they absorb heat by radiation and by convection of the hot gases, which is preferable to a compact column of material where the heat would have to be transmitted from particle to particle, 0 the material 66 is in continuous motion from the moment it enters the retort 24 until it emerges as a charcoal in the lower part to the screw conveyor 34. The combustion of the inflamed material 66 is held in the lower pair of retort 24 by introducing ambient air from the blower 30 into the bottom of the retort 24 to create and maintain a hot continuous bed of particles all the vapors, condensed if uncondensable and water vapor transported out of the retort to the cyclones (44) and (46). The burner 26 is turned off when the temperature in the lower portion of the retort 24 reaches approximately about 538 ° C (1000 ° F), which can be done manually or by any suitable automatic switch. Once the lighter 26 is turned off, the material 66 kept on combustion by the fan 30 becomes the fuel to keep the system released from any external fuel source. Oxygen from ambient air is consumed in the combustion of the material (66), so that the countercurrent upflow of hot gases keeps the retort (24) devoid of oxygen. The temperature at the top of the retort 24 will be about 1415 ° C (7800F) to 482 ° C (900 ° F), increasing this temperature as the falling particles (66) approach the whirlwind at the bottom where the temperature is from 607 ° C to 662 ° C (1125 ° F to 12250 ° F). The whirling action of the hot gases at the bottom of the retort (24), produced by the ambient air flow, creates a cyclone action so that when they hit the flat bottom of the retort, they rotate 180 ° and start to top of the system. As this is seen, the heavy particles 66 fall through the conduit 32 to the screw conveyor 34 in the form of charcoal to deposit into the hopper 36 to be withdrawn to a location of deposit or use.

Os gases quentes deslocam-se da retorta (24) para os ciclones (44) e (46) onde são recolhidas as.partículas leves ou finas que podem estar presentes na corrente de gases, em receptacu- »11 " los (54), continuando daT Dara a câmara (48) onde se separam nas condutas em Y respectívas (50) e (52). A corrente dos gases na conduta (52) passa através- de um condensador (60) onde a sua tem peratura é reduzida para cerca de 121°C (2500F) a cerca de 137°C (280°F) e entra na parte inferior da tremonha (16) onde serve de veiculo para transportar material (66) frio dessa tremonha para a parte superior da retorta (24). Uma tal corrente de gases tem pouco ou nenhum oxigénio e, devido a esta pressão negativa, é im portante manter uma coluna de pelo menos cerca de 60 cm (2 pés) na tremonha (16) (fig, 5) para evitar a entrada de ar. 0 movimento de material para o interior da retorta (24) contendo no seu interior os gases quentes e através dos ciclones (44) e (46) e a conduta fechada (52) e o que foi designado por sistema em anel fe chado, no qual o material frio (66) para processar e distribuído para a retorta (24) num ambiente sem ar, Os gases restantes pr£ venientes da câmara (48) passam através da conduta (50) para um queimador secundário (56) de qualquer tipo, onde todas as impure zas são incineradas para evitar a contaminação da atmosfera, quando são expulsas pela chaminé (58). 0 calor proveniente desta fase é utilizável para produzir vapor de água e electricidade.The hot gases move from the retort 24 to the cyclones 44 and 46 where the light or fine particles which may be present in the stream of gases are collected in the receptacle. (54), continuing from the chamber (48) where they separate into the respective Y-shaped conduits (50) and (52). The gas stream in conduit 52 passes through a condenser 60 where its temperature is reduced to about 121 ° C (2500F) to about 137 ° C (280 ° F) and enters the bottom of the hopper 16 where it serves as a vehicle for transporting cold material 66 from that hopper to the top of the retort 24. Such a gas stream has little or no oxygen and, because of this negative pressure, it is important to maintain a column of at least about 60 cm (2 feet) in the hopper (16) (fig, 5) to prevent the entry of air. The movement of material into the interior of the retort (24) containing the hot gases through the cyclones (44) and (46) and the closed conduit (52) and what has been called the (63) to process and distribute to the retort (24) in an air-free environment. The remaining gases from the chamber (48) pass through the conduit (50) to a secondary burner (56) of any type , where all the impurities are incinerated to avoid contamination of the atmosphere, when they are expelled by the chimney (58). The heat from this phase is usable to produce water vapor and electricity.

Na eventualidade de permanecerem no material (66) alguns materiais recicláveis, tais como alumínio, vidro e metais, eles passariam, devido ao pouco tempo e à baixa temperatura necessários para este processo, precisamente para sair com o carbono e serem separados, 0 carvão que se recolhe na tremonha (36) tem valor comercial, podendo dar um retorno financeiro substancial, que reduz materialmente os custos totais da operação, que são ainda reduzidos por não ser necessário usar combustível exterior -12’ / para a manutenção do sistema aqui' descrtto,In the event that some recyclable materials, such as aluminum, glass and metals remain in the material (66), they would, due to the short time and the low temperature required for this process, precisely go out with the carbon and be separated, the coal which (36) is of commercial value and can give a substantial financial return, which materially reduces the total costs of the operation, which are further reduced because it is not necessary to use outer fuel (12) / for the maintenance of the system described herein ,

De salientar que, embora se tenham descrito dois ciclones (44) e (461, se se desejar pode usar-se apenas um desses ciclones. Porém, verifícou-se que um ciclone teria que 'ter dimensões substanciais para tratar o volume de material processado e seria difícil de instalar, exigindo um espaço considerável, de mo do que se preferem dois ciclones mais pequenos. A quantidade de material processado por hora e regulada pelo motor de velocidade variavel (64} para aumentar ou diminuir o caudal de material (66} na tremonha (16} para a corrente de g.a ses que o transporta para a retorta (24) e o caudal de material (66) do deposito (12) para o transportador (14) ê ajustado em consequência disso visto que a velocidade do transportador (14) e constante. Analogamente, com o aumento ou a diminuição do material fornecido para a retorta (24), ajusta-se correspondentemente a quantidade de ar ambiente proveniente do ventilador (30) necessá ria paria manter a combustão, por meio do registo (31). Por conseguinte, em face do exposto anteriormente, crê-se que se obteve um entendimento completo da presente invenção, podendo-se apreciar as suas vantagens.It should be noted that although two cyclones (44) and (461) have been described, if only one such cyclone can be used, it has been found, however, that a cyclone would have substantial dimensions for treating the volume of material processed and would be difficult to install, requiring a considerable space, so that two smaller cyclones are preferred.The amount of material processed per hour is regulated by the variable speed motor 64 to increase or decrease the flow rate of material 66, in the hopper 16 which carries it to the retort 24 and the material flow 66 of the hopper 12 to the conveyor 14 is adjusted accordingly as the speed of the conveyor (24), the amount of ambient air coming from the blower (30) necessary to maintain the combustion is adjusted accordingly, by means of the register (31). Therefore, in view of the foregoing, it is believed that a complete understanding of the present invention has been obtained and its advantages can be appreciated.

Claims

-1

A method for the processing of carbon-based solid waste by pyrolysis to recover usable and commercially available coal, comprising the steps of: shifting reduced carbonaceous solids to relatively uniform sized particles of a source of airless feed to the top of a vertical retort, so that they fall by gravity to their bottom in a swirling motion to come out from the bottom; igniting the first particles falling and reaching said lower part from a fuel source to generate hot gases to move countercurrently upwardly through said falling particles, to exit the upper part;

introducing ambient air into the lower portion of said retort to maintain combustion of said particles in a whirling motion and discontinuation of the use of the fuel source when said particles are ignited so as to serve as fuel to maintain the hot gas generation system? collect the coal resulting from the combustion. cooling part of the stream of gases exiting the top of the retort and directing it to the feed source to serve as the carrier for transporting the particles thereof to the top of the retort; directing the remaining part of the gas stream to a point of withdrawal; and maintaining the hot gas generation system to heat the falling particles to form coal and maintaining the airless retort by continuous delivery of said particles to said retort and a continuous supply of ambient air to maintain the combustion of the inflamed particles in the portion of said retort.

2. A method according to claim 1, characterized in that it comprises the steps of: providing selective increase and decrease of the delivery rate of the particles into the retort, and providing corresponding increase and decrease of the flow- ,

of ambient air for said inflamed particles.

3. A method according to claim 1, characterized in that it comprises the removal of the light and fine particles in the stream of gases exiting the retort.

4. A method for the coal-based solid waste process by pyrolysis to recover coal which is usable and has a commercial value, characterized in that it comprises the steps of: maintaining an accumulation of carbonaceous solids reduced to small particles in a vertical hopper which provides an airless environment for the delivery of said particles; commencing operation by moving said particles by pneumatic means from the bottom of the hopper to the top of a vertical retort so that they fall by gravity to the bottom thereof; igniting the first falling particles which reach said lower part by means of a fuel burner to produce hot gases flowing countercurrently through the falling particles, to exit the upper part of the retort and to provide heat to said particles producing coal and maintaining said retort without air; introducing a flow of ambient air into the bottom of the retort within said inflamed particles to maintain their combustion; disconnecting said lighter once said inflamed particles; maintaining the flow of ambient air to maintain the combustion of said inflamed particles in the lower part of the retort so that said falling inflamed particles serve as fuel to maintain the system of producing hot gases to heat the particles that fall to form and maintain said retort without air, without the need for any external fuel source; removing the coal resulting from the combustion of said particles from the bottom of said retort for further processing or use; collect the gases leaving the upper part of the retort; directing a portion of the collected gases into an air-free environment through a heat exchanger to reduce its temperature and through the bottom of said stream to communicate with said pneumatic means to serve as a vehicle for moving the said particles from said hopper to the top of the retort in the continuous operation of the system; directing the remainder of said collected gas stream to a withdrawal point; and maintaining the hot gas production system by continuously delivering said particles from the hopper to the retort and the continuous supply of ambient air to maintain combustion of the inflamed 3-particles in the bottom of the retort.

5. A method according to claim 4, characterized in that it includes the step of directing the remainder of the collected gas stream to a secondary incinerator for incineration of any impurities therein and then into the atmosphere.

A method according to claim 4, characterized in that it comprises the steps of: removing substantially all recyclable material, such as metals, aluminum and glass from said solid waste; and reducing said solid waste to small particles with relatively uniform dimensions of approximately 1/4 "(6.5 mm).

A method as claimed in claim 4, characterized in that maintenance of the accumulation of solid waste in said hopper to a depth of at least about 60 cm (21) to prevent air from entering into its lower part.

A method according to claim 7, characterized in that it comprises the steps of: providing selective increase and decrease of the delivery rate of said particles from the lower part of the hopper to said gas stream; and providing a corresponding increase and decrease of the ambient air flow to said inflamed particles.

A method according to claim 8, characterized in that it comprises the steps of: maintaining a reduced particle feed in a storage tank; and providing for the increase and decrease of the amount of particles supplied from said storage tank to said hopper to match the amount of material supplied from the hopper to the retort.

A method according to claim 4, characterized in that it comprises the steps of: directing the flow of particles from the hopper into the retort top in a cyclonic or swirling manner such that said particles are in constant movement when they fall down to come out at the bottom of the retort; and directing the flow of the ambient air against the inflamed particles to effect a swirling movement thereof and the hot gases which are produced.

A method according to claim 4, characterized in that it comprises the step of directing said gases exiting at the top of the retort first through a cyclone to remove and collect the light or fine particles in said gas stream.

12. A method according to claim 10, characterized in that a temperature gradient in said retort is provided in the range of about 415Â ° C to 482Â ° C (780Â ° F to 900Â ° F) at the top and about 607 ° C to 662 ° C (1125 ° F to 1 225 ° F) at the bottom.

13. A method according to claim 4, characterized in that the reduction of the temperature of the stream of gases directed to the lower part of the hopper to a value between 121 ° C and 137 ° C (250 ° F to 280 ° C) ° F).

14. A method according to claim 4, characterized in that it includes stopping said fuel lighter when the temperature of the inflamed particles is about 537 ° C (1000 ° F).

Apparatus for the processing of carbon-based solid waste by pyrolysis to recover usable and commercially available coal, characterized in that it comprises: a vertical hopper for accumulating material to be processed; a vertical retort defining a reaction chamber for the material to be processed; means for supplying material from the bottom of the hopper to the top of the retort so that it falls by gravity to its bottom; a fuel lighter at the bottom of the retort and adapted to be connected to a fuel source; said lighter being used only to ignite the first material which falls and reaches the bottom of the retort and is switched off when said material is ignited and generate hot gases moving countercurrent upwards through the material falling to leave the upper part of the retort. retort; a source of ambient air directed into the interior of the lower portion of the retort into said ignited material to maintain its combustion; a first conduit at the top of the retort in communication therewith to receive hot gases leaving it; a second conduit in communication with said first conduit to receive part of said gas stream; means associated with said second conduit for reducing the temperature of said gas stream; said second conduit communicating with the lower portion of said hopper so that the gas stream therein serves as a vehicle for moving the hopper material to the top of the retort; a third conduit communicating with said first

conduit for receiving the remainder of said gas stream from the retort and conducting it to a withdrawal point; and a receptacle at the bottom of the retort for receiving coal produced by the combustion of said material in the retort and falling therefrom by gravity.

Apparatus as claimed in claim 15, characterized in that it comprises means in said first conduit for collecting the light and fine particles of material in said gas stream.

Apparatus according to claim 15, characterized in that it includes: variable speed rollers in the lower part of said hopper for selectively increasing and decreasing the supply of the material therefrom; and a register in said ambient air source to correspondingly increase and decrease the air flow relative to the amount of material supplied from the hopper.

Apparatus according to claim 17, characterized in that it comprises: a supply vessel for the material to be processed; conveyor means for moving the material from said feed hopper to said hopper; and

means for regulating the movement of material from said feed tank to said hopper to match the amount of material supplied from the hopper.

Apparatus according to claim 15, characterized in that it comprises: pneumatic means for directing said gas stream containing material from the bottom of the hopper to the top of the retort for performing a cyclonic or swirling movement of said hopper material and keep it in constant motion as it falls down into said retort to exit at the bottom; and said ambient air directed so as to effect the swirling movement of the inflamed material and the hot gases in the lower part of the retort.

Apparatus according to claim 15, characterized in that it comprises: a secondary incinerator in communication with said third conduit to remove impurities in said gas stream, and a chimney in said secondary incinerator in communication with the atmosphere, Lisbon , October 20, 1989 The Official Agent of Industrial Property