WO2007002113A1 - Systemes et procedes de conversion de materiaux organiques et de production d'energie - Google Patents

Systemes et procedes de conversion de materiaux organiques et de production d'energie Download PDF

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Publication number
WO2007002113A1
WO2007002113A1 PCT/US2006/024018 US2006024018W WO2007002113A1 WO 2007002113 A1 WO2007002113 A1 WO 2007002113A1 US 2006024018 W US2006024018 W US 2006024018W WO 2007002113 A1 WO2007002113 A1 WO 2007002113A1
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WIPO (PCT)
Prior art keywords
sludge
char
module
vapors
reaction chamber
Prior art date
Application number
PCT/US2006/024018
Other languages
English (en)
Inventor
Stefan Skrypski-Mantele
Rodger W. Phillips
Josef Reichenberger
Original Assignee
Winterbrook Investment Partners, Llc
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Priority claimed from US11/379,404 external-priority patent/US20060243648A1/en
Application filed by Winterbrook Investment Partners, Llc filed Critical Winterbrook Investment Partners, Llc
Priority to CA 2612755 priority Critical patent/CA2612755A1/fr
Publication of WO2007002113A1 publication Critical patent/WO2007002113A1/fr

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Classifications

    • C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
    • C10—PETROLEUM, GAS OR COKE INDUSTRIES; TECHNICAL GASES CONTAINING CARBON MONOXIDE; FUELS; LUBRICANTS; PEAT
    • C10B—DESTRUCTIVE DISTILLATION OF CARBONACEOUS MATERIALS FOR PRODUCTION OF GAS, COKE, TAR, OR SIMILAR MATERIALS
    • C10B53/00—Destructive distillation, specially adapted for particular solid raw materials or solid raw materials in special form
    • C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
    • C02—TREATMENT OF WATER, WASTE WATER, SEWAGE, OR SLUDGE
    • C02F—TREATMENT OF WATER, WASTE WATER, SEWAGE, OR SLUDGE
    • C02F11/00—Treatment of sludge; Devices therefor
    • C02F11/10—Treatment of sludge; Devices therefor by pyrolysis
    • C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
    • C10—PETROLEUM, GAS OR COKE INDUSTRIES; TECHNICAL GASES CONTAINING CARBON MONOXIDE; FUELS; LUBRICANTS; PEAT
    • C10G—CRACKING HYDROCARBON OILS; PRODUCTION OF LIQUID HYDROCARBON MIXTURES, e.g. BY DESTRUCTIVE HYDROGENATION, OLIGOMERISATION, POLYMERISATION; RECOVERY OF HYDROCARBON OILS FROM OIL-SHALE, OIL-SAND, OR GASES; REFINING MIXTURES MAINLY CONSISTING OF HYDROCARBONS; REFORMING OF NAPHTHA; MINERAL WAXES
    • C10G1/00—Production of liquid hydrocarbon mixtures from oil-shale, oil-sand, or non-melting solid carbonaceous or similar materials, e.g. wood, coal
    • C10G1/02—Production of liquid hydrocarbon mixtures from oil-shale, oil-sand, or non-melting solid carbonaceous or similar materials, e.g. wood, coal by distillation
    • Y—GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
    • Y02—TECHNOLOGIES OR APPLICATIONS FOR MITIGATION OR ADAPTATION AGAINST CLIMATE CHANGE
    • Y02P—CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES IN THE PRODUCTION OR PROCESSING OF GOODS
    • Y02P20/00—Technologies relating to chemical industry
    • Y02P20/10—Process efficiency
    • Y02P20/129—Energy recovery, e.g. by cogeneration, H2recovery or pressure recovery turbines
    • Y—GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
    • Y02—TECHNOLOGIES OR APPLICATIONS FOR MITIGATION OR ADAPTATION AGAINST CLIMATE CHANGE
    • Y02W—CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TO WASTEWATER TREATMENT OR WASTE MANAGEMENT
    • Y02W10/00—Technologies for wastewater treatment
    • Y02W10/40—Valorisation of by-products of wastewater, sewage or sludge processing

Definitions

  • the present invention relates to the thermal conversion of sludge and other organic/carbonaceous materials into energy and other products.
  • sludge a material comprised of water, organic material (such as proteins, lipids and carbohydrates), and inorganic materials (such as clay and grit) that have not been eliminated during the treatment process. While most facilities have some form of onsite sludge treatment in order to reduce the volume and volatility of sludge, the final sludge product must ultimately be removed from the treatment plant for disposal.
  • sludge is dewatered and dried to reduce the size and weight required for transport and disposal. In other cases, sludge is removed from the treatment plant in liquid form. In rare cases, facilities may utilize onsite incineration for final sludge disposal. [0005] Because disposal at sea was banned several years ago, today's most common methods of final disposal for non-incinerated sludge have been land application and landfill. In land applications, sludge is sprayed or spread as a fertilizer on nonfood-crop agricultural fields. In landfill applications, sludge is simply buried, often alongside traditional municipal solid wastes.
  • a more efficient form of sludge conversion involves the oxygen free thermal process known as pyrolysis.
  • sludge material can be heated under high pressure or ambient pressure to form a gas that contains vaporized oils.
  • Liquid oil can then be condensed from the gas in a process that is energy self-sufficient.
  • the condensed oil is excess energy in a form that can be stored and transported for use at a later date.
  • This process therefore provides at least two beneficial outcomes - economical sludge disposal and net energy generation in a form (e.g., liquid oil) that can be stored and transported as desired.
  • U.S. Patent Nos. 4,618,735 and 4,781 ,796 describe a pyrolysis process and apparatus for the conversion of organic sludge into materials that may be useful as industrial fuels, including liquid oils.
  • This process involves heating the sludge in an oxygen free environment to induce volatilization of the organic material contained therein, resulting in an energy rich gaseous byproduct and sludge residue.
  • the gasses are further contacted with the residue at even higher temperatures to create oil producing reactions and gaseous products containing the oil products.
  • the oil products are then condensed from the gasses in a separate phase of the process and may be stored and used as an industrial fuel.
  • This process and apparatus also include the addition of a new screw conveyor to remove char and solids from the second reactor, convey it through a cooling device, and ultimately discharge it from the process.
  • the overall process described in these two patents is commonly referred to as a "dual reactor" system.
  • the first feature described in the '099 application involved the replacement of screw conveyors with a series of pitched paddles affixed to a central rotating shaft in order to convey material through the reactor.
  • the paddles were also intended to provide proper mixing of char and vapor as well as enhanced heat transfer. With these factors under greater control, operators were expected to have much greater control over the WHSV.
  • the '099 application described the overall reaction as occurring in two separate functional zones within the same reactor vessel in a single reactor system - a heating "zone” and a reaction "zone.”
  • the heating zone provided a heating rate of 5- 30°C/minute to induce volatilization and production of initial vapor and solid residue/char.
  • the reaction zone was heated to a temperature of 400-450 0 C to promote vapor-phase catalytic reactions through further mixing and increased collision of the vapors and solid residues. This is a limitation in that it is very difficult to create and distinguish a heating zone and a reaction zone in an open single reactor chamber.
  • the '099 application described the use of an adjustable weir (or a fixed weir if the desired WHSV is known prior to manufacture) mechanism to control the inventory of char within the reactor.
  • the adjustable weir was described as being rotated off center by approximately 30 degrees to conform to the position of the char bed caused by the paddle rotation, and was located immediately before the char outlet. No description was provided regarding the maximum or minimum height of the weir or its specific design. However, iterations of the adjustable weir in use at the time of the '099 application did not allow the reactor vessel to be filled to a level greater than a 30% coefficient of fill - thus limiting the overall inventory of solid material in the process.
  • reaction water Another problem in prior designs that remains to be addressed is the creation and disposal of reaction water during the gas condensation phase of the process.
  • vapors from the reactor are condensed using common water and oil-based direct spray condensers.
  • Direct spray condensation chamber temperatures would routinely fall below 100 0 C (for example, without limitation, to about 35°C - 45°C), causing not only the oil in the vapor to condense but also any latent water vapor to condense into liquid water.
  • a separate oil/water separation phase would then be required to separate clean oil from the reaction water.
  • the reaction water would then return to the head works of the wastewater treatment plant where it could be combined with fresh influent and recycled through the entire wastewater treatment process.
  • reaction water can be extremely high in nitrogen. Most treatment facilities can remove the relatively low levels of nitrogen found in typical municipal and industrial influent streams. When reaction water is added to the influent at the facility head works, however, the artificially high concentration of nitrogen can create substantial upsets in the overall treatment process leading to the discharge of sub-standard effluent water to local rivers and streams. Furthermore, if reaction water is not or cannot be returned to the head works, it must be stored onsite prior to other means of disposal. Storing the reaction water requires the capacity of a large wastewater treatment facility, which may not be obtainable or desirable for smaller operations. Further, because it is an extremely pungent material, the reaction water also requires storage in expensive leak-proof containers.
  • reaction water can also be costly and can release harmful gases into the air.
  • Another limitation of prior designs related to reaction water includes the requirement for a three-phase centrifugal separator to clean and separate the three constituents in the final condensed liquids (oil, particulate matter, and reaction water). If reaction water is eliminated from the process altogether, a much simpler two-phase centrifugal separator could be used. This advance would produce a key benefit because most centrifugal separators rely upon differences in material densities for proper separation. Many of the bio- oils produced in the prior processes, however, have very similar densities to the reaction water making separation difficult and time consuming.
  • the present invention provides improved pyrolysis systems and methods that address a number of described drawbacks associated with the prior art.
  • the present invention also forms char with a variety of beneficial uses such that char need no longer be viewed as a waste product of pyrolysis processes.
  • one major drawback of the prior art is the production of reaction water due to the presently used condensation methods and resulting need for three-phase centrifugal separation of oil, particulate matter and reaction water.
  • the present invention provides methods to avoid the production of reaction water, thus requiring only a two-phase centrifugal separation of oil and particulate matter and avoiding inefficiencies and environmental issues associated with reaction water.
  • the present invention avoids the production of reaction water by condensing oils at a temperature above that at which water will condense. In one embodiment, this benefit is achieved by condensing oil with other oil cooled enough to condense additional oil but not cooled enough to condense water. This advance removes the numerous drawbacks associated with the production of reaction water that currently exist in presently used pyrolysis methods.
  • the present invention addresses these particular drawbacks by adopting mixing elements that can increase contact between sludge and vapors as the sludge moves through a reaction chamber (and becomes char) but do not convey the sludge/char material through the reaction chamber.
  • one embodiment according to the present invention is a system for converting sludge into vapor and char comprising a reactor module and one or both of a condenser module or a combustion module
  • the reactor module comprises a reaction chamber, a separation chamber, and one or more control valves; wherein in the reaction chamber the sludge can be heated in an oxygen free state after which the sludge becomes vapor and char and wherein the separation chamber conveys the vapor and char out of the reactor module and the one or more control valves direct the vapor to either a condenser module that can condense the vapors into bio-oil at or above a temperature sufficient to avoid condensation of water vapor; a combustion module that can combust the vapors to generate heat and/or energy; or both.
  • Reactor modules according to the present invention can be configured to receive heat generated by, without limitation, the combustion module or an existing source of waste heat.
  • the condenser module can comprise a direct spray condenser that can use cooled bio-oil as a spray material.
  • the temperature sufficient to avoid condensation of water vapor can be about 100 0 C.
  • sludge can be conveyed through the reactor module via gravity and is selectively admitted to the separation chamber via an adjustable overflow weir device.
  • Weir devices of the present invention can include, without limitation, one or more adjustable gates.
  • sludge can be conveyed through the reactor module via an active sludge transport mechanism.
  • Certain embodiments according to the present invention can include mixing elements in the reaction chambers that mix the sludge without substantially conveying the sludge through the reactor module.
  • Other embodiments comprising mixing elements can further comprise an active sludge transport mechanism wherein the mixing elements and the active sludge transport mechanism can be independently controlled.
  • Embodiments according to the present invention can further comprise a helical conveyor for moving the char from the separation chamber to a cooling area.
  • Sludge drying units that dry sludge before its entrance into the reactor module can also be included.
  • Sludge drying units can be configured to receive waste heat from, without limitation, one or more of an existing source of waste heat or a combustion module.
  • Systems according to the present invention can further comprise baffles through which vapors must pass before exiting reaction chamber to remove particulate matter from vapors.
  • the present invention also includes methods.
  • One method according to the present invention comprises allowing sludge to move through a reactor module comprising a reaction chamber, a separation chamber and one or more control valves; heating the sludge in an oxygen-free environment in the reaction chamber wherein the heating of the sludge generates vapors and char; and condensing the vapors in a condensing module at or above a temperature sufficient to avoid condensation of water vapor to produce bio-oil and/or combusting the vapors in a combustion module to create heat and/or energy.
  • Methods according to the present invention can further comprise mixing the sludge, the vapors and the char in the reaction chamber with mixing elements thereby increasing contact between the sludge, the vapors and the char within the reaction chamber.
  • an adjustable weir device comprising one or more gates selectively admits the char from the reaction chamber to the separation chamber.
  • Another embodiment of the methods comprises actively transporting the sludge and the char through the reactor module with a sludge transport mechanism wherein the sludge transport mechanism and the mixing elements can be independently controlled.
  • Methods according to the present invention can also comprise drying the sludge in a sludge drying module before introducing the sludge into the reaction module.
  • the reaction chamber can both heat the sludge and promote vapor-phase catalytic reactions in a single zone.
  • the present invention also includes chars made in various apparatuses and according to the methods of the present invention.
  • one char of the present invention is the char produced by allowing sludge to move through a reactor module comprising a reaction chamber, a separation chamber and one or more control valves; heating the sludge in an oxygen-free environment in the reaction chamber wherein the heating of the sludge generates vapors and char; and removing the vapors and the char from the reaction chamber.
  • the sludge generating the char is mixed with mixing elements within the reaction chamber wherein the mixing elements can be independently controlled from the sludge's transport mechanism (gravity or active transport) through the reactor module.
  • Figure 1 is a flow chart illustrating a process of conversion according to the present invention
  • Figure 2 is a cross-sectional illustration of a converter system formed according to the present invention.
  • Figures 3A-3C are enlarged views of an overflow weir, a control valve, and a char plug screw, respectively, in a reactor module according to the present invention.
  • Figure 4 is an illustration of a condenser module according to the present invention.
  • Figures 5A-5B are illustrations of a hot vapor combustion module according to the present invention.
  • sludge includes any organic material that can be converted into an energy source at least in part or can be treated for disposal through the use of heat.
  • sludge includes sewage material from treatment plants, however the present invention is not so limited and can be used to treat any sort of organic material that can benefit in its conversion to energy, an energy source, an energy product, or a value-added product such as, without limitation, char.
  • oxygen free means an atmosphere with an oxygen concentration that is too low to allow combustion or gasification of sludge.
  • purified does not require absolute purity, rather, it is used as a relative term. Thus, a substance that is purified contains less contaminants after going through a process than it did before going through the process.
  • fracility includes any place, industrial or otherwise, that produces excess heat in a sufficient amount to contribute to the drying of sludge. Facilities include but are not limited to plants, factories and mills.
  • waste heat includes heat generated from a process wherein the heat can be captured and directed.
  • another appropriate term for the presently described waste heat could be "available heat.”
  • One aspect of the present invention provides pyrolysis systems and methods that do not produce reaction water. This advance is significant because the production of reaction water causes various inefficiencies and environmental problems as is understood by those of ordinary skill in the art.
  • the present invention can prevent the production of reaction water by condensing bio-oils at a temperature above that at which water vapor condenses.
  • Other aspects according to the present invention allow operators to more precisely control the pyrolysis process, eliminating the need for batch processing, by making the speed through which sludge travels through a reactor module and the amount of mixing that occurs while therein independently controlled.
  • the present invention allows for this independent control by separating the functions of moving sludge and mixing sludge to different system components.
  • the present invention also allows more heat to be applied to material as it goes through the pyrolysis process. Additional heat (and longer exposure to the additional heat) creates a char that is more suitable for use as a precursor to activated carbon than chars created using previous pyrolysis methods.
  • This benefit of the present invention is created by providing systems and methods that allow for a higher fill coefficient in the reactor chambers according to the present invention. A higher fill coefficient increases the available surface area for conductive heat transfer, thus allowing more heat to be applied and absorbed by the system.
  • FIG. 1 depicts a flow chart of one method according to the present invention.
  • sludge arrives at a system according to the present invention. If the arriving sludge has a water content of greater than about 20%, greater than about 10% or greater than about 5%, the sludge can enter a sludge drying module 12. If the sludge is below a pre-determined water content, the sludge can bypass sludge drying module 12. Once sludge has an acceptable water content, the sludge can enter a thermal reactor module 14.
  • the reactor module 14 has a reaction chamber (also called a conversion zone herein) and a separation chamber. Within the reactor module 14, sludge is heated and processed to become char and vapors.
  • the vapors and char are separated.
  • char can enter a char cooler module 16 and can subsequently be safely disposed of or put to a number of beneficial commercial uses:
  • vapors are funneled through control valves directly to one or more of a condenser module 18 or a combuster module 22. If funneled to the condenser module 18, vapors are condensed to form oils. These oils can be purified in an oil/particulate separator module 20 following condensation after which removed particulate can be safely disposed of or put to other beneficial commercial uses. The oils collected following condensation and separation can be stored for use at a later time.
  • Uncondensed vapors from the condenser module 18 as well as vapors directly from the control valve can also be funneled to a combuster module 22.
  • This combuster module 22 combusts the vapors to generate energy. Generated energy can be diverted for uses such as the generation of electrical power or can be returned to the pyrolysis process as heat used in a drying module 12 or reaction module 14.
  • the following description provides a more detailed explanation of embodiments according to the present invention.
  • Figure 1 depicts one beneficial embodiment according to the present invention.
  • the process 10 includes drying sludge in a dryer module (12 in Figure 1; 32 in Figure 2) before the sludge's entrance into the reactor module 14.
  • a dryer module (12 in Figure 1; 32 in Figure 2)
  • Drying sludge generally is beneficial because a higher water content means that more energy must be applied to a reaction chamber within the reactor module 14 to heat and volatilize the incoming material.
  • sludge can be dried to a water content of less than about 20%, less than about 10%, or less than about 5% before entering the thermal conversion process.
  • Dryers 12 (32) used in accordance with the present invention can be any appropriate form of commercial dryer including, without limitation, direct and indirect heated drum dryers as well as surface drum dryers. Drying can occur through, without limitation, centrifugation or heating provided by, for example, a source of existing waste heat or the combustion modules presently described. Drying mechanisms used in accordance with the present invention can also entail those described in co-pending U.S. Patent Application Serial No. 11/379,404, filed April 20, 2006, of U.S. Provisional Patent Application Serial No. 60/692,099 filed June 20, 2005, and of U.S. Provisional Patent Application Serial Number 60/695,608, filed June 30, 2005, the contents all of which are incorporated by reference in their entirety herein.
  • sludge 40 is heated in an oxygen free reaction chamber 36 of a reaction module to produce vapors and char.
  • the reaction chamber 36 can have a single heating/reaction zone for both heating the incoming material and thermally converting the material.
  • this zone can be collectively referred to as a conversion zone 38.
  • Sludge 40 can enter the reaction chamber 36 through a sealed material inlet 42 and can be immediately heated to a desired reaction temperature.
  • a rotating horizontal shaft 44 can extend the length of the reactor module (or a subset of this length) and can contain one or more mixing elements 46.
  • the mixing elements 46 can rotate through the material bed 48 causing the material to be mixed and lifted into an upper portion 50 of the reaction chamber 36/conversion zone 38.
  • Other methods of mixing and forms of mixing elements can also be adopted so long as the approach increases vapor and solid contact above that which would otherwise occur without such mixing.
  • Mixing and contact can promote vapor-phase catalytic reactions and heterogenetic solid phase vapor phase catalytic reactions which, along with temperatures used in accordance with the present invention can help to ensure that carbohydrates are nearly completely converted to graphite with a high active surface area, classifying the char as an especially appropriate precursor for activated carbon manufacturing.
  • the rate of mixing and the rate of sludge movement through the reaction chamber 36/conversion zone 38 can be independently controlled.
  • the material can be mixed in the reaction chamber 36/conversion zone 38 to promote vapor and char contact, but the mixing mechanism has little to no effect on material inventory and will not actively convey material through the reactor.
  • This aspect of the present invention provides an important advance over previous pyrolysis methods allowing further control and adjustment of the pyrolysis process.
  • sludge is moved through the reactor module using gravity as a passive means to convey materials within the reactor module.
  • sludge can be actively transported through the reactor module through a number of different mechanisms including, without limitation, a conveyor belt.
  • these embodiments can further comprise an adjustable overflow weir 52 at the end of the reaction chamber 36/conversion zone 38 to control both the volume of material within the reaction chamber 36/conversion zone 38 and the rate of conveyance out of the reaction chamber 36/conversion zone 38.
  • These adjustable overflow weirs 52 can include, without limitation, one or more gates.
  • the weir 52 can allow variability in filling coefficients. Embodiments adopting active transport mechanisms allow for even more control than those adopting passive gravity control.
  • the filling coefficient is at least about 50%, which can allow for an efficient heat transfer from the shell of the reactor to the solids inside the reactor. Fill coefficients of at least about 50% can allow materials within the chamber to be heated to a higher temperature (for example, in one embodiment, to at least about 55O 0 C) than lower fill coefficients allow. These higher temperatures can allow for a more efficient and complete thermal conversion of sludge inside the reactor module and can produce higher quality chars for commercial and/or industrial applications.
  • char exposed to these higher temperatures are especially suitable as precursors for activated carbon uses. Additionally, by controlling the rate of conveyance of material in a reactor module, the reactor module can maintain an appropriate WHSV for optimal vapors/bio-oil production.
  • the reaction chamber 36/conversion zone 38 the produced vapors and char must be removed. Following removal, vapors can either be condensed to produce bio-oil, combusted to generate heat or to generate energy via one of many secondary heat-to-energy generation processes or both. Char can also be used in a variety of commercial endeavors.
  • the char is activated for filtering processes including, in one embodiment, mercury chelation. The removal and treatment of vapors is addressed first. IV. Removal and Use of Vapors
  • vapors 58 are produced as sludge material passes through the reaction chamber 36/conversion zone 38.
  • One limitation of prior approaches concerns the amount of particulate matter contained in the hot vapor as it exits the reaction chamber 36/conversion zone 38.
  • the vapor outlet was unprotected and positioned in such a way as to allow vapor to be drawn directly from the main reactor chamber. This allowed char particles, disturbed by the mixing of mixing elements, to become airborne and exit the reaction chamber along with the vapor.
  • This particulate matter created several problems in the rest of the process. First, the particulate matter had a tendency to clog valves in the oil condensation phase of the process requiring extensive filtering. Second, the filters routinely filled with particulate sludge and had to be cleaned, creating more disposal and odor issues.
  • the present invention addresses these issues by having the vapors 58 move through the conversion zone 38 toward a converter gas outlet 60. Prior to reaching the converter gas outlet 60, the vapors 58 can pass through a series of baffles 24 that can separate particulate matter from the vapors prior to their exit from the reaction chamber 36. These baffles 24, representing an improvement over prior approaches, can significantly reduce the amount of particulate matter such as char or dust near the gas outlet, which can reduce the amount of impurities in the resulting bio-oil.
  • the vapors 58 can pass through one or more control valves (64 in Figure 3B). These control valves 64 can be either automatically or manually actuated and can direct the flow of vapors to a direct spray condenser module, a hot vapor combustion module or both, depending upon the desired final product. If bio-oil is desired, the vapors 58 are directed to the direct spray condenser module. If immediate heat and/or energy are desired, the vapors 58 are directed to the hot vapor combustion module. When both are desired, vapors are directed to both a condenser module and a combustion module.
  • the vapors are condensed at temperatures sufficient to avoid the condensation of free water found in the vapor thus preventing the production of reaction water.
  • This aspect of the present invention represents one significant benefit of the systems and methods of the present invention. Free water can remain in vapor form and can be discharged from the condenser module along with other non- condensed vapors.
  • the vapors 58 can enter the Direct Spray Condenser module 68 as depicted in Figure 4.
  • the vapors 58 can be piped through an inlet opening 70 in the condensation chamber 72 where they can be immediately met with a direct spray of cooled bio-oil 74.
  • the cooled bio-oil in turn can cool the vapors to a level that allows condensation of bio-oils out of the vapors.
  • the temperature in the condensation chamber 72 can remain at or above about 110 0 C, preventing water vapor from condensing into liquid water. In another specific embodiment, the temperature in the condensation chamber 72 can remain at about 100°C.
  • water vapor and uncondensed vapors 78 can exit the condensation chamber 72 via the outlet valve and piping 80 leading to a hot vapor combustion module.
  • the bio-oil can be transferred via a pump 90 to a heat exchanger 92 designed to cool the bio-oil prior to re-introduction into the condensation chamber 72.
  • the bio-oil can enter the heat exchanger 92 where it can be indirectly cooled by a source of incoming cooling water 94.
  • the cooling water 94 which can be effluent from the wastewater process, can then be discharged from the heat exchanger 92 via a cooling water outlet 96. Because there can be no direct contact between the water and the bio-oil, further treatment of the water can be avoided.
  • the purified bio-oil can be pumped via pump 90 into storage barrels/tanks 98, where bio-oil can be stored for future use.
  • condensed bio-oil (as well as a portion of the now re-heated bio-oil originally sprayed into the condensation chamber 72) can gather at the bottom 84 of the condensation chamber 72 where a U-Tube overflow device 86 can allow excess bio-oil to exit the condensation chamber 72.
  • the excess bio-oil can then be directed to a centrifuge 88 for separation of particulate matter.
  • the centrifuge 88 can be a two-phase centrifugal separator that is configured to separate bio-oil and particulate. This is an advance over prior approaches requiring a three-phase centrifugal separator configured to separate bio-oil, particulate and water.
  • the purified bio-oil can be converted into oil-derived products, including without limitation diesel fuel, gasoline or heating oil.
  • the vapors can be directed to a hot vapor combustion (HVC) module 82 as shown in Figures 5A and 5B.
  • the vapors can enter the module 82 through an inlet valve 100, which can precisely control the rate of process gas introduction into the HVC module 82. Water within the vapor can be combusted along with other non-condensed vapors in the HVC module portion of the process. Because such HVC devices are readily commercially available, the HVC module 82 will not be described in detail herein.
  • a burner 102 can provide heat to the combustion chamber 104, and a flue gas exit 106 can provide an outlet.
  • the HVC module 82 can be designed to meet regulatory requirements. For example, in Europe the only requirement the HVC module 82 has to meet is a minimal temperature of about 850 0 C with a minimal gas residence time of two seconds. The reasoning behind this is that sewage sludge is classified waste within the European Union environmental jurisdiction and as a consequence of this any product from sludge is also classified as waste and subsequently has to meet waste incineration regulation. Past experience has shown that the minimal combustion chamber has to be about 650 0 C to avoid the generation of soot. In the United States the combustion temperature and the gas residence time at the combustion temperature may be regulated completely differently, and as a consequence the dimensions of the HVC module 82 can vary. After the HVC module 82 an air pollution control device (APCD) (not shown) can be used to clean the emissions from the HVC to meet all applicable regulatory requirements.
  • APCD air pollution control device
  • the process can include an automatic control system to control the valving of vapors, which can enable precise control of the temperature inside the reactor. This can in turn control bio-oil production because bio-oil production can be more efficient and more manageable when run at lower temperatures such as 400- 500 0 C.
  • the control system can measure temperature in real time and manage the supply of vapors to the HVC, which can provide heat to the reactor module of the present invention. V. Removal and Use of Char
  • the char can exit the reaction chamber in a manner designed to eliminate contact with outside air or accidental leaking of vapors.
  • the char at the end of the process can be removed by actively conveying the char from the downstream side of the weir to a char cooler. This can be accomplished by, without limitation, the use of a char plug screw.
  • a char plug screw is an active device that can be used to convey char material from the reaction chamber 36/conversion zone 38 after it has passed through the adjustable weir gates. The char plug screw can provide an air tight seal to prevent hot vapors from leaking from the reaction chamber 36/conversion zone 38.
  • the char plug screw 56 can actively convey the char material out of the bottom portion of reactor and onto a char cooling conveyor 66.
  • the char plug screw 56 can convey char at different speeds, which can help eliminate clogging issues that are common in non-active char conveyor designs. This approach represents a significant advance over previously used methods that removed char from reaction chambers using gravity and chutes alone.
  • the disclosed embodiments according to the present invention also provide a char obtained from the thermal conversion of sludge.
  • previous pyrolysis methods treated generated char as a waste product requiring disposal.
  • Aspects according to the present invention recognize various beneficial uses of chars products by pyrolysis processes, including the chars produced by the systems and methods described herein.
  • chars can be processed to generate activated carbon. Activation can be carried out by, for example and without limitation, contact of the char with carbon dioxide or steam, as described in U.S. Patent No. 6,537,947, which is incorporated by reference herein.
  • activated carbon there are many uses for this activated carbon including, without limitation, in the absorption of metals, such as mercury, in purification and/or chemical recovery operations as well as in environmental remediation.
  • Other particular non-limiting examples of uses for activated carbon produced using chars generated from pyrolysis processes include in the application of air purification, catalyst support, decolorization in beverages and sugar refining, deoderization, metal recovery/removal, liquid purification, emergency poison treatment, solvent recovery, and/or whiskey manufacturing.
  • Chars made in accordance with the systems and methods of the present invention can be particularly useful in a variety of contexts due to the ability to achieve higher reaction temperatures due to higher filling coefficients, improved mixing and improved sealing of the reaction chamber among other features.
  • These features of the present invention can alter the physical and/or chemical characteristics of the char, including, without limitation, its density, structure (geometric composition of carbon plates, etc.), Brunauer, Emmett and Teller (BET) surface area, number of active sites, and chemical compositions.
  • BET Brunauer, Emmett and Teller
  • the BET surface areas of the char produced by previous pyrolysis methods ranged from about 100-200 m 2 /g.
  • the BET surface areas of the chars according to the present invention can range from about 400-600 m 2 /g. This increase in BET surface area can make chars formed in accordance with the systems and methods described herein highly appropriate activated carbon precursors.
  • Chars can also be useful in brick manufacturing.
  • the char can have a relatively fine particle size and can be added to the raw materials used in brick manufacturing (for example and without limitation, natural clay minerals) to form a homogeneous mixture. Small amounts of manganese, barium, and other additives can also be added to the mixture to produce different shades and/or to improve the brick's chemical resistance to the elements.
  • the mixture can be dried to remove excess moisture and then can be fired in high temperature furnaces or kilns according to methods known to those of ordinary skill in the art.
  • the char can release vapors at high temperatures (in one embodiment at a temperature of about 550 0 C or above) creating stable micropores in the bricks. These micropores can help reduce the thermal conductivity of the bricks improving their insulation properties.
  • This use of chars can be especially useful in countries that have set standards to meet the CO 2 -reduction goals set forth in the Kyoto protocol. For example, countries in Europe have introduced tighter standards with regard to heat transfer coefficients of construction materials. In Germany, new solid structure buildings must utilize building materials with a heat transfer coefficient of ⁇ 0,27 W/m 2 /K.
  • Chars can help achieve these goals by, without limitation, reducing the heat transfer coefficient of building materials either by generating micropores in building materials, being used as an insulation material, being used as a fuel reducing primary energy source or combinations thereof.
  • Chars can also be used as a carbon black substitute in a variety of manufacturing processes to reduce cost fluctuation. Carbon black is derived from the incomplete combustion of natural gas or petroleum oil and, as such, the cost of carbon black rises or falls with increases or decreases in oil and/or natural gas prices.
  • the price of char on the other hand, can be independent from the prices of oil and/or natural gas, and can remain stable over a longer period time.
  • Waste heat can be produced by a number of different facilities, including, without limitation, power generation (coal-fired, natural gas fired, nuclear, etc.), wood product processing (pulp & lumber mills) and various other heat-producing manufacturing processes.
  • the methods according to the present invention can include constructing one or more such facilities or processes in order to create a readily available source of waste heat for the downstream sludge drying, processing, and/or power generation processes, can use one or more already-existing sources of waste heat or both.
  • the systems and methods according to the present invention can include an apparatus to collect heat from the waste heat source in the form of, without limitation, heated air, steam, liquid, or another useable form.
  • This apparatus can consist of heat exchangers installed in the exhaust stream from the heat source, where heat can be captured prior to other forms of disposal.
  • the apparatus can include all necessary valves, ducts, fans, pumps, and piping to redirect the heated material.
  • the necessary valves, ducts, fans, pumps, and piping can control the delivery of waste heat to the downstream sludge drying and/or thermal processing stages using, in one embodiment, an automated control system. Using sensors located throughout one or more modules and processes, instantaneous heat requirements can be measured and the necessary valves, ducts, piping, fans and pumps can be affected to deliver the required heat from the waste heat source. Systems and methods to utilize waste heat in accordance with the systems and methods of the present invention are described more fully in U.S. Patent Application No. 11/379,404 which is fully incorporated by reference herein.

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  • Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Oil, Petroleum & Natural Gas (AREA)
  • Organic Chemistry (AREA)
  • Life Sciences & Earth Sciences (AREA)
  • Wood Science & Technology (AREA)
  • Chemical Kinetics & Catalysis (AREA)
  • General Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
  • Hydrology & Water Resources (AREA)
  • Environmental & Geological Engineering (AREA)
  • Water Supply & Treatment (AREA)
  • Materials Engineering (AREA)
  • Treatment Of Sludge (AREA)

Abstract

L'invention concerne des systèmes et des procédés de conversion thermique de boues en combustible et en d'autres produits tels que le charbon. Ces systèmes et procédés, permettent, entre autres avantages, de convertir les boues en combustible sans production d'eau de réaction et permettent la commande indépendante du mélange et la progression des boues dans les systèmes de pyrolyse. Les charbons obtenus au cours de la pyrolyse présentent un certain nombre d'applications utiles.
PCT/US2006/024018 2005-06-20 2006-06-20 Systemes et procedes de conversion de materiaux organiques et de production d'energie WO2007002113A1 (fr)

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US69209905P 2005-06-20 2005-06-20
US60/692,099 2005-06-20
US69560805P 2005-06-30 2005-06-30
US60/695,608 2005-06-30
US11/379,404 US20060243648A1 (en) 2005-04-27 2006-04-20 Systems and Methods for Utilization of Waste Heat for Sludge Treatment and Energy Generation
US11/379,404 2006-04-20

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CN101987772A (zh) * 2010-11-23 2011-03-23 北京机电院高技术股份有限公司 一种污泥的热调质改善污泥脱水性能的方法
CN102050556B (zh) * 2009-10-30 2013-02-13 中国石油天然气股份有限公司 一种含油污泥的处理方法
WO2016077695A1 (fr) * 2014-11-14 2016-05-19 Battelle Memorial Institute Condensation de la vapeur de pyrolyse
CN111876186A (zh) * 2020-07-20 2020-11-03 安徽国孚凤凰科技有限公司 一种油泥裂解装置及工艺
CN113862550A (zh) * 2021-10-29 2021-12-31 中冶南方都市环保工程技术股份有限公司 轧钢油泥与含铬尘泥协同资源化利用的系统和工艺

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Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
WO2000056671A1 (fr) * 1999-03-22 2000-09-28 Environmental Solutions International Ltd. Procede et appareil de conversion de matieres carbonees
WO2000068338A1 (fr) * 1999-05-05 2000-11-16 Svedala Industries, Inc. Condensation et recuperation d'huile a partir de gaz de pyrolyse
JP2004035851A (ja) * 2002-07-08 2004-02-05 Miike Iron Works Co Ltd 油化装置
WO2004022673A1 (fr) * 2002-09-04 2004-03-18 Environmental Solutions International Ltd Conversion de boues et de matieres carbonees

Patent Citations (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
WO2000056671A1 (fr) * 1999-03-22 2000-09-28 Environmental Solutions International Ltd. Procede et appareil de conversion de matieres carbonees
WO2000068338A1 (fr) * 1999-05-05 2000-11-16 Svedala Industries, Inc. Condensation et recuperation d'huile a partir de gaz de pyrolyse
JP2004035851A (ja) * 2002-07-08 2004-02-05 Miike Iron Works Co Ltd 油化装置
WO2004022673A1 (fr) * 2002-09-04 2004-03-18 Environmental Solutions International Ltd Conversion de boues et de matieres carbonees

Cited By (6)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
CN102050556B (zh) * 2009-10-30 2013-02-13 中国石油天然气股份有限公司 一种含油污泥的处理方法
CN101987772A (zh) * 2010-11-23 2011-03-23 北京机电院高技术股份有限公司 一种污泥的热调质改善污泥脱水性能的方法
WO2016077695A1 (fr) * 2014-11-14 2016-05-19 Battelle Memorial Institute Condensation de la vapeur de pyrolyse
CN111876186A (zh) * 2020-07-20 2020-11-03 安徽国孚凤凰科技有限公司 一种油泥裂解装置及工艺
CN111876186B (zh) * 2020-07-20 2023-10-27 安徽国孚凤凰科技有限公司 一种油泥裂解装置及工艺
CN113862550A (zh) * 2021-10-29 2021-12-31 中冶南方都市环保工程技术股份有限公司 轧钢油泥与含铬尘泥协同资源化利用的系统和工艺

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