Abstract:
An apparatus for thermally separating mercury and organic contaminants from inert substrate materials (such as soil, sludges, sediments, drilling muds and cuttings), comprising an essentially air-tight processing chamber having a substrate inlet and a substrate outlet, said chamber having two or more troughs for processing of the substrate, a means for indirectly heating the chamber, a means for moving substrate through the two or more throughs of the chamber from the substrate inlet to the substrate outlet, and a vapour condensate handling system for removing and condensing vapours from the chamber for processing to remove and recover contaminants.
Abstract:
The invention provides a process and apparatus for producing hydrocarbons from residential trash or waste and/or organic waste materials. In particular, the invention provides a process and apparatus for producing hydrocarbons from residential trash or waste and/or organic waste materials in virtue of pyrolysis and catalytic cracking.
Abstract:
The present invention refers to a method and an equipment for pyrolytic treatment of organic material comprising a supply storage receiving the organic material to be treated, a number of containers with meshlike walls, each to be charged with a batch of said organic material, a horizontal reactor with a charge gate in one end and a discharge gate in the opposite end, the interior of the reactor being divided by means of internal gates into at least a heating chamber, a pyrolysis chamber, and a cooling chamber, as well as a recovery storage for a solid pyrolytic residue of the organic material, i.e. the pyrolytic coke, the pyrolysis chamber being provided with an outlet pipe for generated pyrolytic gas terminating in a fractionating condenser, said condenser being provided with an outlet for each liquid fraction and an outlet pipe for uncondensed pure pyrolytic gas, which outlet pipe terminates in a gas tank.
Abstract:
Methods and apparatus for treating waste are provided. Waste is converted in an arc plasma-joule heated melter system utilizing one or more arc plasma electrodes and a plurality of joule heating electrodes. The arc plasma electrode(s) can be configured for operation utilizing AC or DC power, or for switching between AC and DC power. The arc plasma electrodes can also be configured for independent arc voltage and arc current control. The joule heating circuits are configured for simultaneous operation with the arcing electrodes, but without detrimental interaction with the arcing electrodes. The systems provide stable, non-leachable products and a gaseous fuel. The gaseous fuel can be utilized in a combustion or non-combustion process to generate electricity.
Abstract:
The present invention provides tunable waste conversion systems and apparatus which have the advantage of highly robust operation and which provide complete or substantially complete conversion of a wide range of waste streams into useful gas and a stable, nonleachable solid product at a single location with greatly reduced air pollution to meet air quality standards. The systems provide the capability for highly efficient conversion of waste into high quality combustible gas and for high efficiency conversion of the gas into electricity by utilizing a high efficiency gas turbine or an internal combustion engine. The solid product can be suitable for various commercial applications. Alternatively, the solid product stream, which is a safe, stable material, may be disposed of without special considerations as hazardous material. In the preferred embodiment, the arc plasma furnace and joule heated melter are formed as a fully integrated unit with a common melt pool having circuit arrangements for the simultaneous independently controllable operation of both the arc plasma and the joule heated portions of the unit without interference with one another. The preferred configuration of this embodiment of the invention utilizes two arc plasma electrodes with an elongated chamber for the molten pool such that the molten pool is capable of providing conducting paths between electrodes. The apparatus may additionally be employed with reduced use or without further use of the gases generated by the conversion process. The apparatus may be employed as a net energy or net electricity producing unit where use of an auxiliary fuel provides the required level of electricity production. Methods and apparatus for converting metals, non-glass forming waste streams and low-ash producing inorganics into a useful gas are also provided. The methods and apparatus for such conversion include the use of a molten oxide pool having predetermined electrical, thermal and physical characteristics capable of maintaining optimal joule heating and glass forming properties during the conversion process.
Abstract:
The present invention provides a relatively compact self-powered, tunable waste conversion system and apparatus which has the advantage of highly robust operation which provides complete or substantially complete conversion of a wide range of waste streams into useful gas and a stable, nonleachable solid product at a single location with greatly reduced air pollution to meet air quality standards. The system provides the capability for highly efficient conversion of waste into high quality combustible gas and for high efficiency conversion of the gas into electricity by utilizing a high efficiency gas turbine or by an internal combustion engine. The solid product can be suitable for various commercial applications. Alternatively, the solid product stream, which is a safe, stable material, may be disposed of without special considerations as hazardous material. In the preferred embodiment of the invention, the arc plasma furnace and joule heated melter are formed as a fully integrated unit with a common melt pool having circuit arrangements for the simultaneous independently controllable operation of both the arc plasma and the joule heated portions of the unit without interference with one another. The preferred configuration of this embodiment of the invention utilizes two arc plasma electrodes with an elongated chamber for the molten pool such that the molten pool is capable of providing conducting paths between electrodes. The apparatus may additionally be employed with reduced or without further use of the gases generated by the conversion process. The apparatus may be employed as a self-powered or net electricity producing unit where use of an auxiliary fuel provides the required level of electricity production.
Abstract:
A process for the recycling of organic waste including the steps of passing a waste into a first sealed container, introducing an inert gas into the interior of the first sealed container so as to displace oxygen from within the container, heating the interior of the first sealed container to a temperature of between 1,000.degree. and 2,700.degree. F. so as to form a heated gas within the sealed container, filtering the heated gas so as to remove sulfur and chlorine byproducts of the heated gas, and transmitting the filtered gas to a storage vessel. The step of passing includes the steps of storing a liquid waste within a waste container and injecting carbon dioxide into the waste container so as to propel the liquid waste to the sealed container. The inert gas is passed continuously into the sealed container during the step of heating. The inert gas can be argon. The filter can include a sodium hydroxide filter and a chlorine-removing filter. A water filter receives the heated gas so as to remove carbon components of the heated gas.
Abstract:
A low-pollutant system for waste materials treatment includes a process chamber for converting organic components of the waste materials into a flammable gas and a two-stage vortex burning chamber for complete combustion of the flammable gas. The vortex burning chamber includes a first substantially-horizontal combustion chamber and a second substantially-vertical combustion chamber disposed at a right angle to each other and communicating therebetween. The first combustion chamber has an inlet portion for receiving the flammable combustion gas from the gas generator means for injecting primary air into the first combustion chamber, thereby forming a mixture of air and the flammable gas and thereby igniting the mixture for partial oxidation thereof. The first combustion chamber has a converging distal portion for discharging the partially-oxidized mixture of air and the flammable gas tangentially into the second combustion chamber, where the gas is mixed with the secondary air which is injected tangentially into the second combustion chamber, thereby substantially completely oxidizing the partially-oxidized mixture of air and the flammable gas. The second combustion chamber has an outlet portion for discharge of the waste gas resulting from the two-stage combustion of the flammable gas and the solids separated from the gas.
Abstract:
A process for the purification of gas, which is generated in pressure gasification of coal, which uses a wash oil, especially tar oil, as the washing liquid to avoid clogging of the washing apparatus by tars and tar compounds which precipitate out of the washing liquid when water or aqueous solutions are employed as the washing liquid. The wash oil is preferably used in the circulation, from which solids and tars are continuously removed, and is then fed into the pressure reactor again. The wash oil circulation is continually regenerated through distillation, and the residues are fed into the pressure reactor. Heat is constantly extracted from the gas before or during the washing in a heat exchange process, making it possible to keep the heat loss extremely low and to create optimum temperature at every point of the total cycle by appropriate extraction or addition of heat. The heat extracted may be used for generation of steam, which is fed into the pressure reactor, into the distillation process for the regeneration and purification of the wash oil, and/or into the discharging flow of purified gas. The gas is also desirably brought into contact with separating materials, such as alkali, earth alkali, dolomite, etc., for the purpose of separating hydrogen sulfide.
Abstract:
Methods and systems are provided for two-stage treatment of contaminated particulate material, such as soil, sediment, and/or sludge. The methods and systems utilize a thermal desorption process combined with a smoldering combustion process. The contaminated particulate material is first exposed to thermal desorption at high temperatures (e.g., greater than 150° C.) to form a heated contaminated particulate material. Next, a smoldering combustion process is initiated by introducing a combustion-supporting gas. The combined process can take place in the same or different treatment units. Treating the particulate material with a thermal desorption process prior to a smoldering combustion process enhances the completeness and throughput compared to operating these processes separately.