Mitigation of harmful combustion emissions using sorbent containing engineered fuel feed stocks

• US 10,174,268 B2
• Filed: 09/21/2016
• Issued: 01/08/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 01/26/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Repower IP LLC
• Original Assignee: Accordant Energy, LLC
• Inventors: Bai, Dingrong, Calabrese, Paula
• Primary Examiner(s): Toomer, Cephia D
• Application Number:
  US15/271,529
• Publication Number:
  US 20170073599A1
• Time in Patent Office: 839 Days
• CPC Class Codes: C10L 10/00 Use of additives to fuels or fires for particular purposes additives for liquid carbonaceous fuels characterised by their chemical nature C10L1/10; using binders for briquetting solid fuels C10L5/10; using additives to improve the combustion of solid fuels C10L9/10
• CPC Class Codes: C10L 10/02 for reducing smoke development
• CPC Class Codes: C10L 10/04 for minimising corrosion or incrustation
• CPC Class Codes: C10L 2200/0209 Group I metals: Li, Na, K, Rb, Cs, Fr, Cu, Ag, Au
• CPC Class Codes: C10L 2200/0213 Group II metals: Be, Mg, Ca, Sr, Ba, Ra, Zn, Cd, Hg
• CPC Class Codes: C10L 2200/025 Halogen containing compounds
• CPC Class Codes: C10L 2200/0259 Nitrogen containing compounds
• CPC Class Codes: C10L 2200/029 Salts, such as carbonates, oxides, hydroxides, percompounds, e.g. peroxides, perborates, nitrates, nitrites, sulfates, and silicates
• CPC Class Codes: C10L 2230/02 Absorbents, e.g. in the absence of an actual absorbent column or scavenger
• CPC Class Codes: C10L 5/04 Raw material of mineral origin to be used; Pretreatment thereof pretreatment of fuels of non-mineral origin C10L5/40
• CPC Class Codes: C10L 5/363 Pellets or granulates
• CPC Class Codes: C10L 5/406 on plastic
• CPC Class Codes: C10L 5/46 on sewage, house, or town refuse C10L5/403, C10L5/406 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: C10L 5/48 on industrial residues and waste materials C10L5/403, C10L5/406 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: C10L 9/10 by using additives
• CPC Class Codes: C10L 9/12 Oxidation means, e.g. oxygen-generating compounds
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 50/10 Biofuels, e.g. bio-diesel
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 50/30 Fuel from waste, e.g. synthetic alcohol or diesel

Abstract

The invention relates to the use of engineered fuel feedstocks to control the emission of sulfur-based, chlorine-based, nitrogen-based, or mercury-based pollutants, such as SO₂, SO₃, H₂SO₄, NO, NO₂, HCl, and Hg that are generated during the combustion of fossil fuels, such as coal. Disclosed are novel engineered fuel feedstocks, feedstocks produced by the described processes, methods of making the fuel feedstocks, methods of producing energy from the fuel feedstocks, and methods of generating electricity from the fuel feedstocks.

Claims

1. A method of making an engineered fuel feedstock, comprising:

processing a plastic and a sorbent to form a plastic-sorbent composition;

processing the plastic-sorbent composition with a fiber to form a fiber-plastic-sorbent-composition; and

processing the fiber-plastic-sorbent-composition to form the engineered fuel feedstock, wherein the sorbent comprises a sodium-based sorbent and a calcium-based sorbent.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the sorbent further comprises a sorbent for mercury reduction.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the sodium-based sorbent and the calcium-based sorbent are in an amount that is stoichiometrically about 10% to about 500% greater than the amount of a sulfur or a chlorine derived pollutant to be removed.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the engineered fuel feedstock comprises about 10% (w/w) to about 30% (w/w) plastic and about 70% (w/w) to about 90% (w/w) fiber.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the plastic is a mixed plastic, and the engineered fuel feedstock comprises about 50% (w/w) to about 95% (w/w) fiber and about 5% (w/w) to about 50% (w/w) mixed plastic.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the engineered fuel feedstock comprises about 30% (w/w) to about 71% (w/w) fiber, about 6% (w/w) to about 38% (w/w) plastic, and about 23% (w/w) to about 40% (w/w) sorbent.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the engineered fuel feedstock has an HHV of about 5,000 BTU/lb to about 14,500 BTU/lb.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the engineered fuel feedstock has an ash content of about 13% (w/w) to about 33% (w/w).

9. A method of making an engineered fuel feedstock, comprising:

processing at least about 50% (w/w) of a plastic and a sorbent to form a plastic-sorbent composition, the sorbent comprising a sodium-based sorbent and a calcium-based sorbent;

processing the plastic-sorbent composition with a fiber and remaining plastic to form a fiber-plastic-sorbent-composition; and

processing the fiber-plastic-sorbent-composition to form the engineered fuel feedstock.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the sodium-based sorbent is selected from the group consisting of trisodium hydrogendicarbonate dihydrate (Trona), sodium sesquicarbonate, sodium bicarbonate, sodium carbonate, and combinations thereof.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the sodium-based sorbent is sodium bicarbonate.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein the calcium-based sorbent is selected from the group consisting of calcium carbonate, calcium oxide, calcium hydroxide, calcium magnesium acetate (CaMg₂(CH₃COO)₆), calcium bromide, dolomite (CaCO₃.MgO), and combinations thereof.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the calcium-based sorbent is calcium hydroxide.

14. The method of claim 9, further comprising a sorbent for mercury reduction.

15. The method of claim 14, where the mercury based sorbent comprises about 0.05% (w/w) to about 0.15% (w/w) of the engineered fuel feedstock.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the sorbent for mercury reduction is calcium bromide.

17. The method of claim 9, further comprising a sorbent for NO_x reduction.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the sorbent for NO_x reduction is urea.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the urea comprises about 1% (w/w) to about 3% (w/w) of the engineered fuel feedstock.

20. A method of making an engineered fuel feedstock, comprising:

processing a plastic and a sorbent to form a plastic-sorbent composition, the sorbent comprising a sodium-based sorbent, a calcium-based sorbent, and a sorbent for mercury reduction;

processing the plastic-sorbent composition with a fiber to form a fiber-plastic-sorbent -composition; and

processing the fiber-plastic-sorbent-composition to form the engineered fuel feedstock, wherein the engineered fuel feedstock comprises about 30% (w/w) to about 71% (w/w) fiber, about 6% (w/w) to about 38% (w/w) plastic, and about 23% (w/w) to about 40% (w/w) sorbent.