Angled reaction vessel

• US 20070190643A1
• Filed: 02/15/2006
• Published: 08/16/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 02/15/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Biomass Worldwide Group Limited
• Original Assignee: Biomass Worldwide Group Limited
• Inventors: Noll, Anthony
• Granted Patent: US 7,745,208 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 435/290.3
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/187 inclined at an angle to the horizontal or to the vertical plane
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/1943 cylindrical
• CPC Class Codes: C12M 23/38 Caps; Covers; Plugs; Pouring means
• CPC Class Codes: C12M 23/50 Means for positioning or orientating the apparatus C12M41/08 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: C12M 27/10 Rotating vessel
• CPC Class Codes: C12M 29/06 Nozzles; Sprayers; Spargers; Diffusers per se B01F23/231, B01J19/26
• CPC Class Codes: F26B 11/0468 for disintegrating, crushing, or for being mixed with the materials to be dried
• CPC Class Codes: F26B 11/0477 for mixing, stirring or conveying the materials to be dried, e.g. mounted to the wall, rotating with the drum
• CPC Class Codes: F26B 2200/02 Biomass, e.g. waste vegetative matter, straw

Abstract

The invention is an apparatus and a process for treating biomass bearing material including municipal solid waste (MSW). The apparatus includes a reaction vessel held at an angle and configured for rotation and steam injection, with helically arranged internal flights, a self-aligning door closure, and a swing-away door assembly. It also includes a novel structure for shredding biomass bearing material attached to the edges of the flights. This structure is a number of projecting tooth like points and paddles.

Claims

1. A biomass bearing material treatment vessel, comprising:

a generally cylindrical reaction vessel with a first end and a second end, with said reaction vessel configured for rotation;

a drive mechanism for causing rotation of the reaction vessel;

one or more support tracks and wheels to support said reaction vessel as it rotates;

at least one access opening in said reaction vessel, through which biomass bearing material may enter and/or exit said reaction vessel;

a door assembly adjacent said access opening, for closing said access opening;

a door sealing system, configured so that said access opening door assembly may be positioned adjacent said access opening, said door sealing system can seal said door to said access opening;

one or more flights of auger vanes on the interior wall of said reaction vessel, for moving said biomass bearing material from said first end to said second end of said reaction vessel, and from said second end to said first end of said reaction vessel, with the auger vanes having a base edge attached to an interior vessel wall, and a top edge, with said top edges of said auger vanes defining a bore parallel the long axis of the reaction vessel, said bore having a diameter measuring approximately one third of the diameter of the reaction vessel at a corresponding point; and

a plurality of sparging lines in said vessel for injecting steam into said vessel.

2. The biomass bearing material treatment vessel of claim 1 in which said cylindrical reaction vessel is configured for adjustability of the angle from horizontal.

3. The biomass bearing material treatment vessel of claim 1 in which said cylindrical reaction vessel is configured for rotation at an angle of approximately 3-15 degrees from horizontal.

4. The biomass bearing material treatment vessel of claim 1 in which said cylindrical reaction vessel is configured at an angle of approximately 4-8 degrees from horizontal.

5. The biomass bearing material treatment vessel of claim 1 in which said cylindrical reaction vessel is configured at an angle of approximately 6 degrees from horizontal.

6. The biomass bearing material treatment vessel of claim 4 in which said cylindrical reaction vessel includes a single access door.

8. The biomass bearing material treatment vessel of claim 1, which further comprises a plurality of paddle like raised projections on the top edges of said auger vanes, to aid in moving and shredding biomass bearing material.

9. The biomass bearing material treatment vessel of claim 8 in which said raised projections are generally rectangular in shape and attached to said auger vanes with support posts.

10. The biomass bearing material treatment vessel of claim 8 in which said paddle-like raised projections are spaced apart from said auger vane.

11. The biomass bearing material treatment vessel of claim 8 in which said raised projections include projections pointing in both directions from an attachment point on said auger vane top edge, and generally normal to the plane of the auger vane.

12. The biomass bearing material treatment vessel of claim 1, which further includes a rotary manifold for steam injection into, said sparging lines while said vessel is rotating.

13. The biomass bearing material treatment vessel of claim 1 which further includes an effluents condensation system comprising a steam eductor and a barometric condensing chamber.

14. The biomass bearing material treatment vessel of claim 1 which further includes a swing away door assembly adjacent said access opening, with said door assembly comprising:

a swing away access opening door;

a davit assembly for supporting said swing away door, said davit assembly comprising a generally vertical davit upright, which supports and is rotatably connected to a generally horizontal door support arm, said support arm having a first end and a second end, said first end having a counterweight, and said second end being attached to said access opening door;

wherein

said davit assembly is configured to rotate about said davit upright, so that said access opening door may be rotated away from or toward said access opening.

15. The biomass bearing material treatment vessel of claim 1 which further includes one or more chain sections attached to said vessel, so that when said vessel rotates, said one or more chains agitate and shred said biomass bearing material.

16. The biomass bearing material treatment vessel of claim 1 which is configured to rotate in one direction to load and pulverize biomass bearing material and is reversible to rotate in an opposite direction to unload and further shred said biomass bearing material.

17. The biomass bearing material treatment vessel of claim 1 in which said door sealing system comprises a first locking rim surrounding said access opening on the reactor vessel;

an access opening door with a second locking rim, for placement adjacent the first locking rim, and a clamp collar for sealing the locking rims together, thus holding the access opening door over the access opening.

18. The biomass bearing material treatment vessel of claim 17, in which said clamp collar further comprises a first section and a second section, and one or more joining devices for joining the first section with the second section.

19. The biomass bearing material treatment vessel of claim 18, in which the joining device is one or more clamp screws which draw the first and second sections together, and hold them together until released.

20. The biomass bearing material treatment vessel of claim 19, which further comprises two clamp screws, which draw the first and second sections together at the ends of each section.

21. The biomass bearing material treatment vessel of claim 20, in which the two clamp screws are driven by one or more motors to open and close said clamp collar by moving said first and second sections of said clamp collar towards or away from each other.

7. A biomass bearing material treatment vessel, comprising:

a generally cylindrical reaction vessel with a first end and a second end, with said reaction vessel configured for rotation and held at an angle of approximately 6% from horizontal;

a drive mechanism for causing rotation of the reaction vessel;

one or more support tracks and wheels to support said reaction vessel as it rotates;

a single access opening in said reaction vessel, through which biomass bearing material may enter and/or exit said reaction vessel;

a door assembly adjacent said access opening, for closing said access opening;

a door sealing system, configured so that said access opening door assembly may be positioned adjacent said access opening, said door sealing system can seal said door to said access opening;

one or more flights of auger vanes on the interior wall of said reaction vessel, for moving said biomass bearing material from said first end to said second end of said reaction vessel, and from said second end to said first end of said reaction vessel, with the auger vanes having a base edge attached to a interior vessel wall, and a top edge, with said top edges of said auger vanes defining a bore parallel the long axis of the reaction vessel, said bore having a diameter measuring approximately one third of the diameter of the reaction vessel at a corresponding point; and

a plurality of sparging lines in said vessel for injecting steam into said vessel.

22. A biomass bearing material treatment vessel, comprising:

a generally cylindrical reaction vessel with a first end and a second end, with said reaction vessel configured for rotation at an angle selected by the operator;

a drive mechanism for causing rotation of the reaction vessel;

an access opening in said reaction vessel, through which product may enter and/or exit said reaction vessel;

one or more flights of auger vanes on the interior wall of said reaction vessel, for moving product in said reaction vessel, with the auger vanes having a base edge attached to a interior vessel wall, and a top edge;

a plurality of sparging lines for injection of steam into the interior of the vessel;

a self aligning door sealing assembly, comprising;

a swing away access opening door;

a first locking rim surrounding said access opening on the reactor vessel;

an access opening door with a second locking rim, for placement adjacent the first locking rim; and

a clamp collar for drawing said locking rims together, and for sealing the locking rims together, thus sealing said access opening door over the access opening.

23. The biomass bearing material treatment vessel of claim 22, which further comprises a davit assembly for supporting said swing away door, said davit assembly comprising a generally vertical davit upright, which supports and is rotatably connected to a generally horizontal door support arm, said support arm having a first end and a second end, said first end having a counterweight, and said second end being attached to said access opening door;

wherein said davit assembly is configured to rotate about said davit upright, so that said access opening door may be rotated away from or toward said access opening, and when adjacent said access opening, said door sealing system can seal said door to said access opening.

24. The biomass bearing material treatment vessel of claim 22, in which said clamp collar further comprises a first section and a second section, and one or more joining devices for joining the first section with the second section.

25. The biomass bearing material treatment vessel of claim 22, in which the joining device is one or more clamp screws which draw the first and second sections together, and hold them together until released.

26. The biomass bearing material treatment vessel of claim 25, in which said joining device further comprises two clamp screws, which draw the first and second sections together at the ends of each section.

27. The biomass bearing material treatment vessel of claim 26, in which said two clamp screws are driven by one or more motors to open and close said clamp collar by moving said first and second sections of said clamp collar toward or away from each other.

28. The biomass bearing material treatment vessel of claim 22, in which said first locking rim and said second locking rim each further comprise a bevel edge on a side opposite a contact side of each, and said clamp collar comprises two matching bevel surfaces which guide and force said locking rims into alignment and pressure tight engagement.

29. The biomass bearing material treatment vessel of claim 23, in which said davit is configured to remain attached to the door as the door is opened and closed, and moved away from the reaction vessel.

30. A feedstock material made by the process comprising the steps of:

adding biomass bearing material to a reaction vessel held at an angle from horizontal and configured for rotation, said reaction vessel equipped with internal auger vanes attached in a spiraling configuration to an interior of said reaction vessel wall;

injecting steam via sparging lines into said reaction vessel to add heat and pressure up to 55 pounds to the interior of the vessel.

rotating said vessel as said biomass bearing material is subjected to heat and pressure for a selected period of time;

removing biomass bearing material after sufficient time as said biomass bearing material has undergone chemical and physical change and has been converted to a feedstock for fiber and cellulose processes.