METHODS AND APPARATUS FOR CONVERTING WASTE MATERIALS INTO FUELS AND OTHER USEFUL PRODUCTS

• US 20090062581A1
• Filed: 06/17/2008
• Published: 03/05/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 03/28/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Synpet Teknoloji Gelistirme A.S.
• Original Assignee: Synpet Teknoloji Gelistirme A.S.
• Inventors: Jones, Shannon M., Einfeldt, Craig T., Appel, Brian S., Adams, Terry N., Lange, William F., Freiss, James H.
• Granted Patent: US 8,877,992 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 585/241
• CPC Class Codes: B09B 3/00 Destroying solid waste or transforming solid waste into something useful or harmless
• CPC Class Codes: B09B 3/40 involving thermal treatment, e.g. evaporation processes using mineral binders involving a melting or softening step B09B3/29; involving radiation B09B3/50
• CPC Class Codes: C10G 1/002 in combination with oil conversion- or refining processes
• CPC Class Codes: C10G 2300/1003 Waste materials
• CPC Class Codes: C10G 2300/1014 of vegetal origin
• CPC Class Codes: C10G 2300/1018 of animal origin
• CPC Class Codes: C10G 2300/205 Metal content
• CPC Class Codes: C10G 2300/805 Water
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 30/20 using bio-feedstock
• CPC Class Codes: Y02W 10/33 using wind energy
• CPC Class Codes: Y02W 10/37 using solar energy

Abstract

Conversion of waste and other organic feedstock into sustainable energy, feed, fertilizer, and other useful products of reliable purities is accomplished using water, heat, and pressure. More specifically, the invention provides methods and apparatus that handle mixed streams of various feedstocks, e.g. agricultural waste, biological waste, municipal solid waste, municipal sewage sludge, and shredder residue, to yield gas, oil, specialty chemicals, and carbon solids that can be used as is or are further processed. Useful products can be diverted at various points of the process or internalized to enhance the efficiency of the system.

Claims

1. A process for converting a carbon containing feedstock into at least one useful material, comprising:

preparing a slurry from the feedstock;

reacting the slurry in a first reaction to produce a stream comprising at least one solid product, and at least one liquid product, and water;

separating said at least one solid product, said water and said at least one liquid product from said stream; and

converting said at least one liquid product into at least one useful material.

2. The process of claim 1, wherein the slurry is subjected to temperatures between about 125-400°

C. and pressures between about 20-800 psig during said reacting.

3. The process of claim 2, wherein said converting comprises further separating water from the liquid product.

4. The process of claim 3, wherein said converting further comprises a second reaction.

5. The process of claim 4, wherein the second reaction comprises coking at temperatures between about 400-600°

C. and pressures between about 15-75 psig.

6. The process of claim 4, wherein the second reaction comprises subjecting the at least one liquid product to one or more processes selected from coking, vis-breaking, and hydrotreating.

7. The process of claim 3, wherein said reacting comprises decomposing and hydrolyzing the slurry.

8. The process of claim 7, wherein the decomposing occurs at temperatures between about 125-400°

C. and pressures between about 20-600 psig and the hydrolyzing occurs at temperatures between about 200-350°

C. and pressures between about 210-800 psig.

9. The process of claim 8, further comprising an initial separating between the depolymerizing and hydrolyzing to remove solids and gases from the liquid product before said hydrolyzing.

10. The process of claim 9, wherein said separating water from said liquid product in the converting step produces a liquid hydrocarbon fuel.

11. The process of claim 10, wherein the feedstock comprises agricultural waste.

12. The process of claim 11, wherein the feedstock comprises animal processing waste.

13. The process of claim 12, wherein the slurry is subjected to temperatures between about 125-260°

C. and pressures between about 20-600 psig during said reacting

14. The process of claim 13, wherein the decomposing occurs at a temperature ranging from about 125-190°

C. and a pressure ranging from about 20-600 psig and the hydrolyzing occurs at a temperature ranging from about 200-260°

C. and a pressure ranging from about 210-600 psig.

15. The process of claim 14, wherein the decomposing occurs for a duration ranging from about 15-120 minutes and the hydrolyzing occurs for a duration ranging from about 30-60 minutes.

16. The process of claim 10, wherein the feedstock comprises municipal sewage sludge.

17. The process of claim 16, wherein the slurry is subjected to temperatures between about 170-270°

C. and pressures between about 100-600 psig during said reacting

18. The process of claim 17, wherein the decomposing occurs at a temperature ranging from about 170-200°

C. and a pressure ranging from about 100-600 psig and the hydrolyzing occurs at a temperature ranging from about 200-270°

C. and a pressure ranging from about 210-800 psig.

19. The process of claim 18, wherein the decomposing occurs for a duration ranging from about 15-120 minutes and the hydrolyzing occurs for a duration ranging from about 30-60 minutes.

20. The process of claim 10, wherein the feedstock comprises municipal solid waste.

21. The process of claim 20, wherein the slurry is subjected to temperatures between about 150-350°

C. and pressures between about 55-800 psig during said reacting

22. The process of claim 21, wherein the decomposing occurs at a temperature ranging from about 150-350°

C. and a pressure ranging from about 55-250 psig and the hydrolyzing occurs at a temperature ranging from about 200-350°

C. and a pressure ranging from about 210-800 psig.

23. The process of claim 22, wherein the decomposing occurs for a duration ranging from about 60-180 minutes and the hydrolyzing occurs for a duration ranging from about 30-60 minutes.

24. The process of claim 10, wherein the feedstock comprises shredder residue.

25. The process of claim 24, wherein the slurry is subjected to temperatures between about 250-400°

C. and pressures between about 55-800 psig during said reacting.

26. The process of claim 25, wherein the decomposing occurs at a temperature ranging from about 250-400°

C. and a pressure ranging from about 55-250 psig and the hydrolyzing occurs at a temperature ranging from about 200-350°

C. and a pressure ranging from about 210-800 psig.

27. The process of claim 26, wherein the decomposing occurs for a duration ranging from about 60-180 minutes and the hydrolyzing occurs for a duration ranging from about 30-60 minutes.

28. The process of claim 11, wherein the agricultural waste comprises one or ore selected from:

cellulose, hemicellulose, lignin, starch, oligosaccharides and/or monosaccharides.

29. The process of claim 11, wherein the feedstock comprises a lignocellulosic material.

30. The process of claim 29, wherein said feedstock is a grass feedstock.

31. The process of claim 30, wherein the grass feedstock comprises C₃ grasses.

32. The process of claim 30, wherein the grass feedstock is a mixed grass feedstock.

33. The process of claim 30, wherein the feedstock comprises one or more selected from the group consisting of:

switchgrass, indiangrass, big bluestem, little bluestem, canada wildrye, virginia wildrye, and goldenrod wildflowers.

34. The process of claim 30, wherein the slurry is subjected to temperatures between about 120-270°

C. and pressures between about 20-800 psig during said reacting.

35. The process of claim 34, wherein the decomposing occurs at a temperature ranging from about 150-200°

C. and a pressure ranging from about 20-600 psig and the hydrolyzing occurs at a temperature ranging from about 200-270°

C. and a pressure ranging from about 210-800 psig.

36. The process of claim 35, wherein the decomposing occurs for a duration ranging from about 15-120 minutes and the hydrolyzing occurs for a duration ranging from about 30-60 minute.

37. A process for generating useful materials including a liquid hydrocarbon fuel from carbon containing feedstocks, comprising:

decomposing the feedstock to substantially separate organic and inorganic materials therein;

removing solid and gaseous fractions produced during the decomposing to form a liquid mixture;

hydrolyzing the liquid mixture;

separating solids, gases and vapors, and water from the hydrolyzed liquid mixture to form a hydrocarbon liquid; and

conditioning the hydrocarbon liquid to form at least a hydrocarbon fuel.

38. The process of claim 37, further comprising slurrying the feedstock prior to said decomposing.

39. The process of claim 37, wherein said decomposing comprises heating the slurried feedstock to a temperature sufficient to reduce viscosity and break down feedstock components into constituent parts while at least substantially avoiding formation of char or ash.

40. The process of claim 39, wherein said decomposing comprises heating the feedstock to a temperature in the range of about 125°

C. to about 400°

C. for a time in the range of about 15 minutes to about 180 minutes.

41. The process of claim 39, wherein said decomposing occurs in at least two stages.

42. The process of claim 37, wherein said hydrolyzing comprises at least one of breaking peptide linkages in proteins to yield individual amino acid residues, fat degradation into triglycerides, fatty acids and glycerol, deamination and decarboxylation of amino acids, degradation of lignin and cellulose, breaking of halogen or metal salt bonds and breaking of sulfur bonds.

43. The process of claim 42, wherein the hydrolyzing step separates contaminants from the liquid mixture into a water phase

44. The process of claim 43, wherein the contaminants comprise at least one of arsenic, barium, cadmium, chlorine, chromium, coppers lead, mercury, and zinc.

45. The process of claim 42, wherein said hydrolyzing comprises heating the liquid mixture to a temperature in the range of about 200°

C. to about 350°

C. at pressures in the range of about 210 psig to about 800 psig for a time in the range of about 30 minutes to about 60 minutes.

46. The process of claim 37, wherein said separating solids, gases and vapors, and water includes flashing the hydrolyzed liquid mixture to a lower temperature and pressure.

47. The process of claim 46, wherein said separating further includes centrifuging the liquid mixture to remove solids and water.

48. The process of claim 37, wherein said conditioning comprises oil polishing.

49. The process of claim 48, wherein said oil polishing comprises removing water from the hydrocarbon liquid.

50. The process of claim 49, wherein said removing water comprises gravity decanting.

51. The process of claim 49, wherein said oil polishing further comprises filtering particulate from the hydrocarbon liquid.

52. The process of claim 46, wherein said conditioning further comprises treatment of the hydrocarbon liquid with a thermal-chemical platform.

53. The process of claim 52, wherein the thermal-chemical platform is selected from the group consisting of vis-breaking, hydrotreating, coking, gasifying and pyrolyzing.

54. The process of claim 37, wherein:

the feedstock comprises animal by-products;

the decomposing occurs at a temperature ranging from about 125-190°

C. and a pressure ranging from about 20-600 psig; and

the hydrolyzing occurs at a temperature ranging from about 200-260°

C. and a pressure ranging from about 210-800 psig.

55. The process of claim 37, wherein:

the feedstock comprises municipal sewage sludge;

the decomposing occurs at a temperature ranging from about 170-200°

C. and a pressure ranging from about 100-600 psig; and

the hydrolyzing occurs at a temperature ranging from about 200-270°

C. and a pressure ranging from about 210-800 psig.

56. The process of claim 37, wherein:

the feedstock comprises municipal solid waste;

the decomposing occurs at a temperature ranging from about 150-350°

C. and a pressure ranging from about 55-250 psig; and

the hydrolyzing occurs at a temperature ranging from about 200-350°

C. and a pressure ranging from about 210-800 psig.

57. The process of claim 37, wherein:

the feedstock comprises shredder residue;

the decomposing occurs at a temperature ranging from about 250-400°

C. and a pressure ranging from about 55-250 psig; and

the hydrolyzing occurs at a temperature ranging from about 200-350°

C. and a pressure ranging from about 210-800 psig.

58. The process of claim 37, wherein:

the feed stock comprises lignocellulosic material;

the decomposing occurs at a temperature ranging from about 125-200°

C. and a pressure ranging from about 20-600 psig; and

the hydrolyzing occurs at a temperature ranging from about 200-270°

C. and a pressure ranging from about 210-800 psig.

59. A process for conversion of shredder residue into at least carbons solids and a liquid hydrocarbon fuel, comprising:

decomposing the shredder residue by application of heat and pressure to produce solids including fixed carbon and a hydrocarbon containing liquid mixture;

separating said solids from the liquid mixture;

fractioning the liquid mixture based on weight to produce at least higher and lower molecular weight fractions;

hydrolyzing at least the higher molecular weight fractions of the liquid mixture by further application of heat and pressure to produce a hydrolyzed hydrocarbon liquid and water mixture;

separating entrained solids particles from the hydrolyzed hydrocarbon liquid and water mixture; and

separating water from the hydrolyzed hydrocarbon liquid to form a liquid hydrocarbon fuel.

60. The process of claim 59, wherein said decomposing comprises reacting the shredder residue at a temperature in the range of about 250-400°

C., under a pressure of about 55-250 psig for a time sufficient to decompose non-metallic solids to produce a liquid mixture of hydrocarbons and solids.

61. The process of claim 60, comprising adding a solvent to the shredder residue in connection with said reacting.

62. The process of claim 59, wherein the fractions comprises fractionally distilling the liquid mixture to produce at least a low molecular weight hydrocarbon fraction, a medium molecular weight hydrocarbon fraction and a high molecular weight fraction.

63. The process of claim 59, wherein the hydrolyzing comprises reacting at least the heavier hydrocarbon fractions in the presence of water at a temperature in the range of about 200-350°

C. under a pressure of about 210-800 psig for a time sufficient to produce a medium weight hydrocarbon liquid and water mixture;

64. The process of claim 63, further comprising;

determining a contaminant content for the lighter fractions; and

directing the lower molecular weight fractions to said hydrolyzing when contaminant content exceeds a predetermined threshold.

65. The process of claim 64, wherein the contaminant is chlorine.

66. The process of claim 59, further comprising flashing the hydrocarbon liquid and water mixture to a reduced pressure and temperature after said hydrolyzing.

67. The process of claim 59, further comprising controlling the reacting of the shredder residue and decomposable liquid to at least substantially avoid the formation of char or ash.

68. The process of claim 59, wherein said separating solids comprises washing solids with a solvent.

69. The process of claim 68, wherein the solvent is a hydrocarbon liquid produced in a later step of said process.

70. A decomposition reactor system, comprising:

a reaction chamber with an open bottom;

a conveyor housing disposed at least partly below the chamber and defining an opening communicating with the said chamber open bottom, said conveyor housing having a length and exit opposite said opening;

a biased closed cover over the conveyor housing exit;

a screen section in the conveyor housing disposed between the opening and exit, the screen section being configured and dimensioned to permit passage of liquids therethrough while preventing passage of at least substantially all solids;

a conveyor disposed within the conveyor housing, said conveyor extending from the chamber open bottom to a point within the housing spaced from the housing exit;

a first vessel configured to receive liquids communicating with the conveyor housing screen section; and

a second vessel communicating with the conveyor housing exit configured to receive solids carried over the screen section from the conveyor.

71. The reactor system of claim 70, further comprising at least one wash nozzle disposed within the conveyor housing between the opening and screen section.

72. The reactor system of claim 70, wherein the length of the conveyor housing is sufficient to provide a residence time for solids moving through the conveyor of at least about 30 minutes.

73. The reactor system of claim 70, wherein:

the reaction chamber and conveyor housing are sealed together around the open bottom;

the first vessel is in sealed communication with the screen section of the conveyor housing; and

the second vessel is sealed around the conveyor exit.

74. The reactor system of claim 73, wherein the biased closed cover is disposed within the second vessel.

75. The reactor system of claim 70, further comprising:

an air lock chamber disposed above the reaction chamber for controlling entrance of material into the reaction chamber, said air lock chamber having an exit in sealed communication with an inlet to the reaction chamber; and

an air lock controlling exit of material from the second vessel.

76. The reactor system of claim 75, further comprising a feedstock conveyor communicating with an inlet of the air lock chamber.

77. The reactor system of claim 75, further comprising an inserting system communicating with the air lock chamber remove combustible gases therefrom before opening to the reaction chamber.