Apparatus and process for gasification of carbonaceous materials to produce syngas

• US 9,051,523 B2
• Filed: 03/22/2012
• Issued: 06/09/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 04/06/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Jupeng Bio (HK) Limited
• Original Assignee: INEOS Bio SA
• Inventors: Bell, Peter S., Ko, Ching-Whan, Slape, Sean, Breshears, Scott, Ocfemia, Kim
• Primary Examiner(s): LANGEL, WAYNE A
• Application Number:
  US13/427,144
• Publication Number:
  US 20120256129A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,174 Days
• Field of Search: 252/373
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: C01B 2203/0877 by direct injection of fluid
• CPC Class Codes: C01B 2203/0894 Generation of steam
• CPC Class Codes: C01B 2203/142 At least two reforming, decomposition or partial oxidation steps in series
• CPC Class Codes: C01B 2203/143 Three or more reforming, decomposition or partial oxidation steps in series
• CPC Class Codes: C10J 2200/09 Mechanical details of gasifiers not otherwise provided for, e.g. sealing means
• CPC Class Codes: C10J 2200/15 Details of feeding means
• CPC Class Codes: C10J 2300/0956 Air or oxygen enriched air
• CPC Class Codes: C10J 2300/0959 Oxygen
• CPC Class Codes: C10J 2300/1606 Combustion processes
• CPC Class Codes: C10J 2300/1846 Partial oxidation, i.e. injection of air or oxygen only
• CPC Class Codes: C10J 2300/1884 with one stream being synthesis gas
• CPC Class Codes: C10J 3/72 Other features
• CPC Class Codes: C10J 3/721 Multistage gasification, e.g. plural parallel or serial gasification stages
• CPC Class Codes: C10J 3/723 Controlling or regulating the gasification process
• CPC Class Codes: C10J 3/726 Start-up
• CPC Class Codes: C10J 3/84 with means for removing dust or tar from the gas
• CPC Class Codes: C10J 3/86 combined with waste-heat boilers
• CPC Class Codes: C10K 1/02 Dust removal
• CPC Class Codes: C10K 1/04 by cooling to condense non-gaseous materials C10K1/001 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: C10K 3/003 Reducing the tar content
• CPC Class Codes: C10K 3/005 : by partial oxidation
• CPC Class Codes: C10K 3/008 : by cracking
• CPC Class Codes: F22B 1/1838 : the hot gas being under a high pressure, e.g. in chemical installations
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 20/18 : Integrated gasification combined cycle [IGCC], e.g. combined with carbon capture and storage [CCS]
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/32 : Hydrogen storage
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 20/10 : Process efficiency
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 20/129 : Energy recovery, e.g. by cogeneration, H2recovery or pressure recovery turbines
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/12 : Improving ICE efficiencies

Abstract

A process and apparatus are provided for gasification of a carbonaceous material. The process produces a raw syngas that can be further processed in a tar destruction zone to provide a hot syngas. The process includes contacting said carbonaceous material with molecular oxygen-containing gas in a gasification zone to gasify a portion of said carbonaceous material and to produce a first gaseous product. A remaining portion of the carbonaceous material is contacted with molecular oxygen-containing gas in a burn-up zone to gasify additional portion of the carbonaceous material and to produce a second gaseous product and a solid ash. The first gaseous product and said second gaseous product are combined to produce a raw syngas that includes carbon monoxide (CO), carbon dioxide (CO₂) and tar. The raw syngas is contacted with molecular oxygen containing gas in a tar destruction zone to produce said hot syngas.

Claims

1. A process for gasification of a carbonaceous material to produce a raw syngas, said process comprising:

(a) contacting a moving bed of said carbonaceous material with a first molecular oxygen-containing gas and optionally with one or more of steam and CO₂ in a gasification zone to gasify a portion of said carbonaceous material and to produce a first gaseous product;

(b) contacting an unconverted portion of said carbonaceous material from said gasification zone with a second molecular oxygen-containing gas and optionally with one or more of steam and CO₂ in a burn-up zone to gasify an additional portion of said carbonaceous material and to produce a second gaseous product and a solid ash comprising carbon; and

(c) conveying said first gaseous product, said second gaseous product, and a third molecular oxygen-containing gas to a connecting zone to produce said raw syngas,

wherein a CO/CO₂ molar ratio in said raw syngas is greater than about 0.75 and ratio of carbon content of solid ash to carbon content of carbonaceous material feed is less than about 0.1.

2. The process of claim 1 wherein the CO/CO₂ molar ratio in said raw syngas is greater than about 1.0.

3. The process of claim 1 wherein a weight ratio of carbon content of solid ash to carbon content of carbonaceous material feed is less than about 0.05.

4. The process of claim 1 wherein a weight ratio of carbon content of solid ash to carbon content of carbonaceous material feed is less than about 0.01.

5. The process of claim 1 wherein carbon content of said solid ash is less than about 10%.

6. The process of claim 1 wherein carbon content of said solid ash is less than about 5 weight %.

7. The process of claim 1 wherein mass of total oxygen per unit mass of total carbon in carbonaceous material feed entering gasification zone is less than mass of total oxygen per unit mass of total carbon in unconverted portion of carbonaceous material feed entering burn-up zone.

8. The process of claim 1 wherein the gasification zone includes one or more gasification hearths.

9. The process of claim 1 wherein the burn-up zone includes one or more burn-up hearths.

10. The process of claim 8 wherein one or more of said gasification hearths accomplish preheating of said carbonaceous material by heat exchange with one or more of said first gaseous product and second gaseous product.

11. The process of claim 1 wherein said carbonaceous material is selected from the group consisting of carbonaceous material, carbonaceous liquid product, carbonaceous industrial liquid recycle, carbonaceous municipal solid waste (MSW or msw), carbonaceous urban waste, carbonaceous agricultural material, carbonaceous forestry material, carbonaceous wood waste, carbonaceous construction material, carbonaceous vegetative material, carbonaceous industrial waste, carbonaceous fermentation waste, carbonaceous petrochemical co-products, carbonaceous alcohol production co-products, carbonaceous coal, tires, plastics, waste plastic, coke oven tar, fibersoft, lignin, black liquor, polymers, waste polymers, polyethylene terephthalate (PETA), polystyrene (PS), sewage sludge, animal waste, crop residues, energy crops, forest processing residues, wood processing residues, livestock wastes, poultry wastes, food processing residues, fermentative process wastes, ethanol co-products, spent grain, spent microorganisms, and mixtures thereof.

12. The process of claim 1 wherein ratio of total amount of molecular oxygen contained in the first molecular oxygen containing gas and the second molecular oxygen containing gas to the total amount of molecular oxygen required to completely oxidize all carbon contained in carbonaceous material feed to carbon dioxide is in a range of 0.1 to 0.9.

13. The process of claim 1 wherein molecular oxygen is introduced into the gasification zone and burn-up zone at a rate of about 0 to about 75 lb-mole per tone of carbonaceous material on a dry basis.

14. The process of claim 1 wherein a temperature of the gasification zone and burn-up zone is not greater than 800°

C.

15. The process of claim 1 wherein the raw syngas has a tar equivalent content below about 10 ppm.

16. The process of claim 15 wherein the tar equivalent content is equivalent to a hydrocarbon selected from the group consisting of benzene, alcohol, and mixtures thereof.

17. A process for gasification of a carbonaceous material to produce a hot syngas, said process comprising:

(a) contacting a moving bed of said carbonaceous material with a first molecular oxygen-containing gas and optionally with one or more of steam and CO₂ in a gasification zone to gasify a portion of said carbonaceous material and to produce a first gaseous product;

(b) contacting an unconverted portion of said carbonaceous material from said gasification zone with a second molecular oxygen-containing gas and optionally with one or more of steam and CO₂ in a burn-up zone to gasify additional portion of said carbonaceous material and to produce a second gaseous product and a solid ash comprising carbon;

(c) conveying said first gaseous product, said second gaseous product, and a third molecular oxygen containing gas to a connecting zone to produce a raw syngas comprising carbon monoxide (CO), carbon dioxide (CO₂) and tar; and

(d) conveying said raw syngas from the connecting zone to a tar destruction zone to produce said hot syngas,

wherein a CO/CO₂ molar ratio in said hot syngas is greater than about 0.75 and ratio of carbon content of solid ash to carbon content of carbonaceous material feed is less than about 0.1.

18. The process of claim 17 wherein the CO/CO₂ molar ratio in said raw syngas is greater than about 0.75.

19. The process of claim 17 wherein the CO/CO₂ molar ratio in said hot syngas is greater than about 1.0.

20. The process of claim 17 wherein a weight ratio of carbon content of solid ash to carbon content of carbonaceous material feed is less than about 0.05.

21. The process of claim 17 wherein a weight ratio of carbon content of solid ash to carbon content of carbonaceous material feed is less than about 0.01.

22. The process of claim 17 wherein carbon content of said solid ash is less than about 10 weight %.

23. The process of claim 17 wherein carbon content of said solid ash is less than about 5 weight %.

24. The process of claim 17 wherein mass of total oxygen per unit mass of total carbon in carbonaceous material feed entering gasification zone is less than mass of total oxygen per unit mass of total carbon in unconverted portion of carbonaceous material feed entering burn-up zone.

25. The process of claim 17 wherein the gasification zone includes one or more gasification hearths.

26. The process of claim 17 wherein the burn-up zone includes one or more burn-up hearths.

27. The process of claim 25 wherein one or more of said gasification hearths accomplish preheating of said carbonaceous material by heat exchange with one or more of said first gaseous product and second gaseous product.

28. The process of claim 17 wherein said carbonaceous material is selected from the group consisting of carbonaceous material, carbonaceous liquid product, carbonaceous industrial liquid recycle, carbonaceous municipal solid waste (MSW or msw), carbonaceous urban waste, carbonaceous agricultural material, carbonaceous forestry material, carbonaceous wood waste, carbonaceous construction material, carbonaceous vegetative material, carbonaceous industrial waste, carbonaceous fermentation waste, carbonaceous petrochemical co-products, carbonaceous alcohol production co-products, carbonaceous coal, tires, plastics, waste plastic, coke oven tar, fibersoft, lignin, black liquor, polymers, waste polymers, polyethylene terephthalate (PETA), polystyrene (PS), sewage sludge, animal waste, crop residues, energy crops, forest processing residues, wood processing residues, livestock wastes, poultry wastes, food processing residues, fermentative process wastes, ethanol co-products, spent grain, spent microorganisms, and mixtures thereof.

29. The process of claim 17 wherein ratio of total amount of molecular oxygen contained in the first molecular oxygen containing gas and the second molecular oxygen containing gas to the total amount of molecular oxygen required to completely oxidize all carbon contained in carbonaceous material feed to carbon dioxide is in a range of 0.1 to 0.9.

30. The process of claim 17 wherein molecular oxygen is introduced into the gasification zone and burn-up zone at a rate of about 0 to about 75 lb-mole per tone of carbonaceous material on a dry basis.

31. The process of claim 17 wherein a temperature of the gasification zone and burn-up zone is not greater than 800°

C.

32. The process of claim 17 wherein a temperature of the tar destruction zone is greater than about 900°

C.