GAS RECYCLE LOOPS IN PROCESS FOR CONVERTING MUNICIPAL SOLID WASTE INTO ETHANOL
First Claim
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1. A facility for converting organic materials into ethanol comprising:
- a gasifier comprising one or more vessels, an inlet designed to accept solid organic materials, a steam inlet in fluid communication with a steam boiler, and a primary syngas outlet, and means for creating a primary syngas stream;
a syngas compressor comprising one or more pumps configured to raise the pressure of a compressor inlet stream comprising at least a portion of the primary syngas stream to a predefined level, thereby outputting a compressed gas stream; and
a main gas recycle loop comprising;
a gas recycle compressor comprising one or more pumps of sufficient power to circulate gas through the main gas recycle loop;
one or more alcohol synthesis reactors, comprising a catalyst, means for controlling the temperature of the catalyst, a reactor inlet in fluid communication with the syngas compressor which is configured to pass a reactor inlet stream comprising at least a portion of a combined recycle gas stream over the catalyst and to a reactor effluent stream, and a reactor outlet configured to pass the reactor effluent stream, wherein in operation the reactor effluent stream comprises unconverted syngas and a mixture of reaction products including alcohols and water;
a recycle separator configured to separate at least the majority of the reactor effluent stream into a mixed alcohol stream, the majority of which is composed of water and alcohols, and a gas recycle stream, the majority of which is composed of unconverted syngas; and
mixing means for mixing at least a portion of the gas recycle stream with at least a portion of the compressed syngas to create the combined recycle gas stream.
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Abstract
Facilities and processes for generating ethanol from municipal solid waste (MSW) in an economical way via generating a syngas, passing the syngas through a catalytic synthesis reactor, separating fuel grade ethanol, extracting energy at particular strategic points, and recycling undesired byproducts.
9 Citations
18 Claims
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1. A facility for converting organic materials into ethanol comprising:
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a gasifier comprising one or more vessels, an inlet designed to accept solid organic materials, a steam inlet in fluid communication with a steam boiler, and a primary syngas outlet, and means for creating a primary syngas stream; a syngas compressor comprising one or more pumps configured to raise the pressure of a compressor inlet stream comprising at least a portion of the primary syngas stream to a predefined level, thereby outputting a compressed gas stream; and a main gas recycle loop comprising; a gas recycle compressor comprising one or more pumps of sufficient power to circulate gas through the main gas recycle loop; one or more alcohol synthesis reactors, comprising a catalyst, means for controlling the temperature of the catalyst, a reactor inlet in fluid communication with the syngas compressor which is configured to pass a reactor inlet stream comprising at least a portion of a combined recycle gas stream over the catalyst and to a reactor effluent stream, and a reactor outlet configured to pass the reactor effluent stream, wherein in operation the reactor effluent stream comprises unconverted syngas and a mixture of reaction products including alcohols and water; a recycle separator configured to separate at least the majority of the reactor effluent stream into a mixed alcohol stream, the majority of which is composed of water and alcohols, and a gas recycle stream, the majority of which is composed of unconverted syngas; and mixing means for mixing at least a portion of the gas recycle stream with at least a portion of the compressed syngas to create the combined recycle gas stream. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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Specification