Methods and systems for processing solid fuel

• US 8,585,788 B2
• Filed: 05/05/2009
• Issued: 11/19/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 03/31/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: JY Capital Investment, LLC
• Original Assignee: Coaltek, Inc.
• Inventors: Drozd, J. Michael, Druga, Michael C., Lawson, Steven L., Lang, Frederick Christopher, Bullis, Herbie L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Toomer, Cephia D
• Application Number:
  US12/435,514
• Publication Number:
  US 20090272028A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,659 Days
• Field of Search: 445/51, 445/69, 445/77, 445/53, 446/20, 446/26
• US Class Current: 44/620
• CPC Class Codes: C10L 5/14 with organic binders
• CPC Class Codes: C10L 5/28 Heating the shaped fuels, e.g. briquettes; Coking the binders
• CPC Class Codes: C10L 5/361 Briquettes
• CPC Class Codes: C10L 5/363 Pellets or granulates
• CPC Class Codes: C10L 5/44 on vegetable substances
• CPC Class Codes: C10L 9/00 Treating solid fuels to improve their combustion
• CPC Class Codes: C10L 9/08 by heat treatments, e.g. calcining
• CPC Class Codes: F23K 1/00 Preparation of lump or pulverulent fuel in readiness for delivery to combustion apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: F23K 2900/01001 Cleaning solid fuel before combustion to achieve reduced emissions
• 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

In embodiments of the present invention, a method of heat treating a solid fuel briquette may include heating the solid fuel briquette using energy from at least one of a heat furnace or an electromagnetic energy system of a solid fuel treatment facility as the solid fuel briquette is moved through the treatment facility to a specified internal temperature, and sealing the heat-treated solid fuel briquette in a vessel for a duration of time.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

transporting a solid fuel through a solid fuel treatment facility;

detecting solid fuel that is thermally aberrant;

selectively removing the thermally aberrant solid fuel;

briquetting the remaining solid fuel to create a solid fuel briquette;

transporting the solid fuel briquette through the heat treatment facility; and

heating the solid fuel briquette as the solid fuel briquette is moved through the heat treatment facility to a pre-determined specified internal temperature.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the briquette comprises a binder.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the binder is at least one of a starch, a wheat starch, a corn starch, a sugar, molasses, saw dust, gilsonite, ground asphalt, rosin, plastic, guar gum, lignin, and poly(ethylene terephthalate)).

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the solid fuel is at least one of a biomass product, an agro-forestry product, a coal, a sub-bituminous coal, a bituminous coal, and a waste coal.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the specified internal temperature is at least 400 degrees F.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the specified internal temperature is at least 250 degrees F.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the specified internal temperature ranges between 60 degrees F. to about 500 degrees F.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising, maintaining the specified internal temperature for a specified duration of time.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the specified duration of time is at least one second.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the specified duration of time ranges from 1 to 30 seconds.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein the specified duration of time is at least thirty seconds.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising, transporting the solid fuel briquette through a cooling station to cool the solid fuel briquette prior to transporting the solid fuel briquette to an accumulation site.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the cooling station comprises a surface application of cooling chemicals to control the solid fuel briquette temperature.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the cooling station comprises a facility for applying a cooling gas to control the solid fuel briquette temperature.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein the cooling station comprises a facility for applying a mist of water to enable evaporative cooling of the solid fuel briquette.

16. The method of claim 12, wherein the cooling station comprises inert gas or nitrogen.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein the heat treatment facility comprises a non-oxidizing environment.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the non-oxidizing environment is obtained by injecting steam into the heat treatment facility.

19. The method of claim 1, wherein the heat treatment facility comprises at least one of an electromagnetic energy source and a furnace.

20. The method of claim 1, wherein the heat-treated solid fuel briquette is resistant to degradation upon exposure to water.

21. The method of claim 1, wherein exposure to water does not significantly change the structural integrity of the heat-treated solid fuel briquette.

22. The method of claim 1, wherein the structural integrity of the solid fuel briquette is sufficient to enable obtaining a heat-treated solid fuel briquette that is resistant to degradation upon exposure to water.

23. A solid fuel briquette produced by the method of claim 1.

24. The briquette of claim 23, wherein the briquette is resistant to degradation upon exposure to water.

25. The briquette of claim 23, wherein exposure to water does not significantly change the structural integrity of the briquette.

31. The method of either claim 1, wherein detecting solid fuel that is thermally aberrant comprises treating the solid fuel using energy from a microwave system and detecting that the solid fuel exceeds a predetermined temperature with an infrared (IR) facility or a thermographic camera facility.

32. The method of claim 31, wherein detecting solid fuel that is thermally aberrant further comprises transporting the solid fuel past a metal detector, transporting the solid fuel past a mass spectrometer, transporting solid fuel past a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) facility or any combination thereof and detecting that the solid fuel contains a predetermined amount of metallic material.

33. The method of either claim 1, wherein selectively removing the thermally aberrant solid fuel is done by a robotic device.

26. A method of heat treating a solid fuel briquette, comprising:

transporting the solid fuel through a solid fuel treatment facility, wherein the solid fuel is processed with electromagnetic radiation to a desired percent moisture;

detecting treated solid fuel that is thermally aberrant;

selectively removing thermally aberrant treated solid fuel;

briquetting the remaining treated solid fuel to form a solid fuel briquette; and

placing the solid fuel briquette in a vessel until the solid fuel briquette reaches a predetermined specified internal temperature.

27. The method of claim 26, wherein the vessel is insulated.

28. The method of claim 26, wherein an inert gas is introduced to the vessel when the briquette reaches the specified internal temperature.

29. The method of claim 26, wherein oxygen is partially or completely removed from the vessel when the briquette reaches the specified internal temperature.

30. The method of claim 26, wherein the specified internal temperature is at least 400 degrees F.