U.S. patent application number 12/843620 was filed with the patent office on 2012-01-26 for system and method for obtaining combinations of coal and biomass solid fuel pellets with high caloric content.
Invention is credited to Peter Rugg.
Application Number | 20120017498 12/843620 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 45492394 |
Filed Date | 2012-01-26 |
United States Patent
Application |
20120017498 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Rugg; Peter |
January 26, 2012 |
System and Method for Obtaining Combinations of Coal and Biomass
Solid Fuel Pellets with High Caloric Content
Abstract
The invention is a new solid fuel combining coal and biomass and
the process for making such fuel. The coal must be selected and
prepared to be the correct sizes and quality, including the
moisture content and levels of pollutants. Biomass must be selected
and prepared by grinding and through a heating process in order to
remove moisture and partially char the biomass. The biomass may be
selected based on its percentage volume of carbon and hydrogen. A
third material, binder is prepared in volumes to associate with the
coal and biomass. The coal, biomass and binder are mixed in
appropriate quantities and may be delivered to an extrusion, press
pellet or briquetting machine that forms the mixture into an
appropriate size and shape for the intended combustion situation.
The resultant solid fuel has had desired properties for efficient
burning and emission levels in the furnace for which it is
designed.
Inventors: |
Rugg; Peter; (New York,
NY) |
Family ID: |
45492394 |
Appl. No.: |
12/843620 |
Filed: |
July 26, 2010 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
44/589 ;
44/636 |
Current CPC
Class: |
C10L 5/04 20130101; C10L
5/361 20130101; C10L 9/08 20130101; Y02E 50/30 20130101; C10B 53/02
20130101; Y02E 50/14 20130101; C10B 53/04 20130101; C10L 5/363
20130101; C10L 5/02 20130101; C10L 5/14 20130101; Y02E 50/10
20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
44/589 ;
44/636 |
International
Class: |
C10L 5/44 20060101
C10L005/44 |
Claims
1. A system for pyrolyzing coal, coal char and biomass to yield
high caloric fuel, the system comprising: a crusher comprising open
proximal and distal ends, said crusher further comprising an open
flange fixedly connected to said distal end of said crusher and
further comprising means for shaping coal to specified sizes; a
shredder comprising open proximal and distal ends, further
comprising an open flange fixedly connected to said distal end,
said shredder further comprising means for threshing said biomass
into specified sizes; a first and a second kiln wherein said first
and second kiln each comprise an open proximal input end and a
distal open output end, said kilns further comprising an open
flange fixedly connected to said proximal and distal end, said
first and second kilns further comprising means for controlling
respective temperatures of each of said kilns; a duct comprising an
open proximal input and distal output end, said duct further
comprising an open flange fixedly connected to said proximal distal
end, said duct further comprising means for controlling said duct
temperature; a mixer comprising at least one open proximal end and
one open distal end, said mixer further comprising an open flange
fixedly connected to said each proximal and distal ends, said mixer
further comprising means for mixing and joining contents within
said mixer; a forming machine comprising an open proximal end,
further comprising an open flange fixedly connected to said
proximal end, and further comprising at least one die fixedly
attached to said distal end of said forming machine, said forming
machine further comprising means for casting coal, coal char and
biomass entering said forming machine from said mixer into
geometrical shapes of specified sizes.
2. A system as in claim 1 wherein said proximal end of said crusher
receives coal at its proximal end.
3. A system as in claim 1 wherein said first kiln receives coal
from said crusher said kiln further comprising a moving belt
mounted in the interior of said first kiln providing means for
moving said coal from the proximal to the distal end of said first
kiln.
4. A system as in claim 1 wherein the temperature of the proximal
end of said first kiln is in the temperature range 150-200 C., said
distal end of first kiln is in the range 350-500 C.
5. A system as in claim 1 wherein said heated first kiln provides
sufficient thermal energy for gases to be driven off from said
coal, said gases selected from the group consisting of water vapor,
mercury, chlorine, sulfur and hydrocarbons, with the remaining
heated solid transformed to coal char.
6. A system as in claim 1 wherein said first kiln comprises means
for entraining water vapor near its proximal end in a clean up
station, further comprising means for entraining high temperature
volatile gases at the distal end in a cleanup station, said gases
selected from the group consisting of mercury, chlorine and sulfur
at the s distal end of said first kiln.
7. A system as in claim 1 wherein said duct receives hydrocarbon
gases from said first kiln wherein said duct comprises means for
maintaining the temperature at the proximal end of said duct in the
temperature range 150-200 C. and at the distal end of said duct in
the temperature range 250-375 C. said temperatures causing caloric
hydrocarbons gases to liquefy.
8. A system as in claims 1 and 6 wherein hydrocarbon gases heated
in said first kiln are transferred at the distal end of said first
kiln to at least one of said proximal openings of said duct and one
of said proximal openings of said mixer, wherein said solid heated
coal in said first kiln is converted to coal char and wherein said
char is transferred to a second opening at the proximal end of said
mixer.
9. A system as in claim 1 wherein said mixer comprises a set of
rotating blades with means for mixing contents transferred to its
interior from said first and second kilns and said duct, said mixer
further comprising up to 3 proximal input openings, each opening
comprising a fixedly attached open flange, said mixer comprising
one distal output end with a fixedly attached open flange.
10. A system as in claim 1 wherein said forming device receives
contents from said mixer, said forming device comprising a rigid
duct further comprising a proximal open end and further comprising
an interior mounted rotating screw extending the length of said
duct, said screw rotation providing means for extruding contents of
said forming device through a die mounted at the distal end of said
device.
11. A system as in claim 10 wherein the extruded output of said
forming device is in the shape of at least one of pellets, bricks
and briquettes.
12. A system as in claim 1 wherein said open flange at distal end
of said coal crusher is fixedly attached to said open flange at
proximal end of first kiln, and further wherein open flange at
distal end of first kiln is rigidly attached to one of an open
flange at proximal end of said mixer and one of said open flange at
proximal end of duct, and further wherein said open flange at
distal end of said duct is fixedly attached to one of said open
flanges at proximal end of said mixer, and further wherein said
open flange at distal end of said mixer is fixedly attached to said
open flange at proximal end of forming machine.
13. A system as in claim 1 wherein said biomass is loaded into said
shredder, said shredder comprising a proximal and distal end, said
shredder further comprising a piston with cutting blades extending
into the interior of said shredder and further comprising a motor
that drives said piston in an up-down motion causing shredding of
said biomass.
14. A system as in claim 1 wherein said distal flange of said
crusher is fixedly attached to said proximal flange of said second
kiln, and further wherein said distal flange of said second kiln is
fixedly attached to one of said proximal end flanges of said
mixer.
15. A system as in claim 1 wherein a second kiln receives said
biomass from said shredder, said second kiln further comprising a
moving rotary belt mounted within the interior of said kiln, said
belt spanning the length of said kiln and wherein said belt
transports said shredded biomass from said proximal end to said
distal end of said second kiln, said second kiln further comprising
a temperature control unit wherein said proximal end of second kiln
is maintained at a temperature range 100-150 C. and said distal end
of said kiln in the temperature range 200-230 C.,
16. A second kiln as in claim 14 further comprising means for
entraining gases emanating from said heated shredded biomass.
17. A system as in claim 1 wherein said distal flange of said
crusher is fixedly attached to said proximal flange of said second
kiln, and further wherein said distal flange of said second kiln is
fixedly attached to one of said proximal end flanges of said
mixer.
18. A method for producing a high caloric coal--biomass fuel,
comprising the steps of: loading coal into a first kiln; heating
said kiln, passing the heated hydrocarbon gases from said first
kiln to a condensation duct; transferring said condensed gases from
said duct to a mixer, passing the solid coal char of said first
kiln to said mixer; the method further comprising loading biomass
into a second heated kiln; directing the heated contents from said
second heated kiln into said mixer.
19. A method as in claim 18 comprising the mixing of said biomass,
hydrocarbons and solid char; removing said mixed contents from said
mixer to a briquette forming device wherein said forming device
converts the contents of said mixer into at least one of
briquettes, bricks and pellets.
Description
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] Not Applicable
STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT
[0002] Not Applicable
REFERENCE TO SEQUENCE LISTING, A TABLE, OR A COMPUTER PROGRAM
LISTING COMPACT DISK APPENDIX
[0003] Not Applicable
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0004] The present invention is in the technical field solid fuels.
More particularly, the present invention is in the technical field
utilizing a combination of materials to produce a fuel with high
caloric content in the form of small briquettes or pellets, which,
upon combustion, emit minimal amounts of pollutants.
[0005] Conventional solid fuels, such as coal, biomass, and waste
carboniferous materials, typically contain impurities and
additional hazardous pollutants in the form of chemicals or
chemical compounds varying from non-negligibly small, to minute
amounts. These impurities, pollutants, or hazardous ingredients
make solid fuels more costly to transport, reducing their
efficiency of combustion, and causing hazardous emissions. The
capture of these impurities, pollutants, or hazardous ingredients
post combustion, requires complex processing and excess costs as
the impurities, pollutants, or hazardous ingredients are widely
disbursed in the combustion gases. Further, the coal, biomass or
waste carboniferous material typically is not in suitable physical
form for transport or introduction to a furnace. Often, during
transportation or handling of coal and biomass, undesirable
particulate or dust pollution is emitted and, while the coal,
biomass or waste carboniferous material is too small to be held on
the stoker grate used to introduce fuel to the furnace of a boiler.
Failure to capture and contain this waste results in undesirable,
as well as illegal contamination and pollution of the
surroundings.
[0006] The typical practice of attempting to ignite coal and
biomass in separate burners of the same furnace, where the two
components are not intimately combined prior to ignition, is
inefficient with unintended/undesirable results. The combustion of
heterogeneous solid fuels leads to altered flame temperature
profiles, slagging, combustion inefficiency, increased ash, in
addition to problems with grindability, fuel flow, and
corrosion.
[0007] Numerous natural and synthetic substances have been used as
binders for forming/producing pellets and briquettes of coal. U.S.
Pat. No. 3,966,427 teaches how to make coal briquettes using
bitumen or bitumen emulsions as binders. Additional art is
described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,244,473 which teaches that a binder
for coal fines can be made from a phenol-aldehyde resin mixed with
a polyisocyanate in the presence of a catalyst. U.S. Pat. No.
5,009,671 teaches that coal briquettes can be made by using a
starch binder mixed with molasses and water. Further relevant art
is described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,862,485, which teaches means for
forming coal pellets by mixing coal particles with polyvinyl
alcohol, calcium oxide and/or magnesium oxide and water. U.S. Pat.
No. 4,738,685 teaches how to cold press coal fines with molasses,
an inorganic hardening agent such as calcium carbonate, calcium
phosphate, iron oxide, aluminum oxide and optionally with an acid.
Additional teachings relevant, though differing from the present
application can be found in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,618,347, 4,586,936.
4,169,711 and U.S. Pat. No. 5,916,826. Patent application No.
20100162619 describes a method using a Mallard process at a
pressure of 5 bar at an elevated temperature for compacting
biofuels together with some limited amount of peat or lignite
[0008] The present application describes unique and novel systems
and methods for obtaining calorically rich combustible briquettes,
relatively free of contaminants, consisting of coal and biomass
which are new and novel, not featured in the aforementioned
references. The biomass can consist of algae, switch grass, wood
matter, such as sawdust and/or wood chips, as well as manure to
mention a number of useful components, however not limited to such
biomass materials.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0009] The present invention is a new solid fuel combining coal and
biomass, and other selected carboniferous solids into a homogenous,
caloric high value solid fuel. The coal must be selected and
prepared to have the correct size and quality, including the
moisture content and levels of pollutants. Biomass must also be
selected and prepared to have the appropriate be size and quality,
including moisture content and levels of pollutants. An essential
factor is that the biomass be selected based on its percentage
relative to volume of carbon and hydrogen. A third additional
material that can be used is a binder, prepared in appropriate
volumes so as to efficiently bind the coal and biomass. The coal,
biomass and binder are mixed in appropriate proportions that may be
delivered to a machine that forms the mixture into extrusions,
pellets or briquettes, with the resultant solid fuel having more
desired properties for efficient burning with substantially reduced
levels of emissions. Emissions are effectively removed and captured
by the kilns used in the present process. The pollutant gases can
also be reprocessed since many have commercial value.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS
[0010] FIG. 1 is a flow chart indicating the steps for producing
the compressed pellets or briquettes of coal and biomass. Described
are the loading, processing, and unloading of the final
pellet/briquette product.
[0011] FIG. 2 is a block diagram of the various components used to
form the final coal-biomass product. Here, a binder can be used to
aid in combining the coal and biomass, but the use of a binder is
an option.
[0012] FIG. 3a is a shredding or chipping machine to cut the
biomass into small pieces in order to be able to combine them with
the crushed coal.
[0013] FIG. 3b shows a crusher that is used to create small pieces
of coal from the original coal input.
[0014] FIG. 3c shows a kiln, a first such kiln used to prepare the
coal by eliminating some of the moisture and unwanted polluting
volatiles of the coal, a second such kiln used to prepare the
biomass where the kiln removes moisture and volatiles.
[0015] FIG. 3d is a duct for liquefying valuable hydrocarbons
emitted in heating coal in the first kiln.
[0016] FIG. 3e illustrates the mixing machine for combining the
crushed coal after processing in the first kiln, the coal then
known as coal char, the shredded biomass and the liquefied
hydrocarbons emanating from a duct connected to the first kiln,
with the liquefied hydrocarbons acting as a binder between the coal
char and biomass.
[0017] FIG. 3f is a schematic of the briquetting machine which
receives the mixture of coal, biomass, and the liquefied
hydrocarbons, the latter acting as a binder. The briquetting
machine compresses the material from the mixer through one or more
dies to produce brick, briquettes or pellets.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0018] Referring to the flow chart FIG. 1, the coal-biomass process
begins with coal 101 loaded into a raw coal crusher 102 to reduce
coal to any desired size. The coal may be as small as 1/4 inch in
any dimension. Once crushed or ground, the coal contents pass from
crusher 102 to the first kiln 103. The average temperature of the
kiln is on the order of 500 C. which drives off moisture and
certain volatiles, some of which are contaminants, the contaminant
volatiles entrained or sequestered in a clean up station, while
other volatiles are in the form of useful gaseous hydrocarbons. The
valuable hydrocarbon gases are driven off from kiln 103 and can be
transferred to clean coal tar duct 104 where the hydrocarbon gases
are liquefied. This is an optional but useful step in the overall
process. In all cases, the solid contents of kiln 103 are
transferred to the coal biomass mixer 106. For the case where duct
104 is used to produce liquefied hydrocarbons, the liquid from 104
is transferred to mixer 106.
[0019] Biomass 109 consisting of for example of tree thinning,
forest waste, algae, crops grown for fuel, or waste from
agriculture, food, or drink processing, is loaded into the biomass
shredder/shredding machine 110 shown in FIG. 3a. After shredding,
the contents of 110 are transferred to second kiln 111 where the
biomass is heated to specified temperatures, usually on the order
of 230 C., to remove unwanted moisture (water) and unwanted gases
including Hg, Cl, and the like.
[0020] The contents of second kiln 111 are further transferred to
the coal and biomass mixer 106 where the two sources of fuel are
thoroughly mixed. In the preferred embodiment, clean coal tar from
duct 104 is also transferred to the mixer 106 to act as a binder
between the coal char from first kiln 103 and the biomass entering
the mixer 106 from second kiln 111. The contents of the binder
material from duct 104 will generally consist of coal tar, bitumen,
or emulsions of such materials. Once the material in the coal and
biomass mixer consisting of coal char, biomass and the liquefied
coal tar from duct 104, is thoroughly combined, the content is
transferred to the briquette or extruder device 107. The extruder
device 107 produces the finished coal-biomass product 108 in the
form of pellets or briquettes.
[0021] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the components used in the
formation of coal and biomass briquettes or pellets. The entrance
of coal 206 into coal crusher 207 is followed by the entrance of
the crushed coal into the first kiln 208b. The output from the
first heated kiln 208b in the form of coal char is transferred to
mixer 204. In addition, in an alternate preferred embodiment, the
hydrocarbon volatiles from first kiln 208b can be transferred to
duct 209 where the duct temperature allows useful hydrocarbon gases
to liquefy. The liquefied hydrocarbons are then also transferred to
mixer 204 from duct 209. Biomass 201 enters shredder 202 where it
is cut into suitable sizes to then be transferred to second kiln
203. The heat from kiln 203 releases volatiles and water vapor,
both of which are entrained in two separate cleanup stations. The
dried biomass is then transferred to mixer 204. In the preferred
embodiment the contents of mixer 204 are coal char from first kiln
208b, liquefied hydrocarbons from duct 209 and biomass from second
kiln 203. After thorough mixing in mixer 204, the contents of mixer
204 are transferred to the briquetting machine 205 then the output
in the form of coal-biomass briquettes are collected in output
container 210.
[0022] Referring now to 202 in FIG. 3a, biomass 326 enters the
proximal end of shredder 202 through a fixedly attached open flange
326a at the proximal end of 202. A motor driven piston 327 extends
within the interior of shredder 202 with cutting blades 327a
attached to the lower portion of piston 327. A motor, not shown
explicitly in FIG. 3a drives piston. 327 and thereby blades 327a to
shred biomass 326 into small portions, on the order of 1/4 to 2
inch lengths. The shredded biomass is carried from the proximal end
of shredder 202 to the distal end by a conveyor belt 328 in order
to remove the biomass from shredder 202 through the distal end with
a fixedly attached open flange.
[0023] FIG. 3b describes coal crusher 207 where coal 206 enters the
proximal end of crusher 207 and is transported from proximal to
distal end of 207 by moving belt 302. The crushed coal is
illustrated by 301 while the crushing mechanisms are a piston 303
extending into the interior of 207, driven in an up and down motion
by a motor not explicitly shown. The crushed coal exits through
304a to which is fixedly attached open flange 304.
[0024] FIG. 3c illustrates the first kiln 208b and second kiln 203.
Both kilns are functionally identical but with possible variations
in their dimensions and the operational temperatures required for
the present invention. The biomass exiting the distal end of
shredder 202 enters second kiln 203 while crushed coal from the
distal end of 207 enters first kiln 208b. The contents of each kiln
203 and 208b during pyrolysis is indicating by 310, consisting in
kiln 208b of coal, coal char and coal volatiles, and kiln 203 of
biomass and biomass volatiles. Both first and second kilns, 208b
and 203 respectively, have a proximal and distal end, each with
fixedly attached open flanges 307 and 311a respectively. In first
kiln 208b, crushed coal enters through the fixedly attached open
flange 307a by way of an airlock 307, the airlock preventing
oxygen/air from entering first kiln 208b and second kiln 203. The
proximal end of first kiln 208b is maintained at temperatures in
the range 175 to 250 C. while the distal end is maintained at a
temperature at a range of .about.350-500 C. The proximal and distal
ends of second kiln 203 are maintained at a temperature range of
100-150 C. at the proximal end and a temperature range of 200-275
C. at the distal end. Temperatures are controlled by heat coils
309b wrapped around outer kiln shell 305, coils 309b attached to a
control power unit (not shown) to provide heat to coils 309b. The
crushed coal in kiln 208b and the shredded biomass in kiln 203 are
transported from proximal to distal ends of kilns 208b and 203
respectively by means of rotation of kiln core 305 of kilns 208b
and 203 by action of a helical steel rail fixedly attached to the
inner kiln core 305. In first kiln 208b, hydrocarbon gases evolved
in heated kiln core 305 from the crushed coal which transforms to
coal char due to the heating in first kiln 208b, exit by way of
airlock 308 and through the fixedly attached open flange 311a. The
proximal end of both first and second kilns 208b and 203
respectively, have a low temperature volatile cleanup station 309,
functioning mainly to trap water vapor, disposed at their proximal
ends and a high temperature cleanup station 309a to capture high
temperature volatiles such as mercury, sulfur and chlorine, mounted
at the distal ends.
[0025] Referring now to FIG. 3d, the hydrocarbon gases 320 of first
kiln 208b are directed, in one embodiment to duct 209 through the
fixedly attached open flange 320a of duct 209. The temperature of
duct 209 is maintained at 200-350 C. at the distal end and between
175-250 C. at the proximal distal end of duct. Duct temperature is
sensed through a temperature sensor 321 which sends a signal to a
master control unit (not shown). Sensor 321, in conjunction with
the control unit determines the power to heating coils 321a and
thereby the temperature of duct 209, with heat coils 321a wrapped
to be in intimate contact with the outer surface of duct 209. Legs
323 and 324 supporting duct 209 are of two different lengths so
that duct 209 is slanted thereby allowing the liquefied gases in
duct 209 to flow by gravity into mixer 204 shown in FIG. 3e via the
fixedly attached open flange 325a attached to the distal end of
duct 209 and into one proximal opening with a fixedly attached open
flange 313c of mixer 204 shown in FIG. 3e.
[0026] In an alternate embodiment, the gases and coal char of first
kiln 208b are directed through the fixedly attached open flange at
the distal end of first kiln 208b to the mixer 204 shown in FIG. 3
through a proximal 313a opening and a fixedly attached open flange
at the proximal end of mixer 204.
[0027] The biomass from shredder 202 is directed through the open
flange fixedly attached to the distal end of shredder 202 where low
temperature volatiles are taken up or entrained and treated in
cleanup station 309 and high temperature volatiles are taken up or
entrained by the high temperature volatile cleanup station 309a.
The heat treated shredded biomass is transferred to an open end
with a fixedly attached open flange of mixer 204 shown in FIG. 3e.
Mixer 204 has internally mounted rotating blades 314 to achieve the
mixing where mixing combines the coal char from first kiln 208b,
the liquefied hydrocarbons from duct 209 and the biomass from
second kiln 203, the coal char entering through proximal opening
313, biomass from second kiln 208 through proximal opening 313b and
the liquefied hydrocarbons through proximal opening 313c, where
each proximal opening has a fixedly attached open flange.
[0028] After mixing of biomass, coal char and liquefied
hydrocarbons in mixer 204, the contents of 204 pass through the
distal end of mixer 204 where the distal opening is fixedly
attached to an open flange and enter the briquetting device 205
shown in FIG. 3f though a proximal opening with a fixedly attached
open flange 316. Device 205 has a rotating screw 317 which carries
the mixture of biomass, coal char and liquefied hydrocarbons from
the proximal end to its distal end of 205. At the distal end of 205
a die 318 is fixedly attached causing the material carried by
rotating screw 317 to be extruded into briquettes bricks or
pellets, depending on the particular geometry of die 318. The
extruded product is collected in container 210.
[0029] While the foregoing written description of the invention
enables one of ordinary skill to make and use what is considered
presently to be the best mode thereof, those of ordinary skill will
understand and appreciate the existence of variations,
combinations, and equivalents of the specific embodiment, method,
and examples herein. The invention should therefore not be limited
by the above described embodiment, method, and examples, but by all
embodiments and methods within the scope and spirit of the
invention as claimed.
* * * * *