Apparatus for producing combustible gases from carbonaceous materials

Claim 2

A reactor for producing combustible gases suitable for delivery to the fire box of a furnace comprising means defining a confining retort, spaced grates, means supporting the grates in said retort so as to slope downwardly from the top at one side to the bottom at the other side, said grates defining a narrow space between them for gravitational movement of a bed of bio-mass material therebetween from the top of the retort to the bottom, said grates dividing the retort into a combining chamber at the upwardly facing sides of the grates and a plenum chamber at the downwardly facing sides of the grates, said combining chamber embodying a refractory lining including a fire wall rising from the bottom of the retort to the lower ends of the grates so as to separate the two chambers, means supported across the open space between the grates at their lower ends within the retort which constitutes an ash pit which extends the entire transverse length of the grates below the grates, means for supplying bio-mass material to the space between the grates at the top to form a bed of bio-mass material in the space defined by said grates, and an inlet opening at the bottom of the plenum chamber for supplying primary air thereto.

Claim 3

Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the bio-mass is converted to a mixture of combustible gases and ash and there is means for at times removing the ash at the lower end of the grates to induce the bio-mass material above the zone of burning to descend into the zone of burning as the bio-mass material is converted to said mixture of combustible gases and ash, said means comprising a screw conveyor.

Claim 4

Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the bio-mass is converted to a mixture of combustible gases and ash comprising means defining an ash pit within the retort subtending the lower ends of the grates for constraining downward movement of the bio-mass material in the space between the grates so long as the ash at the lower end is not removed, a screw operable in the pit to remove the ash therefrom and means for effecting operation of the screw when the temperature of the ash is less than that of the burning bio-mass.

Claim 5

Apparatus according to claim 1 comprising means for detecting the absence of the bio-mass material at the upper ends of the grates and means responsive thereto to supply bio-mass material to the upper ends of the grates.

Claim 6

Apparatus for producing combustible gas suitable for delivery to the fire box of a furnace comprising a retort, a grate assembly comprising spaced grate members, means supporting the grate assembly in the retort in a downwardly and forwardly inclined position, means for forming a bed of bio-mass material of substantially uniform thickness between the grates for gravitational movement downwardly within the retort, said grates dividing the retort into fore and aft chambers located, respectively, at the upwardly facing side of the grates and the downwardly facing side of the grates, said chambers containing, respectively, openings through which gases generated within the retort are withdrawn and through which primary air is supplied to sustain burning of the bio-mass material gravitationally descending between the grates, means defining a trough supported within the retort across the space between the open lower ends of the grates for receiving the ash which is formed, a conveyor in the trough for removing the ash, means in the trough for starting and stopping the conveyor at a predetermined temperature and means at the top of the retort responsive to the absence of bio-mass material at the upper end of the grate to supply bio-mass material to the grates.

Claim 7

Apparatus for producing combustible gas suitable for delivery to the fire box of a furnace comprising a retort, a grate assembly comprising spaced grate members, means supporting the grate assembly in the retort in a downwardly and forwardly inclined position, means for forming a bed of bio-mass material of substantially uniform thickness between the grates for gravitational movement downwardly within the retort, said grates dividing the retort into fore and aft chambers located, respectively, at the upwardly facing side of the grates and the downwardly facing side of the grates, said chambers containing, respectively, openings through which gases generated within the retort are withdrawn and through which primary air is supplied to sustain burning of the bio-mass material gravitationally descending between the grates, means defining a trough supported within the retort across the space between the open lower ends of the grates for receiving the ash which is formed, a conveyor in the trough for removing the ash, means in the trough for starting and stopping the conveyor at a predetermined temperature and means at the top of the retort responsive to the absence of bio-mass material at the upper end of the grate to supply bio-mass material to the grates.

Claim 8

Apparatus according to claim 5 wherein the grates diverge downwardly.

Claim 9

Apparatus according to claim 5 wherein the retort at the fore side of the grates contains a refractory lining.

Claim 10

Apparatus according to claim 5 comprising a hopper for storage of bio-mass material and means for drying the bio-mass material while in the hopper.

Claim 11

Apparatus according to claim 5 comprising means for recirculating part of the distillate and CO through the bed of bio-mass material above the zone of distillation.

Claim 12

Apparatus for producing combustible gases suitable for delivery to the fire box of a furnace comprising a retort containing at the top an opening, a grate, means supporting the grate in the retort in a downwardly inclined position with its upper end adjacent the opening at the top, said grate dividing the retort into a plenum chamber at the downwardly facing side and a mixing chamber at the upwardly facing side, means for feeding bio-mass material through the top opening to the upwardly facing side of said downwardly inclined grate in the form of a substantially uniformly thick bed for burning of the bio-mass material resting on the grate in the zone near the lower end of the grate and destructive distillation of the bio-mass material resting on the grate and the evolution of a gaseous medium in the zone above the zone of burning, said plenum chamber at the downwardly facing side of the grate containing an opening defining means for supplying a controlled volume of primary air to the plenum chamber at the downwardly facing side of the grate in the zone of burning to sustain combustion and to convert the burning material to CO and ash, means for removing the ash from the zone of burning at the lower end of the grate, means for adding bio-mass material to the upper end of the grate to maintain a continuous production of the gaseous medium and CO, said mixing chamber at the upwardly facing side of the grate defining means for collecting the gaseous medium and CO at the upwardly facing side of the grate and containing an opening defining means for discharging the gaseous medium and CO to the fire box of a furnace.

Claim 13

Apparatus for producing combustible gases suitable for delivery to the fire box of a furnace comprising a retort containing at the top an opening, a grate, means supporting the grate in the retort in a downwardly inclined position with its upper end adjacent the opening at the top, said grate dividing the retort into a plenum chamber at the downwardly facing side and a mixing chamber at the upwardly facing side, means for feeding bio-mass material through the top opening to the upwardly facing side of said downwardly inclined grate in the form of a substantially uniformly thick bed for burning of the bio-mass material resting on the grate in the zone near the lower end of the grate and destructive distillation of the bio-mass material resting on the grate and the evolution of a gaseous medium in the zone above the zone of burning, said plenum chamber at the downwardly facing side of the grate containing an opening defining means for supplying a controlled volume of primary air to the plenum chamber at the downwardly facing side of the grate in the zone of burning to sustain combustion and to convert the burning material to CO and ash, means for removing the ash from the zone of burning at the lower end of the grate, means for adding bio-mass material to the upper end of the grate to maintain a continuous production of the gaseous medium and CO, said mixing chamber at the upwardly facing side of the grate defining means for collecting the gaseous medium and CO at the upwardly facing side of the grate and containing an opening defining means for discharging the gaseous medium and CO to the fire box of a furnace.

Claim 14

A reactor according to claim 10, wherein the grate has horizontal transversely extending louver bars defining a downwardly and forwardly inclined supporting surface.

Claim 15

A reactor according to claim 10 wherein there is means associated with the grate for effecting its vibration.

Claim 16

Apparatus according to claim 10 wherein the grate is inclined at the angle of repose of the bio-mass material being subjected to treatment.

Claim 17

Apparatus for generating combustible gases suitable for use in a heat generating plant comprising a retort, a grate, means supporting the grate in the retort in the downwardly inclined position, such as to divide the retort into a plenum chamber at the lower side of the grate and a mixing chamber at the upper side of the grate, means defining a conductor at the upper end of the retort for conducting bio-mass material to the surface of the grate at the upper end to form a bed of bio-mass material on the grate, means for supplying bio-mass material to the conductor for gravitational descent on the surface of the grate to a zone of burning at the lower end of the grate and the destructive distillation of the bio-mass material and evolution of gaseous material in the zone above the zone of burning, said plenum chamber at the downwardly facing side of the grate containing an opening defining means for supplying primary air in a volume to convert the burning bio-mass in the zone of burning to CO and ash, and said confining conduit at the upper end of the grate excluding the primary air from contact with the bio-mass material until it is discharged therefrom onto the grate, and means for removing ash from the burning zone at the lower end of the grate to maintain a continuous production of gases, said mixing chamber defining means for collecting the generated gases at the upwardly facing side of the grate and containing an opening defining means for delivering the mixed gases.

Claim 18

Apparatus for generating combustible gases suitable for use in a heat generating plant comprising a retort, a grate, means supporting the grate in the retort in the downwardly inclined position, such as to divide the retort into a plenum chamber at the lower side of the grate and a mixing chamber at the upper side of the grate, means defining a conductor at the upper end of the retort for conducting bio-mass material to the surface of the grate at the upper end to form a bed of bio-mass material on the grate, means for supplying bio-mass material to the conductor for gravitational descent on the surface of the grate to a zone of burning at the lower end of the grate and the destructive distillation of the bio-mass material and evolution of gaseous material in the zone above the zone of burning, said plenum chamber at the downwardly facing side of the grate containing an opening defining means for supplying primary air in a volume to convert the burning bio-mass in the zone of burning to CO and ash, and said confining conduit at the upper end of the grate excluding the primary air from contact with the bio-mass material until it is discharged therefrom onto the grate, and means for removing ash from the burning zone at the lower end of the grate to maintain a continuous production of gases, said mixing chamber defining means for collecting the generated gases at the upwardly facing side of the grate and containing an opening defining means for delivering the mixed gases.