Gasification apparatus and method

Abstract

A gasification system is disclosed having a combustion or reaction vessel, a scrubber housing, and a filter housing. A carbonaceous fuel is partially combusted in the reaction vessel to generate a combustible gas. An improved ash support and removal system reduces clogging and other problems in the reaction vessel. The combustible gas passes through the scrubber housing to remove matter such as tar and oil, and the scrubbed gas passes through a hybrid blower to the filter housing. Wood chips are used in the filter housing to provide a relatively clean, dry gas. Wastewater and other waste products from the scrubber housing and filter housing are captured and returned to the reaction vessel.

Description

[0001] This application claims priority from U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 60 / 492,363, filed on Aug. 4, 2003.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0002] This invention relates to gasification and, more particularly, to a flexible gasification apparatus and method that provides combustible gases having high heating values while avoiding pitfalls of prior attempts at gasification. [0003] Gasification has generally been known for years. In gasification, a carbonaceous fuel source is partially combusted to produce a combustible gas, synthesis gas, or syngas. The combustible gas is then combusted to produce work. The combustible gases produced by gasification may find any number of uses, including but not limited to supplying heat, powering a motor, or producing electricity. Gasification provides many advantages, such as allowing fuels having relatively low heating values to be used, allowing waste products to be used to produce work, and, similarly, reducing the amount of waste ma...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0004] It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a flexible gasification apparatus and method that provides combustible gases having high heating values while avoiding pitfalls of prior attempts at gasification.

[0006] It is a further object of the present invention to provide an apparatus and method of the above type that produces a high value heating gas having low amounts of particulate matter and other pollutants.

Problems solved by technology

Despite these obvious advantages, gasification has met with only limited success, because gasification systems have typically been plagued by a number of disadvantages or difficulties.

For example, the heating values of gases produced using prior art systems have tended to fluctuate to an undesirable degree, particularly when a variety of fuel sources or fuel sources of varying compositions have been used.

Similarly, it has also proven difficult to consistently produce gases having sufficiently high heating values.

Separating particulate matter from the produced gas has proven problematic.

Similarly, it has proven difficult to produce sufficiently clean gases having sufficiently low amounts of particulate matter as well as sufficiently low amounts of pollutants such as such as sulfur dioxide (SO2), nitrogen oxides (NOx), carbon monoxide (CO) and volatile organic compounds (VOC), ammonia, hydrogen chloride (HCl), and chlorides.

Environmentally sound disposal of wastewater generated by such systems has also presented difficulties.

Further still, the presence of water or other liquids in the combustible gas has made it difficult or impossible to use blowers for moving the combustible gases without creating undesirable levels of wear and tear on the blowers.

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