Plastic conversion feeding system

Abstract

A plastic conversion feeding system for transporting raw materials through different processing units or stations into a container where chemical and / or physical reactions occur to produce a suitable and useful final product. The various processing units include a homogenizer for dispersing the raw materials, a size reduction device for reducing the raw materials into particles and densifying them, a heating and / or mixing device for heating the raw materials, and a feed conduit connecting the heating and mixing device to the container. The raw material conversion unit container produces a mixture of useful gases and condensable gases through various cracking, reforming, condensation, recombination, and re-cracking operations.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a plastic conversion feeding system for transporting a solid raw material, which includes plastic or hydrocarbon materials, or any combination thereof, that has been crushed and / or granulated, into a container where, ideally in the absence of air and / or oxygen, suitable compounds are produced under controlled chemical and physical reactions. The present invention also relates to a modified plastic conversion feeding system for transporting an ideally homogeneous plastic raw material or hydrocarbon raw material, or any combination thereof, preferably in the form of briquettes and / or cube blocks, into an extruder, where it is transported as a solid or semi-solid raw material to a reactor. Background Art

[0002] US Publication 2017 / 0283706 relates to a method and apparatus for pyrolyzing mixed plastic raw materials to produce petroleum products. In one embodiment, the method for producing petroleum products includes loading a raw material of mixed polymer materials into a reactor apparatus. In an anaerobic operation, thermal energy is applied to the raw material while the raw material is advanced through a container apparatus. The energy input into the reactor apparatus is controlled by controlling the temperature gradient within the reactor vessel to produce petroleum gas products. The method involves in-situ chemical reactions, including cracking and recombination reactions, which are controlled to convert the solid hydrocarbon portion of the raw material into a molten fluid and gas within the reactor vessel and to produce a gaseous petroleum product that exits the reactor vessel. The solid residue separated from the pyrolysis process is also removed from the reaction vessel.

[0003] WO 2016 / 042213 A1 relates to a pyrolysis device and a pyrolysis method. The pyrolysis device is a continuous device such that the material to be pyrolyzed is transported through the device. The pyrolysis device has at least two control sections through which the material to be pyrolyzed is transported. In at least two different control sections, the material is subjected to different degrees of thermal effects. In addition, the gas evaporated from the material is recovered from at least two control sections.

[0004] US 2016 / 017232 A1 relates to an apparatus and method for pyrolyzing hydrocarbon materials to produce useful gaseous and solid products, including a generally cylindrical linear reactor having screw means for conveying the hydrocarbon material through said reactor, means for feeding and heating said hydrocarbon material whereby it is processed and pyrolyzed to produce gaseous and solid products, means for removing gaseous products from said processed hydrocarbon material, means for removing solid products, means for maintaining said hydrocarbon material within a defined residence time zone, means for rotating said screw having a plurality of flights configured for extrusion and for melting said hydrocarbon material to convert it from a solid to a liquid, means for mixing, destabilizing and dehalogenating said hydrocarbon material, means for pyrolyzing said hydrocarbon material, means for devolatilizing the pyrolyzed hydrocarbon material, and means for discharging solid products.

[0005] EP 2457977 A2 relates to various embodiments of a method for pyrolyzing hydrocarbon materials. In one embodiment, the method for pyrolyzing hydrocarbon materials includes feeding a feedstock containing the hydrocarbon material to a reactor, heating said feedstock, and collecting liquid products from the reactor, which operates anaerobically. At least 5% of the organic carbon atoms not present in the aromatic rings of the feed compounds are present in the aromatic rings of the compounds in the liquid portion of the products.

[0006] EP 1647589 A2 relates to a continuous pyrolysis system for waste synthetic - high polymeric compounds for continuously pyrolyzing combustible waste by indirect heating in a pyrolysis chamber while maintaining an anaerobic or anoxic environment, and producing refined oils such as heavy oil and light oil according to boiling points in a distillation tower, which is used as a heat source for pyrolyzing the waste. The continuous pyrolysis system includes a hopper; a waste automatic injection device that discharges a predetermined amount of waste from the hopper; a pyrolysis chamber for maintaining a high temperature and an anoxic environment and continuously pyrolyzing the waste by indirect heating; a gas combustion chamber for burning the non - condensable gases in the pyrolysis gases generated during waste pyrolysis and providing heat at a predetermined temperature to the outer surface of the pyrolysis chamber as a heat source for waste pyrolysis; a refined oil production device for producing refined oils from the pyrolysis gases reformed after passing through a catalyst reaction and providing the remaining non - condensable gases to the gas combustion chamber; and an automatic discharge device for continuously discharging the ashes conveyed after pyrolysis from the pyrolysis chamber.

[0007] US 5057189 A relates to an apparatus for recovering char, oil, and fuel gas from motor vehicle tires, which can be used for whole tires or physically shredded tires. The tires can be washed to remove dirt and road film. The tires are dried and preheated with superheated steam. The hot tires are pyrolyzed to devolatize most of the hydrocarbon portion and produce char that can be separated from steel and fiberglass. Subsequently, the char can be pyrolyzed with microwaves to raise the temperature of the tires and devolatize the remaining hydrocarbons as gas from the char. The hot gas is cooled and partially condensed. The uncondensed gas is used as fuel. The condensed oil is sent to storage. The solid residue produced by tire pyrolysis is mainly char, fiberglass, and steel. The char is mechanically separated from the glass and steel. Alternatively, the char, glass, and steel are separated by pouring the hot mixture into a water-cooled tank. The mixture is cooled. The char floats to the surface of the water and is removed. The glass and steel sink to the bottom of the tank and are removed separately. The char can be sold, burned, or ground into pieces, and then pelletized and bagged. The steel and glass are discarded as waste.

[0008] US 8282787 relates to a system and method for gasifying carbonaceous feedstocks by pyrolysis to produce a gas product that can include methane, ethane, and other desired hydrocarbon gases, and a solid product that includes activated carbon or carbon. The gas product can then be filtered using at least a portion of the activated carbon in the solid product as a filter medium. In one embodiment, at least some harmful chemicals are sequestered or removed from the gas product during one or more filtration steps using activated carbon as the filter medium. In another embodiment, the filtration steps are carried out in stages using activated carbon at different temperatures. A high-temperature pyrolysis system that produces activated carbon can be combined with another high-temperature pyrolysis system that does not produce activated carbon to utilize the activated carbon from the first high-temperature pyrolysis system to provide filtration of toxic compounds. The high-temperature pyrolysis system can be combined with one or more low-temperature feedstock conversion processes such that the waste heat of the high-temperature pyrolysis system is used to operate the low-temperature processes. Non-wetting carbon with pores fused to silica can be produced using the system and method. Summary of the Invention

[0009] The function of the raw material conversion feeding system is to transport raw materials through different processing units or stations into a reactor vessel, where chemical and / or physical reactions occur to produce a suitable and useful final product. The various processing units include size reduction devices such as one or more shredders, or one or more pelletizers, or a combination of both. Ideally, the raw materials are usually shredded first and then pelletized. The pelletizing unit operation generally reduces and densifies the raw materials. Another processing unit of the present invention includes heating and mixing devices, which can be one or more feeders and / or one or more extruders, or both. Various different types of feeders can be utilized, some of which include rams, or chain conveyors, screw conveyors, and the like. The one or more extruders can generally be any type of extruder known in the literature and in the art, such as a single-screw extruder, or generally preferably a twin-screw extruder.

[0010] In another embodiment, the conversion feeding system transports raw materials through various stages into a pyrolysis reactor, which also produces a stable and useful final product as described below. The various processing units include a homogenizer, which generally does not comminute but breaks up, separates, or forces apart the usually compressed raw materials, which are generally then agitated or mixed so that the raw materials generally contain specific plastics, carbonaceous materials of a similar type, or any combination thereof. Such raw materials are then fed into a shredder to further separate the raw materials, and then into a pelletizer, ideally forming small compacts, cubes, etc. of the raw materials, which are then heated and fed into an extruder, and the solid or semi-solid material is fed from the extruder into the pyrolysis reactor.

[0011] A plastic conversion feeding system for transporting raw materials to a reactor vessel, comprising: a homogenizer capable of dispersing raw materials composed of plastic materials or hydrocarbon materials or any combination thereof; a pelletizer capable of reducing the size of the homogenized raw materials and densifying the homogenized raw materials; and an extruder capable of forming a continuous mass of feedstock and transporting it to the reactor vessel.

[0012] A method of transporting raw materials to a reactor vessel, comprising: dispersing the raw materials in a homogenizer, the raw materials including plastics, hydrocarbon materials, or any combination thereof; a pelletizer that reduces the size of the raw materials; an extruder, and a feed conduit operably connecting the extruder to the reactor and extruding the raw materials into the reactor.

[0013] A plastic conversion feed system for delivering a feedstock to a reactor vessel includes means for reducing the size of the feedstock and densifying the feedstock, the feedstock including plastic, or hydrocarbon material, or any combination thereof; heating means for heating and delivering the size-reduced feedstock to an extruder having an output axis; and a conduit connecting the extruder and the vessel, the conduit being capable of delivering the feedstock to the vessel, and the conduit optionally having an output axis with a radius angle of up to about 5° relative to the output axis of the extruder means.

[0014] A method of delivering a feedstock to a reactor vessel includes the steps of reducing the size of the feedstock in a size reduction device, the feedstock including plastic, or hydrocarbon material, or any combination thereof; heating and mixing the size-reduced feedstock; and delivering the size-reduced feedstock to a feed conduit that is connected to the vessel and delivers the size-reduced feedstock to the vessel. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0015] The above and other features of the present invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art of the present disclosure upon reading the following description with reference to the drawings, in which:

[0016] Figure 1 FIG. is a schematic view of a plastic conversion feed system for feeding hydrocarbon materials and / or plastic polymers into a size reduction device, such as a grinder, crusher, and / or granulator, and then into a heating and mixing device, such as a feeder and / or extruder, to prepare a suitable feedstock for a vessel in which chemical and / or physical reactions occur.

[0017] Figure 2 FIG. is a schematic view of a vessel in which various reactions can occur.

[0018] Figure 3 FIG. is a side view of a feed conduit for transferring a feedstock from a feeder and / or extruder to a vessel.

[0019] Figure 4 FIG. is a schematic view of a different feed system of the present invention that transfers a feedstock from a homogenizer to a reactor vessel.

[0020] Figure 5A FIG. is a perspective view of an adjustaplug that is generally fixedly connected to a feed conduit at a right angle to the feed conduit.

[0021] Figure 5B FIG. is a perspective view showing a portion of a feed channel, where the adjustaplug is at a right angle and partially extends into the feed channel. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0022] Feedstock Conversion Unit (FCU)

[0023] The container 300 of the present invention can generally be any container known in the art or in the literature, in which physical and / or chemical reactions can occur, and desirably, is substantially free of air and oxygen. That is, based on the total internal volume of the container, the total amount of oxygen is less than about 3% by volume, desirably less than about 2% by volume, and preferably less than about 1% by volume, and more preferably is completely free of any air or oxygen. Thus, a reactor container such as a pyrolysis container can be utilized. The container generally can have a plurality of heating units, a plurality of reaction stages, a plurality of product gas vents, etc., or any combination thereof. Optionally but preferably, the container 300 includes an outer shroud 360 having a plurality of inner walls 365 that extend from the outer shroud to the outer wall of the container and form heated channels for hot gas to heat the container. Figure 2 The preferred container schematically shown in is described in U.S. Patent 10711202B2, issued July 14, 2020, and the contents of all aspects thereof are hereby incorporated by reference into the present application. As is well known in the art and in the literature, various pyrolysis containers decompose various substances, compounds, and materials through various reactions such as cracking, reforming, recombination, and re-cracking, and generally can produce various gases such as alkane gases, or various hydrocarbon gases such as naphtha, or various gas oils such as heavy oil, as well as diesel fuel, aviation fuel, marine fuel, various waxes, lubricating oils, additives, various distillates, light organic compounds, and the like.

[0024] The feedstock conversion feed system 400 includes different processing units or stations. The feedstock material is generally plastic or hydrocarbon material 405, or any combination thereof, and is fed into the particle size reduction device 420 by the hopper system 410. The hopper system includes an upper large hopper 412 that receives a large amount of feedstock and opens an orifice device, such as a bottom valve 413, upon receiving an electronic signal from the lower smaller hopper 414 indicating that it is running low on feedstock, and transfers (e.g., fills) the feedstock to the lower hopper 414. The lower hopper 414 has an orifice therein, such as a lower valve 415, that can transfer, convey, or feed the waste at a constant rate or steady-state amount into the size reduction device 420. In a manner well known in the art and in the literature, the lower hopper feed valve can be programmed to increase or decrease the amount of waste feedstock allowed to enter the size reduction device 420 to stabilize and generally equalize the flow of the subsequently size-reduced solid feedstock or semi-molten or molten feedstock into the FCU container 300.

[0025] One desirable aspect of the container 300 is that it generally produces petroleum gas products. Preferred plastic waste items include waste polymers in the form of, for example, sheets, encapsulations, packages, furniture, plastic housings, containers, waste plastics, etc., and are utilized. They generally contain only hydrogen atoms and carbon atoms, such as polyethylene, high-density polyethylene, low-density polyethylene, linear low-density polyethylene, polypropylene, polystyrene, etc. Other suitable commercial polymers include polyesters, polycarbonates, polymethyl methacrylates, nylons, polybutenes, acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene (ABS) copolymers, polyurethanes, polyethers, poly(oxides), poly(sulfides), polyarylates, polyether ketones, polyetherimides, polysulfones, polyvinyl alcohols, and polymers formed by polymerization of dienes, vinyl esters, acrylates, acrylonitriles, methacrylates, methacrylonitriles, dibasic acids, diols, or lactones, or any combination thereof. Further, other polymers include block copolymers of the foregoing substances, and their alloys. The polymeric material may also include thermosetting polymers such as epoxy resins, phenolic resins, melamine resins, alkyd resins, vinyl ester resins, crosslinked polyester resins, crosslinked polyurethanes; and also crosslinked elastomers including, but not limited to, polyisoprene, polybutadiene, polystyrene-butadiene, polystyrene-isoprene, polyethylene-propylene, ethylene-propylene-diene, etc., and their blends.

[0026] Hydrocarbon materials generally include compounds that of course mainly have only carbon atoms and hydrogen atoms, such as various bitumens, including bituminous tailings from mines, various heavy fractions of fractionation columns, including various heavy oils, greases, semi-bituminous compounds, etc. By the present invention, these compounds are reduced to lighter components, and mainly various types of hydrocarbon-containing gases.

[0027] The various polymeric raw materials described above generally include fillers, pigments, flame retardants, clays, etc. Generally, the amount is about 2 wt% to about 25 wt%, or desirably about 3 wt% to about 20 wt%, or preferably about 3 wt% to about 15 wt%, or most preferably less than about 7 wt%, all based on the total weight of one or more polymeric raw materials. Such compounds generally do not undergo chemical or physical reactions, but are generally discharged from the container 300 through the container discharge passage 330 as solid inert residues.

[0028] In a preferred embodiment, the above different types of raw material compositions generally contain about 40% to about 90%, ideally about 50% to about 85%, and preferably about 70% to about 80% (by weight) of polyethylene, polypropylene and polystyrene polymers. Any remaining polymers may be, but are not limited to, polyurethane, nylon, PET and polyvinyl chloride, as well as any of the above remaining polymers.

[0029] The process size reduction device 420 includes one or more shredders 422 and / or one or more granulators 424. Although they can be in any order, preferably, as shown in FIG. Figure 1 As shown, the raw material is first crushed and then subsequently granulated. The crusher and granulator can be spaced apart from each other, adjacent to each other or connected to each other (contiguous), or even integrated, that is, a combined unit. Preferably, they are separated by a short distance so that there is a direct feed from the crusher 422 to the granulator 424. The crusher 422 may include any conventional crusher known in the art and literature, which generally reduces the size of the raw material to small particles in one or more stages. Similarly, the granulator 424 can be any conventional granulator known in the art and literature, which reduces the size of the raw material 405 in one or more stages, and preferably also densifies it into small particles 428. The reduced size of the densified individual plastic granulation raw materials 428 is generally formed into spheres, blocks, cylinders or other random forms, and its size can vary widely, for example, from about 0.25 to about 6 inches, ideally from about 0.5 to about 5 inches, preferably from about 1 to about 4 inches, and more preferably from about 1 to about 2 inches. The feedstock 405 may optionally be heated in the pulverizer and / or granulator 420, or in the feed stream 430, such as in an oven (not shown), by any conventional means known in the art and literature, such as by hot air, hot oil, steam, or infrared light, electric heat, or mechanical working, and the like, and the temperature may vary widely, such as from about ambient temperature, i.e., about 40°F, to about 100°F, or even higher, such as to about 160°F, or to below the melting temperature of the lowest melting temperature of the plastic. One advantage of densifying the waste, plastic and / or carbonaceous waste is to produce a granulated feed stream 430 having a desired density, which is generally greater than about 15 pounds per cubic foot, or desirably greater than about 20 pounds per cubic foot, and the feed stream 430 discharged from the pulverizer 422 and / or granulator 424 has a reduced amount of air therein.

[0030] The size-reduced waste feed on a conveyor 435, in the form of a feed stream 430, is fed into another processing unit, the heating and mixing device 440. The device 440 includes one or more feed units and / or one or more extruders. The feeders and / or extruders can be arranged in any order, preferably first a feeder followed by a single downstream extruder, as Figure 1 shown. These two separate units can be separated from each other, or adjacent, or connected to each other, or even an integrated device of them. As Figure 1 shown, the feeding device adjacent to the extruder preferably feeds the crushed and / or granulated raw materials directly from the feeder 442 into the extruder 444. The feeder 442 can generally be any conventional feeder known in the art and in the literature, and it optionally but desirably can also heat the raw materials. The feeder 442 can include piston rings, or conveyor belts, or a screw (not shown), which is usually directly heated and transfers the raw materials directly to the extruder 444 or the feed conduit 500. Similarly, the extruder 444 can be any conventional extruder known in the literature and in the art, usually heating and transferring various raw materials, such as crushed and / or granulated raw materials, to the container 300. As another alternative and desirably, the extruder heats and densifies the raw material particles and generally converts them into a semi-molten or molten, flowable, or preferably non-molten mass and feeds it into the conduit 500. The suitable temperature range of the raw material 460 discharged from the feeder 442 and / or the extruder 444 can be from about 200°F to about 300°F or about 400°F, and even about 500°F, or the desirable range is from about 250°F to about 400°F, and from about 300°F to about 350°F. The twin-screw extruder 444 in this embodiment is preferred, which desirably includes jacketed barrels and internally ported screws to allow the use of hot heating media, such as hot oil, etc. In addition, the independent heating parts of the barrels allow careful control of the temperature of the feed stream material.

[0031] Another advantageous aspect of using the extruder is that the densification of the feed stream from it (the outlet) can be easily increased to its fully dense state, which is usually greater than about 25 pounds per cubic foot, and desirably about 30 to about 38 pounds per cubic foot. This increased density further eliminates and generally ensures minimal air intrusion through the raw materials into any FCU container 300.

[0032] Another important aspect of the present invention is the use of a handling device, namely a feed conduit 500, which extends from the extruder 444 into the container 300 to transfer raw materials from the extruder into the container, and it can be made of any conventional type of metal such as stainless steel, cast iron or carbon steel. This device is generally a flexible conduit or pipe with a smooth interior that connects the outlet of the feeder 442 and / or the extruder 444 to the FCU container 300 and ensures a stable rate and smooth flow of raw materials, or semi-molten and / or molten raw material waste, regardless of the position of the container inlet, for example, the height, distance, lateral position, etc. relative to the outlet of the feeder and / or the extruder. The outlet or axis 452 of the feed conduit can be precisely aligned with the extruder output axis 448, or can generally be moved in a moderate radial direction. That is to say, optionally, it can be vertically moved, i.e., up or down, or laterally moved, i.e., left or right, or any combination of the above movements, within a radial angle of no more than about 5°, and preferably within an angle of about 3° or less relative to the extruder output axis 448. The axis 452 of the conduit 500 can be perpendicular to the ingress face of the feed conduit. Optionally, the entire conduit can be located within a flexible tube to allow angular movement of the feed into the container. This movement easily transfers the broken or granulated or semi-molten or molten waste feed stream from the extruder 444 to the inlet 310 of the container 300 in a smooth, continuous, stable flow and at a uniform flow rate. This is an important aspect because the container can then operate in a stable reaction state such as pyrolysis, cracking, reforming, etc., whereby the effective output of the various components of the broken or granulated flowable waste is typically converted into gases such as petroleum gas, etc., as described above. The length of the conduit 500 can vary, such as from about 24 to about 240 inches, and more preferably from about 36 to about 120 inches. The length is adjusted to take into account the layout of the plant and also to ensure sufficient length to form a vapor seal with the raw materials fed into the reactor.

[0033] Figure 3A detailed view of a preferred conduit 500 is shown. A feeder, or preferably, an extruder feeds solid, semi-molten or molten raw material into the conduit 500, which is connected to the extruder 444 in any conventional manner, such as by nuts and bolts, welding, etc., e.g., connected to a flange (not shown) at the extruder outlet in such a way that it can rotate at a radial angle of about 5° relative to the output shaft 448 of the extruder 444. To keep the waste material in a flowable mass when discharged from the extruder 444, the feed conduit 500 is typically heated in any conventional manner, such as by hot oil, infrared heating, heating tapes, etc. The input hopper 505 has a jacket around it, which may contain hot gas, such as air, hot oil, etc. The hopper 505 is connected to a slide valve 510, which can be a gate valve, a ball valve or any other type of valve that can easily shut off the flow of raw material to the container 300. Subsequently, any trapped material must be reheated, e.g., when restarting the raw material conversion feed system. As Figure 3 shown, the feed conduit 500 has an extension tube 515, which connects the valve 510 to a flexible tube 530 connected to the container 300. To keep the waste material in a flowable state in the feed conduit 500, hot oil can be added to the heating tube system 520 through an inlet 521, which may contain a valve connected to the extension tube 515 and has a heating jacket around it. The heating fluid is in a countercurrent flow, flowing out of the extension tube 515, circulated by the valve 510 and applied to the input hopper 505, also in a countercurrent manner, and flowing out of it through the warm oil outlet 523. The flexible tube 530 preferably includes a flexible insulating layer 540 to keep the waste material in a semi-molten state. Thus, the raw material waste is fed into the container 300, e.g., through an exit feed delivery tube 550 or the feed conduit 500 into the container 300.

[0034] Another advantage of the conduit 500 is that it is flexible, meaning that the feed conduit axis 452 of the conduit 500 can generally be substantially aligned with the horizontal axis 448 of the extruder 444 at one end, and generally be substantially parallel-aligned with the input axis 305 of the inlet of the container 300 at the other end, e.g., when it is in a slightly different position such as in a vertical direction or a horizontal direction, etc.

[0035] The conduit 500 can be supported by any conventional scaffold or other support device, or, as an alternative, it can also be suspended from an aerial truss system, etc. The feed delivery tube or conduit 500 can feed 2500 - 7500 pounds per hour of material into the container.

[0036] In summary, the above Figure 1Advantages of the plastic conversion feedstock 405 in [description] include a continuous or steady-state flow of the waste feedstock stream and a minimum amount of entrained air or air intrusion into the container 300. This is mainly achieved by the extruder 444 applying pressure to the feedstock as it is forced into the container 300, thereby squeezing air and oxygen out of the feedstock. Also, the temperature and density of the feedstock are controlled. The stress applied to the feed conduit 500 is also minimized. This is achieved by an optional flexible bellows with a smaller inner tube (not shown), allowing angular flexing of the feed conduit system, thus extending the life of the system. Additionally, the flexible feed conduit can accommodate changes in the shape, length, and angle of the PCU container 300.

[0037] The container 300 desirably exists such that its axis 305 can optionally be set at a slightly upward slope or angle, i.e., from about 0° to about 10°, desirably from about 1° to about 5°, and preferably from about 1.5° to about 4°, with respect to a reference point on the flat ground (not a slope, hill, or any upward or downward land gradient) where the container is located. Thus, when needed, complete pyrolysis of the feedstock body 460 can be achieved before any unreacted feedstock waste mass reaches the upper end or outlet 320 of the container as shown. In other words, efficient utilization of the container is an important aspect to prevent unreacted feedstock from discharging from the outlet end of the container. As shown, the feedstock 460 initially fills a specific amount of the container at its lowest part and is heated and gradually moves through the container by the helical blade 340 and pyrolyzed and gasified into various components, which undergo various cracking, condensation, reforming, and recombination (chemical and physical) reactions to produce an ideal mixture of various hydrocarbon products. Figure 2 shown, before reaching the upper end or outlet 320 of the container as Figure 2 shown, the feedstock 460 initially fills a specific amount of the container at its lowest part and is heated and gradually moves through the container by the helical blade 340 and pyrolyzed and gasified into various components, which undergo various cracking, condensation, reforming, and recombination (chemical and physical) reactions to produce an ideal mixture of various hydrocarbon products.

[0038] The beach head point 350 is located at the bottom of the container upstream at a distance from the container inlet or opening 310 where the height of the bottom of the container is approximately equal to the initial vertical height of the feedstock body injected into the container. Based on the total length of the container, the distance of point 350 from the upper outlet or discharge channel 330 of the container should be about at least about 2%, desirably at least about 5%, and preferably at least about 10%.

[0039] The yield of the gaseous product produced by the present invention is very high, at least about 70% by weight of the feedstock entering the container, desirably at least about 80% by weight, and preferably at least about 85% or 90% by weight. The remaining material is typically classified as solid inert residue, is dry, usually contains fillers and other inert materials, and is discharged from the upper or outlet end 320 of the container 300 through the discharge channel 330.

[0040] Figure 2A desired reaction vessel is shown, which is similar to the vessel described in U.S. Patent 10,711,202, issued July 14, 2020, which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety. However, it should be understood that there may be many other types of vessels. Vessel 300 does not rotate and does not contain any catalyst. That is, it has no catalyst. Vessel 300 includes a shroud 360 that extends substantially around vessel 300, preferably around the entire outer region of vessel 300. A plurality of inner walls 365 connect the shroud 360 to vessel 300 to form a heating zone and / or reaction zone within the vessel. Heat is supplied to the vessel by standard or conventional heating units 370, which are typically present in each section of the vessel separated by inner walls 365. Thus, heat generally flows circumferentially (annularly) around the generally cylindrical vessel 300 and is discharged from the vessel through heat exhaust channels 375 at the top of the vessel. Heat in different parts of vessel 300 generally volatilizes feedstock 460, and the resulting gases are discharged from the vessel through product exhaust channels 380, where they are sent to a condensing device (not shown) and can be in many different product forms. Various preferred petroleum products include naphtha, distillate oils such as diesel, jet fuel, gas oils such as heavy oil, greases, semi-bituminous compounds, waxes, steam cracking feedstocks, and so on.

[0041] In Figure 2 the pyrolysis of feedstock 460 occurs through cracking, recombination, reforming, re-cracking, etc. as the feedstock travels along the vessel from the input or inlet 310 to the upper end or 320 of the vessel. Generally, along axis 305 of vessel 300, i.e., Figure 2 the suitable pyrolysis temperature range from left to right in is from about 700°F to about 1200°F.

[0042] Modified Embodiment

[0043] According to another embodiment of the present invention, a modified feed system 600 schematically shown in Figure 4 can be utilized to achieve a substantially homogeneous flow of pyrolysis feedstock into a pyrolysis reactor 300 such as Figure 2 shown. In this embodiment, the feedstock is not semi-molten or molten (i.e., melted), but ideally contains solid particles or solid chunks, ideally heated, and importantly, is flowable.

[0044] The recyclable materials received for pyrolysis have many sources, such as food and grocery stores, pharmacies, home improvement stores, mixed waste, municipal collection plants, and industrial sources, and typically contain a variety of materials, some of which are not suitable for use in a pyrolysis reactor. Thus, as Figure 4As shown, these materials are manually sorted to remove them from the waste feedstock 405. Using human labor, undesired pyrolysis feedstock categories are separated out, including but not limited to glass, such as various beverage bottles, various types of cardboard and paper, and various metals, such as beverage cans, beer cans, wood, such as game boards, toys, etc., and undesired types of plastics, such as polyvinyl chloride.

[0045] Since there will not be a continuous influx of a specific type of material in one or more manual sorting areas, the amount of feedstock from each manual sorting area will vary. Therefore, ideally, it is necessary to adjust the amount and type of the feedstock to achieve a generally similar input of different types of plastics and hydrocarbon materials. For example, if there is too much polyolefin, such as polyethylene or polypropylene, in the first manually sorted feedstock, other or different polymers, such as polystyrene, polyurethane, polyester, nylon, etc., can be added from another feedstock to generally maintain a similar overall input of various different polymers and hydrocarbon materials to the homogenizer 610. This process is generally done manually by taking the feedstock from different sorting areas rich in one material and adding it to the feedstock with less of this material.

[0046] The above-mentioned feedstock is fed into the hopper system 410 described above, which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety. The hopper system may include the above-mentioned upper hopper and lower hopper, which preferably have the same size in this embodiment and generally convey or send the pyrolysis feedstock at a fairly constant or stable flow rate to ensure a stable and balanced flow of the feedstock to the homogenizer 610. Also, the upper hopper is important because it allows people to measure the feed and improves the controllability of the process (the particles can be stored and replenished to some extent independently of the requirements of the pyrolyzer).

[0047] The purpose of the homogenizer 610 is to break up the feedstock and ensure that generally similar amounts of specific feedstock are conveyed to the pyrolysis reactor 300, so that various products are produced by the pyrolysis reactor at a fairly stable rate, such as various petroleum gas products including naphtha, various distillate oils such as gasoline, and various gas-oil compounds such as heavy oil, wax, diesel fuel, etc. The homogenized material flows into the pyrolysis reactor, thus ensuring the smooth production of various of the final products and therefore maximizing the efficiency of the pyrolysis reactor and reducing various feeding operations to ensure the smooth operation of the pyrolysis reactor, such as the ideal temperature of each heating section of the reactor, the generally ideal flow rate of various final products coming out of the product discharge channel 380 of the reactor, and the fairly constant heat input of various heaters 370 of the reactor, etc.

[0048] A homogenizer typically includes a rotating "dispersion" shaft that is designed to receive and mix raw materials from different sorting areas, for example, to achieve a similar overall distribution of various polymers and the like without clogging the equipment or stopping the process. A common challenge with rotating equipment when it comes into contact with films present in the raw materials is that the films wrap around the rotating shaft, which increases the energy requirement or stops and / or damages the equipment. The geometry of the dispersion shaft should be such that the films do not easily wrap around it, that is, it does not have low relief knobs and overhanging geometries that can grab the films. Additionally, the bearings are not subject to films, that is, they are protected from film entry. Optionally, a blade can be used to cut the film off the shaft, and / or the shaft can be reversed to "unload" the wrapped film. In another system, a moving rake maintains the depth level of the feed stream. These types of rotating equipment are known in the art and in the literature.

[0049] Subsequently, the homogenized feed stream 615 is fed into the next unit operation by any common conveying device such as a conveyor belt 625, which is ideally a crusher 442. As described above, the crusher 442 is essentially used to reduce the size of the raw material 405 and disperse agglomerated raw materials. Such crushers, if they have a rotating shaft, rotate at a slow speed but with high torque to prevent the raw material film from clogging the system. Various crushers are known in the literature and in the art, including machines manufactured by companies such as VECO. The energy required for such crushers is low, and it can promote a constant flow of the raw material to facilitate granulation in the next unit operation step.

[0050] The downstream of the crusher 422 is a granulator 424. As described above, the main purpose of the granulator is to reduce the size of the raw material 405 into smaller particles. The granulator 424 also densifies the raw material, typically in the form of compacts and / or cubes, with the size of the compacts and / or cubes ranging from about half an inch to about 3 or 4 inches, and preferably from about 1 to 2 inches. Standard compacting or densifying machines can be used to produce compacts and / or cubes, such as those produced by machines manufactured by MUNCH.

[0051] The next unit operation is to transfer the pellets to a heater and a feeder 640, where the briquettes and / or cubes, etc. are typically heated to a temperature ranging from about 50°F or about 100°F to about 400°F or about 500°F, desirably from about 150°F to about 300°F, and preferably from about 200°F to about 250°F. These low temperatures are desired so that the feedstock 460 can be easily transferred and then processed in an extruder without imposing undo strain on the extruder equipment. However, applying too much heat to the pellet feedstock can impose high pressure on the extruder equipment, so heating temperatures of about 500°F or higher, especially 500°F or higher, are to be avoided. The heating and feeding device can be a standard rotary kiln dryer, etc. well known in the art and in the literature.

[0052] Subsequently, the next unit operation of the feeding system is to utilize an extruder 444, whose general purpose is to heat and densify the feedstock in the form of briquettes or cubes to form a continuous mass or stream of feedstock, which enters the pyrolysis reactor 300 from the extruder outlet, where it can be converted into various types of petroleum gases as described above by means of cracking, recombination, etc. According to Figure 4 An advantage of the process is that the extrusion temperature causes the pellets to form a physical plug 655 of material around the conduit 500 at the entrance of the pyrolysis reactor 300 in a semi-molten or molten form to prevent the gases generated therein from flowing backward, i.e., backflow to the extruder 650. Generally, any type of extruder can be used, and the preferred type is a single-screw extruder because it has the ability to form a plug around the feed conduit 500 while conveying the densified material at the necessary or desired feed rate. An important aspect of this modified embodiment is that the feedstock fed from the extruder into the pyrolysis reactor is generally in the form of a flowable material (material), but not molten, i.e., it has not been melted. That is, it is in the form of flowable plastic and hydrocarbon pellets.

[0053] The amount of solid or softened feedstock fed into the feed conduit 500 through the extruder 650 can range from about 25 pounds to about 50 pounds per cubic foot, and desirably from about 30 pounds to about 45 pounds per cubic foot.

[0054] The feed conduit 500 is used to feed solid or semi-solid feedstock from the extruder into the pyrolysis reactor 300. Therefore, all of the above-described aspects regarding this are hereby incorporated by reference in their entirety, unless otherwise described differently herein. However, it should be noted that the radial angle of the output axis of the feeder, i.e., the output axis 652 of the extruder, can vary within a range up to about 10°, generally from about 1° to 7°, and most preferably from about 1° to about 3°.

[0055] To achieve a consistent air seal, the degree of compaction of the flowing material can be adjusted by changing the cross-sectional geometry of the feed pipe or lengthening / shortening the feed pipe. One way to achieve this is to add a port on the side of the feed pipe, where a rod can be inserted into the material flow to an adjustable depth, thereby increasing the flow resistance and increasing the compaction of the material in the feed pipe, thus forming a tighter seal. The rod should be strong enough to avoid deformation in the flow, and there needs to be a seal between the inside of the feed pipe and the environment. This seal can be any common seal, such as a packing gland or a mechanical seal design. The common threaded methods, although allowing adjustment, are generally not sufficient to achieve an air seal. However, multiple fasteners can be used for sealing, such as nuts with or without washers.

[0056] More specifically, the present invention relates to the use of an adjustment plug 660 as shown in Figure 5A and Figure 5B . The purpose of the adjustment plug 660, which is generally located at a vertical angle on the feed conduit 500, is to make the feed or feed stream 615 more compact before it enters the pyrolysis vessel 300. As shown in Figure 5A and Figure 5B , the adjustment plug 660 extends into the side of the conduit 500 and can be connected thereto by conventional means such as welding, nuts and bolts. The connection angle is generally from about 70° to about 110°, ideally from about 80° to about 90°, and preferably an angle of about 90°. When the threaded rod 680 is rotated, the piston 670 that can slide longitudinally in the housing 675 can be forced into the feed conduit 500. When a part of it is inserted into the conduit, it reduces or limits the flow area through which the feed stream 615 can flow, thereby resulting in a more compacted feed material. Conversely, when the threaded rod 680 is rotated in the reverse direction, the pressure inside the feed conduit 500 will decrease.

[0057] Another feature of the present invention is that the feed stream 615 encounters a very high temperature in the initial part of the pyrolysis reactor 300 when it leaves the conduit 500, causing it to liquefy and resulting in the natural formation of a plug 655, as shown in Figure 3 . The plug 655 is usually formed at the outlet of the feed conduit 500 and prevents the product gas formed in the vessel 300 from flowing into the feed conduit 500.

[0058] Although the best mode and preferred embodiments have been given in accordance with the patent statutes, the scope of the present invention is not limited thereto, but is defined by the scope of the appended claims.

Claims

1. A plastic conversion feed system for delivering a feedstock to a reactor vessel, comprising: A homogenizer capable of dispersing the feedstock, the feedstock including plastic, or hydrocarbon material, or any combination thereof, wherein the hydrocarbon material includes asphalt, heavy fractions of a fractionation column, or semi-asphaltic compounds; A granulator capable of reducing the size of the homogenized feedstock and densifying it, thereby producing granulated feedstock, wherein the granulator is located downstream of the homogenizer, and wherein the operating temperature of the granulator ranges from ambient temperature to 160°F (71.1°C); An extruder located downstream of the granulator and receiving the granulated feedstock, the extruder capable of forming a continuous body of feedstock that is sent to the reactor vessel, wherein the extruder heats the granulated feedstock such that the temperature of the feedstock leaving the extruder ranges from 200°F (93.3°C) to 400°F (204.4°C); And A feed conduit extending from the extruder to the reactor vessel, wherein the feed conduit is configured to form an air seal with the feedstock being sent to the reactor vessel, the air seal being located within the feed conduit and at the inlet of the reactor vessel to prevent product gas formed in the reactor vessel from flowing into the feed conduit.

2. The plastic conversion feed system according to claim 1, comprising a crusher capable of reducing the size of the feedstock and located downstream of the homogenizer and upstream of the granulator.

3. The plastic conversion feed system according to claim 2, comprising a heater for heating the granulated feedstock and a feeder system capable of transferring the feedstock to the extruder.

4. The plastic conversion feed system according to claim 3, wherein the feed conduit is flexible, and the extruder has an output axis, and the feed conduit has an output axis, and the output axis of the feed conduit has a radius angle of up to 5° relative to the output axis of the extruder.

5. The plastic conversion feed system according to claim 4, comprising a port on the side of the feed conduit at which a rod is inserted into the feedstock stream at an adjustable depth to increase the flow resistance and increase the compaction of the feedstock within the feed conduit.

6. The plastic conversion feed system according to claim 3, wherein the feedstock exiting the extruder is a flowable unmelted material.

7. A method of delivering a feedstock to a reactor vessel, comprising: Dispersing the feedstock in a homogenizer, the feedstock including plastic, or hydrocarbon material, or any combination thereof, wherein the hydrocarbon material includes asphalt, heavy fractions of a fractionation column, or semi-asphaltic compounds; A granulator that reduces the size of the feedstock, wherein the granulator is located downstream of the homogenizer, and wherein the operating temperature of the granulator ranges from ambient temperature to 160°F (71.1°C); An extruder located downstream of the granulator and receiving the granulated feedstock, a feed conduit operably connecting the extruder to the reactor vessel, and extruding the granulated feedstock into the reactor vessel, wherein the extruder heats the granulated feedstock such that the temperature of the feedstock exiting the extruder ranges from 200°F (93.3°C) to 400°F (204.4°C), wherein the feed conduit is configured to form an air seal with the feedstock being fed into the reactor vessel, the air seal being located within the feed conduit and at the inlet of the reactor vessel to prevent product gas formed in the reactor vessel from flowing into the feed conduit.

8. The method according to claim 7, comprising adding a port to the side of the feed conduit at which a rod is inserted into the feedstock stream at an adjustable depth to increase the flow resistance and increase the compaction of the feedstock in the feed conduit.

9. A plastic conversion feed system for delivering a feedstock to a reactor vessel, comprising: a size reduction device capable of reducing the size of and densifying the feedstock, the feedstock comprising plastic, or hydrocarbon material, or any combination thereof, wherein the hydrocarbon material comprises asphalt, heavy fractions of a fractionation column, or semi-asphaltic compounds; a heating device capable of heating the feedstock to a temperature range between 200°F (93.3°C) and 400°F (204.4°C), wherein the heating device is located downstream of the size reduction device, and transferring the heated and size-reduced feedstock to an extruder, wherein the extruder heats the feedstock such that the temperature of the feedstock exiting the extruder ranges from 200°F (93.3°C) to 400°F (204.4°C), wherein the extruder is located downstream of the heating device, the extruder having an output axis; and a feed conduit connecting the extruder to the reactor vessel and capable of feeding the feedstock into the reactor vessel, wherein the feed conduit is configured to form an air seal with the feedstock being fed into the reactor vessel, the air seal being located within the feed conduit and at the inlet of the reactor vessel to prevent product gas formed in the reactor vessel from flowing into the feed conduit.

10. The plastic conversion feed system according to claim 9, wherein the size reduction device comprises a crusher, or a granulator, or both, and wherein the heating device comprises a feeder.

11. The plastic conversion feed system according to claim 10, wherein the reactor vessel is a pyrolysis reactor, and wherein the feed conduit is flexible and has an output axis, the output axis of the feed conduit having a radius angle of up to 5° relative to the output axis of the extruder.

12. The plastic conversion feed system according to claim 10, wherein the size reduction device is the granulator, and wherein the granulator is capable of densifying the feedstock to greater than 15 pounds per cubic foot (240.28 kilograms per cubic meter).

13. The plastic conversion feed system according to claim 9, wherein the heating device is part of the extruder.

14. A method of delivering a feedstock to a reactor vessel, comprising the steps of: reducing the size of the feedstock in a size reduction device, the feedstock comprising plastic, or hydrocarbon material, or any combination thereof, wherein the hydrocarbon material comprises asphalt, heavy fractions of a fractionation column, or semi-asphaltic compounds; heating the feedstock in a heating device to a temperature range between 200°F (93.3°C) and 400°F (204.4°C), wherein the heating device is downstream of the size reduction device; transferring the heated and size-reduced feedstock to an extruder, wherein the extruder is downstream of the heating device; heating the feedstock in the extruder to a temperature range of 200°F (93.3°C) to 400°F (204.4°C) and mixing the size-reduced feedstock, and transferring the size-reduced feedstock to a feed conduit; wherein the feed conduit is connected to the reactor vessel, and feeding the feed conduit containing the size-reduced feedstock into the reactor vessel, wherein the feed conduit is configured to form an air seal with the feedstock being fed into the reactor vessel, the air seal being within the feed conduit and at the inlet of the reactor vessel, to prevent product gas formed in the reactor vessel from flowing into the feed conduit.

15. The method according to claim 14, wherein the size reduction device comprises a granulator.

16. The method according to claim 15, wherein the density of the size-reduced feedstock is greater than 25 pounds per cubic foot (400.46 kilograms per cubic meter).

17. The method according to claim 15, wherein the feed conduit has an output axis, and the output axis of the feed conduit has a maximum radius angle of 5° relative to the output axis of the extruder.

18. The method according to claim 14, comprising a hopper system, the hopper system comprising an upper hopper and a lower hopper, feeding the feedstock to the upper hopper, and subsequently feeding the feedstock in the upper hopper to the lower hopper, and subsequently feeding the feedstock from the lower hopper to the size reduction device.

19. The method according to claim 14, wherein the feed conduit is flexible and heated.

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