Separated water supply synthesis gas reactor with preheating function and process thereof

Abstract

The present invention provides a synthesis gas reactor for performing a chemical reaction for converting an input organic material into a synthesis gas by heating the input organic material. The reactor adds energy from the outside to the performed chemical reaction to reach a temperature at which the input organic material reacts with water to produce syngas. The syngas is a combustible gas mixture, typically having a relatively low energy content, consisting essentially of carbon monoxide, methane, some smaller hydrocarbon molecules, hydrogen, and reaction and feedstock residues. The reactor with additional features divides the reaction into two major steps so as to enable more control of the reaction to save energy and improve and control the energy content and uniformity of the generated syngas.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention generally relates to a reactor for chemically converting an input organic material into synthesis gas by heating the input organic material. The reactor adds energy from an external source to the chemical reaction being carried out to a temperature at which the input organic material reacts with water to form synthesis gas. Synthesis gas is a combustible gas mixture, usually with a relatively low energy content, consisting mainly of carbon monoxide, methane, some smaller hydrocarbon molecules, hydrogen, and reaction residues and feedstock residues.

[0002] These reactors are often referred to as: shift gas reactors, pyrolysis reactors, hydrolysis reactors, biogas reactors, bottom hole gas reactors, and various other names.

[0003] These types of reactors are widely used in a variety of fields from waste treatment to coal gasification. The present invention provides the following syngas reactor with the additional feature of dividing the reaction into two main steps to enable better control of the reaction, ultimately achieving energy savings and improving and controlling the energy content and uniformity of the generated syngas. Background Art

[0004] Syngas reactors have many different names, which have also changed over the years, in which reactors are used and have the purpose of reactors. They all have in common firstly that they require additional heat energy for decomposing at least a large part of the molecules in the feedstock in order to achieve the desired chemical reaction and secondly that the type of reduction reaction of the carbon molecules in the decomposed feedstock molecules with hydrogen is carried out, and the hydrogen is usually provided for the reaction in the form of water, which is either at least partly present in the feedstock or at least partly added to the feedstock.

[0005] The syngas produced by such chemical reactions contains compounds that can be used as fuel because they are flammable.

[0006] Depending on the feedstock, the resulting syngas has a relatively low energy content compared to other fuels and / or combustible compounds.

[0007] Depending on the feedstock, the composition of the resulting syngas may vary, so the energy content may fluctuate over time.

[0008] In the case of relatively uniform feedstocks (e.g. straw), the composition of the syngas fluctuates or changes less, so the energy content changes more steadily over time; whereas in the case of less uniform feedstocks (e.g. municipal waste), it is difficult to keep the generated syngas uniform.

[0009] The chemical reaction of the more complex hydrocarbons in the feedstock to form smaller, simpler molecules such as carbon monoxide and methane requires hydrogen as the reducing compound—which can be viewed as analogous to the need for oxygen as the oxidizing compound in combustion.

[0010] These necessary hydrogen molecules are usually provided in the chemical reaction of the syngas reactor in the form of water. This water is either already present in the feedstock or is added to the chemical reaction.

[0011] The chemical reaction in the syngas reactor requires heat energy added to the chemical reaction because it is not provided by the chemical reaction itself, unlike the combustion reaction. This heat energy is added from the outside through the heating elements.

[0012] Ways to add this thermal energy include: heating with electric heaters, oxygen injection, burners, ionization and / or the use of one or more plasma torches.

[0013] The feedstock for the syngas reactor may vary greatly from case to case, depending on many reasons, one of which is the purpose for which the syngas reactor is to be used. Therefore, the water content in the feedstock may also vary from case to case. For example, when using dry wood as feedstock, the water content will be about 30%, while for undried wood, the moisture content will be about 70%.

[0014] Typically, the largest part or at least a significant part of the energy added to the synthesis gas reactor from the outside is used in the synthesis gas reactor to first evaporate the water in the feedstock or the water that has to be added, thereby converting the water from its liquid form to gaseous form before the water can participate in the chemical reactions in the synthesis gas reactor.

[0015] When the feedstock enters the syngas reactor, the feedstock is at a temperature level that is too low to start the desired chemical reactions. When the feedstock is heated, the mass of the feedstock receives thermal energy and the temperature of the feedstock within the syngas reactor rises.

[0016] When the temperature of the feedstock reaches the temperature required to evaporate the water (usually about 100 °C (212 °F)), the added heat energy is first expended in evaporating the water content of the feedstock until substantially all of the water has evaporated, and then the temperature of the feedstock continues to rise further, above a temperature of about 100 °C (212 °F).

[0017] The evaporation of the water content of the raw material requires a specific amount of energy per kilogram of water, called the enthalpy of evaporation, and the heating of all other compounds also requires a specific amount of energy per kilogram of that compound. The specific heat capacity required to evaporate water is much higher than the specific heat capacity required to heat other materials.

[0018] Since the energy required to evaporate water is much higher than the energy required to heat other compounds in the feedstock to a predetermined temperature, the time required to evaporate the water content or added water in the feedstock in the syngas reactor is also much longer than the time required to heat other compounds in the feedstock. Therefore, the size of such a syngas reactor is significantly determined by the time required to evaporate the water content or added water in the syngas reactor before reaching the higher temperature of the feedstock.

[0019] In the case of feedstocks with a time-varying water content (e.g. household waste or wood processing waste), another problem arises: the composition of the resulting syngas changes, and with it its energy content. Correspondingly, the time it takes to complete the chemical reactions in the syngas reactor also changes, so that not only does the quality or composition of the syngas change, but the amount of syngas produced also fluctuates over time.

[0020] References:

[0021] 1. Biofuels Engineering Process Technology, Marco Aurelio Dos Santos Bernardes, Luxembourg Institute of Science and Technology, Luxembourg.

[0022] 2. Lope Tabil, Phani Adapa and Mahdi Kashaninejad. Pretreatment of biomass feedstocks - Part I: Pretreatment. Summary of the invention

[0023] By adding an additional preheating step as a first process step before the original syngas reactor, in which steam and other vapors are separated and extracted from the feedstock, two parallel sub-process steps are established. After a large amount of steam and other vapors have been extracted in the additional preheating step, the main parallel sub-process step containing the remaining part of the feedstock enters the original syngas reactor.

[0024] The separated and extracted steam and vapor are drawn off from the preheated feedstock before it enters the synthesis gas reactor, so that the temperature required for evaporation of the water content in the feedstock is reached or exceeded directly in the preheating step. The drawn off steam and vapor are fed as steam and vapor at a temperature above the evaporation temperature into a storage tank parallel to the synthesis gas reactor.

[0025] The steam and vapor extracted from this tank are still in the form of steam and vapor, at a temperature above the evaporation temperature and at a pressure above the internal ambient pressure of the syngas reactor, and are then fed to the syngas reactor after final heating in a heat exchanger. The heat exchanger provides heat to the steam and vapor to further raise their temperature to a very high value. The heating energy can come from heating elements or by recovering heat from the hot gases that are discharged at the end of the process and need to be cooled.

[0026] Hot steam and vapor are fed into the synthesis gas reactor in a controlled manner by means of a compressor or a pump.

[0027] This separation of the generation of synthesis gas into two sub-process steps allows controlling on one side the ratio between: steam and part of the dry feed entering the synthesis gas reactor after the steam has been separated, and steam and water in the steam separated and extracted from the storage tank.

[0028] Therefore, the chemical reaction between the organic compounds in the raw materials and the required water can be kept optimal in terms of the ratio of compounds containing carbon compounds and compounds containing the required hydrogen. In addition, even in the case of non-uniform raw materials, the generated synthesis gas is more uniform.

[0029] Since the separated steam and vapor need to be added to the syngas reactor from separate tanks and heat exchangers for steam and vapor, a certain pressure is required to facilitate the flow or injection of steam and vapor into the syngas reactor in a controlled manner. This flow or injection allows the steam and vapor to be delivered at more than one specific location within the syngas reactor, thereby improving the mixing between the steam and vapor on one side and the remaining feedstock on the other side. Even additional fluid dynamic effects can be achieved by injecting steam and vapor.

[0030] Furthermore, this separation into two sub-process steps, namely the evaporation or preheating step and the reaction in the synthesis gas reactor, allows the use of much lower temperature levels to obtain the thermal energy required for the preheating.

[0031] In addition, the synthesis gas reactor does not need to perform the necessary steps of heating liquid water and converting it into steam, which significantly shortens the time required for the process of converting organic compounds into synthesis gas, thereby allowing the feedstock capacity per unit time to be increased or the reactor to be kept smaller without changing the output of synthesis gas.

[0032] Since the preheating step having the task of reaching the evaporation temperature of water operates at a much lower temperature level than the chemical reaction for converting organic compounds into synthesis gas, the preheating step for evaporating water can be achieved by simpler means and therefore at lower costs compared to synthesis gas reactors which require much higher temperatures.

[0033] While the chemical reactions in such syngas reactors are themselves well known and have been explored and documented in thousands of publications, other aspects, such as the mixing of water molecules and the corresponding hydrogen-containing molecules with carbon-containing molecules, or the kinetics of those compounds, as well as the distribution of the thermal energy over time and in the three-dimensional space of the reactor, have received less attention. However, these aspects are also important and decisive for good efficiency.

[0034] The present invention herein shows how to use separated steam and vapor to induce stable vortices through directional injection at certain specific locations within the synthesis reactor, thereby increasing the mixing of compounds in the synthesis gas reactor and thereby increasing the efficiency of the chemical reactions, reducing the amount of incompletely reacted compounds and thereby increasing the production of combustible synthesis gas, shortening the time required for different molecular reactions, and thereby increasing the total production of combustible gas, the efficiency and the controllability of such a synthesis gas reactor.

[0035] According to the scope of the invention, the present invention relates to a reactor system for generating a combustible gas mixture of carbon monoxide, methane, carbon dioxide, hydrogen, water and other compounds from a provided raw material containing carbon and water compounds, the reactor system comprising:

[0036] closing the reactor;

[0037] means for feeding said feedstock into said closed reactor through at least one predetermined opening;

[0038] A heating device for heating the compound inside the closed reactor from the outside of the closed reactor;

[0039] at least one suction device;

[0040] at least one storage tank;

[0041] at least one other device for receiving or extracting and injecting the generated steam and other generated vapors from the storage tank,

[0042] wherein the heating device is configured to heat the feedstock in at least one preheating step, the preheating step bringing the feedstock to a temperature that evaporates water contained in the feedstock before opening the closed reactor for feeding,

[0043] wherein the compounds inside the closed reactor are heated to a temperature at which the reaction begins and the gas mixture is generated,

[0044] The at least one suction device is configured to suck the steam and other generated vapors generated from the raw material by the preheating step in at least one suction step,

[0045] wherein the extracted generated steam and other generated steam are transported and stored in the at least one other device to receive or extract and inject the stored generated steam and other generated steam from the storage tank into the closed reactor,

[0046] Wherein, the at least one other device is arranged and operated separately and in parallel with the closed reactor, and the at least one other device is used to receive or extract and inject the generated steam and other generated vapors from the storage tank. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0047] BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0048] Figure 1 A schematic diagram showing the entire system in its most simplified form.

[0049] Detailed description of the drawings

[0050] Figure 1 A schematic diagram showing the entire system in its most simplified form.

[0051] At the top of the diagram is the feed port (1). The arrow points in the direction of feedstock flow.

[0052] This is followed by an additional preheating step (2). Heating is indicated on the left side of the preheating step by an arrow with the number (6).

[0053] After extracting steam and vapor (2), the feedstock continues to the inlet of the syngas reactor (3) and enters the enclosed interior space of the syngas reactor (4).

[0054] The syngas reactor is defined by its outer casing (5).

[0055] The heating of the syngas reactor is generally indicated by the arrows on the left (6). In practice, heating is performed on all sides to ensure good or optimal transfer and distribution of heat energy into the syngas reactor and thus into the feedstock.

[0056] In this schematic diagram, the synthesis gas generated in the synthesis gas reactor leaves the reactor at the upper left side (7).

[0057] There is an optional centrifugal absorber (8) on the right side of the top of the reactor, located where the extracted steam and vapor from the preheating step (2) is sucked in by a compressor, pump or blower (9).

[0058] After the compressor, pump or blower (9), the extracted steam and vapor go directly into the storage tank (10).

[0059] At the bottom of the tank (10) is another compressor, pump or blower (11) which is used to inject steam into the synthesis gas reactor (4) where the feedstock reacts.

[0060] An additional heater or heat exchanger (12) is shown in the pipeline from the storage tank to the syngas reactor. In the schematic diagram, three inlets (13) for steam and vapor are shown on the side and one injection point (14) from the bottom, which can be used to create turbulence and stable eddies or other fluid dynamic effects to further increase the mixing of the feedstock and steam within the syngas reactor (4).

[0061] The solid residue leaves the reactor at the bottom (17). DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0062] Synthesis gas is usually produced by heating carbon-containing compounds and reacting them at high temperatures with hydrogen-containing compounds (such as water) required for the chemical reaction to produce a hydrocarbon gas mixture. The main components of this gas mixture are: carbon monoxide, methane, carbon dioxide, hydrogen, steam, as well as various hydrocarbons and residues of chemical reactions. These gas mixtures are referred to in many different ways: such as bottom well gas, water gas, biogas, etc. Recently, the term "synthesis gas" has become more widely used, so this term will also be used here to refer to this type of gas mixture.

[0063] There are many ways to achieve this chemical reaction, and many methods have been tried and used over time. There are many materials that contain carbon, so there are many specific methods, usually optimized for certain specific materials that contain carbon compounds. Wood pellets are just one example of such a material, which contains a large amount of carbon compounds, but also contains a large amount of water. Syngas reactors that use wood pellets as the main carbon source differ in their specific layout and manufacturing from syngas reactors used for other types of feedstocks, such as household waste.

[0064] The present invention can be used in all types of syngas reactors, regardless of the type of feedstock, size, and whether a particular syngas reactor has been modified or optimized for certain processes or specific feedstocks. The present invention can also be used independently of the type or types of heating used in the syngas reactor, from electric heaters to gas burners to plasma torches, all used to increase the temperature inside the syngas reactor.

[0065] Preheating Steps

[0066] The feedstock to the syngas reactor is heated within the syngas reactor to a temperature that begins to break the molecular bonds in the molecules of the feedstock compounds, which enables chemical reactions to begin.

[0067] In the present invention, the feedstock is also heated as in any conventional syngas reactor, but before the feedstock enters the syngas reactor, in an additional preceding first step, it is only heated to a temperature which results in at least significant evaporation of the water.

[0068] In a typical embodiment of the invention, the feedstock in this further preceding first step will be heated to a temperature of 100°C to 120°C at atmospheric pressure, thereby reaching a temperature in substantially all of the feedstock that causes the water contained in the feedstock to evaporate.

[0069] However, lower temperatures will also result in at least some evaporation, while higher temperatures will definitely result in evaporation of water contained in the feedstock.

[0070] Heating to a temperature equal to or above the evaporation temperature of water can be achieved by any possible means, as in today's syngas reactors.

[0071] One possible way is to add some heating sleeves on the feed system or feed pipe before the raw material enters the syngas reactor. The opening of the syngas reactor where the raw material enters has a finite cross section, it cannot be infinitely large. Therefore, in almost all cases, a step is required to prepare, crush, meter or otherwise enable the raw material to enter the syngas reactor through the opening. Some kind of closed pipeline from this preparation step to the inlet of the syngas reactor would be the best location for the preheating step. The preheating step can also be located before such a preparation step.

[0072] As a possible example, this could be in the case where the feedstock contains compounds that react with air or steam (such as potassium or lithium commonly found in domestic waste) and these compounds are at least partially encapsulated or, to the same effect, have a small surface area to volume ratio. For safety reasons, preheating will precede the preparation and comminution steps.

[0073] Steam Generation - Steam Generation

[0074] Heating the feedstock to a temperature above that required to evaporate water results in the generation of steam and other volatile compounds, forming vapor. Some compounds may have a lower vaporization temperature than water, thus generating vapor.

[0075] The evaporated water forms vapor which is a gaseous form of water, hereinafter referred to as steam.

[0076] The other compounds that evaporate are hereinafter referred to as vapors without further specific description.

[0077] No filters, distiller or other devices are required to ensure a certain purity of the generated steam and vapors of other compounds from the feedstock, since the generated steam and vapor enter the syngas reactor in the same form and with the same purity as they were generated.

[0078] The energy required to heat the feedstock to and above the evaporation temperature of water and the energy required to evaporate at least a significant amount of water in the feedstock is added externally. If there is no preheating step in the conventional manner in the synthesis gas reactor, the same amount of energy is required to heat and thus evaporate the water.

[0079] The preheating step is for the overall energy balance of the whole system to be neutral. With the new invention, there is no need to provide additional heating energy for the syngas reactor system.

[0080] Extraction and extraction of steam and vapour

[0081] The generation of steam and vapor results in significant additional volume since one liter of liquid water expands to 1,673 liters of steam at atmospheric pressure.

[0082] Steam and vapor are extracted from the preheated feedstock by means of a compressor, blower or pump. By placing the extraction point high up in the feedstock pipeline from the preparation step to the feed inlet of the syngas reactor, gravity will help separate the gaseous compounds from the liquid and solid compounds.

[0083] In some cases, if the feedstock contains dust-like particles or liquids that form mist and droplets, additional absorbers such as centrifugal absorbers or filters may be required.

[0084] Even if small amounts of dust or solid or liquid compounds are sucked into the separated steam and vapor, the overall function and / or functionality of the entire system is not changed or minimized.

[0085] Additional absorbers or filters may be used in situations where, for example, fine sand or other fine forms of solids will be sucked in and eventually enter the steam and vapor storage tanks, where these fine solids may separate by gravity and form a layer at the bottom of the steam and vapor storage tanks.

[0086] Also, some liquids, such as heavy oils, coal tar contained in wood products or heavy oils (mazoute oil) used in some ship diesel engines or for wood impregnation, can cause this buildup in the tanks, so in this specific case separation would be an advantage as it makes the required maintenance lower.

[0087] Storage tanks for steam and vapor

[0088] The extracted steam and vapor are transferred to storage tanks by the same compressor, blower or pump.

[0089] Storage tanks serve as buffers for steam and vapor.

[0090] Steam is injected into the syngas reactor along with steam and other residues in the steam-steam mixture as required by the desired chemical reaction.

[0091] The significance of storage tanks to chemical reactions

[0092] By buffering the steam and using only the amount required for the chemical reaction in the syngas reactor, the process has been modified to allow control of the ratio between carbonaceous compounds and water, which is otherwise impossible or only very limited. Steam can be injected from this tank into the syngas reactor in metered and therefore quite precise amounts, thus keeping the chemical reaction at an optimal level. As a direct result, the syngas thus generated will be more uniform, even if there are extreme fluctuations in the water content of the compounds entering the system as feedstock. Accordingly, the syngas generated will also be uniform, since the injection of steam can produce a precisely defined quality of syngas.

[0093] When the water content in the feedstock is too high to generate a synthesis gas of a certain quality and uniformity, the steam will simply remain in the tank. On the other hand, if the water content in the feedstock is not sufficient, it can be supplied from the tank for the reaction.

[0094] When there is more water in the feedstock than is necessary or optimal for the desired chemical reaction in the syngas reactor, some steam can be released from the tank through a special outlet (at Figure 1 The outlet 16 is described so that it does not participate in the subsequent chemical reactions in the syngas reactor. By mixing this released steam with some regular tap water outside the tank, the liquid water thus formed can be just discharged from the process / system.

[0095] When the water content of the feedstock is insufficient for complete and / or optimal chemical reaction in the syngas reactor, some water may be added to the storage tank from outside in the form of steam or liquid water, for example, in the form of regular tap water.

[0096] Whether this added water is in the form of steam or liquid water is not very relevant to the process, since in the process there is an additional heater downstream of the storage tank that can optionally be used to heat the steam (e.g. Figure 1 12), which will be further described below.

[0097] Optional addition or removal of water

[0098] The extracted steam and some of the steam of other compounds which may be present in the feedstock and have a lower evaporation temperature than water are buffered in a storage tank. It is possible to remove some of the steam if, for example, a set maximum level is reached, the steam is not required for the reaction. This may be the case if the feedstock contains a large percentage of water, more than is required for the designed and desired chemical reaction in the syngas reactor.

[0099] By using only the outlet from the bottom of the tank, it will be possible to separate the vapours of those compounds that are lighter than steam and leave them in the tank for transfer to the synthesis gas reactor.

[0100] Conversely, if the feedstock does not contain a sufficient amount of water and the steam level in the tank is below a certain set minimum level in the tank, additional water or steam can be added to the tank from the outside.

[0101] Thus, the storage tank provides a method for controlling the reaction in the syngas reactor independent of the composition of the feedstock.

[0102] Dosed steam injection into the syngas reactor

[0103] The tank is a storage device or a means for injecting steam into the syngas reactor. By measuring specific parameters of the reactions and / or the produced gases inside the reactor, different chemical reactions in the syngas reactor can be monitored over time. For example, if the ratio of measured hydrogen to measured carbon monoxide in the produced syngas increases above or below a certain set level, this can serve as a control level for reducing or increasing the amount of feed steam and vapor from the tank. Since it is possible to add an optimal amount of steam to the syngas reactor and in parallel therewith increase or decrease the heating of the syngas reactor, the chemical reactions can always be kept in an optimal state and as a direct result there are no fluctuations or only slight fluctuations in the composition of the produced syngas.

[0104] The injection of steam and vapor into the reactor can be facilitated by a compressor or a pump. Since the steam temperature before the additional heater is not high and since the ambient pressure inside the syngas reactor is quite low, this is possible without difficulty.

[0105] Qualitative steam injection into syngas reactor

[0106] For chemical reactions in general, and for the synthesis gas reaction in particular, a certain amount of different compounds is necessary. However, it is not enough to just provide the necessary compounds. These compounds also need to be mixed. The better the compounds are mixed, the faster and more complete the reaction. If the compounds required for the chemical reaction are not well mixed and the heat transfer to the feedstock is not fast enough, the reaction will be incomplete and will take more time than the same reaction using well-mixed compounds. The mixing of the compounds that are expected to react in the chemical reaction provides contact surfaces between these compounds.

[0107] Conventional synthesis gas reactors have no or at best very limited possibilities for mixing the compounds for the chemical reaction.

[0108] Furthermore, conventional operation of syngas reactors results in a situation where new feedstock is added on top of previously fed compounds. Liquids can easily pass through the loose feedstock and accumulate or concentrate in the bottom or lower areas inside the syngas reactor, effectively causing demixing.

[0109] By injecting steam and vapor from the tanks not only at one or a few points, but by using these injection points (such as nozzles) at advantageous points (e.g. where the feedstock is heated the most), or by creating a stable vortex, more efficient and reliable mixing can be achieved than in conventional syngas reactors.

[0110] The injection points may also be positioned in a manner that creates turbulence, eddies, and other fluid dynamic effects to increase mixing between the heated feedstock and the steam and vapor of the feed in the syngas reactor.

[0111] Optional additional heating of separated steam and vapor

[0112] An additional heating step can be added after the storage tank to additionally heat the steam and vapor before injecting them into the syngas reactor. This does not lead to more energy consumption, because these compounds will be heated inside the syngas reactor if they are not additionally heated.

[0113] An additional increase in the reaction rate will result by heating the steam and vapor prior to injection, preferably to the temperature required to start the chemical reaction, which in the case of organic compounds such as wood or household waste will be in the range of 400°C to 800°C, or even above this required temperature, such as in the range of 800°C to 1,400°C. The heated steam and vapor can contact the feedstock with a greater surface area within the syngas reactor and thus heat the feedstock faster than heating from outside the syngas reactor.

[0114] The steam will then heat the compounds inside the syngas reactor in addition to heating the syngas reactor from the outside.

[0115] By heating a portion of the reaction compounds (steam and some vapor) to a temperature significantly higher than the average temperature inside the syngas reactor, no higher energy consumption for the complete reaction will result, since the thermal energy of the water replaces the thermal energy that would otherwise be required to heat another portion of the feed indirectly from the outside via the heating elements of the syngas reactor.

[0116] Optional increase in steam injection and steam pressure

[0117] Additional steps can be added after the storage tanks and before the steam and vapor are injected into the syngas reactor to increase the pressure of the injected steam and vapor to create additional fluid dynamic effects to further increase and improve the mixing of the steam and feedstock.

[0118] Good mixing leads to increased reaction rates, and more complete chemical reactions lead to higher efficiencies and better utilization of the reactor volume.

[0119] The last two points show that preheating of raw materials, extraction of steam and partial vapors, separation of storage tanks and optimal qualitative and quantitative injection of the extracted vapors allow chemical reactions to be better, faster and more complete.

[0120] Reacting faster itself results in better utilization of the volume of the syngas reactor. Thus, the reactor can be smaller for the same amount of feedstock or capacity per time, and thus for the same size, the yield of syngas generated can be increased.

[0121] Furthermore, more complete reactions due to increased mixing allow for better utilization of the syngas reactor volume.

[0122] These last two effects therefore combine to result in smaller reactor sizes or higher syngas yields, both of which translate into lower investment costs.

[0123] Additionally, for the same throughput, a smaller size of the syngas reactor results in smaller overall heat losses, since the surface of a smaller reactor is smaller than the surface of a larger reactor with the same throughput.

[0124] The homogeneous reaction in the syngas reactor described in the present invention results in a consistent quality of the syngas produced, which is also a commercial advantage because such homogeneous syngas can be more easily used for a wider range of purposes.

Claims

1. A reactor system for generating a combustible gas mixture of carbon monoxide, methane, carbon dioxide, hydrogen, water and other compounds from a supplied feedstock containing carbon and water compounds, The reactor system comprises: closing the reactor; means for feeding said feedstock into said closed reactor through at least one predetermined opening; A heating device for heating the compound inside the closed reactor from the outside of the closed reactor; at least one suction device; at least one storage tank; at least one other device for receiving or extracting and injecting the generated steam and other generated vapors from the storage tank, wherein the heating device is configured to heat the feedstock in at least one preheating step, the preheating step bringing the feedstock to a temperature that evaporates water contained in the feedstock before opening the closed reactor for feeding, wherein the compounds inside the closed reactor are heated to a temperature at which the reaction begins and the gas mixture is generated, The at least one suction device is configured to suck the steam and other generated vapors generated from the raw material by the preheating step in at least one suction step, wherein the extracted generated steam and other generated steam are transported and stored in the at least one other device to receive or extract and inject the stored generated steam and other generated steam from the storage tank into the closed reactor, Wherein, the at least one other device is arranged and operated separately and in parallel with the closed reactor, and the at least one other device is used to receive or extract and inject the generated steam and other generated vapors from the storage tank.

2. The reactor system according to claim 1, further comprising: a feed conduit for feeding the raw materials into the inlet of the closed reactor, the feed conduit being in the form of a sleeve which at least partially surrounds one or some of the feed conduits of the closed reactor, Therein, feeding the feedstock into the inlet of the closed reactor is combined with the at least one preheating step.

3. The reactor system according to claim 1 or 2, further comprising: At least one pump, compressor or blower for sucking the steam and vapor generated in the preheating step and transferring the steam and vapor to at least one of the storage tanks.

4. The reactor system according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein: At least one of the tanks comprises at least one device for taking in steam or water from outside the closed reactor and / or releasing steam from the closed reactor.

5. The reactor system according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein: The at least one storage tank allows separation of steam and vapor by extracting the vapor from the middle of the storage tank below a separation line, wherein gravity separates the lighter vapor from the heavier vapor.

6. The reactor system according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein: After the steam has been introduced into the at least one storage tank and before it is injected into the closed reactor, the steam is further heated in at least one additional heating step.

7. The reactor system according to any one of claims 1 to 6, further comprising: A device for increasing the pressure of the steam to inject the steam into the closed reactor is used to inject the steam from the at least one storage tank into the closed reactor at least once to enable additional mixing of the additionally pressurized steam with the raw materials inside the closed reactor.

8. The reactor system according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein: At least one injection of the steam from the storage tank into the closed reactor is performed at a specific geometric point within the closed reactor to induce a stable internal vortex and optimize the mixing and chemical reaction of the steam and the feedstock within the closed reactor.

9. The reactor system according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein: The at least one injection of the steam from the storage tank into the closed reactor is within a temperature range of 800°C to 1400°C to optimize the mixing and chemical reaction of the steam and the raw materials in the closed reactor.

10. The reactor system according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein: The at least one injection of heated steam from the storage tank into the closed reactor is used and positioned to produce a flow dynamic effect or a hydrodynamic effect within the closed reactor to increase mixing of the compounds participating in the chemical reaction within the closed reactor.

11. The reactor system according to any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein: The location for sucking in the generated steam and other generated vapors is at a higher area in the preheating step so that due to the lower density at the higher location, a smaller amount of solid particles and dust-like particles or liquid forming mist and droplets are sucked into the at least one device for sucking in the generated steam and other generated vapors.

12. The reactor system according to any one of claims 1 to 11, further comprising: At least one absorber for separating solid particles and dust-like particles or liquid forming mist, which are sucked into the pipeline leading to at least one device for sucking in the generated steam and other generated vapors, thereby reducing the amount of such solid particles and similar loose compounds such as droplets in the separated generated steam and other generated vapors.

13. The reactor system according to any one of claims 1 to 12, further comprising: At least one heating element for heating the feedstock within the closed reactor.

14. The reactor system according to any one of claims 1 to 13, further comprising: At least one plasma torch or burner injection device for heating the feedstock within the closed reactor.

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