Method and apparatus for converting carbon-based feedstock to usable products using rotation-generated thermal energy

Abstract

A method of thermally or thermally chemically converting a carbon-based feedstock to a useful product in a feedstock conversion facility is provided. The method comprises generating a heated fluid medium by at least one rotating device, supplying a stream of the heated fluid medium thus generated into a feedstock conversion facility, and operating the at least one rotating device and the feedstock conversion facility, the carbon-based feedstock is thermally or thermally chemically converted to a useful product at a temperature substantially equal to or greater than about 400 degrees Celsius (DEG C). The method is beneficial to the treatment of plastics and / or organic feedstocks.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention generally relates to systems and methods for inputting thermal energy (heat) into fluids. In particular, the present invention aims to provide tools and methods for converting carbon-based feedstocks into usable products through thermal or thermochemical reactions conducted at high and very high temperatures. Background Art

[0002] Many high temperature processes can be used to convert carbon-based (carbonaceous) feedstocks into valuable products. These processes typically operate at temperatures above about 500°C and include gasification, pyrolysis, combustion, incineration, torrefaction, etc. Although different in temperature and pressure conditions, the presence or absence of oxygen, the presence or absence of catalysts, and other process conditions, these processes have been used to process and / or recover carbonaceous materials, including substantially solid waste materials.

[0003] Plastic materials represent a significant portion of the waste generated globally today. Currently, the typical plastics manufacturing chain begins with fossil raw materials (such as crude oil or natural gas), from which plastic raw materials are extracted. Common raw materials include naphtha from refineries or ethane from natural gas plants. Traditionally, these raw materials are converted into polymer building blocks (monomers), such as ethylene or propylene, in steam crackers and then polymerized into the corresponding polymers, such as polyethylene and polypropylene, in polymerization plants. These polymers are then typically mixed with additives to impart desired additional properties. The resulting granular polymer-additive mixture is called plastic and is used to manufacture a variety of consumer products. After these products are used, they are typically discarded as waste. Currently, the vast majority of plastic waste ends up in landfills, where it can easily be flushed into natural and marine ecosystems, especially if the landfills are unmanaged. In developed countries, the trend over the past decade has been to ban the landfilling of plastics, leading to the incineration of plastic waste. However, waste incineration (so-called "energy recovery") is the largest contributor to CO2 emissions within the plastics value chain.

[0004] On the other hand, an increasing number of generally biodegradable organic substances, such as biomass wastes from agriculture and forestry, animal husbandry, various industries, and municipal solid waste (MSW), have attracted widespread attention worldwide due to their rational reuse.

[0005] From environmental and economic perspectives, converting carbon-based materials into value-added products and energy is undoubtedly more attractive than landfilling.

[0006] High-temperature feedstock conversion methods that utilize the principles of gas-solid heat and mass transfer and fluidization phenomena include at least gasification and pyrolysis. Gasification converts essentially solid carbonaceous feedstocks into synthesis gas, which can be further used as a raw material for synthesizing industrially relevant basic chemicals and raw materials, such as methanol, ethanol or Fischer-Tropsch hydrocarbons. On the other hand, pyrolysis produces liquids and solids in addition to gaseous products. When used with fluidized bed equipment, the most significant differences between these conversion processes are as follows: 1) pyrolysis occurs in an oxygen-free environment (i.e., without steam, air or oxygen), while gasification occurs under conditions of controlled oxygen amounts; and 2) pyrolysis is typically carried out at lower temperatures than gasification. However, both processes are endothermic in nature and therefore require thermal energy to proceed.

[0007] Figure 5A and 5B A schematic diagram of a conventional gasifier system for producing syngas using fluidization technology. The heat required to sustain the inherently endothermic gasification reaction can be generated in the gasification reactor, a process known as direct gasification, or the heat can be supplied to the gasifier from an external source, a process known as indirect gasification.

[0008] In direct gasification ( Figure 5A ), a gasifying agent (GA), such as air or a mixture of oxygen (or oxygen-enriched air) and steam, comes into direct contact with a carbonaceous feed (see arrow F for feed) in a gasification reactor (GR), resulting in a series of chemical reactions that convert the essentially solid feedstock (F) into a product gas (P) (here synthesis gas) and a solid residue (SR) (e.g., char, ash, slag, etc.). One of the disadvantages of using air as a gasifying agent is that it results in a product synthesis gas with a higher level of nitrogen, which reduces the calorific value of the product gas. In addition, the removal of nitrogen in downstream equipment (not shown) is complex and energy-intensive (and therefore expensive). The oxygen / steam injection process does not produce nitrogen; however, it requires an air separation unit to produce oxygen, which in turn imposes additional costs on the production process.

[0009] Indirect gasification ( Figure 5B) involves two separate, interconnected reactors: a gasification reactor (GR) and a combustion reactor (CR) (also known as a regenerator or regenerator), with heat being transferred from the CR to the GR. Heat transfer is accomplished by circulating an inert bed material, resulting in the system being referred to as a dual fluidized bed gasifier (DFB). In a DFB system, a bed of granular material comprising inert particles (e.g., sand) is heated in the CR by burning an external fuel in the presence of air (oxidant, OA), while the bed material is fluidized using the hot gases from the combustion. The heated and fluidized bed material ("bed material + heat") is transferred to the gasification reactor, where it rapidly contacts a substantially solid feed (arrow F) to produce a gaseous product (arrow P). Thus, the heated bed material transferred from the CR to the GR acts as a heat transfer medium, providing heat for the gasification reaction in the GR. In the indirect process, steam (pre)heated to the operating temperature range (typically 650-900°C) is used as a gasifying agent (GA), which also facilitates uniform mixing (fluidization) of the bed material with the feed. The cold bed material containing unreacted char ("bed+char") is transferred from the gasification reactor back to the combustion reactor for reheating. The unreacted char remaining in the circulating bed material is burned in the CR. Depending on the desired conditions, this can be the only fuel source for the burner, or additional fuel (e.g. a portion of the feedstock or the recycled product gas) can be supplied to the burner (see dotted line "fuel") to increase the process temperature. The solid residue (SR) is taken off for disposal.

[0010] The gasification system described above may also be adapted to perform pyrolysis reactions.

[0011] Although relevant conversion technologies have been developed for decades, one of the major drawbacks associated with known high-temperature conversion methods such as gasification and incineration is that there are still large amounts of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions associated with the conversion process, primarily carbon dioxide (CO2). High CO2 emissions occur because at least a portion of the feedstock is consumed for energy purposes (incineration or combustion), typically along with supplemental fossil fuels, to provide the high temperatures required to convert the remaining bulk feedstock into the desired products.

[0012] In this regard, there is still a need for innovations in the field of technology related to the design and manufacture of economical and energy-efficient heating systems, especially those suitable for high-temperature waste conversion and recycling, taking into account the challenges associated with increasing the temperature of fluid substances in a rational and environmentally friendly manner. Summary of the Invention

[0013] An object of the present invention is to solve or at least alleviate at least some of the problems caused by the limitations and disadvantages of the related art.One or more objects are achieved by various embodiments of the method for producing a heated fluid medium as described herein, the rotary device defined herein and related uses.

[0014] In one aspect, a method is provided for thermally or thermochemically converting a carbon-based feedstock into a usable product, the method comprising generating a heated fluid medium by at least one rotating device integrated into an associated feedstock conversion facility.

[0015] According to an embodiment, the method includes generating a heated fluid medium by at least one rotating device, the rotating device including: a rotor having a plurality of rotor blades arranged in at least one row about a rotor hub mounted to a rotor shaft; a plurality of stationary blades or guide vanes arranged adjacent an assembly of the at least one row of rotor blades; and a housing having a conduit formed between at least one inlet and at least one outlet, the conduit being configured to surround the rotating blades and the stationary blades such that a bladeless portion of the conduit is arranged substantially after a bladed portion thereof, wherein the rotating device is configured to impart thermal energy to a fluid medium flow flowing in the conduit between the inlet and the outlet by means of a series of energy conversions occurring as the fluid medium flow passes successively through the bladed and bladeless portions of the conduit, thereby generating the heated fluid medium flow, and wherein the method further includes: supplying the heated fluid medium flow generated by the at least one rotating device to the feedstock conversion facility, and operating the at least one rotating device and the feedstock conversion facility to thermally or thermochemically convert a carbon-based feedstock into a usable product at a temperature substantially equal to or exceeding about 400 degrees Celsius (°C).

[0016] In embodiments, the method is used for thermal or thermochemical conversion of a substantially solid carbon-based feedstock.

[0017] In an embodiment, in the method, in a feedstock conversion facility, at least one rotating device is connected to at least one feedstock conversion unit, and the at least one feedstock conversion unit is configured to perform one or more thermal or thermochemical carbon-based feedstock conversion processes at a temperature substantially equal to or greater than about 400 degrees Celsius (°C).

[0018] In embodiments, the method includes supplying a heated fluid medium stream generated by at least one rotating device to at least one feedstock conversion unit within a feedstock conversion facility.

[0019] In an embodiment, the method includes contacting a heated fluid medium flow produced by at least one rotating device with a carbon-based feedstock in at least one feedstock conversion unit, wherein the heated fluid medium produced by the at least one rotating device provides heat for thermal or thermochemical conversion of the substantially solid carbon-based feedstock to a usable product.

[0020] In an embodiment, the method includes contacting a heated fluid medium flow generated by at least one rotating device with a heat transfer material in a heat transfer section of a feedstock conversion unit, and transferring the heated heat transfer material from the heat transfer section to a conversion section of the feedstock conversion unit, wherein the heated heat transfer material provides heat for thermal or thermochemical conversion of the carbon-based feedstock to a usable product.

[0021] In an embodiment, the method further comprises transferring the heat transfer material from the conversion section of the feedstock conversion unit back to the heat transfer section for reheating, wherein at least a portion of the heat transfer material is transferred from the conversion section to the heat transfer section through a purification unit, wherein the heat transfer material is purified from unreacted char and coke.

[0022] In embodiments, the heat transfer material is a metal oxide material, and the conversion of the carbon-based feedstock in the feedstock conversion unit is accompanied by a redox reaction of the metal oxide material.

[0023] In embodiments, in the method, the heat transfer process and the conversion process are carried out in a substantially closed loop path in the feedstock conversion unit.

[0024] In embodiments, the feedstock conversion unit comprises at least one fluidized bed apparatus. In embodiments, at least one fluidized bed apparatus comprises a catalyst.

[0025] In embodiments, the method includes fluidizing the carbon-based feedstock using a heated fluid medium generated in at least one rotating device.

[0026] In embodiments, the method comprises mixing the carbon-based feedstock with a substantially solid bed material in at least one fluidized bed apparatus. In embodiments, the substantially solid bed material comprises particles or a powder.

[0027] In an embodiment, in the process, the bed material provided in at least one fluidized bed apparatus consists of a carbon-based feedstock provided as granules or powder.

[0028] In an embodiment, in the process, the feedstock conversion unit is configured as a dual fluidized bed reactor.

[0029] In embodiments, thermal or thermochemical conversion of the carbon-based feedstock is carried out by gasification or by pyrolysis, optionally carried out under steam cracking conditions. In embodiments, the feedstock conversion unit comprises or consists of a gasifier or a pyrolyzer (optionally operated under steam cracking conditions).

[0030] In embodiments, the method includes supplying a heated fluid medium stream generated by at least one rotating device into a feedstock conversion facility to provide external heat to at least one feedstock conversion unit within the facility.

[0031] In embodiments, in the method, the fluid medium entering the rotating device is a substantially gaseous medium. In embodiments, the fluid medium of the heating produced by at least one rotating device comprises steam (H2O). In embodiments, the fluid medium of the heating produced by at least one rotating device comprises an oxidizing gas, such as air or oxygen (O2) or a combination thereof. In embodiments, the fluid medium of the heating produced by at least one rotating device comprises a non-oxidizing gas, such as nitrogen (N2), hydrogen (H2), hydrocarbon-containing gas or a combination thereof. In embodiments, the fluid medium of the heating produced by the rotating device comprises a circulating gas recycled from exhaust gas produced during the feedstock conversion process in the feedstock conversion facility.

[0032] In embodiments, the method includes generating, by at least one rotating device, a fluid medium heated to any one of the following temperatures: (i) a temperature in the range of about 400°C to about 800°C; (ii) a temperature in the range of about 800°C to about 1000°C; and (iii) a temperature exceeding 1000°C, preferably provided in the range of about 1000°C to about 1700°C.

[0033] In embodiments, the method includes regulating the velocity and / or pressure of a flow of a fluid medium propagating through a rotating device.

[0034] In an embodiment, in the method, the heated fluid medium is generated by at least one rotating device comprising two or more rows of rotor blades arranged sequentially along a rotor axis. In an embodiment, the heated fluid medium is generated by at least one rotating device wherein the bladeless portion of the conduit is arranged downstream of at least one row of rotor blades.

[0035] In an embodiment, in the method, at least one rotating device is electrically operated, such that electrical energy constitutes from about 5% to about 100% of the total energy consumption of the at least one rotating device. In an embodiment, the electrical energy consumed by the at least one rotating device may be obtained from a renewable energy source or a combination of different energy sources, which are optionally renewable energy sources.

[0036] In additional or alternative embodiments, at least one rotating device is configured to receive input energy from a non-electric power source, such as a power turbine and / or a mechanical drive engine.

[0037] In embodiments, the method includes generating a heated fluid medium by at least two rotating devices integrated into a feedstock conversion facility, wherein the at least two rotating devices are connected in parallel or in series.

[0038] In embodiments, in the methods, the carbon-based feedstock comprises plastic and / or organic material, optionally comprising plastic and / or organic waste.

[0039] In embodiments, the method includes pre-treating the carbon-based feedstock, wherein the pre-treating includes reducing the size of the feedstock particles by grinding, such as cryogenic grinding.

[0040] In another aspect, an assembly is provided that includes at least two rotating devices connected in parallel or in series.

[0041] In another aspect, an apparatus is provided that includes at least one rotating device coupled to at least one feedstock conversion unit within a feedstock conversion facility.

[0042] In another aspect, a feedstock conversion facility is provided, the feedstock conversion facility configured to implement a feedstock conversion process by a method according to some of the previously defined aspects and embodiments.

[0043] In embodiments, the feedstock conversion facility is configured as a plastic material conversion and / or recycling facility, optionally as a plastic waste conversion and / or recycling facility, and / or as an organic material conversion facility.

[0044] The present invention is useful for a variety of reasons, depending upon the specific embodiment of the invention.

[0045] Overall, the disclosed methods allow for improvements to existing feedstock conversion processes utilizing fluidized bed technology in terms of at least reducing the amount of equipment used in the process, reducing or eliminating GHG emissions, and increasing the thermal efficiency of the process.

[0046] Thus, as described herein, integrating one or more rotating devices into a feedstock conversion facility allows for the generation of a heated fluid medium (for the conversion process) and the use of that fluid medium to fluidize the solid bed material. Thus, one or more rotating devices integrated into a conversion facility are capable of providing process heat and fluidization in a single device.

[0047] The disclosed methods enable the input of thermal energy into heat consuming facilities, such as conversion reactors or furnaces used in feedstock conversion facilities operating at high and very high temperatures, such as temperatures typically exceeding 400° C. The present invention provides apparatus and methods for heating fluid materials to temperatures of about 400° C. to about 1700° C. and higher, up to about 2000° C., which are temperatures used in the high temperature conversion of carbonaceous materials by pyrolysis (oxidative or non-oxidative), gasification, or combustion.

[0048] Additional or alternative benefits provided by embodiments include:

[0049] - Improved fluidization control (at least in terms of temperature and flow parameters);

[0050] - By heating the fluidizing gas in the rotating device, additional heat can be introduced directly into the raw material conversion reactions taking place in the associated (fluidized bed) device;

[0051] - In the disclosed process, the incineration of fuels (fossil or biofuels) is avoided; therefore, no associated CO2 and NO formation x emissions, as well as particulate and unburned fossil fuel residues such as coke, soot, PAHs and inorganics, or significantly reduce their formation compared to conventional methods;

[0052] - Recirculate exhaust gases to improve energy efficiency and reduce or eliminate GHG emissions, thereby eliminating the need for complex and expensive heat recovery equipment for flue gases;

[0053] - Improve the thermal efficiency of the process (by gas recirculation and / or by using electrified rotating equipment solutions);

[0054] - Reduction of the number of purification steps for recycle gases (for reuse in rotating equipment);

[0055] - In indirect gasification, the coke or carbon residue formed on the surface of the heating medium material can be separated therefrom by mechanical methods, leaching or other non-combustion means.

[0056] In embodiments, the rotary apparatus may also be used to replace conventional fuel-fired heaters or burners in the conversion process. For example, by integrating the rotary apparatus into a feedstock conversion facility operating as a fluidized bed gasification facility, the need to introduce auxiliary fuel into the gasification and / or combustion process is completely or partially eliminated, and flue gas emissions are thereby reduced. Replacing fuel burners with one or more rotary apparatuses may reduce greenhouse gas emissions (CO, CO2, NO x ) and particulate emissions. Furthermore, the use of rotating equipment makes it possible to establish a closed or semi-closed heating loop for the conversion process by recirculating the flue gas. This can be achieved with rotating equipment that operates with electrical energy as input energy and / or is configured to receive input energy from a non-electrical power source, such as a power turbine and / or a mechanical drive engine. Utilizing a recirculation loop reduces heat losses associated with the flue gas and improves the energy efficiency of the conversion process. In contrast, in conventional processes, the flue gas can only be partially recycled.

[0057] The present invention also enables flexible use of electrical energy, such as that obtained from renewable sources. Renewable energy production can vary from day to day, and even hour to hour. The present invention allows for balancing renewable electricity production by integrating the rotary equipment disclosed herein with conventional fuel-operated (fuel-burning) burners to provide heat to the feedstock conversion process.

[0058] The expression "a number" herein refers to any positive integer starting from one (1), such as one, two, or three. The expression "a plurality" herein refers to any positive integer starting from two (2), such as two, three, or four. The terms "first" and "second" are used herein only to distinguish one element from another and do not denote any particular order or importance, unless expressly stated otherwise.

[0059] Various embodiments of the invention will become apparent by consideration of the detailed description and accompanying drawings. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0061] Figure 1A and Figure 1B Systems and methods for direct gasification and indirect gasification, respectively, according to embodiments are schematically illustrated.

[0062] Figure 2A and Figure 2B Systems and methods for direct pyrolysis and indirect pyrolysis, respectively, are schematically illustrated according to embodiments.

[0063] Figure 3 is a schematic diagram of a fluid catalytic cracking (FCC) facility and process, according to an embodiment.

[0064] Figure 4 is a schematic diagram of a chemical looping gasification facility and method according to an embodiment.

[0065] Figure 5A and Figure 5B Systems and methods for direct gasification and indirect gasification known in the prior art are schematically shown, respectively. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0066] Disclosed herein are methods for thermally or thermochemically converting carbon-based (carbonaceous) feedstocks into usable products in feedstock conversion facilities. Furthermore, disclosed are apparatus and systems configured to perform thermal or thermochemical conversion within the associated facilities.

[0067] The carbon-based feedstock comprises or consists of fossil-derived feedstocks such as plastic feedstocks and / or organic feedstocks such as biomass-derived feedstocks. In embodiments, the carbon-based feedstock comprises or consists of plastic waste, organic waste, or both (e.g., biodegradable plastics). In the present disclosure, the term "waste" relates to any waste material and / or any unusable by-products generated by a process or production that is no longer considered valuable and is therefore typically discarded. In embodiments, the waste feedstock consists primarily or entirely of solid waste.

[0068] Plastic feedstocks can include any type of plastic, such as consumer plastic waste (e.g., from households, leisure, and sports) and / or industrial plastic waste from various industries, including, but not limited to, packaging, building and construction, automotive, and agriculture. Exemplary plastic feedstocks include polyolefins, such as polyethylene (PE), including high-density polyethylene (HDPE) and low-density polyethylene (LDPE), and polypropylene (PP), aromatic hydrocarbons, such as polystyrene (PS) and expanded polystyrene, polyvinyl chloride (PVC), ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA), ethylene vinyl alcohol (EVOH), polyethylene terephthalate (PET), or any combination thereof.

[0069] The term "organic feedstock" is used in this disclosure to refer to raw materials of substantially biological origin, such as those produced in agriculture, animal husbandry, papermaking, food and beverage industry, and households. In an embodiment, the organic feedstock includes biomass, optional waste biomass, and / or biomass-derived raw materials, including but not limited to field (plant) biomass and by-products (bagasse, bran, straw), kitchen and restaurant (bio) waste, household and / or municipal waste, by-products of the food industry, forestry, agriculture (animal husbandry, animal and poultry farming), and sewage slurry and wastewater sludge.

[0070] In general, the present invention encompasses the utilization of any carbon-based waste feedstock that can be converted into usable products. The present invention is also applicable to the utilization of hazardous waste materials that need to be safely decomposed, such as contaminated land.

[0071] In the disclosed methods, the carbon-based feedstock is converted into one or more usable products. In embodiments, the usable products include solids (e.g., recycled plastics), hydrocarbon-containing gases, such as olefins, fuels and chemicals, synthesis gas (syngas), (bio)char, (bio)oil, and heat and electricity. In embodiments, the method includes recycling the carbon-based feedstock into valuable products, such as raw materials for making (recycled) plastic products.

[0072] The disclosed method includes: heating a fluid medium stream by at least one rotating device (further described below); supplying the heated fluid medium stream to a feedstock conversion facility; and operating the at least one rotating device and the feedstock conversion facility to thermally convert or thermochemically convert the carbon-based feedstock into a usable product at a temperature substantially equal to or greater than about 400 degrees Celsius (°C).

[0073] In embodiments, the one or more thermal or thermochemical conversion processes include any of the following processes: gasification, combustion, pyrolysis / cracking, or a combination thereof. In embodiments, pyrolysis / cracking includes steam cracking.

[0074] Combustion is a thermochemical process in which a carbon-based substance (sometimes called a fuel) reacts with oxygen (O2) to produce water vapor (H2O) and other substances such as carbon dioxide (CO2), nitrogen oxides (NO x ) and sulfur oxides (SO x ) and other waste gases. The oxidation reaction is exothermic and produces excess heat.

[0075] Gasification is a thermochemical process that converts carbon-based materials such as coal, biomass, plastic waste or fossil hydrocarbons into synthesis gas (a mixture of H2 and CO), which can be further used as a raw material for the synthesis of industrially relevant basic chemicals and raw materials such as methanol, ethanol or Fischer-Tropsch hydrocarbons. Depending on the feedstock and reaction conditions, the product gas may also contain gaseous nitrogen (N2), small amounts of ammonia (NH3) and traces of hydrogen sulfide (H2S) and hydrogen chloride (HCl). The ratio of hydrogen to carbon monoxide in the synthesis gas depends on the gasification technology and the feedstock and can be adjusted using the water-gas shift reaction or the addition of hydrogen. Unlike combustion, the gasification reaction is endothermic and requires external heat.

[0076] Gasification occurs at high temperatures (800-1200°C) and under controlled oxygen conditions. This process is also known as partial oxidation of carbon-based feedstocks, meaning the feedstock carbon reacts with a limited amount of oxygen—that is, less oxygen is used in gasification compared to combustion (complete oxidation). A limited oxygen supply is required to produce carbon monoxide, especially when using oxygen-rich organic materials such as biomass as feedstock. Typical gasifying agents include air, oxygen, and / or steam.

[0077] The simplified gasification chemistry of various feedstocks is described by Equations 1-7, where Equation 1 is for direct gasification of coal:

[0078] (1) C + 1 / 2O2 → CO

[0079] Equation 2 is the indirect gasification of coal:

[0080] (2) C+H2O→CO+H2

[0081] Equation 3 is the devolatilization of biomass, whereby the biomass feedstock is decomposed under heat and volatiles escape from the biomass feedstock:

[0082] (3) Biomass (C6H 12 O6)→C+CO+H2+H2O+CO2+CH4+C n H m

[0083] Equations 4a and 4b are continuations of Equation 3 and represent direct gasification of biomass:

[0084] (4a)C+1 / 2O2→CO

[0085] (4b)CH4+1 / 2O2→CO+2H2

[0086] Equations 5a-5c are a continuation of Equation 3 and represent the indirect gasification of biomass:

[0087] (5a)C+H2O→CO+H2

[0088] (5b)C n H m +n H2O→(n+m / 2)H2+nCO

[0089] (5c)CH4+H2O→CO+3H2

[0090] Equation 6 represents the direct gasification of plastic raw materials:

[0091] (6)–CH2–+1 / 2O2→CO+H2

[0092] Equation 7 represents the indirect gasification of plastic raw materials:

[0093] (7)–CH2–+H2O→CO+2H2

[0094] As can be seen from the equations above, indirect gasification always produces a syngas that is relatively rich in hydrogen. This is useful for syngas conversion reactions such as methanol synthesis (Equation 8) and Fischer-Tropsch hydrocarbon synthesis (Equation 9). This is because increasing the hydrogen content of the syngas requires either adding expensive hydrogen or converting carbon monoxide into hydrogen via the water-gas shift (WGS) reaction (Equation 10). The water-gas shift reaction produces undesirable carbon dioxide, which is harmful to the environment and must be removed from the product gas.

[0095] Equation 8 represents the process of methanol synthesis:

[0096] (8)CO+2H2→CH3OH

[0097] Equation 9 represents the Fischer-Tropsch synthesis process of hydrocarbons:

[0098] (9) CO + 2H2 → -CH2- + H2O

[0099] Equation 10 represents the water gas shift (WGS) reaction of carbon monoxide:

[0100] (10) CO + H2O → CO2 + H2

[0101] Pyrolysis / cracking (pyrolysis) is the process that carbon-based raw material heat / thermochemical (endothermic) is converted into gaseous, liquid and solid products.In the present disclosure, term " pyrolysis " is used to describe in oxygen-free environment (that is, without any of air, oxygen and / or steam) and in the temperature range of about 400-500 ℃ to about 800 ℃ the conversion process that occurs.In some cases, pyrolysis is carried out in the presence of steam, and this process is referred to as " steam cracking ".Under steam cracking conditions, the temperature of pyrolysis process is increased to the temperature (that is, higher than> 800 ℃, typically in the range of about 800 ℃ to about 1000 ℃) that exceeds typical pyrolysis conditions, during this period, carbon-based raw material evaporates (wherein optionally melting occurs before evaporation), and cracking, to produce light olefins, such as ethylene and propylene.In some cases, such as when carbon-based raw material is plastics, evaporation step can also be omitted, and plastic raw material experiences cracking reaction at above-mentioned temperature and produces light olefins.

[0102] Figures 1-4 schematically illustrate exemplary layouts of feedstock conversion facilities 1000, 2000, 3000, and 4000 configured to implement methods according to embodiments. The figures and associated examples are for illustrative purposes only and are not intended to limit the applicability of the inventive concept to the layouts explicitly presented in this disclosure. Portions of the block diagrams shown in dashed lines are optional.

[0103] In embodiments, facilities 1000, 2000, 3000, 4000 are configured to thermally or thermochemically convert the carbon-based feedstock into usable products at a temperature in the range of about 400° C. to about 1700° C. In embodiments, facilities 1000, 2000, 3000, 4000 are configured as pyrolysis facilities configured to thermally or thermochemically convert the carbon-based feedstock into usable products under non-oxidizing conditions at a temperature in the range of about 400-500° C. to about 800° C. In embodiments, facilities 1000, 2000, 3000, 4000 are configured as steam cracking facilities configured to thermally or thermochemically convert the carbon-based feedstock into usable products in the presence of steam at a temperature in the range of about 800° C. to about 1000° C. In embodiments, facilities 1000, 2000, 3000, 4000 are configured as gasification facilities configured to thermally or thermochemically convert carbon-based feedstocks into usable products within a temperature range of about 800° C. to about 1700° C. (in some cases, within a temperature range of about 800° C. to about 1200° C.). In some configurations, gasification may be performed within a temperature range of about 1000° C. to about 1200° C. In embodiments, facilities 1000, 2000, 3000, 4000 are configured to utilize fluidized bed equipment.

[0104] The feedstock conversion facilities 1000, 2000, 3000, 4000 include at least one feedstock conversion unit configured to perform a thermal or thermochemical carbon-based (carbonaceous) feedstock conversion process at a temperature substantially equal to or greater than about 400 degrees Celsius (°C). In an embodiment, the feedstock conversion unit includes a conversion device or device group implemented as a gasification reactor or a pyrolysis reactor, or consists of it. In an additional or alternative embodiment, the feedstock conversion unit includes a pyrolysis reactor configured to operate under steam cracking conditions. In an embodiment, the feedstock conversion unit also includes a regenerator (burner). Therefore, in an embodiment, the feedstock conversion unit includes a gasifier, a pyrolyzer, a burner or a combination thereof, or consists of a gasifier, a pyrolyzer, a burner or a combination thereof. In the facility, the one or more feedstock conversion units are connected to at least one rotating device 100 in a manner that enables the heated fluid medium flow generated by the rotating device to be supplied to the one or more feedstock conversion units. Suitable connecting devices include pipelines with appropriate connectors, valves, controllers (e.g., pressure controllers), etc.

[0105] In embodiments, the feedstock conversion unit comprises one or more devices comprising a bed of granular solid material, or is composed thereof. Granular material is a mechanical mixture of a large number of solid particles. Any appropriate type of bed matrix (natural or synthetic) can be used. Suitable natural particles include particles derived from many long-term natural processes, such as heating, cooling, atmospheric changes, water erosion, etc. Solid particles can also be synthesized / produced in a technological process, such as grinding, milling, evaporation, crystallization, spraying, drying, etc. Some exemplary bed materials can include mineral particles (such as olivine, quartz), sand, ash, etc.

[0106] In embodiments, this feedstock conversion unit comprises one or more devices utilizing fluidized bed technology, or is made up of it.Then these devices are configured as fluidized bed reactor (FBR) devices.Generally speaking, the FBR device of this feedstock conversion unit can follow any conventional gas-solid equipment design that is suitable for carrying out mass transfer and / or heat transfer process between gaseous fluid and the material bed of solid state substantially.In different configurations, FBR reactor can be provided as any in static (fixed) fluidized bed reactor, bubbling fluidized bed reactor, circulating fluidized bed reactor, entrained fluidized bed reactor or countercurrent fluidized bed reactor.Countercurrent fluidized bed reactor can be provided with the downward solid stream towards airflow.

[0107] In an embodiment, the disclosed method comprises contacting a heated fluid medium stream generated by at least one rotating device with a carbon-based feedstock in a conversion reactor, thereby providing the heat of reaction required to convert the feedstock into a usable product. This approach is considered a direct conversion of the feedstock and is combined with Figure 1A and Figure 2A Described.

[0108] In some other embodiments, the disclosed method includes contacting a heated fluid medium stream generated by at least one rotating device with a heat transfer material matrix in a heat transfer (regeneration) section of a feedstock conversion unit and transferring the heated heat transfer material from the heat transfer section to a conversion section of the feedstock conversion unit, where the heated heat transfer material provides heat for thermal or thermochemical conversion of the carbon-based feedstock to usable products. This approach is considered an indirect conversion of the feedstock and is combined with Figure 1B and Figure 2B Described.

[0109] In both direct and indirect processes, the conversion of the feedstock can be achieved in a conversion reactor by gasification or pyrolysis processes. In some cases, the pyrolysis unit can be operated under steam cracking conditions.

[0110] The feedstock conversion units / apparatuses described below may be configured to perform any of thermal and / or catalytic conversion processes.

[0111] Figure 1A A basic embodiment 1000A of a facility 1000 is shown, comprising a feedstock conversion unit implemented as a gasifier 102 and a rotary device 100. Figure 1A In the layout of FIG. 1 , the conversion unit is a gasification reactor 102 adapted to convert the carbon-based feedstock 1 by (direct) gasification.

[0112] In embodiments, the disclosed method for converting a carbon-based feedstock into a usable product comprises contacting a stream of heated fluid medium 10 generated by at least one rotating device 100 with the carbon-based feedstock 1 in a gasification reactor 102 to obtain a usable product 2. In embodiments, the gasification reactor 102 is adapted to produce syngas 2 from the carbon-based feedstock.

[0113] In embodiments, gasifier 102 is a fluidized bed reactor (FBR) operated based on any suitable fluid-solid based technology outlined above.

[0114] In one embodiment, the fluid medium 10 heated in the rotating device 100 is steam (H2O). The steam provides the necessary heat for the (direct) gasification of the feedstock in the fluidized bed gasification reactor 102, while also acting as a fluidizing agent. Compared to air, steam as a gasifying / fluidizing agent produces a nitrogen-free product gas, thus avoiding the complex and expensive process of separating nitrogen from the syngas product.

[0115] Therefore, especially in direct gasification, high temperature steam (H2O, 1000-1700 ℃) generated in the rotating device 100 can be used instead of air. High temperature steam fluidizes the bed and provides reaction heat for the endothermic gasification process. The resulting synthesis gas is richer in hydrogen than the synthesis gas formed during partial oxidation (with air / oxygen) and does not contain nitrogen, which is beneficial to subsequent synthesis gas conversion reactions, such as Fischer-Tropsch synthesis of hydrocarbons, synthesis of methanol, etc. (see equations 8 and 9). The generation of hydrogen-rich synthesis gas allows to avoid such energy-consuming and cost-intensive steps, such as adding hydrogen to the synthesis gas in post-processing and / or producing hydrogen according to the WGS reaction pathway (see equation 10). When steam is used as a gasifying agent / fluidizing agent, CO2 emissions are not generated during the gasification process, which is different from the air / oxygen blowing process. Water can then be condensed from the final synthesis gas product in a cooling device, such as a heat exchanger (not shown) arranged downstream of the gasifier 102. Using steam instead of oxygen also increases the hydrogen content in the synthesis gas product, which is beneficial to its many downstream conversion processes, such as methanol production.

[0116] exist Figure 1AIn the exemplary configuration of FIG, optionally, preheated (not shown) steam 10 enters the rotary device 100. In the rotary device, the steam is heated to an operating temperature, which for gasification is substantially equal to or greater than about 800° C., and in some cases, equal to or greater than about 1000° C. (i.e., the temperature at the outlet of the rotary device is about 1000-1700° C.), and is supplied to a gasification reactor 102 containing a bed of solid material. The steam 10 provides the heat required to convert the feed into product syngas 2 while fluidizing the bed material. The syngas can be sent for post-processing and / or use. Flue gas 3 is purged from the reactor, and a solid residue (SR) 4 is removed for processing.

[0117] Figure 1B The integration of a rotating device 100 into a facility 1000, 1000B for indirect gasification of substantially solid carbonaceous feedstocks is shown. The facility 1000B includes a feedstock conversion unit having a feedstock conversion section and a heat transfer (regeneration) section. In an embodiment, the feedstock conversion section is represented by a conversion reactor 102 embodied as a gasification reactor, and the heat transfer (regeneration) section is represented by a regenerator device 104. The regenerator device 104 is implemented as a combustion reactor (burner). At least one rotating device 100 can be configured to supply a heated fluid medium to the gasification reactor 102 or the combustion reactor 104 or both. In Figure 1B In the layout of FIG. 1 , the rotating device 100 connected to the gasification reactor 102 is indicated by reference numeral 100A, and the rotating device 100 connected to the combustion reactor 104 is indicated by reference numeral 100B.

[0118] In an embodiment, the disclosed method of converting carbon-based feedstock into usable products includes contacting a heated fluid medium stream generated by at least one rotating device with a bed material matrix in a combustion reactor 104, and transferring the heated bed material matrix (stream 7) from the combustion reactor 104 to the gasification reactor 102, wherein the bed material provides heat for the thermal or thermochemical conversion of the carbon-based feedstock to usable products via gasification. Thus, the bed material acts as a heat transfer material. The cooled bed material is returned (stream 8) to the burner 104. The bed matrix circulates substantially continuously between the reactors 102, 104. Thus, although the bed material is replenished to the reactor and / or contaminated bed material is removed (not shown), a closed-loop route is formed in which the heat transfer process (in the burner 104) and the feedstock conversion process (in the gasifier 102) are carried out simultaneously.

[0119] In an embodiment, the feedstock conversion unit including the reactor units 102, 104 is configured as a dual fluidized bed (DFB) gasifier. The interconnected reactor units 102, 104 provided within the DFB unit may follow any conventional design and are described with reference to Figure 5B Operate as described generally.

[0120] exist Figure 1B In the exemplary DFB system shown, heated fluid medium 10 flows 10A, 10B generated by rotating devices 100A, 100B, respectively, are directed to a gasification reactor 102 and a combustion reactor 104. In the DFB system, the device 100A that supplies heated fluid medium to the gasification reactor 102 is combined with the device 100A. Figure 1A The heated steam (stream 10A) is generated in the same manner as discussed above. The steam generated by the device 100A and blown into the large amount of bed material in the gasification reactor 102 acts as a fluidizing agent to fluidize the carbonaceous feed of the reactor 102. On the other hand, the fluid medium 10B generated by the rotating device 100B can be a chemically inert gas, such as nitrogen (N2). The fresh inert gas supplied from the gas source 110 to the rotating device 100B can be combined with the recycled flue gas (stream 6). The device can also include an (optional) flue gas cleaning unit 106 to clean the flue gas 6 before it enters the device 100. For example, unit 106 can be configured as a hot filtration unit.

[0121] The rotating apparatus 100A, 100B is configured to heat the fluid / gas 10A, 10B received therein to at least 800° C. (outlet temperature), preferably to any temperature in the range of 800-1700° C. More than one rotating apparatus 100 may be connected to the same reactor 102 , 104 (not shown).

[0122] Additional fuel that is optionally supplied to the gasification reactor 102 is denoted by reference numeral 9 .

[0123] exist Figure 1B In the layout of the hot inert gas 10B, the hot inert gas 10B can be used to replace the fuel and air in the combustion reactor 104. Therefore, no carbon dioxide emissions are formed and the burner flue gas can be recycled in stream 6 to achieve optimal heat recovery. However, in the case where the rotating device 100B supplies heated inert gas to the burner for heating, the unreacted char and coke that are usually "recycled" into the burner with the cold bed material 8 are not incinerated, but remain in the bed material. Therefore, it is necessary to mechanically separate the char and coke from the bed material 8 between the gasification reactor 102 and the combustion reactor 104. Therefore, in some configurations, at least a portion of the bed material 8 is directed to a purification unit 108, in which the unreacted char and coke are removed from the bed matrix.

[0124] In some other configurations, all the bed material is conveyed to the combustion reactor 104 for reheating. Therefore, when adding some air and / or oxygen to the fluid medium stream 10B heated in the rotating device 100B to burn unreacted char and coke in the burner 104, the provision of the bed material purification unit 108 may be optional. This configuration is particularly suitable for the gasification of organic feedstocks such as biomass, where the emissions generated by the combustion of char / coke are of biological origin. Another alternative for coke and emission management is to use steam as the feed medium (stream 10B) to the rotating device 100B. The steam will react with the char / coke in the burner 104 at high temperature and form a mixture of carbon monoxide and hydrogen according to the following equation:

[0125] (11) C + H2O → CO + H2

[0126] The carbon monoxide and hydrogen formed in the reaction may undergo further valorization, which will increase the overall material efficiency of the gasification process. In the latter case, one rotary device may be configured to supply streams to both reactors 102, 104.

[0127] In some configurations, flue gas may be purged from the combustor 104 in stream 5 .

[0128] Figure 2A and 2B A basic embodiment of a method for thermally or thermochemically converting a carbon-based feedstock into usable products by pyrolysis is shown in a feedstock conversion facility 2000 configured to perform direct pyrolysis (2000A, Figure 2A ) and indirect pyrolysis (2000B, Figure 2B )method.

[0129] Facility 2000A( Figure 2A ) includes a raw material conversion unit implemented as a pyrolysis furnace 202 and at least one rotating device 100. Figure 2A In the layout of FIG, the feedstock conversion unit is a pyrolysis reactor suitable for direct gasification of feedstock 1. In an embodiment, reactor 202 is suitable for pyrolysis of organic feedstock. In some embodiments, reactor 202 is suitable for pyrolysis of biomass to produce liquid, solid and gas components, primarily gas, bio-oil and char.

[0130] In one embodiment, facility 2000A can be modified for (direct) pyrolysis of plastic feedstock. In one embodiment, facility 2000A is suitable for pyrolysis of plastic waste. Pyrolysis of plastic waste typically produces a mixture of gaseous, liquid, waxy, and solid products. The ratio of these product components can be adjusted by varying process conditions, such as pyrolysis temperature, pressure, and residence time in reactor 202.

[0131] exist Figure 2A In a configuration of FIG. 1 , a heated fluid medium stream 10 generated by at least one rotating device 100 contacts the feed in a conversion reactor 202. Here, the conversion reactor 202 is configured as a pyrolysis reactor 202. The reactor 202 can be configured as any suitable type of fluidized bed reactor as described above. Because the heat of reaction is transported to the reactor 202 via the fluidizing gas 10, embodiments in which the fluidized bed is composed of solid feedstock particles are feasible are possible. It may be preferred that the particle size of the solid feedstock be sufficiently small to allow the necessary heat transfer from the hot fluid stream 10 to the feedstock in the reactor 202, and thus enable sufficient conversion of the feedstock into product.

[0132] Thus, the process may include pre-treating the feed 1 in a pre-treating unit 204 where the feed is, for example, dried (204A) and comminuted by grinding (204B).

[0133] Overall, the conversion method and facility layout proposed here allow the use of feedstock particles that are significantly smaller than those used in conventional plants. In conventional pyrolysis processes, feedstock is introduced into the pyrolysis reactor in pellet form or via an extruder. Coarse feedstock particles take longer to pyrolyze, leading to secondary reactions that typically produce pyrolysis oil rather than gaseous products. By using smaller feedstock particles, the number of side reactions can be reduced.

[0134] The pre-treatment facility 204 may also include a cryogenic chamber (not shown). This is advantageous when processing plastic waste, which is generally a very soft material, especially if it contains a portion of so-called two-dimensional plastics, such as plastic films made of high-density polyethylene (HDPE) and similar polymers. Due to the elasticity of the material, grinding such a material at room temperature is impossible. This can be overcome by cryogenically treating the plastic waste feed, whereby the feed is cooled to a low temperature (e.g., to -100°C), which reduces the elasticity of the material and makes it grindable. Cryogenic treatment enables the feed to be ground into a very fine powder, which improves the heat transfer between the particles and the hot fluidizing gas 10.

[0135] In additional or alternative configurations, the pre-processing equipment 204 may include an extruder in which a substantially solid feedstock, such as plastic, is melted prior to entering the pyrolysis reactor 202 for thermal or thermochemical conversion.

[0136] The pretreated feed 1A undergoes thermal or thermochemical conversion in the pyrolysis reactor by contacting with the hot fluid medium 10 supplied by the rotating device 100. The temperature of the fluid medium 10 supplied to the pyrolysis reactor 202 is in the range of about 400° C. to about 800° C., depending on the reaction conditions and the feedstock. The rotating device 100 provides the (pyrolysis) reaction heat by injecting the hot fluidizing gas 10 into the reactor 202.

[0137] The pyrolysis process is generally carried out under non-oxidizing conditions, and therefore, the configuration of the present invention preferably utilizes an inert non-oxidizing gas such as nitrogen or a hydrocarbon-containing gas as the fluidizing gas 10 .

[0138] After the reactor 202, the (untreated) product stream 11 is directed to a separation unit 206 in which the process fluids (vapor and gas) are separated from entrained solids such as char and ash. The separation 206 can be carried out in a series of cyclones, hot filtration units and / or any other suitable equipment. After separation, the volatile components 12 containing the pyrolysis vapors are directed to a condensation and recovery section 208 to recover liquid products, while the carbonaceous solid components 13 (char, ash, etc.) are collected for recycling or disposal. Condensation is typically carried out in multiple stages, which can employ a variety of condensation methods and temperatures (not shown). During the condensation process, the product gases 2A and liquids 2B are recovered and sent for further refining or use. Thus, the pyrolysis of biomass produces so-called "biogas" and "biooil", which can be further used as alternative renewable fuels.

[0139] A portion of the product gas stream and / or flue gas may be recycled back to the rotary apparatus 100 as stream 14, optionally via a blower / system fan arrangement 212. In configurations where the fan 212 is omitted, the duty of the recycle gas fan is provided by the rotary apparatus 100. Additionally or alternatively, fresh gas is supplied to the apparatus 100 from one or more suitable sources 210.

[0140] In some configurations, an additional rotating device 100 (100C) may be installed in the facility to provide heat for drying the feedstock in the pre-treatment facility 204. The high-temperature gas 10C generated in the device 100C may be supplied to either or both of the drying unit (204A) or the grinding unit (204B).

[0141] Typically, during plastic waste pyrolysis, the feed is introduced into the pyrolysis reactor in pellet form or via an extruder. This results in longer pyrolysis reaction times, increased secondary reactions, the formation of pyrolysis oil, and olefin losses. If the plastic pellets are finely sized, pyrolysis of the pellets is significantly reduced, and the number of side reactions is minimized.

[0142] In an embodiment, the pyrolysis reactor 202 can be configured to operate under steam cracking conditions. Figure 2A ), this can be achieved by using steam as the fluidizing agent 10. Steam pyrolysis (steam cracking) can be advantageously used for the thermal / thermochemical conversion of plastic (waste) feedstock into usable products, such as gaseous olefins. Under steam cracking conditions, the temperature of the fluidizing gas 10 is raised to a temperature higher than typical pyrolysis conditions, i.e., higher than 800°C. Steam cracking is typically carried out in a temperature range of about 800°C to about 1000°C. At these temperatures, the plastic feedstock begins to thermally crack into olefins. Compared to non-oxidative pyrolysis, which produces liquids and gases, under the oxidative pyrolysis conditions described (achieved by steam cracking), no liquid products are produced, and the main products are formed as gaseous products. Therefore, steam cracking of the plastic feedstock produces olefin-containing gases. Under optimized conditions, this will result in high ethylene and propylene yields in the pyrolysis gas. This requires a quenching operation after the pyrolysis reactor 202 to quickly cool the cracked (product) gas, thereby stopping the cracking reaction and avoiding the formation of heavier hydrocarbons from the reactive olefins and diolefins in the cracked gas. Therefore, a quench cooler may be disposed between the pyrolysis reactor 202 and the cyclone separator 206 (not shown).

[0143] In general, the integration of the rotating apparatus 100 into a plastic feedstock conversion facility by pyrolysis under non-oxidative or oxidative conditions (by steam cracking) is associated with a number of process-specific benefits. For example, the generation of a heated fluid medium 10 in the apparatus 100 allows the pyrolysis reactor to be filled with a bed material consisting of finely ground solid feedstock particles (therefore the supply of a heat transfer bed material can be omitted). The particle size of the feedstock particles is significantly reduced compared to the particle size used in conventional pyrolysis reactors. Under steam cracking conditions, this allows for a reduction in the rate of side reactions and an increase in the yield of target olefins, respectively. The pyrolysis reactor can be designed to have an optimal residence time and temperature, and no heat transfer bed is required. For example, due to the small particle size, heavy impurities common in plastic waste only fall to the bottom of the pyrolysis reactor 202, which is conducive to their removal.

[0144] Figure 2B A feedstock conversion facility 2000, 2000B is shown for indirect pyrolysis of substantially solid carbonaceous feedstocks. The operation of the facility 2000B is similar to that of Figure 1B The facility 1000B is shown. It should also be noted that the facility 1000B ( Figure 1B ) may be suitable for implementing a pyrolysis process rather than a gasification process.

[0145] Please refer to Figure 2B , Facility 2000B includes a feedstock conversion unit having a feedstock conversion section and a heat transfer (regeneration) section. Figure 2BSimilar to the gasification device of FIG, the conversion section is represented by the conversion reactor 202, and the heat transfer section is represented by the regenerator device 204. In the facility 2000B, the conversion reactor 202 is a pyrolysis reactor, and the regenerator device 204 is a combustion reactor (burner). The heated fluid medium 10 is generated in at least one rotating device 100 and supplied to either or both of the pyrolysis reactor 202 and the combustion reactor 204. Figure 2B In the layout of FIG. 1 , the rotating device 100A is configured to supply the heated fluid medium to the pyrolysis reactor 202 as flow 10A; and the rotating device 100B is configured to supply the heated fluid medium to the combustion reactor 202 as flow 10B.

[0146] The feedstock conversion unit comprising reactor devices 202, 204 may be constructed as described with reference to Figure 1B The double fluidized bed (DFB) design described above. The reaction heat required for the feedstock conversion in the pyrolysis reactor 202 is transported by the bed material matrix transferred from the combustion reactor 204 to the pyrolysis reactor 202 (stream 16). For example, an inert bed material matrix (such as sand) circulates between the reactors 202 and 204 (see streams 15 and 16). It should be noted that in direct pyrolysis applications ( Figure 2A ), the raw material solids are not used as bed material, that is, a separate bed material matrix is utilized. For example, feed 1 supplied to the reactor via an extruder and / or conveyor undergoes pyrolysis in reactor 202 by contact with the hot bed material matrix delivered to pyrolysis reactor 202 from burner 204 as stream 16. Thus, the heat of combustion heats the fluidized bed material to the temperature required for the conversion reaction to occur in reactor 202. Thus, the bed material acts as a heat transfer material.

[0147] Facility 2000B may be adapted to convert any type of suitable carbon-based feedstock, such as an organic feedstock, such as biomass, or a plastic feedstock, into gases, liquids, and / or solids.

[0148] After reactor 202, product stream 11 undergoes separation in separation unit 206 (including cyclones, filters, etc.), where volatile components (vapor and gas) are separated from solid components (a mixture of bed material with carbon char, ash, etc.). The solid components are directed to combustion reactor 204 as stream 15 for reheating. Unreacted char and ash can be removed from the combustor (stream 18) for recycling or disposal, while the reheated bed substrate is sent to pyrolysis reactor 202, and the process continues following a substantially closed-loop path.

[0149] The resulting volatile components 12 are sent from the separation unit 206 to a condensation and recovery unit 208. Recovery of the liquid may be accomplished by quenching 208A (in a suitable heat exchanger, etc.) followed by precipitation 208B (in an electrostatic precipitator or other suitable precipitation unit). Note that similar equipment 208A, 208B may be integrated into Figure 2A The gaseous products 2A recovered in unit 208 are collected and sent for refining, export, or combustion, while the liquid products 2B, such as bio-oil or pyrolysis oil, are collected and sent for further refining or export / use. Optionally, the flue gas can be recycled to the rotating device 100A as stream 14 via a fan device (not shown). In addition, the flue gas 17 produced by the combustion can also be recycled via stream 14 (not shown). This avoids the need for complex and expensive heat recovery equipment for the flue gas.

[0150] In a DFB system, pyrolysis reactor 202 utilizes a solid heat transfer material matrix to heat feedstock particles 1. In addition to the heat transfer material, a fluidized bed reactor also requires a fluidizing gas introduced into the reactor. The fluid medium heated by rotating device 100 and supplied to the DFB system can serve as either a fluidizing medium (e.g., steam 10A, when supplied to the pyrolysis reactor) or an oxidizing gas (e.g., air 10B, when used for combustion 204).

[0151] It should also be noted that according to the Figure 1B )、202( Figure 2B ), the DFB system can be configured for gasification or pyrolysis. The latter can further be operated under steam cracking conditions.

[0152] In general, the DFB systems 102, 104 ( Figure 1B ) and 202, 204( Figure 2B ) implements a high temperature conversion process that uses fuel combustion to supply energy. The fuel is burned in the burners 104, 204 together with the carbon char formed in the pyrolysis reaction. In the method proposed herein, external fuel combustion can be performed by rotating the device 100 (100B, Figure 1B and 2B ) and supplied to the combustors 104, 204. Integrating the rotary device into the DFB system and process allows for at least partial electrification of the conversion process. In the DFB system, the high-temperature gas from the rotary device 100 (100A, 100B) can provide fluidization and heating for the circulating bed material, thereby eliminating the need for an external fuel supply and improving the thermal efficiency of the system.

[0153] The amount of char and / or coke transferred from the conversion reactor 102, 202 to the combustor 104, 204 along with the bed material depends on the type and quality of the feedstock (e.g., for plastic waste, the quality is defined by the percentage of polyolefins and the amount of impurities in the feedstock) and the conditions of the conversion process. In a conventional fuel-fired DFB, this char is burned in the combustion chamber and provides the energy required for the conversion reaction. In the case where an inert gas (generated in the rotating device 100, 100B) is used for heating, this char does not burn and begins to accumulate in the system. It can be used as Figure 1B This char is removed from the system in the manner shown (see 108). The purification unit 108 may also be used to mechanically separate and remove heavy impurities from the bed matrix, such as metals originating from the plastic waste feedstock or carbon materials that form a char layer on the surface.

[0154] Removing unreacted char from the bed material circulating between the conversion reactors 102, 202 and the burner / regenerators 104, 204 by mechanical separation further allows the capture of carbon for further storage as a permanent carbon reservoir, rather than releasing it into the atmosphere as carbon dioxide. Mechanical separation 108 can be implemented by density separation (e.g., cyclone separators), size separation (e.g., screening), or electrostatic separation (electrostatic precipitation). Additionally or alternatively, coke can be removed from the surface of the bed material by grinding. Other separation methods, such as leaching, can be used to separate char or coke from the bed material.

[0155] Regular cleaning and replacement of the bed material matrix will ensure defect-free operation of the DFB unit including the rotary apparatus 100 .

[0156] In an embodiment, the facility 2000B, including the DFB conversion units 202 and 204, is configured to process feedstock under so-called flash pyrolysis conditions, wherein a hot fluidized bed of material (e.g., sand) is rapidly contacted with feedstock 1 (e.g., plastic waste, oil shale, or biomass) under non-oxidizing conditions. The absence of oxygen or oxygen-containing molecules (e.g., water or CO2) ensures that the feedstock is not gasified or oxidized to oxygenated hydrocarbons, such as organic acids, aldehydes, or alcohols. Through flash pyrolysis, plastic feedstocks, such as plastic waste, can be converted into short-chain hydrocarbons (olefins), which can be further refined into new feedstocks for plastics manufacturing, such as replacing naphtha.

[0157] In an embodiment, the facility 2000B including the DFB conversion units 202, 204 is configured to operate under steam cracking conditions. Figure 1B Compared to the DFB gasification described, the pyrolysis reaction carried out in a dual fluidized bed system is generally carried out at lower temperatures (about 400-800° C. for non-oxidative pyrolysis and about 800-1000° C. for oxidative pyrolysis / steam cracking).

[0158] Steam cracking in a DFB conversion unit can be used to convert plastic feedstocks such as plastic waste. Under steam cracking conditions, polymer molecules break down into short-chain olefins. The one-step conversion of plastic waste to olefins in a DFB system minimizes material losses and energy consumption.

[0159] The fluidized bed scheme described above can be implemented to perform thermal treatment (without a catalyst) or thermocatalytic treatment. Thus, in embodiments, any of the reactor units 102, 104, 202, 204 described above and implemented as fluidized bed units comprises a catalyst. Exemplary catalysts include, but are not limited to, catalytic pyrolysis for fluidized catalytic cracking of plastic feedstocks, organic feedstocks, or combinations thereof. In general, any suitable catalyst can be used.

[0160] Figure 3 Schematically illustrated is a feedstock conversion facility 3000 configured for catalytic cracking of a carbon-based (carbonaceous) feedstock. In an embodiment, the facility 3000 is a fluid catalytic cracking (FCC) facility.

[0161] The facility 3000 includes a feedstock conversion unit including a conversion reactor 302 and a regenerator 304 and at least one rotating device 100. Figure 3 In the configuration, the conversion reactor is an FCC reactor suitable for catalytic cracking of carbonaceous feedstocks. Furthermore, regenerator 304 is configured as a catalyst regenerator unit. FCC facilities are particularly useful for converting plastic feedstocks, such as plastic waste, into aromatics. The resulting light olefins and BTX aromatics (benzene, toluene, and xylenes) can be further used to produce new plastics.

[0162] In the FCC process, a high-temperature (regenerated) catalyst stream 31 is combined with preheated feedstock 1 (typically in liquid form) at the bottom of the reactor riser (see arrows 1, 31), and as the mixture travels upward along the riser in a fluidized state and enters the reactor vessel, the feed is cracked, where the cracked product gases are separated from the spent catalyst. FCC reactors configured for cracking plastic feedstocks can operate in a temperature range of approximately 400-600°C. The cracked product gases 2 are sent for fractionation and recovery of useful products (not shown). The spent catalyst is separated from the product mixture by steam stripping (steam 38 is supplied to the stripping column section of reactor 302) and transferred to regenerator 304 as stream 32. In the regenerator, the coke deposited on the catalyst material during the cracking process is burned by injecting air and heat, and the regenerated catalyst is returned to reactor 302 as stream 31 to continue the process cycle. The process of conversion (cracking) and catalyst regeneration is essentially continuous. As a relevant amount of contaminated catalyst 37 is removed, make-up catalyst 36 is supplied to the regenerator 304 .

[0163] The rotating device 100 integrated into the FCC layout 3000 can be configured to generate a flow of hot (650-750°C) fluid medium 10, preferably air, required for the combustion of coke in the regenerator 304. The supply of fresh medium can be done from a suitable source 310.

[0164] Conventional FCC is an endothermic process. The heat required for cracking is typically generated by burning a small portion of the feedstock in the regenerator 304. This results in large amounts of fossil carbon dioxide emissions, which increases the environmental footprint of the technology and reduces the sustainability benefits gained from recycling plastic waste. Therefore, it is beneficial to remove the coke / char from the fluidized catalyst bed (stream 32) before it enters the regenerator 304. Therefore, at least a portion of the catalyst material can be directed to the separation unit 308 in stream 33 to remove the coke / char. The separation unit 308 can be configured to perform mechanical separation, as previously described in this specification (see the description of the separation unit 308). Figure 1B The thermal efficiency of the system can be further improved by recycling the hot flue gas from the regenerator 304 into the rotary device 100 as stream 35, optionally through a purification unit 306 (e.g., a hot filtration unit). In some configurations, the flue gas can be purged from the regenerator 304 as stream 34. Providing at least a portion of the cracking energy from the rotary device rather than balancing the operation by incinerating the coke / char product can increase the operational flexibility of the cracker unit.

[0165] Figure 4 A facility for converting solid carbon-based feedstocks into usable products via a chemical looping gasification process is shown at 4000. The facility 4000 generally follows a process with respect to Figure 1B The operating principle is summarized; however, one of the characteristics of chemical looping is that the conversion of carbon-based feedstock in the feedstock conversion unit is accompanied by a redox reaction of the fluidized bed material, wherein the latter is provided as an oxygen carrier. The oxygen carrier is usually provided in the form of a metal oxide, which is used to transfer oxygen from the combustion air to the solid feedstock (called "fuel") while avoiding direct contact between the air and the feed.

[0166] The feedstock conversion unit configured for chemical looping comprises a feedstock conversion section and a heat transfer (regeneration) section, wherein the feedstock conversion section is represented by a conversion reactor 402, which is embodied as a gasification reactor, and the heat transfer section is represented by a regenerator device 404. Regenerator device 404 is implemented as a combustion reactor. A bed material made of a solid oxygen carrier (metal oxide) circulates between reactors 402 and 404, and this circulation process is accompanied by heat transfer and redox reactions of the metal oxide. During this process, the oxygen carrier undergoes continuous oxidation and reduction while circulating throughout the conversion unit.

[0167] In the regenerator 404, the metal oxide Me from the conversion reactor 402 y O x-1 (stream 43) is oxidized by the combustion air to a higher oxidation state (Me y O x ). An exemplary oxidation of iron (II, III) oxide is performed according to the following scheme (Equation 12):

[0168] (12) Fe3O4(s) + O2(g) → Fe2O3(s)

[0169] The fluidized bed material, now in an oxidized state, flows to the conversion reactor 402 as stream 42. Stream 42 also carries heat transferred to the bed material in the regenerator (burner) 404. When the solid feedstock 1 introduced into the reactor is mixed with the fluidized oxygen carrier particles, conversion of the solid feedstock occurs in the conversion reactor 402. In an embodiment, the solid feedstock 1 is an organic feedstock, such as biomass. The gaseous product leaves the reactor 402 as stream 41 and continues to be fractionated. During the conversion process, the oxygen carrier material is reduced back to Me y O x-1 state and is sent back to the regenerator as stream 43. In the chemical cycle, the metal oxide also acts as a heat transfer material, relative to Figure 1B In some configurations, at least a portion of the (reduced) bed material 43 may be directed in stream 44 for carbon removal 408, which may be performed, for example, by steam stripping.

[0170] The gaseous products 41 formed during gasification, such as hydrogen (H2), carbon oxides (CO, CO2), methane (CH4), and water vapor, are further fractionated / refined 412 to produce usable products 2, such as synthesis gas. The fractionation / refining facility 412 may include a water gas shift (WGS) reactor, a carbon dioxide separation unit, a pressure swing adsorption (PSA) unit, and / or any other suitable equipment. The exhaust gas 47 may be extracted or recycled (not shown).

[0171] The integration of the rotating device into the chemical looping facility 4000 is accomplished as follows. The rotating devices 100A, 100B can be configured to supply heated fluid media 10A, 10B to the conversion reactor 402 and the regenerator 404, respectively. For example, the setting of the rotating device 100B replaces the fossil fuel burner that is typically used to heat the combustion air. Therefore, the (hot) combustion air flow 10B injected into the regenerator 404 can be generated by the rotating device 100B. The flue gas leaving the regenerator 404 can be purged out (stream 45), or preferably recycled back to the rotating device 100 (100B) as stream 46, optionally through a purification unit 406, which can be configured as a hot filtration unit. Recirculating the flue gas in the above manner improves the thermal efficiency of the system.

[0172] In another aspect, the rotary apparatus 100A can be configured to generate a heated fluid medium 10A suitable for use as a gasifying agent. The fluid heated in the apparatus 100A can include carbon dioxide and / or water (to generate steam).

[0173] Fluid is supplied from an associated source 410 to the rotating apparatus 100A, 100B.

[0174] Note that in all the arrangements 1000, 2000, 3000, 4000 described hereinabove and relating to the use of fluidized bed reactor technology, the rotating device 100 (100A, 100B) can be designed to increase the pressure of the fluid flow. Thus, the rotating device can have an additional blower function to increase the velocity of the heated fluid medium supplied to the feedstock conversion unit. In this way, the heated fluid medium is also used as a fluidizing agent and effectively fluidizes the bed material in the associated reactor arrangement. The device 100 adapted as a blower provides the necessary pressure increase for the circulation of the fluid through the solid bed material provided within the feedstock conversion unit. Thus, the device 100 can replace a separate blower / system fan which would otherwise be necessary in a conventional fuel-fired gasifier (see Figure 2A and optional fan assembly 212).

[0175] In an embodiment, the method includes generating a heated fluid medium by means of a rotating heater unit comprising or consisting of at least one rotating device 100. The rotating heater device 100 is preferably integrated into the feedstock conversion facility 1000, 2000, 3000, 4000. In an embodiment, the heated fluid medium is generated by at least one rotating device; however, multiple rotating devices may be used in series (sequentially) or in parallel.

[0176] The rotating device 100 can be provided as a standalone device or as a plurality of devices arranged in series or in parallel. One or more devices can be connected to a common feedstock conversion unit, which includes at least one feedstock conversion device (conversion reactor) 102, 202, 302, 402. In the case where the conversion unit is configured as a combined reactor system (using a conversion reactor and a regenerator / combustor 104, 204, 304, 404), at least one device 100 can be connected to any one or both of the conversion reactor and the regenerator / combustor within the combined reactor system.

[0177] In some configurations, a plurality of rotating devices may be connected to a plurality of process utilities 102, 104, 202, 204, 302, 304, 402, 404. Different configurations can be envisaged, for example n+x rotating devices connected to n utilities (e.g. reactors), where n is equal to or greater than zero (0) and x is equal to or greater than one (1). Thus, in some configurations, the facilities 1000, 2000, 3000, 4000 (in particular the rotary heater unit 100) may comprise one, two, three or four rotating device units connected in parallel, which are connected, for example, to a common feedstock conversion unit; it is not excluded that the number of rotating devices exceeds four (4). When connecting a plurality of rotating devices in parallel to a common conversion unit, one or more of the devices in the facility 100 may have different types of drive engines, for example, a reactor driven by an electric motor may be combined with a reactor driven by a steam turbine, a gas turbine and / or a gas engine.

[0178] Rotating apparatus 100 is configured to receive a feed stream supplied from an appropriate source 110, 210, 310, 410. The feed stream supplied to apparatus 100 may include or consist of any fluid, such as a liquid or gas or a combination thereof, provided as a pure component or a mixture of components.

[0179] In an embodiment, the fluid medium entering the rotating device 100 and / or being heated therein comprises steam (H2O). In an embodiment, the fluid medium entering the rotating device and / or being heated therein comprises steam, an oxidizing gas, such as air or oxygen (O2). In an embodiment, the fluid medium entering the device 100 and / or being heated therein comprises an oxidizing gas, such as air or oxygen (O2) or a combination thereof. In an embodiment, the fluid medium entering the device 100 and / or being heated therein comprises a non-oxidizing gas, such as nitrogen (N2), hydrogen (H2), a hydrocarbon-containing gas, such as methane (CH4), or a combination thereof. In an embodiment, the fluid medium entering the device 100 and / or being heated therein comprises a recycled gas obtained by recycling exhaust gases generated during the feedstock conversion process in a feedstock conversion facility.

[0180] Preferably, a gaseous feed is supplied to the apparatus 100. Thus, the units 110, 210, 310, 410 may be equipped with gas preheating means and / or means for converting liquid into gaseous form (not shown).

[0181] As described above, the flue gas generated in the conversion facility can be optionally recycled to the device 100 through the purification unit 106, 306, 406. For example, the purification unit 106, 306, 406 can be adapted to purify the exhaust gas / flue gas discharged from the feedstock conversion unit (primarily from the combustion reactor 104, 204, 304, 404), such as carbon dioxide, for further carbon capture (not shown). Suitable methods for purifying the exhaust gas include, for example, filtration, such as hot filtration, distillation, absorption, pressure swing adsorption (PSA), and any combination of these methods.

[0182] In an embodiment, the disclosed method includes generating a heated fluid medium by at least one rotating device integrated into an associated feedstock conversion facility, the at least one rotating device comprising: (a) a rotor having a plurality of rotor blades arranged in at least one row around a rotor hub mounted to a rotor shaft; (b) a plurality of stationary blades or guide vanes arranged as an assembly adjacent to at least one row of rotor blades; and (c) a housing having a conduit formed between at least one inlet and at least one outlet, the conduit being configured to surround the rotating blades and the stationary blades such that the bladeless portion of the conduit is substantially arranged behind its bladed portion, wherein the rotating device is configured to impart a certain amount of thermal energy to the fluid medium flow flowing in the conduit between the inlet and the outlet by means of a series of energy conversions that occur as the fluid medium flow passes continuously through the bladed and bladeless portions of the conduit, thereby generating the heated fluid medium flow.

[0183] In addition to providing the heat energy required for thermal conversion or thermochemical conversion reactions and / or acting as a fluidizing agent (as described above), at least one rotating device 100 integrated into the raw material conversion facility 1000, 2000, 3000, 4000 can also completely or partially replace the fuel burner in the raw material conversion unit and / or conversion facility.

[0184] In facilities 1000, 2000, 3000, 4000, the rotating apparatus 100 may be retrofitted using existing equipment, such as reactors and reactor systems, as described above.

[0185] The embodiment of the rotating apparatus 100 may generally follow the principles of US Pat. Nos. 7,232,937 (Bushuev), 9,494,038 (Bushuev), and 9,234,140 ( et al.), and according to the disclosure of the radial reactor apparatus of U.S. Pat. No. 10,744,480 (Xu and Rosic), the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. Any other embodiment that can be configured to employ a method according to an embodiment of the present invention can be utilized.

[0186] In the patent documents cited above, rotary turbine-type equipment is designed as a reactor for processing hydrocarbons, particularly for steam cracking. The general requirements for these applications are rapid gas heating, high temperatures, short residence times, and plug flow (a flow pattern that implies no axial mixing). These requirements lead to the design of turbine-type reactors that accommodate multiple heating stages within a relatively small volume.

[0187] The present disclosure is based on the observation that rotating equipment (including but not limited to those mentioned above) can be used as heaters to generate heated fluid media that are further supplied to thermal or thermochemical conversion processes associated with recycling carbonaceous (waste) materials (e.g., plastics or organic matter, such as biomass) and producing valuable products. In some configurations, the equipment 100 can be electrified. Thus, by integrating a rotating equipment heater unit into one or more feedstock conversion processes, greenhouse gas and particulate emissions can be significantly reduced.

[0188] Thus, the rotary device 100, which is integrated into a feedstock conversion facility according to an embodiment and configured to generate a heated fluid medium for use in a method according to an embodiment, includes a rotor shaft arranged along a horizontal (longitudinal) axis, to which at least one rotor unit is mounted. The rotor unit includes a plurality of rotor blades (also referred to as rotating or working blades), which are arranged on the circumference of a rotor hub or rotor disk and together form a rotor blade cascade. Thus, the rotary device 100 includes a plurality of rotor blades, which are arranged in at least one row around a rotor hub or rotor disk mounted on the rotor shaft and form a substantially annular rotor blade assembly or rotor blade cascade.

[0189] In an embodiment, the device 100 also includes a plurality of fixed blades or guide vanes arranged in an assembly adjacent to at least one row of rotor blades. The term "fixed" refers to non-rotating blades / guide vanes (in contrast to rotor blades). Note that the attachment of the fixed guide vanes to the casing (inner wall or its lining) can be fixed (immovable) or essentially movable. In the latter case, the attachment of the fixed guide vanes can adopt a certain degree of movement, thereby allowing the blade angle to be adjusted to a certain extent relative to the interior of the rotor blades and / or casing. The fixed blades / guide vanes can be attached directly to the casing (inner wall and / or its lining) or attached by means of an auxiliary connection device, which is, for example, a track, an annular support frame, etc. The movable connection can be achieved by an articulated joint or any other suitable connection method.

[0190] In an embodiment, the rotating blades and the stationary blades are enclosed within an apparatus housing, and a conduit is formed within the apparatus housing, thereby forming a bladed portion of the conduit. In an embodiment, the rotating blades and the stationary blades are arranged within the conduit such that a bladeless portion is formed within the conduit substantially after the stationary blades and / or the rotating blades. In an embodiment, the bladeless portion of the conduit is arranged substantially after the bladed portion thereof.

[0191] Thus, the rotating device is configured to impart a certain amount of thermal energy to the fluid medium flow flowing in the conduit between the inlet and the outlet by means of a series of energy conversions that occur as the fluid medium flow successively passes through the bladed and non-bladed portions of the conduit, thereby producing a heated fluid medium flow.

[0192] In some embodiments, the plurality of stationary guide vanes may be arranged into at least one stationary cascade provided as a substantially annular assembly upstream and / or downstream of at least one row of rotor blades.

[0193] A plurality of fixed guide vanes arranged in an assembly upstream of at least one row of rotor blades may be provided as fixed guide vanes (GVs), such as inlet guide vanes (IGVs), and configured according to their profile, size and arrangement about a central axis to direct fluid flow into the rotor in a predetermined direction, thereby controlling and in some cases maximizing work input capability specific to the rotor.

[0194] In an embodiment, the rotary device 100 further comprises a diffuser region arranged downstream of at least one row of rotor blades (rotor blade cascade). The diffuser region may be provided with or without fixed (diffuser) guide vanes. Thus, the diffuser region may be provided as a substantially bladeless portion of the duct or as a bladed portion of the duct. In the latter case, the diffuser region comprises a vaned diffuser, which is implemented as a plurality of fixed blades or guide vanes arranged in a diffuser cascade, the diffuser cascade being provided as a substantially annular assembly downstream of the rotor. In some configurations, the diffuser region may comprise a vaneless diffuser.

[0195] The rotating machine may be configured with two or more rows of substantially annular rotor blades (blade cascades) arranged sequentially on / along the rotor shaft. In this case, the fixed guide vanes may be installed upstream of the first row of rotor blades, upstream of each row of rotor blades in the sequence, or upstream of any selected row of rotor blades in the sequence; and the fixed diffuser vanes may be installed downstream of the first row of rotor blades, downstream of each row of rotor blades in the sequence, or downstream of any selected row of rotor blades in the sequence.

[0196] The rotor and stationary blades (IGVs and / or diffuser vanes) are enclosed within an internal passage (duct) formed in the casing.

[0197] A diffuser region provided as a substantially vaneless portion of the duct is described in more detail in US Pat. No. 10,744,480 to Xu and Rosic. In this configuration, the provision of a diffuser device (whether vaned or vaneless) may be omitted, and the diffuser region may be represented by a substantially vaneless portion of the duct located downstream of the rotor (the so-called vaneless space) and configured, according to its geometric shape and / or size parameters, to diffuse the high-speed fluid flow from the rotor.

[0198] In general, the arrangement of the bladeless / vaneless section of the duct is common to all configurations of the rotary device 100 described above. Depending on the configuration, the bladeless section is arranged after (downstream of) the rotor blades (see US 10,744,480 to Xu and Rosic) or after (downstream of) the fixed diffuser blades (see US 9,494,038 to Bushuev and et al. US9,234,140). In the case of et al. describe configurations in which the rows of rotating and stationary blades are arranged in an internal passage within the casing so as to create one or more bladeless sections between the outlet of the stationary diffuser blades arranged downstream of the rotor blades and the inlet of the stationary guide vanes arranged upstream of the rotor blades of the subsequent rotor cascade unit.

[0199] The terms "upstream" and "downstream" refer here to the spatial and / or functional arrangement of structural parts or components relative to a predetermined part or component (here the rotor) in the direction of fluid flow of the entire device (from inlet to outlet).

[0200] In some configurations, at least one row of rotor (working) blades may be located between multiple rows of stationary (stator) guide vanes, which are arranged in a substantially annular assembly (referred to as a cascade) on one or both sides of the row of working blades. Configurations comprising two or more rows of rotor blades / rotor cascades arranged in series (in sequence) on / along the rotor shaft with or without stationary blades between them are conceivable. In the absence of stationary guide vanes between multiple rows of rotor blades, the velocity of the fluid medium propagating through the duct increases with each subsequent row. In this case, the multiple stationary guide vanes may be arranged as an assembly upstream of the first rotor cascade in the sequence (as stationary guide vanes) and as an assembly downstream of the last rotor cascade (as stationary diffuser vanes).

[0201] A row of rotor blades (rotor cascade) enclosed within a housing and a portion of a duct downstream of the rotor blades (optionally provided with a fixed diffuser vane assembly (diffuser region)) can be considered a minimum process stage (hereinafter referred to as a stage) configured to regulate a complete energy conversion cycle. Thus, as the fluid medium flow exits the rotor blades and propagates in the duct toward the next row of rotor blades or enters the same row of rotor blades along a substantially spiral trajectory formed within the substantially annular housing, the kinetic energy added to the fluid medium flow by at least one row of rotating blades is sufficient to raise the temperature of the fluid medium to a predetermined value. Thus, as the fluid flow successively passes through the bladed and non-bladed portions of the duct, thermal energy is added to the fluid medium flow between at least one inlet and at least one outlet of the duct by converting the mechanical energy of the rotor's rotating blades into the fluid's internal energy (thereby adding thermal energy to the fluid flow). The duct (enclosing the rotor's periphery) is preferably shaped such that as the fluid flow propagates within the duct, the flow decelerates and dissipates kinetic energy as the fluid medium's internal energy, adding a certain amount of thermal energy to the fluid medium flow.

[0202] One or more rows of stationary guide vanes arranged upstream of at least one row of rotor blades prepare the required flow conditions at the inlet of a row of rotating blades (cascade) during an energy conversion cycle.

[0203] In some configurations, the process stage consists of an assembly of fixed guide vanes (upstream of the rotor blades), a row of rotor blades, and a diffuser region arranged downstream of the rotor blades, the diffuser region being configured as a substantially vaneless portion of the duct, optionally provided with diffuser vanes. During the energy conversion cycle, mechanical energy of the rotor shaft is converted into kinetic energy and further into internal energy of the fluid, resulting in an increase in the fluid temperature, by causing the fluid medium flow to propagate sequentially in a controlled manner through the fixed guide vanes, at least one row of rotor blades, and the diffuser region. As the fluid medium flow exits the rotor blades and passes through the diffuser region within the duct, the amount of kinetic energy added to the fluid medium flow by the rotating blades of the rotor is sufficient to increase the temperature of the fluid medium to a predetermined value, thereby decelerating the flow and dissipating the kinetic energy as internal energy of the fluid medium, while also adding a certain amount of thermal energy to the fluid medium flow. Within the row of rotor blades, the flow accelerates, and the mechanical energy of the shaft and rotating blades is transferred to the fluid flow. In at least a portion of each row of rotor blades, the flow can reach a supersonic flow regime. In the diffuser region, the high-speed fluid flow from the rotor diffuses with a significant entropy increase, whereby the flow dissipates kinetic energy as internal energy of the fluid mass, thereby providing thermal energy to the fluid. If the flow upstream of the diffuser is supersonic, the kinetic energy of the fluid flow is converted into internal energy of the fluid by a system of multiple impacts and viscous mixing and dissipation. The increase in internal energy of the fluid results in an increase in the temperature of the fluid. The energy conversion function can be performed, for example, by a vaneless portion of the duct located downstream of the rotor blades (see US Pat. No. 10,744,480 of Xu and Rosic) and / or by a diffuser vane assembly (see et al. (US 9,234,140).

[0204] The rotating device 100 can be configured as a multi-stage or single-stage solution. A multi-stage configuration is contemplated that includes a plurality of rotor units (e.g., 1-5 rows of rotor blades arranged sequentially on / along the rotor shaft) alternating with one or more bladeless regions. In some configurations, the bladeless region can be referred to as a (bladeless) diffuser region. In some configurations, the bladeless region (the bladeless portion of the duct) can be arranged after the fixed blades, such as after the fixed diffuser blades.

[0205] exist In the exemplary configuration outlined in US Pat. No. 9,234,140 to et al., the rotating device 100 can be implemented essentially in the shape of an annular torus, wherein the cross-section of the duct in the meridian plane forms an annular profile. The device includes a rotor unit arranged between fixed guide vanes (nozzle vanes) and fixed diffuser vanes. The stage is formed with multiple rows of fixed nozzle vanes, rotor blades, and diffuser vanes, through which the fluid flow propagates in a continuous manner along a flow path established according to a substantially spiral trajectory. In this configuration, the fluid flow circulates through the rotating rotor blades multiple times while propagating between the inlet and outlet of the device. A similar annular configuration is described in US Pat. No. 9,494,038 to Bushuev.

[0206] exist In another exemplary configuration outlined in US Pat. No. 9,234,140 to U.S. Pat. No. 5,336,964, the rotating apparatus 100 can be configured as a substantially tubular axial flow turbine. In this configuration, the apparatus includes an elongated (elongated) rotor hub along which a plurality of rotor blades are arranged in a plurality of sequential rows. The rotor is enclosed in a housing, the inner surface of which is provided with fixed (stator) guide vanes and diffuser guide vanes arranged so that the blades / vanes of the stator, rotor, and diffuser cascades are alternately arranged in the longitudinal direction (along the length of the rotor shaft, from inlet to outlet) along the rotor hub. The blades of the rotor cascade at a certain position along the longitudinal direction of the rotor form the stages with adjacent pairs of fixed guide (nozzle) guide vanes and diffuser guide vanes, respectively.

[0207] In the configuration described, there are bladeless / vaneless spaces between subsequent stages.

[0208] In another exemplary configuration outlined in US 10,744,480 to Xu and Rosic, the rotating device 100 can be configured as a radial flow turbine that generally follows the design of a centrifugal compressor or centrifugal pump. The term "centrifugal" means that the fluid flow within the device is radial; therefore, in this disclosure, the device may be referred to as a "radial flow device." The device includes a number of rotor units mounted on an elongated shaft, with fixed guide vanes preceding each rotor unit. A vaneless portion of the duct, which is shaped in a manner that enables energy conversion (e.g., a U-shaped bend or an S-shaped bend), is located after the rotor unit. In addition, the configuration can include a separate diffuser device (with or without guide vanes) arranged downstream of the rotor.

[0209] In all of the above-described configurations, the rotating device 100 performs the method disclosed herein in a similar manner. During operation, input energy conducted to at least one rotating device integrated into the feedstock conversion facility is converted into mechanical energy of the rotor. Conditions within the rotating device are adjusted to produce specific flow rate conditions, under which the amount of kinetic energy added to the fluid medium flow by the rotating rotor blades is sufficient to raise the temperature of the fluid medium to a predetermined value as the fluid medium flow exits at least one row of rotor blades and passes through a duct and / or a diffuser region to enter the next row of rotor blades or the same row of rotor blades in the manner described above. One or more rows of rotor blades may be preceded by fixed guide vanes. Thus, the adjustable conditions include at least adjusting the flow of the fluid medium propagating within the housing of the rotating device between an inlet and an outlet. Adjusting the flow may include adjusting parameters related to the operation of the device, such as temperature, mass flow rate, pressure, etc. Additionally or alternatively, the flow conditions may be adjusted by modifying the shape of the duct formed within the housing.

[0210] In some exemplary configurations, the rotating device can be configured to cause the fluid flow to flow between its inlet and outlet along a flow path established according to any of the following trajectories: a substantially spiral trajectory formed within a substantially torus-shaped housing, as described in US Pat. Nos. 9,494,038 and 9,494,038 to Bushuev. et al. US9,234,140; a substantially spiral trajectory formed in a substantially tubular housing, as described in patent document et al., US9,234,140; a substantially radial trajectory, as described in US10,744,480 by Xu and Rosic; and a flow path established by a flow of a fluid medium in the form of two spirals wound into left-right vortex rings, as described in US7,232,937 by Bushuev. The aerodynamic design of the rotating device can vary.

[0211] The rotating device 100 utilizes a drive engine. In some configurations, the device utilizes electrical energy as input energy and is therefore driven by an electric motor. For the purposes of the present invention, any appropriate type of electric motor (i.e., a device capable of transferring energy from a power source to a mechanical load) can be used. Appropriate couplings and various devices, such as power converters, controllers, etc., arranged between the motor drive shaft and the rotor shaft are not described here. In addition, the device can be directly driven by a gas turbine or steam turbine or any other appropriate drive device. In a layout involving several rotating devices 100 connected in parallel to a common feedstock conversion unit 102, 102+104, 202, 202+204, 302+304, 402+404 (e.g., a reactor), one or more of the devices can utilize different types of drive engines. For example, a device driven by an electric motor can be combined with a device driven by a steam turbine, a gas turbine, and / or a gas engine.

[0212] Thus, a certain amount of input energy E1 can be conducted to at least one rotating device 100 integrated into the conversion facility 1000, 2000, 3000, 4000 as a (rotating) heater unit. The input energy E1 can include electrical energy supplied from an external source or an internal source (related to the rotating device itself and / or the conversion facility). The electrical input energy E1 supplied to the device can be defined in terms of electrical power, which is defined as the rate of energy transfer per unit time (measured in Watts). The power can be supplied to the rotating device by supplying current to an electric motor used to propel the rotating shaft of the device.

[0213] Electricity can be provided by a power generation system utilizing at least one renewable energy source, or by a combination of power generation systems utilizing different renewable energy sources. The external source of renewable energy can be provided as solar, wind, and / or hydropower. Thus, electricity can be received into the process from at least one of the following: a photovoltaic power generation system, a wind power generation system, and a hydropower generation system. In some exemplary embodiments, a nuclear power plant can be provided as an external source of electricity. Nuclear power plants are generally considered to be emission-free. The term "nuclear power plant" should be interpreted as using conventional nuclear energy and, in addition or alternatively, fusion energy.

[0214] Electricity can be provided from a power plant that utilizes turbines as kinetic energy to drive generators. In some cases, the electricity to drive at least one device 100 can be provided by at least one gas turbine (GT), for example, configured as a standalone device or within a combined heat and power facility and / or a combined cycle power generation facility. Thus, electricity can be provided by at least one of the following: a combined cycle power generation facility, such as a combined cycle gas turbine power plant (CCGT), and / or a combined heat and power facility configured to generate electricity through combined heat and power (CHP) with heat recovery. In some examples, the CHP power plant can be a biomass-fired power plant to increase the share of renewable energy in the process. Additionally or alternatively, power can be provided by spark-ignition engines (e.g., gas engines) and / or compression engines (e.g., diesel engines), for example, optionally provided as part of an engine power plant. Furthermore, any conventional power plant configured to generate electricity from fossil fuels such as coal, oil, natural gas, or gasoline (typically regulated using a steam turbine) can be used to generate electricity as input energy for the rotating device 100. Furthermore, hydrogen can be used as a source of renewable energy, for example by converting it back into electricity using fuel cells.

[0215] It is contemplated that any combination of the above electricity sources may be implemented as external and internal sources.The import of low-emission electricity from alternative (external) sources can improve the energy efficiency of the feedstock conversion facility.

[0216] The transfer of input energy (including electricity) to the drive motor of the rotating equipment may also be accompanied by the transfer of mechanical shaft power from the power turbine, for example, optionally utilizing heat generated elsewhere in the facility 1000 or external to the facility. Shaft power is defined as the mechanical power transferred from one rotating element to another and is calculated as the sum of the torque and the rotational speed of the shaft. Mechanical power is defined as work or energy per unit time (measured in watts).

[0217] For example, in practice, the shaft power from the electric motor and the power turbine may be split so that either one can provide all or part of the shaft power.

[0218] In embodiments, the disclosed methods include generating a heated fluid medium from at least two rotating devices integrated into a feedstock conversion facility, the at least two rotating devices being connected in parallel or in series (not shown).

[0219] A rotating device assembly can be established when at least two rotating devices are connected in parallel or in series. The connection between the rotating devices in the assembly can be mechanical and / or functional. A functional (e.g., in terms of achievable heat input) connection can be established when at least two separate, physically integrated or non-integrated independent device units are associated. In the latter case, the association between at least two rotating devices can be established by several auxiliary devices (not shown). In some configurations, the assembly includes at least two devices, for example, connected in a mirror image to each other, whereby the at least two devices are at least functionally connected via their central (rotor) axis. This mirror configuration can be further defined as having at least two rotating devices 100 that are mechanically connected in series (in sequence), while the functional connection can be regarded as a parallel connection (connected in an array). In some cases, the aforementioned "mirror" arrangement can be further modified to include at least two inlets and a common exhaust (discharge) module substantially located at the center of the arrangement structure.

[0220] Several rotating devices can be assembled on the same (rotor) shaft (not shown). Each rotating device can optionally be provided with a separate drive (motor), which allows for independent optimization of the devices. When using two or more independent rotating devices, construction costs (materials, etc.) can be optimized depending on the operating temperature and pressure.

[0221] If two rotating devices are connected in series, the first device in the series can be used as a main heater and the second device as a so-called auxiliary heater (optionally by injecting reactive chemicals into the main device to further increase the temperature of the heated fluid in the main device).

[0222] In one aspect, a feedstock conversion facility 1000, 2000, 3000, 4000 is provided, comprising: at least one rotating device 100 configured to generate a heated fluid medium; and at least one feedstock conversion unit 102, 102+104, 202, 202+204, 302+304, 402+404 configured to perform one or more processes associated with thermal or thermochemical conversion of a carbon-based feedstock into a usable product, the at least one rotating device comprising: (a) a rotor having a plurality of rotor blades arranged in at least one row about a rotor hub mounted to a rotor shaft; (b) a plurality of stationary blades or guide vanes arranged adjacent an assembly of the at least one row of rotor blades; and (c) a plurality of stationary blades or guide vanes formed at at least one inlet. and a housing for a conduit between the inlet and the at least one outlet, the conduit being configured to enclose rotating blades and stationary blades such that the bladeless portion of the conduit is disposed substantially behind the bladed portion thereof, wherein the at least one rotating device is configured to operate so as to impart an amount of thermal energy to the fluid medium flow flowing in the conduit between the inlet and the outlet by means of a series of energy conversions occurring as the fluid medium flow passes successively through the bladed and bladeless portions of the conduit, thereby producing a heated fluid medium flow, and wherein the at least one rotating device is configured to receive an amount of input energy and produce a heated fluid medium for inputting thermal energy into at least one feedstock conversion unit configured to implement a feedstock conversion process at a temperature substantially equal to or exceeding approximately 400 degrees Celsius (°C).

[0223] In an embodiment, the feedstock conversion facility is configured to carry out thermal or thermochemical conversion of a carbon-based feedstock to a usable product by a method according to some of the previously defined aspects and embodiments.

[0224] In embodiments, the feedstock conversion facility is configured as a plastic waste conversion facility and / or an organic waste conversion facility. In embodiments, the facility is configured to convert plastic and / or organic waste into value-added substances, such as fuels, including any of solid fuels, liquid fuels (e.g., (bio) oils) and gases (e.g., (bio) gas, synthetic gas), (solid, liquid or gaseous), compounds, and energy (heat and electricity).

[0225] Those skilled in the art will appreciate that, as technology advances, the basic idea of the invention can be implemented and combined in various ways. Therefore, the invention and its embodiments are not limited to the examples described above, but rather they can generally vary within the scope of the appended claims.

Claims

1. A method for thermally or thermochemically converting a carbon-based feedstock into a usable product, the method comprising generating a heated fluid medium by at least one rotating device integrated into an associated feedstock conversion facility, the at least one rotating device comprising: a rotor having a plurality of rotor blades arranged in at least one row about a rotor hub mounted to a rotor shaft, a plurality of stationary blades or guide vanes arranged adjacent to the assembly of at least one row of rotor blades, and a housing having a duct formed between at least one inlet and at least one outlet, the duct being configured to surround the rotating blades and the stationary blades such that a bladeless portion of the duct is disposed substantially behind a bladed portion thereof, wherein the rotating device is configured to impart thermal energy to the fluid medium flow flowing in the conduit between the inlet and the outlet by means of a series of energy conversions occurring as the fluid medium flow passes successively through the bladed and non-bladed portions of the conduit, thereby producing a heated fluid medium flow, and The method further comprises: - supplying said heated fluid medium stream generated by said at least one rotating device to said feedstock conversion facility, and - operating the at least one rotating device and the feedstock conversion facility to thermally or thermochemically convert a carbon-based feedstock into a usable product at a temperature substantially equal to or exceeding about 400 degrees Celsius (°C).

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein In the feedstock conversion facility, the at least one rotating device is connected to at least one feedstock conversion unit, and the at least one feedstock conversion unit is configured to perform one or more thermal or thermochemical carbon-based feedstock conversion processes at a temperature substantially equal to or greater than about 400 degrees Celsius (°C).

3. The method of any one of claims 1 or 2, comprising supplying the heated fluid medium stream generated by at least one rotating device to at least one feedstock conversion unit in the feedstock conversion facility.

4. A method according to any one of the preceding claims, comprising contacting the heated fluid medium flow generated by at least one rotating device with the carbon-based feedstock in at least one feedstock conversion unit, wherein the heated fluid medium generated by at least one rotating device provides heat for the thermal conversion or thermochemical conversion of the substantially solid carbon-based feedstock into a usable product.

5. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, comprising bringing the heated fluid medium flow generated by at least one rotating device into contact with a heat transfer material in a heat transfer section of the feedstock conversion unit, and transferring the heated heat transfer material from the heat transfer section to a conversion section of the feedstock conversion unit, wherein the heated heat transfer material provides heat for thermal or thermochemical conversion of carbon-based feedstock into usable products.

6. The method according to claim 5 also includes transferring the heat transfer material from the conversion section of the raw material conversion unit back to the heat transfer section for reheating, wherein at least a portion of the heat transfer material is transferred from the conversion section to the heat transfer section through a purification unit, in which the heat transfer material is purified from unreacted char and coke.

7. The method according to any one of claims 5 or 6, wherein In the raw material conversion unit, the heat transfer process and the conversion process are performed in a substantially closed-loop path.

8. The process according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the feedstock conversion unit comprises at least one fluidized bed apparatus.

9. The process of claim 8, wherein the at least one fluidized bed unit comprises a catalyst.

10. The method of any one of claims 5 to 9, comprising fluidizing a carbon-based feedstock with the heated fluid medium generated in the at least one rotating device.

11. The method according to any one of claims 8 to 10, wherein: In the at least one fluidized bed apparatus, the carbon-based feedstock is mixed with a substantially solid bed material.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the substantially solid bed material comprises granules or a powder.

13. The method according to claim 8, wherein In the at least one fluidized bed apparatus, the bed material consists of a carbon-based feedstock provided as granules or powder.

14. The method according to any one of claims 5 to 12, wherein the feedstock conversion unit is configured as a dual fluidized bed reactor.

15. The process according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the thermal or thermochemical conversion of the carbon-based feedstock is carried out by gasification or by pyrolysis, optionally carried out under steam cracking conditions.

16. The process according to claim 15, wherein the feedstock conversion unit comprises or consists of a gasifier or a pyrolyzer, optionally operated under steam cracking conditions.

17. The method according to any one of claims 6 or 7, wherein the heat transfer material is a metal oxide material, and wherein the conversion of the carbon-based feedstock in the feedstock conversion unit is accompanied by an oxidation-reduction reaction of the metal oxide material.

18. The method of any preceding claim, comprising supplying the heated fluid medium stream generated by the at least one rotating device into the feedstock conversion facility to provide external heat to at least one feedstock conversion unit within the facility.

19. A method according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the fluid medium entering the rotating device is a substantially gaseous medium.

20. The method of any preceding claim, wherein the heated fluid medium generated by the at least one rotating device comprises steam (H2O).

21. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the heated fluid medium generated by the at least one rotating device comprises an oxidizing gas, such as air or oxygen (O2) or a combination thereof.

22. The method according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the heated fluid medium generated by the at least one rotating device comprises a non-oxidizing gas, such as nitrogen (N2), hydrogen (H2), a hydrocarbon-containing gas or a combination thereof.

23. The method of any one of the preceding claims, wherein the heated fluid medium produced by the rotating device comprises recycle gas recycled from exhaust gas produced during a feedstock conversion process in the feedstock conversion facility.

24. The method of claim 1 , comprising generating, by at least one rotating device, a fluid medium heated to any one of the following temperatures: (i) a temperature in the range of about 400° C. to about 800° C.; (ii) a temperature in the range of about 800° C. to about 1000° C.; and (iii) a temperature exceeding 1000° C., preferably provided in the range of about 1000° C. to about 1700° C.

25. A method according to any preceding claim, comprising regulating the velocity and / or pressure of the flow of fluid medium propagating through the rotating device.

26. A method according to any preceding claim, wherein the heated fluid medium is generated by at least one rotating device comprising two or more rows of rotor blades arranged sequentially along the rotor axis.

27. The method of claim 1, wherein the heated fluid medium is generated by at least one rotating device in which the bladeless portion of the conduit is arranged downstream of the at least one row of rotor blades.

28. A method according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the at least one rotating device is electrically operated, and wherein electrical energy constitutes 5% to 100% of the total energy consumption of the at least one rotating device.

29. The method of claim 28, wherein the electrical energy consumed by the at least one rotating equipment is obtainable from a renewable energy source or a combination of different energy sources, which are optionally renewable energy sources.

30. A method according to any preceding claim, wherein the at least one rotating device is additionally or alternatively configured to receive input energy from a non-electric power source, such as a power turbine and / or a mechanical drive engine.

31. The method according to any of the preceding claims, comprising generating the heated fluid medium by at least two rotating devices integrated into the feedstock conversion facility, wherein the at least two rotating devices are connected in parallel or in series.

32. A method according to any preceding claim, wherein the carbon-based feedstock comprises plastic material and / or organic material, optionally comprising plastic waste and / or organic waste.

33. A method according to any preceding claim, comprising pre-treating the carbon-based feedstock, wherein pre-treating comprises reducing the size of feedstock particles by grinding, such as cryogenic grinding.

34. A feedstock conversion facility comprising at least one rotating device configured to generate a heated fluid medium and at least one feedstock conversion unit configured to perform one or more processes associated with thermal or thermochemical conversion of a carbon-based feedstock to a usable product, the at least one rotating device comprising: a rotor having a plurality of rotor blades arranged in at least one row about a rotor hub mounted to a rotor shaft, a plurality of stationary blades or guide vanes arranged adjacent to the assembly of at least one row of rotor blades, and a housing having a duct formed between at least one inlet and at least one outlet, the duct being configured to surround the rotating blades and the stationary blades such that a bladeless portion of the duct is disposed substantially behind a bladed portion thereof, wherein the at least one rotating device is configured to operate so as to impart thermal energy to the fluid medium flow flowing in the conduit between the inlet and the outlet by means of a series of energy conversions occurring as the fluid medium flow passes successively through bladed and non-bladed portions of the conduit, thereby producing a heated fluid medium flow, and wherein the at least one rotating device is configured to generate a heated fluid medium for inputting thermal energy into at least one feedstock conversion unit, the feedstock conversion unit being configured to perform one or more feedstock conversion processes at a temperature substantially equal to or greater than about 400 degrees Celsius (°C).

35. The feedstock conversion facility of claim 34, configured to implement the method of any one of claims 1-33.

36. A feedstock conversion facility according to any one of claims 34 or 35, configured as a plastic material conversion and / or recycling facility, optionally configured as a plastic waste conversion and / or recycling facility, and / or configured as an organic material conversion facility.

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