Scraped-surface salt separator with a scraper plate which slides into a precipated-salt resolubilization zone and associated biomass gasification facility

Abstract

The invention relates to a separator for salts contained in a solution which is brought under supercritical conditions, with at least one salt filter which can retain therein salts initially contained in the solution and which are precipitated, including those in the form of micro- or nanoparticles. The operation of the salt separator makes it possible, if necessary, to heat the solution for conversion to a temperature ensuring the precipitation of the salts and their retention within suitable filters and then to separate the solution for conversion into a salt-depleted stream which is discharged from the separator and directed to a conversion reactor, in particular a gasification reactor, and, if appropriate, into a stream loaded with salts to be extracted in the form of a brine.

Description

[0001] Description

[0002] Title: Scraped surface type salt separator by a sliding scraper plate to a resolubilization zone of the precipitated salts, Associated biomass gasification installation.

[0003] Technical field

[0004] The present invention relates generally to salt separators and more particularly to those intended to be implemented in a thermochemical conversion installation of a carbonaceous material feedstock, in particular under supercritical fluid, for the production of a gaseous mixture.

[0005] By "carbonaceous material load" is meant here and within the scope of the invention any material containing a quantity of carbon, in particular any carbonaceous material from residues.

[0006] It can therefore be biomass, that is to say any inhomogeneous material of plant origin containing carbon, such as lignocellulosic biomass, forest or agricultural residues (straw), which can be almost dry or soaked in water like household waste or waste resulting from water treatment such as sewage treatment plant sludge.

[0007] It can also be a fossil fuel, such as coal.

[0008] It can also be combustible waste of industrial origin, particularly from the food industry, containing carbon, such as plastics or used tires, used oils, organic solvents.

[0009] It can also be a combination of biomass and fossil fuel.

[0010] By "supercritical fluid" is meant here and within the scope of the invention, the usual meaning, namely a pressure and a temperature beyond which the fluid is in a supercritical state. Its behavior becomes intermediate between the liquid state and the gaseous state: its density is that of a liquid, but its low viscosity is similar to that of a gas.

[0011] Thus, by "supercritical water" is meant the usual meaning, that is to say water at temperatures above 374°C under a pressure above 22.1 MPa.

[0012] Although described with reference to a preferred application of gasification of a carbonaceous material feedstock under supercritical water, a salt separator according to the invention can be implemented in numerous applications, and particularly in the industrial fields of food processing, chemistry, energy, including the oil sector and the transport sector, . . .for which a separation of salts from an aqueous fluid mixture is required.

[0013] Generally, a salt separator according to the invention is suitable for the separation of salts initially present in aqueous solutions with or without organic matter.

[0014] More specifically, a salt separator according to the invention is advantageously implemented in a thermochemical conversion installation for wet carbon resources, such as supercritical water gasification.

[0015] Prior art

[0016] Many existing processes allow the thermochemical conversion of a carbon feedstock into liquid (biofuels, biochar), solid (pellets), and gaseous (biogas, methane, syngas, hydrogen) fuels.

[0017] Among these, the gasification of biomass and coal has been known for a long time. In general, it can be defined as a thermochemical transformation of biomass or coal by the action of heat in the presence of gasifying agents. The aim is to generate, at the end of gasification, a mixture of gases.

[0018] Thus, the gasification processes of lignocellulosic biomass make it possible to generate a gas rich in methane or hydrogen.

[0019] The separation and recovery of inorganic constituents present in the feed stream of the reactors that implement these thermochemical processes is crucial, as these constituents can lead to blockage of the plant, fouling and poisoning of the gasification catalyst. In addition, the recovery of salts offers the possibility of producing fertilizer as a valuable by-product.

[0020] Numerous articles in the literature show that salt separation in a thermochemical conversion process is of major importance for the actual efficiency of the overall process and for the lifetime of the associated plant. However, the disadvantage of the salt separators known so far is that the salt separation is still not satisfactory or, although satisfactory, requires too high thermal or mechanical energy inputs or the salts are associated with a significant proportion of organic matter. In addition, clogging and deposits are a major problem in such salt separators.

[0021] More specifically, various scientific articles focus on the dynamics of salt precipitation under supercritical hydrogenation conditions, which makes it possible to separate salts initially present in an aqueous solution containing organic matter.

[0022] Figure 1 reproduces a salt separator as disclosed in publication [1], as it was envisaged for the gasification of biomass with supercritical water. This separator 1 comprises as a biomass injection device, a cylindrical tube 10 with an injection orifice 11 through which the biomass is injected, and an outlet orifice 12 through which the biomass is discharged into an inner chamber C delimited by a double-walled enclosure 2 20, 21 of which the outer one 21, thermally insulating, integrates heating elements 22 which thus heat the chamber C and the injection tube 10.

[0023] When the wet biomass is introduced into the tube 10, it is gradually brought to a temperature of approximately 450°C: precipitation occurs almost instantly as soon as the temperature reached causes a reduction in the solubility of the salts, leading to the separation of the wet biomass into various phases, notably solids in a separation zone S within the chamber C.

[0024] In the configuration installed vertically of the separator, the biomass / water / salts and other solids mixture, this separation zone S generates a gravity separation into a brine highly loaded with salts and a solution depleted in salts. A resolubilization zone R, immediately below the separation zone S allows the resolubilization of the salts which are therefore evacuated by gravity in the form of brine through the outlet orifice 23 pierced in the bottom 24 of the separator, and this without mixing with the part of the effluents which rises in the chamber C to be evacuated through the outlet orifice 25 towards a gasification reactor, not shown.

[0025] Such gravity separators are also described in publications [2] and [3]: they are used for inorganic fluids and salt deposits for hydrothermal gasification. For the same application, there are also cyclonic separators.

[0026] Overall, a gravity separator operates satisfactorily when the phases involved are denser than the carrier medium and according to a grain size distribution allowing gravity separation and brine-type behavior, salts which are qualified as type I in this case.

[0027] However, in some cases, the salts precipitate into particles so small (micro or nano-particles) that they do not sediment.

[0028] In other cases, gravity separation is not easy, as specified in the publication [3]. Thus, the passage of wet carbonaceous material in subcritical conditions to supercritical conditions can be accompanied by the appearance of very sticky solid phases, in the form of salts that are called type II. These type II salts can accumulate on the internal walls of the inner chamber of the separator and, if necessary, clog the injection tube 10 of the separator as shown in Figure 1.

[0029] To avoid such harmful accumulation of II salts, one could consider applying known solutions, implemented in scraped surface type heat exchangers. Such exchangers are particularly used in fouling processes, i.e. when the walls of the exchangers can be the site of fouling phenomena of the walls involved in heat transfers, i.e. with deposition of undesirable materials.

[0030] For example, the scrapers used can be rotary, for example of the worm or blade type, or oscillating piston type, for example with plates, annular or not. The actuation of the scraper, rotary or oscillating piston type, is generally operated by an electric motor.

[0031] Scrapers for heat exchangers have been particularly considered for supercritical oxidation reactors, as described in US Pat. Nos. 5,100,560A, 6,054,057A and 5,461,648A.

[0032] US patent application 2012 / 214977 describes a scraper for ultrafiltration applications. Specific scrapers have also been considered for viscous fluids: https: / / www.hrsasia.co.in / heat-exchanger-specialists / scraped-surface-heat-exchanger / .

[0033] In the field of organic fluids, other defouling solutions have already been considered, including:

[0034] - the vibration of parts by pressure pulsation, as described in application US2008 / 0073063A1, - chemical treatments, such as that of patent application CA 2119056.

[0035] All these solutions are not suitable for the problem of accumulation of type II salts on the walls, which can also possibly occur on the scrapers themselves.

[0036] There is therefore a need to find a solution that allows better control of the elimination of salts, in particular type II salts, present in a solution, in particular a solution intended to undergo thermochemical conversion treatment such as wet biomass intended to be gasified.

[0037] The aim of the invention is to meet at least part of this need.

[0038] Statement of the invention

[0039] To this end, the invention relates to a salt separator for separating salts from a solution containing them, the salt separator comprising:

[0040] - an enclosure delimiting an interior chamber, the enclosure comprising:

[0041] • a cover through which an injection orifice is pierced, the injection orifice being intended to inject a solution containing one or more salts,

[0042] • at least one side wall,

[0043] • a base, the base and / or the side wall being pierced with at least one outlet orifice through which the solution free of precipitated salts is intended to be evacuated;

[0044] - at least one salt filter, housed and fixed in the inner chamber, the salt filter being adapted to retain within it the salts, once precipitated in the inner chamber, including those in the form of micro and nanoparticles.

[0045] The salt filter can be permanently fixed or removable in order to regenerate it by dissolving the precipitated salts.

[0046] According to an advantageous configuration, the salt separator comprises a tube housed in the inner chamber and held to the cover, the tube comprising the injection orifice and an outlet orifice through which the solution is intended to be evacuated, the salt filter being fixed near the outlet orifice.

[0047] According to this configuration, the bottom is preferably pierced with at least one outlet orifice through which the precipitated salts are intended to be evacuated in the form of brine, the side wall being pierced with at least the outlet orifice through which the solution free of precipitated salts is intended to be evacuated, the interior chamber comprising a separation zone between the solution free of precipitated salts and the latter.

[0048] A salt filter according to the invention is, like the enclosure and, where appropriate, the tube, advantageously made of a metallic material adapted to the operating conditions of temperature and pressure: it can be made of Inconel®, stainless steel or other.

[0049] The salt separator may comprise heating means for heating at least a portion of the height of the side wall and / or at least a portion of the height of the inner wall of the tube to a temperature greater than or equal to the precipitation temperature of the salts.

[0050] For the means of heating the enclosure and / or the tube, several alternatives can be considered which can be combined with each other:

[0051] - external heating means arranged around the enclosure and / or the tube to heat its internal wall part to a temperature greater than or equal to the precipitation temperature of the salts,

[0052] - heating resistors, in the form of cartridges, intended to be powered by an external electrical power source and integrated into the thickness of the enclosure and / or the tube to heat its internal wall part to a temperature greater than or equal to the salt precipitation temperature,

[0053] - a heat transfer fluid circuit made in the thickness of the enclosure and / or the tube to heat its internal wall part to a temperature greater than or equal to the salt precipitation temperature.

[0054] According to an advantageous embodiment, the salt separator comprises two salt filters, housed and fixed independently in the interior chamber (C), being separated by a partition, an inlet orifice and an outlet orifice for salt dissolution fluid opening onto each of the two filters so as to allow the regeneration of one by dissolution of salts while allowing the continuous operation of the separator and vice versa.

[0055] The invention also relates to a biomass gasification installation comprising:

[0056] - a salt separator as described previously; - a gasification reactor connected to the salt separator enclosure to be supplied with salt-free biomass.

[0057] According to an advantageous embodiment, the enclosure or where appropriate the tube of the salt separator integrates in its thickness a part of the recovery circuit of the effluents obtained at the outlet of the reactor, as a heat transfer fluid circuit to heat its internal wall part to the temperature greater than or equal to the precipitation temperature of the salts.

[0058] According to another advantageous embodiment, the temperature of the biomass at the injection orifice is lower by the order of 20°C than the salt precipitation temperature, the temperature of the biomass at the outlet orifice of the salt separator being higher by the order of 20°C than the salt precipitation temperature.

[0059] Advantageously, the operating temperature of the reactor is approximately 600°C and the operating pressure of the reactor is approximately 300 bars.

[0060] Thus, the invention essentially consists of producing a separator of salts contained in a solution, preferably to be converted thermochemically, which is brought to supercritical conditions, with at least one salt filter which can retain within it salts initially contained in the solution and which are precipitated, including those in the form of micro or nanoparticles.

[0061] The operation of the salt separator allows, if necessary, the solution to be converted to be heated to a temperature guaranteeing the precipitation of the salts and their retention within suitable filters, then the solution to be converted to be separated into a flow depleted in salts which is evacuated from the separator to be directed towards a conversion reactor, in particular a gasification reactor, and if necessary into a flow loaded with salts to be extracted in the form of brine.

[0062] Other advantages and characteristics will become more apparent upon reading the detailed description, given for illustrative and non-limiting purposes, with reference to the following figures.

[0063] Brief description of the drawings

[0064] [Fig 1] Figure 1 is a schematic longitudinal sectional view of a salt separator according to the state of the art. [Fig 2] Figure 2 is a perspective view of a salt separator incorporating a precipitated salt filter according to one embodiment of the invention.

[0065] [Fig 3] Figure 3 is a perspective view of a salt separator incorporating a precipitated salt filter according to another embodiment of the invention.

[0066] [Fig 4] Figure 4 is a perspective view of a salt separator incorporating two independent salt filters according to another embodiment of the invention.

[0067] [Fig 5A] [Fig 5B] [Fig 5C] [Fig 5D] Figures 5A, 5B, 5C, D illustrate in top view the continuous operation of a salt separator according to Figure 4.

[0068] [Fig 6] Figure 6 is a synoptic view of a wet biomass gasification installation integrating a salt separator integrating a precipitated salt filter according to the invention.

[0069] Detailed description

[0070] For the sake of clarity, the same elements are designated by the same numerical references according to the state of the art and according to the invention.

[0071] It is specified that throughout the application, the terms "inlet", "outlet", "upstream", "downstream" are to be understood in relation to the direction of circulation of the fluid considered within a salt separator and a gasification installation according to the invention.

[0072] Figure 1 relating to a state-of-the-art salt separator has already been commented on in the preamble. It will therefore not be commented on below.

[0073] Figure 2 shows a salt separator 1 according to one embodiment of the invention. In the example illustrated, the salt separator 1 is of axisymmetrical shape of revolution. In its installed configuration, it extends vertically.

[0074] This separator 1 firstly comprises a tube 10, typically made of metal.

[0075] The tube 10, of cylindrical shape in the illustrated example, comprises an injection orifice 11 through which the wet biomass containing salts is injected, and an outlet orifice 12 through which it is evacuated.

[0076] The separator 1 also comprises an enclosure 2 around the tube 10. This enclosure 2 delimits an interior chamber C including a zone S for separating the precipitated salts into which the outlet orifice 12 of the tube 10 opens.

[0077] The cover 26 of the enclosure is pierced with the injection orifice 11. The enclosure 2 has a double metal wall 20, 21, which is pierced with one or more outlet orifices 25 through which the biomass without the precipitated salts is intended to be evacuated.

[0078] The bottom 24 of the enclosure is pierced with an outlet orifice 23 through which the precipitated salts are intended to be evacuated in the form of brine.

[0079] A scraping plate 13 is slidably mounted in the tube 10 and in the inner chamber C of the enclosure along a stroke which generates scraping friction directly with the inner wall of the tube 10 and / or with any deposit of solid matter including precipitated salts, likely to form thereon.

[0080] The scraper plate 13 is pierced with one or more holes to allow the solution to pass through.

[0081] Preferably, the operation of the separator is designed so that the stroke of the scraping plate 13 performs back and forth movements at least over the entire internal wall of the tube 10 to scrape off any deposit of solid matter including precipitated salts.

[0082] More precisely, in the example of figure 2, the scraping plate can take, outside the part of the heated internal wall of the tube 10, a first extreme position PI close to the injection orifice 11 and a second extreme position P2 close to the outlet orifice 23 through which the precipitated salts are intended to be evacuated in the form of brine.

[0083] In Figure 2, an advantageous variant of mechanical sliding means of the scraping plate 13 is illustrated. A screw 14 is arranged axially inside the tube 10 and the scraping plate 13 is screwed onto this screw in order to constitute an endless screw. To transform the rotation of the screw 14 into translation of the scraping plate 13, the latter is guided in translation by two guide rails 16 which extend parallel to each other and are held over the height of the tube 10 in notches provided for this purpose in the bottom 24 of the enclosure.

[0084] In Figure 2, an advantageous variant of mechanical means for rotating the screw 14 is also illustrated: its end outside the enclosure 2 is constituted by a hydraulic turbine of the Pelton or Francis type 15 which, under the action of a pressurized fluid F, generates the rotation of the screw 14. Reference may be made to application EP3839405 for more details. In the example of Figure 2, the tube 10 is not heated and the wet biomass 15 is introduced at a salt precipitation temperature, which means that the salts present in the wet biomass can precipitate as soon as they are injected into the tube 10.

[0085] Among these precipitated salts, some precipitates are in the form of micro and / or nano particles. However, such nanoparticles prevent purely gravitational separation from being achieved.

[0086] Also, according to the invention, a salt filter 17 is housed and fixed at the end of the tube 10, close to the outlet orifice 12. This filter 17 is adapted to retain within it the precipitated salts including those in the form of micro and nanoparticles. Such a filter 17 is made of a metal alloy adapted to the temperature constraints of the biomass to be converted. It can be stainless steel or Inconel®. It can be made by additive manufacturing techniques or by brazing or other methods. The developed surface of a filter 17 is very large and can be obtained by fins, inserts, grooves, or 3D topologies resulting from additive manufacturing techniques...

[0087] Thus, the collected precipitated salts are retained within a filter 17 during the passage of the wet biomass at a temperature higher than the precipitation temperature of the salts.

[0088] Once out of the filter 17, the biomass to be converted then ends up in the gravity separation zone S; the brines are evacuated through the outlet orifice 23, the biomass without salt through the outlet orifice 25.

[0089] To regenerate the filter 17, the operation of the separator 1 is stopped and it is cleaned by injecting a fluid through the injection orifice 11 to dissolve the precipitated salts. For example, the fluid may be water at a suitable subcritical temperature, for example 300°C, or a mixture of water and acid solutions allowing rapid dissolution kinetics.

[0090] Figure 3 illustrates another embodiment of a salt separator 1 integrating a salt filter 17 according to the invention.

[0091] Here, the enclosure 2 does not include a tube 10 or a scraping plate 13. The salt filter 17 is here housed and fixed in a removable manner inside the interior chamber delimited by the enclosure.

[0092] Heating resistors 17, in the form of cartridges, intended to be powered by an external electrical power source are advantageously integrated into the thickness of the double metal wall 20, 21 of the enclosure 2 to heat its internal wall to a temperature greater than or equal to the precipitation temperature of the salts. These may be cylindrical cartridges of small diameter, typically equal to 3.15 mm like those marketed by the company Omega: https: / / www.omega.fr / subsection / cartouches- chauff antes .html.

[0093] Thus, in this embodiment of figure 3, the wet biomass is injected at a temperature lower than the precipitation temperature of the salts, and the internal wall 20 of the enclosure 2 is heated by the resistors 17 to a temperature higher than said precipitation temperature.

[0094] Here, the biomass without salts, retained in the filter 17, is evacuated through the outlet orifice which is pierced in the bottom 24 of the enclosure 2.

[0095] To regenerate the filter 17, the operation of the separator 1 is stopped and the filter 17 is dismantled to clean it outside the enclosure 2, using a fluid allowing the dissolution of the precipitated salts.

[0096] If filter 17 is considered too worn or to avoid stopping the operation of salt separator 1 for too long, another filter 17 already regenerated can be installed quickly.

[0097] The operation of the salt separators according to the embodiments illustrated in figures 2 and 3 therefore involves maintenance phases, i.e. stopping the operation of the separator with cleaning of the filter 17, in-situ of the separator or outside of it, by sweeping for example with a liquid (water and / or acids) accelerating the dissolution of the precipitated salts retained within the filter 17.

[0098] However, it may be desirable, in continuous operating applications, not to have to stop the operation of the separator.

[0099] Figure 4 illustrates a salt separator 1 that can operate continuously. The separator 1 integrates within its enclosure 2, two salt filters 17 independent of each other, housed in two parallel fluid circuits, separated by means of a separating partition 27. The mounting of the independent filters 17 can allow alternate operation of one of the filters 17 while the other is being cleaned. To do this, two independent salt dissolving fluid circuits D are provided each with an inlet orifice 28 on one side of the filter 17 and an outlet orifice 29 on the opposite side. Furthermore, in this illustrated example, upstream of the independent salt filters 17, two rotors 19 in the form of helical-toothed rollers are mounted in mesh with each other in the enclosure, the internal wall of which is of a shape delimited by two half-cylinders connected to each other by a right parallelepiped.The rotation of these rotors 19 meshing in the enclosure 2 generates spaces of variable volumes which push the wet biomass from the injection orifice 11 towards the outlet orifice 12 immediately upstream of the salt filters 17, while generating scraping friction of the rotors directly with the internal wall of the enclosure 2 and / or with any deposit of solid matter including precipitated salts, likely to form.

[0100] The alternative operation of this salt separator 1 with double filters 17 is now explained with reference to Figures 5A to 5D, the separator 1 being arranged horizontally. It should be noted that the legends on these figures are the same as those in Figure 4, the black rectangles symbolizing the blocking of the orifices.

[0101] To regenerate one of the two salt filters 17, the outlet orifices 23, 25 of the fluid circuit, located on the side of the separating partition 29, are closed, and it is cleaned by injecting a salt-dissolving fluid into the orifice 28 which is discharged through the outlet orifice 29. In parallel, the outlet orifices 23, 25 of the other circuit are opened and the orifices of the dissolving fluid D are closed (figure 5A).

[0102] Once this salt filter 17 has been regenerated, the separator can operate with these two flows in parallel, only the orifices 28, 29 of the dissolution fluid being blocked (figure 5B).

[0103] The other of the two salt filters 17 is then regenerated, as was done for the first regeneration but by reversing the opening / closing of the orifices (figure 5C).

[0104] Once this other salt filter 17 has been regenerated, the separator can again operate with these two flows in parallel, only the orifices 28, 29 of the dissolution fluid being blocked (figure 5D).

[0105] Of course, when neither of the two filters 17 is to be cleaned, the separator 1 can operate with the two filters 17 in parallel and therefore simultaneous evacuations of biomass effluents through the two outlet orifices 25, as well as brines through the outlet orifices 23. Figure 6 illustrates a wet biomass gasification installation 3 which integrates a salt separator 1 according to the invention with heating means integrated into the wall of the tube 10.

[0106] In this figure 6, the different symbols relating to temperatures are as follows:

[0107] T-: precipitation temperature of salts, typically around 450°C, reduced by 20°C,

[0108] T+: salt precipitation temperature, typically around 450°C, increased by 20°C,

[0109] Tg: biomass gasification temperature, typically around 600°C.

[0110] This installation 3 includes from upstream to downstream in the direction of circulation of biomass to be gasified:

[0111] - a heat exchanger 4, which can be standard in the management of non-sticky viscous fluid and optimized for heat recovery between ambient temperature and at most temperature T-.

[0112] - a salt separator 1, connected downstream to the heat exchanger 4, which allows the transition from T- to T+ and the evacuation of biomass effluents without salts while separating the salts in the form of brine,

[0113] - a high pressure separator 5, connected downstream to the separator 1, to separate the salts precipitated in solid form from the brine water,

[0114] - a gasification reactor 6, connected downstream to the salt separator 1 to gasify the biomass without salts at temperature Tg.

[0115] Gasification reactor 6 is typically a shell-and-tube reactor and operates at 600°C under pressure of 300 bar.

[0116] In this figure -, the solid lines symbolize the material flows before gasification, respectively at a cold (ambient) temperature at the inlet of exchanger 4, at a temperature close to T- / T+ at the outlet of exchanger 4, then at the required gasification temperature Tg from the outlet of separator 1.

[0117] The dotted lines represent the post-gasification material flows which leave the reactor at temperature Tg, pass into a heating circuit within the jacket 2 at this temperature Tg, in order to heat the biomass which enters the separator 1, then pass back into the heat exchanger 4 to be cooled.

[0118] As specified in this figure 6, once cooled, the effluents converted by gasification (syngas) are evacuated from installation 3 to a storage or direct exploitation process.

[0119] Other variations and improvements may be envisaged without departing from the scope of the invention.

[0120] If in the example illustrated in Figure 2, the tube is not heated and the wet biomass is already introduced into the salt separator at a temperature above that of salt precipitation, heating of the tube can also be considered, as in the example in Figure 3.

[0121] If in the example of Figure 4 the salt separator comprises two salt filters independent of each other, a greater number of filters with biomass fluid circuits in parallel with each other can be considered.

[0122] List of cited references:

[0123] [1]: “A novel salt separator for the supercritical water gasification of biomass" . J Reimer, G. Peng, S. Viereck, E. De Boni, J. Breinl, F. Vogel, J. of Supercritical Fluids 117 (2016) 113-121.

[0124] [2]: “Continuous salt precipitation and separation from supercritical water. Part 1: Type 1 salts". Martin Schubert, Johann W. Regler, Frederic Vogel, J. of Supercritical Fluids 52 (2010) 99-112.

[0125] [3]: “Continuous salt precipitation and separation from supercritical water. Part 2. Type 2 salts and mixtures of two salts". Martin Schubert, Johann W. Regler, Frederic Voge, J. of Supercritical Fluids 52 (2010) 113-124.

Claims

Claims 1. Salt separator (1) for separating salts from a solution containing them, the salt separator comprising: - an enclosure (2) delimiting an interior chamber (C), the enclosure comprising: • a cover (26) through which an injection orifice (11) is pierced, the injection orifice being intended to inject a solution containing one or more salts, • at least one side wall (20, 21), • a bottom (24), the bottom and / or the side wall being pierced with at least one outlet orifice (25) through which the solution free of precipitated salts is intended to be evacuated; - at least one salt filter (17) housed and fixed in the inner chamber (C), the salt filter being adapted to retain within it the salts, once precipitated in the inner chamber, including those in the form of micro and nanoparticles.

2. Salt separator according to claim 1, the salt filter being permanently or removably fixed in order to regenerate it by dissolving the precipitated salts.

3. Salt separator according to claim 1 or 2, comprising a tube (10) housed in the inner chamber and held to the cover, the tube (10) comprising the injection orifice (11) and an outlet orifice (12) through which the solution is intended to be evacuated, the salt filter being fixed close to the outlet orifice.

4. Salt separator according to claim 3, the bottom (24) being pierced with at least one outlet orifice (23) through which the precipitated salts are intended to be evacuated in the form of brine, the side wall being pierced with at least the outlet orifice (25) through which the solution free of precipitated salts is intended to be evacuated, the inner chamber (C) comprising a separation zone (S) between the solution free of precipitated salts and the latter.

5. Salt separator according to one of the preceding claims, comprising external heating means arranged around the enclosure and / or the tube to heat its internal wall part to a temperature greater than or equal to the precipitation temperature of the salts.

6. Salt separator according to one of the preceding claims, comprising heating resistors, in the form of cartridges (18), intended to be powered by an external electrical power source and integrated into the thickness of the enclosure and / or the tube to heat its internal wall part to a temperature greater than or equal to the precipitation temperature of the salts.

7. Salt separator according to one of the preceding claims, comprising a heat transfer fluid circuit produced in the thickness of the enclosure and / or the tube to heat at least its internal wall part to a temperature greater than or equal to the precipitation temperature of the salts.

8. Salt separator according to one of the preceding claims, comprising two salt filters (17) housed and fixed independently in the interior chamber (C), being separated by a partition (27), an inlet orifice (28) and an outlet orifice (29) for salt dissolving fluid opening onto each of the two filters so as to allow the regeneration of one by dissolving salts while allowing the continuous operation of the separator and vice versa.

9. Biomass gasification installation (3) comprising: - a salt separator (1) according to one of the preceding claims; - a gasification reactor (6) connected to the salt separator enclosure to be supplied with salt-free biomass.

10. Installation according to claim 9, the enclosure or where appropriate the tube of the salt separator integrating in its thickness a part of the circuit for recovering the effluents obtained at the outlet of the reactor (10), as a heat transfer fluid circuit for heating its internal wall part to a temperature greater than or equal to the precipitation temperature of the salts.

11. Installation according to claim 9 or 10, the temperature of the biomass at the injection orifice being lower by the order of 20°C than the salt precipitation temperature, the temperature of the biomass at the outlet orifice of the salt separator being higher by the order of 20°C than the salt precipitation temperature.

12. Installation according to one of claims 9 to 11, the operating temperature of the reactor being approximately 600°C and the operating pressure of the reactor being approximately 300 bars.

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