Systems and methods for removing organic compounds from output of pyrolysis or other reactors

Abstract

To provide systems and methods for removing byproducts from an output of pyrolysis or other reactors.SOLUTION: Systems and methods for removing organic compounds byproducts from a product stream from a pyrolysis reactor and associated systems and methods are disclosed herein. In some embodiments, the system includes a first condenser that is fluidly couplable to the product stream, a coalescer that is fluidly couplable to the product stream downstream from the first condenser along a first flow path, and a second condenser that is fluidly couplable to the product stream downstream from the first condenser along a second flow path. The system also includes a first valve positioned to regulate the flow of the product stream along the first flow path, and includes a second valve positioned to regulate the flow of the product stream along the second flow path.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

Technical Field

[0001] [Cross - Reference to Related Applications] This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63 / 592,906, filed Oct. 24, 2023, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

[0002] The technology of the present invention generally relates to systems and methods for removing by - products from the outputs of pyrolysis or other reactors. In particular, the technology of the present invention relates to systems and methods for removing organic compounds from the outputs of pyrolysis or other reactors as a function of the boiling point, melting point, and / or molecular weight of the by - products.

Background Art

[0003] Pyrolysis reactors produce hydrogen with little or no carbon dioxide emissions. Generally, a pyrolysis reactor functions by heating the input hydrocarbons in an oxygen - free environment to a temperature at which the reaction occurs where hydrogen and carbon are generated from the hydrocarbons while continuously adding heat to supply the enthalpy required for the pyrolysis reaction. The products of hydrocarbon pyrolysis include solid carbon and hydrogen gas. The solid carbon can then be filtered from the products in a carbon recovery system, thereby preventing the carbon from being released as carbon dioxide. As a result, pyrolysis reactors can convert input hydrocarbons such as methane into combustible hydrogen while separating carbon from the fuel. Further, hydrogen gas can be used by many systems designed to use methane, natural gas, or other hydrocarbons. That is, pyrolysis reactors create an opportunity to significantly reduce the emissions of carbon dioxide, carbon oxides, and other greenhouse gases by removing carbon from methane, natural gas, or other hydrocarbons. Thus, hydrocarbons (e.g., natural gas) can be decarbonized from the hydrocarbons before they are burned or reacted (e.g., to heat a residence, furnace, boiler, engine, etc.).

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004] [Patent Document 1] U.S. Patent Publication No. 2021 / 0380407 [Patent Document 2] U.S. Patent Publication No. 2022 / 0315424 [Patent Document 3] U.S. Patent Publication No. 2022 / 0120217 [Patent Document 4] U.S. Patent Publication No. 2022 / 0387952 [Summary of the Invention]

[0005] However, current technology requires additional solutions for filtering the output of a pyrolysis reactor to help capture by-products of reactions, such as organic partial reaction products, also referred to herein as "by-product compounds" or "compounds," and improve the purity of the product stream from the pyrolysis reactor. [Brief Description of the Drawings]

[0006]

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Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0007] The drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale. Similarly, some components and / or operations may be separated into different blocks or combined into a single block for the purposes of some discussions of the implementation of the technology of the present invention. Furthermore, although there is room for various modifications and alternative forms in the technology of the present invention, specific implementations are shown by way of example in the drawings and described in detail below. However, the present invention is not to be limited to the specific implementations that illustrate the technology.

[0008] Summary The pyrolysis reactor heats hydrocarbon reactants (e.g., methane, natural gas, ethane, propane, butane, pentane, gasoline, and / or gas oil, kerosene, etc.) and decomposes them into hydrogen gas, solid carbon, and various products. For example, the pyrolysis reactor can decompose methane, ethane, propane, and other hydrocarbon components in natural gas to generate hydrogen gas. In the example of methane, the pyrolysis reaction is as follows. CH 4 (gas) → C (solid) + 2H 2 (gas) The hydrogen gas can then be substituted as a combustion fuel anywhere that natural gas or other hydrocarbons were previously thought to be used. For example, the hydrogen gas can be consumed by various heating units (e.g., furnaces, water heaters, water boilers, and / or steam boilers, etc.), combustion engines, fuel cells, and / or generators (e.g., standby generators), combined heat and power systems, cooking units (e.g., gas grills), and / or various other suitable applications. In addition to or instead of this, hydrogen can be used for various industrial processes such as producing various ammonia-based products (e.g., ammonia fertilizers), supplying process heat, and / or other chemical processing industries, and / or injected back into natural gas pipelines to partially remove carbon in the natural gas in the pipeline.

[0009] The pyrolysis reaction can form partial reaction by-products such as aromatic hydrocarbon by-products, as well as various other organic compound by-products (e.g., pyrolysis oil, asphaltenes, acetylene, carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, water vapor, organic compounds such as volatile organic compounds (VOCs) (e.g., hexane, propane, butane, butadiene, toluene, benzene, trimethylbenzene, ethanol, formaldehyde, naphthalene) and / or semi-volatile organic compounds (SVOCs) (e.g., decane, fluorene, dibenzofuran, chrysene, pyrene, fluoranthene, octadecane, phenanthrene, anthracene, naphthalene, and / or caprolactam, etc.), other oils, and / or waxes, etc.). When the by-products remain in the product stream from the pyrolysis reactor, they can pose a threat to damage and / or clog the processing equipment and / or contribute as undesirable impurities in downstream processes. Conversely, when removed from the product stream, the by-products can be utilized in other processes. As a mere example, the by-products can be combined later with the solid carbon by-products of the pyrolysis reaction to prepare the carbon by-products for downstream applications (e.g., for partially replacing bitumen as a binder for asphalt products). Therefore, it is desirable to remove the by-products from the product stream and / or utilize these by-products in yet another process.

[0010] In other situations, undesirable by-products, such as organic compounds, are generally destroyed by oxidation methods and / or absorbed into coalescing filters and / or absorption beds (e.g., activated carbon beds). However, oxidation methods generally also destroy hydrogen gas and / or unreacted hydrocarbons, making it difficult to implement in a pyrolysis system. In addition to this, oxidation methods may convert some of the by-products (e.g., organic compounds) into carbon dioxide, which is counterproductive to the goal of reducing carbon dioxide emissions from the reactor. As a result, oxidation methods are thought to destroy useful components within the product stream. Coalescing filters also have insufficient absorption capabilities, cannot handle solid particles (e.g., solid carbon microparticles) within the product stream, and / or are not compatible with the operating temperature of the product stream, making it difficult to implement alone within a pyrolysis system. For example, activated carbon beds generally cannot be used at temperatures higher than 50 degrees Celsius (°C). In one particular non-limiting example, the temperature of the product stream is not higher than 200 °C, and the condensation point of the by-products can be between approximately 40 °C and approximately 200 °C. In another particular non-limiting example, the temperature of the product stream is not higher than 350 °C, and the condensation point of the by-products can be between approximately 40 °C and approximately 350 °C. In another particular non-limiting example, the temperature of the product stream is not higher than 500 °C, and the condensation point of the by-products can be between approximately 40 °C and approximately 500 °C. Therefore, in this example, a new solution for removing by-products from the product stream that enables the wide implementation of the pyrolysis reactor is thought to be needed.

[0011] This specification discloses systems and methods for removing by-products (e.g., partial reaction products such as organic compounds) from a product stream from a pyrolysis (or other) reactor, as well as related systems and methods. A by-product removal system (sometimes also referred to herein as a "by-product separation system", "by-product elimination system", "organic compound separator", and / or "organic compound separation system", etc.) can include a first flow path and a second flow path. The first flow path can include a first concentrator fluidly connectable to the product stream and a co-respressor fluidly connectable to the product stream downstream of the first concentrator along the first flow path. The second flow path can include a second concentrator fluidly connectable to the product stream. In some embodiments, the second concentrator is fluidly connectable to the product stream downstream of the first concentrator along the second flow path (e.g., such that the first concentrator and the second concentrator are in series and / or form a row along the second flow path). In various such embodiments, the co-respressor can be present downstream of the second concentrator along the second flow path (e.g., downstream of a T-junction connected to the first and second flow paths), and the second flow path can include a second co-respressor downstream of the second concentrator, etc. In some embodiments, the second flow path is substantially (or completely) parallel to the first flow path. For example, the system can include a head T-junction having an inlet fluidly connectable to the product stream, and the first flow path and the second flow path can be connected to different outlets of the head T-junction. In any of the embodiments discussed above, the system further includes one or more flow control components for controlling the flow of the product stream along the first and second flow paths.

[0012] In certain examples, the flow control component can include a set of one or more valves configurable between a first state that at least partially blocks (e.g., inhibits) the product stream from flowing along a second flow path (and / or enables the product stream to flow along a first flow path) and a second state that enables the product stream to flow along the second flow path (and / or inhibits the product stream from flowing along the first flow path). While the set of one or more valves (or another suitable flow control component) is in the first configuration, the first concentrator cools the product stream (or otherwise absorbs heat from the product stream to passively cool the product stream), thereby condensing gaseous organic compounds or other by-products into a liquid and / or solidifying them within the first concentrator. The liquid and / or solid by-products are collected within the first concentrator and / or discharged therefrom toward a reservoir (or other outlet) while the product stream continues along the first flow path toward the coalescer. The coalescer absorbs (and / or otherwise captures) at least a portion of the residual by-products remaining within the product stream. The coalescer then discharges the captured by-products toward a reservoir (or other outlet), while the product stream from which the by-products have been removed exits the separation system. Such a system can be configured using temperature, flow rate, and residence time such that compounds having a low melting point and a high boiling point or high molecular weight are recovered as desired within the first concentrator. The material recovered within the reservoir can be recycled to the original reactor to improve efficiency and / or used for other purposes. In some embodiments, the reservoir is removed by selecting an outlet to a continuous recirculation channel for directing the separated by-products to a reactor (or any other suitable endpoint). In some embodiments, the by-products can be distilled into individual components for use in other end uses.

[0013] Over time, by-products may accumulate in the first concentrator and / or the coalescer. For example, the by-products may cool in the first concentrator and become solids that inhibit the product stream and / or the fluid by-products may not be discharged at a rate sufficient to avoid interfering with the product stream. When accumulation occurs, a set of one or two or more valves (or other suitable flow control components) can be shifted to a second state to perform a regeneration process on the first concentrator and / or the first coalescer. During regeneration, the first concentrator and / or the first coalescer is heated (or not actively cooled) such that solids melt and are discharged from the first concentrator and / or the first coalescer and / or such that the fluid is discharged more rapidly and / or such that some of the by-product compounds evaporate and are carried away from the product stream along a second flow path. Further, while the first flow path is being regenerated, the second concentrator can cool the product stream (or passively cool the product stream by absorbing heat from the product stream) and condense at least a portion of the by-product compounds present in the product stream. As a result, the second concentrator can separate by-products from the product stream while the first concentrator and / or the first coalescer is being regenerated. Once the regeneration process is complete (e.g., after an appropriate period of time and / or after a sufficient amount of accumulation has been removed), the set of one or two or more valves (or other suitable flow control components) is returned to the first state and normal operation resumes.

[0014] In some embodiments, the byproduct separation system further includes a second coalescer fluidly connectable to the product stream downstream from the second concentrator along the second flow path. In some such embodiments, a set of one or more valves can include a first valve positioned downstream from the first coalescer along the first flow path and a second valve positioned downstream from the second coalescer along the second flow path. In the first state discussed above, the first valve is open and the second valve is closed. As a result, the set of valves prevents (e.g., inhibits) the product stream from flowing out of the second coalescer along the second flow path while allowing the product stream to flow out of the first coalescer along the first flow path. Conversely, in the second state, the first valve is closed and the second valve is open to prevent the product stream from flowing out of the first coalescer along the first flow path while allowing the product stream to flow out of the second coalescer along the second flow path.

[0015] In some embodiments, a set of one or more valves can include a first valve positioned upstream from the first concentrator and a second valve positioned upstream from the second concentrator. In the first state, the first valve is open and the second valve is closed to at least partially prevent the product stream from flowing into the second flow path. In the second state, the first valve is closed and the second valve is open to at least partially prevent the product stream from flowing into the first flow path.

[0016] In some embodiments, a set of one or more valves includes a three-way valve positioned upstream from the first and second concentrators. In such embodiments, the three-way valve can be shifted between a first state that directs the product stream along the first flow path (and blocks the second flow path) and a second state that directs the product stream along the second flow path (and blocks the first flow path).

[0017] In various embodiments, the flow control component includes various other mechanisms that assist in controlling the flow of the product streams along the first and second flow paths. For example, the flow control component can include an actuator that changes the connection of the first and second flow paths to the product stream (e.g., by rotating the connection) and / or changes the outlet to the product stream. In another example, the flow control component can include one or more controllable flow paths that can switch between a first state that allows the product stream to flow along the flow path and a second state that inhibits the flow. In yet another example, the flow control component can rotate two or more concentrators around an axis. These two or more concentrators can move between a first position coupled to the product stream and a second position coupled to an outlet (e.g., to a reservoir) for regeneration when rotating. As a result, the rotation of the two or more concentrators can control the flow of the product streams along the first and second flow paths.

[0018] In some embodiments, the by-product separator includes a cylindrical concentrator that is constantly regenerated. For example, the operating component can rotate the cylindrical concentrator around a central axis to circulate a portion of the cylindrical concentrator between a cylindrical cooling zone and a heating zone. The portion of the cylindrical concentrator within the cooling zone can be coupled to the product stream to remove by-products (e.g., organic compounds and / or other by-products) from the product stream. The portion of the cylindrical concentrator within the heating zone can be coupled to an outlet (e.g., a reservoir) to remove by-products from the cylindrical concentrator and regenerate the cylindrical concentrator. In such embodiments, the cylindrical concentrator is constantly regenerated, which can reduce (or eliminate) the need for regeneration of the concentrator that would otherwise stop all condensation in the cylindrical concentrator. In some embodiments, the cylindrical concentrator is divided into a plurality of zones parallel along the product stream. In a particular non-limiting example, the cylindrical concentrator includes two zones separated by a perforated plate and / or another suitable divider. The first zone can include metal beads (or another suitable packing material), and the second zone can include zeolite (or another suitable adsorbent capable of removing organic compounds from the product gas). During operation, the product stream first flows through the metal beads and then through the adsorbent, thereby removing both compounds with a lower (e.g., lower than 100 atomic mass units (AMU)) molecular weight and compounds with a higher (e.g., between about 100 AMU and about 1000 AMU) molecular weight in sequence. When the cylindrical chamber passes through the heating region, by-products can be removed and / or directed to an outlet (e.g., a reservoir). When the chamber moves through the cooling region, both the metal beads and the adsorbent are cooled to a temperature suitable for removing by-products.

[0019] In some embodiments, the byproduct separation system includes only a single coalescer that is fluidly connectable downstream of the second concentrator along a second flow path to the product stream. In such embodiments, a set of one or more valves can include a first valve positioned between the first concentrator and the coalescer and a second valve positioned between the second concentrator and the coalescer. In a first state, the first valve is opened and the second valve is closed to prevent the product stream from passing through the second concentrator path before reaching the coalescer. Conversely, in a second state, the first valve is closed and the second valve is opened to prevent the product stream from passing through the coalescer without passing through the second concentrator.

[0020] For ease of reference, the byproduct separation system and its components may be described herein with reference to top and bottom, upper and lower, upward and downward, and / or horizontal, x-y plane, vertical, or z-directions with respect to the spatial orientation of the embodiments shown in the figures. However, it is understood that the byproduct separation system can be moved and used in different spatial orientations without changing the structure and / or function of the disclosed embodiments of the technology of the present invention.

[0021] Furthermore, although this specification discusses the byproduct separation system primarily as a system for removing organic compounds from the product stream of a pyrolysis reaction system, the scope of the technology of the present invention is not so limited. For example, this byproduct separation system can be implemented in any other environment that generates similar byproducts with respect to molecular weight, boiling / melting point, and adsorptivity. Accordingly, the scope of the present invention is not limited to any subset of the embodiments and is limited only by the limitations provided in the claims.

[0022] In addition to this, although the pyrolysis reactions discussed in this specification are mainly related to the pyrolysis of methane (or natural gas), those skilled in the art will understand that the scope of the technology of the present invention is not so limited. For example, the pyrolysis system disclosed in this specification can be used to decompose gasoline, ethane, propane, kerosene, gas oil, biomass, biogas, and organic and semi-organic waste, etc.

[0023] Furthermore, unless explicitly stated otherwise, "T-shaped pipe" is not limited to a conventional 90° T-shaped fitting. Instead, "T-shaped pipe" is generally used to refer to a fitting having three (or four or more) connecting parts including a 90° T-shaped pipe, a 45° T-shaped pipe, a 60° T-shaped pipe, a Y-shaped pipe, a three-way connection part, and / or any other suitable connection part.

[0024] Furthermore, in this specification, although a system for mainly removing by-products from a product stream is discussed, those skilled in the art will understand that a compound (for example, petroleum, organic compound, hydrocarbon, and / or water, etc.) can be a target product that needs to be separated from other gases. In such embodiments, the pyrolysis reaction system, other suitable reactors, and / or product stream generators can be adjusted to maximize the production of the target product (for example, maximize the production of organic compounds). In addition to or instead of this, the separation system can be adjusted to address the difference in the product stream to recover only the target product (for example, the temperature of the concentrator and / or the coalescer can be adjusted based on their boiling points and / or melting points for the specific organic compound to be targeted).

[0025] Description of the Drawings FIG. 1 is a schematic block diagram of a pyrolysis system 100 configured in accordance with an embodiment of the technology of the present invention. In the illustrated embodiment, the pyrolysis system 100 includes a pyrolysis reactor 110, a pyrolysis product heat exchanger 120, a carbon separator 130, a first separator 140 (e.g., a separator for high molecular weight compounds such as various SVOCs and / or other compounds), a second separator 150 (e.g., a separator for low molecular weight compounds such as various VOCs and / or other compounds), and a product compression and separator component 160.

[0026] In the illustrated embodiment, the pyrolysis reactor 110 includes a reaction chamber 112 and a combustion component 114. The reaction chamber 112 is operably connectable to a pyrolysis fuel supply 10 to receive a hydrocarbon reactant (e.g., natural gas, pure methane, gasoline, light oil, biomass, biogas, and / or organic and semi-organic waste, etc.) along a first path (A). The first path (A) can include one or more valves (or other suitable flow control components) and a pipe connecting the reaction chamber 112 to a natural gas supply or pipeline. The reaction chamber 112 can use the heat received from the combustion component 114 to raise the temperature of the hydrocarbon reactant and supply the activation energy required for hydrocarbon pyrolysis. As a result, the reaction chamber 112 causes a pyrolysis reaction that decomposes the hydrocarbon reactant into hydrogen gas and carbon. Returning to the above example of natural gas, the reaction chamber 112 can heat the hydrocarbon reactant to about 650°C (or a higher temperature) using the heat from the combustion component 114. For example, the reaction chamber 112 can heat the hydrocarbon reactant to a temperature between about 650°C and about 5000°C, between about 750°C and about 3000°C, or between about 850°C and about 1800°C using the heat from the combustion component 114.

[0027] The combustion component 114 can supply heat for a pyrolysis reaction to occur. In some embodiments, the combustion component 114 includes one or more combustors that receive and combust a combustion fuel. As shown in FIG. 1, the combustion component 114 is fluidly connectable to a combustion fuel supply 12 to receive the combustion fuel along a second path (B) (e.g., one or more valves and / or fluid pipelines connectable to the fuel supply 12). The combustion fuel can include various hydrocarbons (e.g., natural gas, pure methane, gasoline, and / or diesel oil, etc.) and / or hydrogen gas from a previous pyrolysis reaction in the reaction chamber 112.

[0028] The combustion component 114 is thermally coupled to the reaction chamber 112 to receive heat along a third path (C). In various embodiments, the reaction chamber 112 can be coupled to the combustion component 114 by a heat exchanger, a shared wall between the reaction chamber 112 and the combustion component 114, a flow of combustion exhaust from the combustion component 114 to and / or in contact with the walls of the reaction chamber 112, and / or any other suitable mechanism. Specific details regarding suitable pyrolysis reactors and examples of thermal coupling between the reaction chamber 112 and the combustion component 114 are shown in U.S. Patent Publication No. 2021 / 0380407 to Ashton et al., U.S. Patent Publication No. 2022 / 0315424 to Ashton et al., U.S. Patent Publication No. 2022 / 0120217 to Ashton et al., and U.S. Patent Publication No. 2022 / 0387952 to Groenewald et al., each of which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.

[0029] Furthermore, although specific examples of the pyrolysis reactor 110 are discussed herein, it will be understood that the techniques of the present invention are not limited to these examples. For example, in some embodiments, the reaction in the reaction chamber 112 can be driven by heat coupling to another suitable component (such as a domestic heating device such as a furnace, a water heater, and / or a steam boiler) coupled to the hydrocarbon reactant (e.g., within and / or upstream of the reaction chamber 112), a catalytic heater coupled to the hydrocarbon reactant, an electrical heating component coupled to the hydrocarbon reactant, a microwave component operably coupled to the hydrocarbon reactant (e.g., to the microwave gas within the reaction chamber 112), and / or any other suitable component. In a specific non-limiting example, the reaction chamber 112 can include an electrical heater, hot gas from another suitable component, and / or molten salt heated by a fluidized bed reactor with or without using a catalyst. In this example, the molten salt can heat the incoming hydrocarbon reactant to cause a pyrolysis reaction. In another specific non-limiting example, the reaction chamber 112 and the combustion component 114 can be integrated (e.g., within a continuous (or semi-continuous) combustion pyrolysis (CCP) reactor of the type discussed in U.S. Patent Publication No. 2022 / 0387952 incorporated by reference above).

[0030] Furthermore, as discussed above, in some embodiments, aspects of the techniques disclosed herein can be applied to other situations that generate by-products (e.g., other reactors, chemical processing facilities, and / or manufacturing facilities (e.g., for manufacturing pesticides, detergents, personal care products, and / or solvents, etc.)). In a specific non-limiting example, a first separator 140 of the type discussed in more detail below can be included in a chemical processing facility for processing a product stream containing one or more similar by-products.

[0031] As further shown in FIG. 1, the pyrolysis system 100 further includes a blower 116 (or compressor) and a fuel gas heat exchanger 118 coupled to or integrated with the pyrolysis reactor 110. For example, the blower 116 can be coupled to the combustion component 114 along a fourth flow path (D) to supply air and / or pure oxygen to the combustion component 114. As a result, the blower 116 can help promote and / or control the combustion of the combustion fuel. For example, adjusting the speed of the blower 116 can help control the oxygen-to-fuel ratio within the combustion component 114, and this control controls the temperature and / or energy content of the combustion in the combustion component 114. In some embodiments, the blower 116 is directly integrated with the combustion component 114 (e.g., as part of a fuel mixing component upstream of the combustor). In other embodiments, the blower 116 is a separate component operably coupled to the combustion component 114. In such embodiments, the blower 116 can be integrated with the pyrolysis reactor 110 or separated from and operably coupled to the pyrolysis reactor 110.

[0032] After transferring heat to the reaction chamber 112, the combustion component 114 (or another suitable component of the pyrolysis reactor 110) can direct the combustion exhaust (and any heat carried thereby) along a fifth path (E) towards the fuel gas heat exchanger 118. Next, the fuel gas heat exchanger 118 can absorb at least a portion of the heat remaining in the combustion exhaust and recycle it. For example, as further shown in FIG. 1, the blower 116 can direct the incoming air (or other oxygen-carrying gas) along a sixth path (F) towards the fuel gas heat exchanger 118. Next, the fuel gas heat exchanger 118 can preheat the air and direct it along a seventh path (G) towards the combustion component 114. By preheating the air, the fuel gas heat exchanger 118 can reduce the temperature difference between the temperature of the incoming air and the combustion temperature. As a result, the combustion component 114 does not need to increase the temperature of the incoming air as much to initiate combustion, thereby improving the efficiency of the combustion component 114. In another similar example, the fuel gas heat exchanger 118 can be coupled to the combustion fuel supply 12 to receive the combustion fuel along an eighth path (H). In this example, the fuel gas heat exchanger 118 can preheat the combustion fuel and direct it along the eighth path (H) towards the combustion component 114. As a result, the combustion component 114 does not need to increase the temperature of the incoming combustion fuel as much to initiate combustion, thereby improving the efficiency of the combustion component 114. In yet another example, the fuel gas heat exchanger 118 can recycle heat towards external household appliances such as a heating unit (e.g., an HVAC unit hot water heater and / or a steam boiler) and / or a power generation device (e.g., a combined heat and power 44, a thermionic device, a thermoelectric device, a thermoacoustic device, a fuel cell, and / or any other suitable generator).

[0033] After absorbing heat from the combustion exhaust, the fuel gas heat exchanger 118 can direct the combustion exhaust along a ninth path (I) towards the carbon dioxide separation component 20 and / or the exhaust system. The carbon dioxide separation component 20 can remove at least a portion of the carbon dioxide from the exhaust when the combustion component operates at least partially on hydrocarbon fuel. As a result, when the combustion component 114 operates at least partially on hydrocarbon fuel, the carbon dioxide separation component 20 can reduce the carbon dioxide emissions associated with the pyrolysis system 100. In embodiments where the combustion component 114 operates on hydrogen gas (e.g., hydrogen gas generated by a pyrolysis reaction), the fuel gas heat exchanger 118 can direct all of the combustion exhaust towards the exhaust system and / or another suitable destination.

[0034] As discussed above, the reaction chamber 112 uses heat from the combustion component 114 to decompose hydrocarbons in a pyrolysis reaction. In a specific non-limiting example, the pyrolysis fuel supply 10 is a natural gas pipeline, and the reaction chamber 112 decomposes methane, ethane, propane, and other hydrocarbons in the natural gas. The pyrolysis reaction can form various other organic compounds as by-products and as a result of incomplete reactions and / or other reaction pathways. Some of these by-products may damage and / or clog the processing equipment downstream from the reactor and / or may be otherwise unsuitable for inclusion in various end uses related to hydrogen gas. Accordingly, it is desirable to remove these by-products from the product stream from the reaction chamber 112 in addition to solid carbon and / or other by-products.

[0035] As shown in the representative example of FIG. 1, the product from the reaction chamber 112 (sometimes also referred to herein as the "product stream") can first be directed along the tenth path (J) towards the pyrolysis product heat exchanger 120. The pyrolysis product heat exchanger 120 can absorb at least a portion of the heat (e.g., waste heat) in the product stream and recycle it. For example, in the illustrated embodiment, the absorbed heat can be directed back along the eleventh path K towards the combustion component 114 to help heat the incoming combustion fuel and / or incoming air, etc. to the combustion temperature. In addition to or instead of this, the heat can be directed back towards the pyrolysis reactor 110 upstream of the combustion component 114 to preheat the incoming combustion fuel and / or incoming air, etc. In addition to or instead of this, the heat can be directed back towards the reaction chamber 112 by preheating the incoming pyrolysis fuel (e.g., in a recuperative heat exchanger within and / or coupled to the reaction chamber 112), which can reduce the volume of combustion fuel that must be consumed to heat the pyrolysis fuel to the desired reaction temperature. Specific details regarding examples of suitable recuperative heat exchangers are disclosed in U.S. Patent Publication No. 2022 / 0315424 to Ashton et al. and U.S. Patent Publication No. 2022 / 0120217 to Ashton et al., each of which is incorporated herein by reference. In addition to or instead of this, the heat can be directed towards one or more heating units (e.g., HVAC unit hot water heaters and / or steam boilers, etc.) and / or power generation devices (e.g., combined heat and power 44, thermionic devices, thermoelectric devices, fuel cells, thermoacoustic devices, and / or any other suitable generator).

[0036] After absorbing the waste heat, the pyrolysis product heat exchanger 120 can direct the product stream along a twelfth path (L) towards the carbon separator 130. The carbon separator 130 removes a portion (or all) of the solid carbon (e.g., carbon particles) present in the product stream and directs it along a thirteenth path (M) towards the carbon treatment system 30. In various embodiments, the carbon separator 130 can include a cyclone separator, one or more filters (e.g., mesh filters and / or bag filter filters, etc.), a gas-liquid separator, and / or any other suitable separator.

[0037] The carbon separator 130 can then direct the product stream along a fourteenth path (N) towards the first separator 140. The first separator 140 can remove a portion (or all) of one or more compounds present in the product stream. For example, as discussed in more detail below, partial reaction products (e.g., pyrolysis oil, asphaltenes, acetylene, carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, water vapor, organic compounds (e.g., VOCs and / or SVOCs, other oils, and / or waxes, etc.)) flow out as vapor from the reaction chamber 112. However, these by-products may condense into liquids and / or solidify when the product stream is cooled. In certain examples, the compounds in the product stream condense into liquids and / or solids at temperatures between about 40°C and about 200°C. In another specific example, the temperature of the product stream is not higher than 350°C, and the condensation point of the by-products can be between about 40°C and about 350°C. In another specific example, the temperature of the product stream is not higher than 500°C, and the condensation point of the by-products can be between about 40°C and about 500°C. Accordingly, the first separator 140 removes the compounds from the product stream by cooling and / or condensing the product stream such that the compounds become liquid and / or solid while the hydrogen remains gaseous. Specific details regarding the implementation of the first separator 140 are discussed below with reference to FIGS. 2A-9.

[0038] The first separator 140 can recover liquid and / or solid by-products and direct them away from the product stream. In some embodiments, the first separator 140 (and / or another component coupled to the first separator 140) can direct a portion (or all) of the by-products along a fifteenth path (O) toward the by-product treatment component 40. This treatment component can then neutralize the by-products (e.g., by another chemical reaction), capture the carbon contained therein, and / or remove the by-products. In some embodiments, the first separator 140 (and / or another component coupled to this separator) can return a portion (or all) of the by-products along a sixteenth path (P) back to the pyrolysis reactor 110. The pyrolysis reactor 110 then feeds the compound back into the reaction chamber 112, and the reaction chamber 112 decomposes and / or further reacts at least a portion of the compound. By way of example only, the compound removed from the product stream can then decompose into solid carbon, hydrogen gas, and / or various other compounds. As a result, the first separator 140 and the reaction chamber 112 can remove carbon from the by-products, generate additional hydrogen gas, and / or neutralize the by-products within the product stream.

[0039] The product stream flows along the 17th flow path (Q) from the first separator 140 (which is sometimes referred to herein as a separator for compounds having a relatively high molecular weight) towards a second separator (which is sometimes referred to herein as a separator for compounds having a relatively low molecular weight). As one non-limiting example, some components of the pyrolysis oil, which may also occur as by-products of the pyrolysis reaction, generally condense (or solidify) at a lower temperature than other components having a higher molecular weight. As a result, in some embodiments, the product stream is not cooled sufficiently to remove each compound in the by-products from the product stream based on the first separator 140. Thus, in the exemplary embodiment shown in FIG. 1, the system includes a second separator 150 as an additional component for condensing, solidifying, absorbing, adsorbing, and / or otherwise removing additional by-product compounds. In a particular non-limiting example, the second separator 150 can include an absorption bed (e.g., an activated carbon absorption bed) that absorbs at least a portion of the additional by-product compounds from the product stream as the product stream passes through the second separator 150. In various embodiments, similar to the discussion above, the second separator 150 (and / or another component coupled to the second separator 150) can direct a portion (or all) of these compounds towards a processing component and / or back towards the pyrolysis reactor and / or any other suitable endpoint to recover, process, and / or neutralize the by-products. In some embodiments, the separator is not required and / or is not included in the pyrolysis system 100.

[0040] The product stream can then flow from the second separator 150 along an eighteenth flow path (R) towards the product compression and separator component 160. The product compression and separator component 160 can remove various impurities that remain stubbornly from the hydrogen gas (e.g., remove additional carbon particles, unreacted pyrolysis fuel, other gas molecules, and / or the like), and can compress the resulting product to enhance its transport efficiency. In some embodiments, the product compression and separator component 160 includes one or more sub-components such as a by-product absorber and / or separator, an adsorber, and / or separator, a compressor, a separation membrane, and / or various other suitable sub-components. In some embodiments, the product compression and separator component 160 is not required and / or is not included in the pyrolysis system 100. In the illustrated embodiment, the product compression and separator component 160 can direct a portion of the resulting hydrogen gas back along a nineteenth flow path (S) towards the pyrolysis reactor 110 (e.g., for use within the combustion component 114). In addition to or in place of this, the product compression and separator component 160 can direct unreacted pyrolysis fuel along a twentieth flow path (T) towards the pyrolysis reactor 110 and recycle it through the reaction chamber 112 again.

[0041] As further shown in the representative example of FIG. 1, the product compression and separator component 160 can direct the resulting hydrogen gas product to various final locations. For example, the product compression and separator component 160 can direct hydrogen gas along a 21st path (U) to a hydrogen storage 50 (or a local consumption point such as a combustion component 114, a heating unit coupled to the pyrolysis system 100, and / or a power generation component coupled to the pyrolysis system 100). The hydrogen storage can enable the local consumption of hydrogen gas as needed (e.g., during peak power requirements). As used herein, local consumption means within the same building as the building of the pyrolysis system 100, within the same location as the site of the pyrolysis system 100, within a half mile range from the pyrolysis system 100, within a range of about 5 miles from the pyrolysis system 100, and / or within the scope of endpoints related to public welfare (e.g., local consumption does not require any public welfare line or public welfare conveyance means between the pyrolysis system 100 and the consumption point). In another example, the product compression and separator component 160 can direct hydrogen gas along a 22nd path (V) to a hydrogen grid 52 (e.g., a public welfare grid such as a dedicated hydrogen grid) and / or into a natural gas grid. In embodiments where hydrogen gas is directed into the natural gas grid, the volume of hydrogen directed into the natural gas grid can be controlled such that the hydrogen gas in the natural gas pipeline is lower than about 20 volume % of the natural gas. By limiting the amount of hydrogen gas in the natural gas pipeline, the risks associated with hydrogen gas in the natural gas grid can be limited, and at the same time, this limitation also helps to partially decarbonize the natural gas grid. In another example, the product compression and separator component 160 can direct hydrogen gas to a supply grid for hydrogen fuel-powered electronic devices, vehicles, and / or machinery. For example, the supply grid can supply hydrogen gas to a fuel cell electric vehicle (FCEV) and / or an H 2It can be supplied to an internal combustion engine (H2 ICE) - driven vehicle or the like. In yet another example, the product compression and separator component 160 can directly direct and consume hydrogen gas to a combined heat and power device 54 (e.g., rather than the hydrogen storage 50). Examples of suitable combined heat and power devices are disclosed in U.S. Patent Publication No. 2022 / 0387952 to Groenewald et al. and U.S. Patent Publication No. 2022 / 0120217 to Ashton et al., each of these documents being incorporated herein by reference. In addition to or instead of this, the product compression and separator component 160 can directly direct hydrogen gas to a power generation device (e.g., a combustion engine, a thermionic converter, a linear generator, a fuel cell, and / or other suitable generators). In yet another example, the product compression and separator component 160 can direct hydrogen gas towards a chemical processing component 56 that uses hydrogen gas for various other chemical processing operations.

[0042] It will be understood that the system 100 described above can include various additional components. By way of mere example, the system 100 can include additional processing components downstream from the product compression and separator component 160 (e.g., for further conditioning the hydrogen gas towards an endpoint) and / or intermediate processing components between the carbon separator 130 and the carbon processing system 30 (e.g., heat exchangers, cooling beds, and / or similar ones that help cool solid carbon towards yet another processing). In addition to or instead of this, it will be understood that one or more systems 100 can omit various components shown in FIG. 1. By way of mere example, instead of directing the product stream flowing out of the second separator 150 into the product compression and separator component 160, it can be directly directed to various endpoints (e.g., when the system 100 is operating at a temperature and / or pressure suitable for downstream use purposes).

[0043] Figures 2A and 2B are partial schematic views of a by-product elimination system 200 configured in accordance with some embodiments of the technology of the present invention. The by-product elimination system 200 (referred to herein sometimes as the "system 200", the "by-product separator", the "product elimination system", the "by-product removal system", the "by-product elimination component", the "organic compound separator", and / or the "organic compound removal system", etc.) can be used as the first separator 140 described above with reference to FIG. 1. However, in some embodiments, it will be understood that the system 200 can be used in a variety of other suitable situations that generate by-products (e.g., other pyrolysis reactors, chemical treatment facilities, and / or manufacturing facilities (e.g., for manufacturing pesticides, detergents, personal care products, and / or solvents, etc.)). In a specific non-limiting example, the system 200 can be included in a chemical treatment facility to process a product stream containing one or more organic compounds such as VOCs and / or SVOCs.

[0044] As shown in FIG. 2A, system 200 includes an inlet channel 202 that is operably coupled (e.g., downstream of a carbon separation component) to a product stream from a pyrolysis reactor, a first concentrator 210 coupled thereto, and a first T-junction 252 downstream thereof. System 200 further includes a core cooler 230 downstream from a first outlet 253a of the first T-junction 252, a second T-junction 254 downstream from a second outlet 253b of the first T-junction 252, a second concentrator 220 downstream from a first outlet 255a of the second T-junction 254, a third T-junction 256 downstream of the second concentrator 220 and upstream of the core cooler 230, and a flow control component that controls the movement of the product stream downstream of the first concentrator 210. In the illustrated embodiment, the flow control component includes a set 240 of valves that includes a first valve 242 coupled between the first T-junction 252 and the third T-junction 256 and a second valve 244 coupled between the second concentrator 220 and the third T-junction 256. As most clearly shown in FIG. 2B, in a first state, the first valve 242 is open and the second valve 244 is closed, thereby establishing a first flow path 206 to the core cooler 230 (through the first T-junction 252, the first valve 242, and the third T-junction 256), while a second flow path 208 to the core cooler 230 (through the first T-junction 252, the second T-junction 254, the second concentrator 220, the second valve 244, and the third T-junction 256) is blocked.

[0045] In some embodiments, the set 240 of valves can include a three-way valve disposed at the first T-junction 252 to direct the flow of the product stream along one or more flow paths. For example, the three-way valve can direct the product stream along the first flow path 206 when it is in a first position and along the second flow path 208 when it is in a second position. The set 240 of valves can include the three-way valve in addition to or instead of the first valve 242 and / or the second valve 244.

[0046] Returning to the description of FIG. 2A, while the valve set 240 is in the first state, the first concentrator 210 cools the product stream (or absorbs heat from the product stream), thereby transferring (i.e., condensing) by-products in the product stream from gas to liquid and / or transferring (i.e., solidifying) to solid, while hydrogen (and any remaining reactants and other impurities that are unconverted or partially converted) remains in the gas phase. To assist in cooling the product stream, the first concentrator 210 can include one or more heat exchangers (shell and tube heat exchangers) and / or various active cooling components. In various embodiments, the first concentrator 210 can cool the product stream to a temperature approximately equal to (or lower than) about 5°C, about 10°C, about 30°C, about 50°C, about 80°C, about 100°C, about 120°C, about 150°C, about 200°C, about 250°C, about 350°C, or about 500°C. As a result, hydrogen flows through the first T-joint 252 along the first flow path, during which at least a portion of the by-products remain within the first concentrator 210. In some embodiments, the liquid by-products from the product stream can then be discharged through the second T-joint 254 towards the reservoir 260. For example, the reservoir 260 can be located downstream and / or below (e.g., at a lower height than the first concentrator 210) the first concentrator 210, allowing gravity to passively draw the liquid by-products towards the reservoir 260 while the product gas continues along the first flow path.

[0047] When the product stream flows through the core lessor 230, the core lessor 230 can absorb and / or otherwise remove additional by-products (e.g., hydrocarbons of lower molecular weight and / or hydrocarbons that did not fully condense in the first concentrator 210, etc.) from the product stream. For this purpose, the core lessor 230 can include one or more coalescing filters (e.g., mechanical coalescing filters and / or electrostatic coalescing filters, etc.), absorbent beds (e.g., activated carbon beds, etc.), and / or various other suitable components. In some embodiments, the core lessor 230 further cools the product stream (e.g., to sequentially remove by-products having a boiling point and / or melting point lower than the by-products removed in the first concentrator 210). For example, in various embodiments, the core lessor 230 can cool the product stream to a temperature approximately equal to (or lower than) about 5°C, about 10°C, about 30°C, about 50°C, about 80°C, about 100°C, about 120°C, about 150°C, about 200°C, about 250°C, or about 350°C.

[0048] The first concentrator 210 and the core lessor 230 together can remove all (or substantially all) of the by-products carried in the product stream in the input channel 202. The core lessor 230 can discharge the product stream into the extraction channel 204. In the illustrated embodiment, the core lessor 230 further includes a core lessor discharge pipe 232 that establishes a path between it and the reservoir 260, allowing gravity to discharge the liquid by-products accumulated in the core lessor 230 towards the reservoir 260.

[0049] Despite this passive discharge, the by-products may accumulate in the first concentrator 210 as they are condensed and / or otherwise removed from the product stream. For example, the flow in the discharge pipe may be too slow for the compound to be continuously discharged from the product stream. In another example, solid by-products may accumulate in the first concentrator 210 (e.g., on a cooling element within the first concentrator 210 and / or due to the low temperature within the first concentrator 210). The accumulation may clog the first concentrator 210, thereby inhibiting the flow of the product stream through the system 200 and increasing the pressure of the product stream within the input channel 202. To address the accumulation, the system 200 can perform a regeneration process that partially (or completely) removes the condensed by-products from the first concentrator 210.

[0050] During the regeneration process, the system 200 can move the valve set from a first state to a second state in which the first valve 242 is closed and the second valve 244 is opened. In the second state, the valve set 240 blocks the first flow path to the coreless 230 and simultaneously establishes the second flow path. As a result, the product stream flows out of the first concentrator 210, through the first and second T-shaped tubes 252, 254, and into the second concentrator 220. After the valve set enters the second state, the system 200 can heat the first concentrator 210 (or stop actively cooling the first concentrator 210). In some embodiments, the system 200 stops the cooling component 212 coupled to the first concentrator 210 and activates one or more heating components 214 (such as heating tapes and / or one or more heating wires). In embodiments where the first concentrator 210 includes a shell and tube heat exchanger, the system 200 can supply medium and / or high temperature liquid to one or more channels in the shell and tube heat exchanger (e.g., through the heating component 214). As the temperature in the first concentrator 210 rises, solids and liquid by-products are released (e.g., melted and / or discharged) from the first concentrator 210 and are drawn by gravity towards the reservoir 260 and / or flow along the second flow path. For example, without being bound by theory, in some embodiments, the solid by-products melt and are discharged from the first concentrator 210, and some of the liquid by-products evaporate into the product stream. Next, the second concentrator 220 can cool the product stream (or otherwise absorb heat from the product stream), thereby transferring the compounds in the product stream from a gas to a liquid (or solid), and by-products are captured within the second concentrator 220. Similar to the first concentrator 210, the second concentrator 220 can include one or more heat exchangers that cool the product stream (or otherwise absorb heat from the product stream). Further, similar to the first concentrator 210, the second concentrator 220 can be located above the reservoir 260 (e.g., at a higher location) such that liquid is drawn by gravity towards the reservoir 260 and passively discharged while the product stream continues into the coreless 230.In some embodiments, it is not necessary to use gravity to discharge the liquid, and other mechanisms such as vacuum or pumping can be used. These mechanisms can help similar systems operate in configurations or situations where it is physically impossible or otherwise undesirable to arrange these components in a particular geometry, and / or can help accelerate the movement of by-products towards reservoir 260.

[0051] Accordingly, during the regeneration process, the second concentrator 220 captures a portion of the vapor-phase by-products in both product streams resulting from the pyrolysis reaction and / or resulting from evaporation due to heating the first concentrator 210. As a result, the second concentrator 220 can enable the system 200 to empty the first concentrator 210 without stopping the pyrolysis reaction and without allowing by-products in the product stream to escape downstream. In addition to or instead of this, the second concentrator 220 further cools the product stream (e.g., to remove by-products having a lower boiling point and / or melting point than the by-products removed in the first concentrator 210). For example, in various embodiments, the second concentrator 220 can cool the product stream to a temperature approximately equal to (or lower than) about 5°C, about 10°C, about 30°C, about 50°C, about 80°C, about 100°C, about 120°C, about 150°C, about 200°C, about 250°C, or about 350°C. As discussed in more detail below, the regeneration process can be carried out for a predetermined amount of time until the pressure in the input channel 202 drops below a predetermined threshold value and / or until the temperature in the first concentrator 210 reaches a predetermined threshold value.

[0052] In some embodiments, as will be described in more detail below, the system 200 reduces (or stops) the pyrolysis reaction in response to detecting an emergency condition during playback. For example, a complete blockage may cause a rapid increase in the pressure upstream (within) the system. When the pressure increases rapidly at a rate higher than a predetermined rate (e.g., higher than 0.01 pounds per square inch per minute (PSI / min), 0.2 PSI / min, 0.5 PSI / min, 1 PSI / min, 2 PSI / min, and / or any other suitable rate), the system 200 (and / or the pyrolysis system 100 of FIG. 1) can reduce (stop) the pyrolysis reaction to reduce the total pressure within the system 200. As a result, the system 200 can reduce the likelihood of failure due to high pressure that is dangerous to the user and / or may damage the components of the system 200. Next, the regeneration can remove the blockage and enable the system 200 to return to normal operation.

[0053] In the state where the regeneration is complete, the system 200 can resume cooling the first concentrator 210 (or enabling the first concentrator 210 to be passively cooled), cooling the product stream, and capturing by-products within the first concentrator 210. When the temperature is lower than a predetermined threshold value, the system 200 can move the valve set 240 from the second state to the first state so that the product stream returns to the first flow path (e.g., opening the first valve 242 and closing the second valve 244). The predetermined temperature threshold is generally lower than about 500 °C, lower than about 350 °C, lower than about 200 °C, lower than about 80 °C, lower than about 50 °C, or lower than about 30 °C, but is not limited thereto. The step of moving the valve set from the second state to the first state can be triggered by an increase in the pressure upstream of the second concentrator 220, and this increase is considered to indicate that the second concentrator 220 is blocked or saturated by by-products and requires regeneration, as will be described below.

[0054] Similar to the first concentrator 210, the second concentrator 220 may become clogged over time. To address this clogging, the system 200 can perform a secondary regeneration process on the second concentrator 220. During the secondary regeneration process, the valve set 240 is held in the first state (e.g., the second valve 244 is closed so that the product stream flows along the first flow path), during which the system 200 can heat the second concentrator 220 (or stop actively cooling the second concentrator 220). As the temperature in the second concentrator 220 rises, the by-products melt and are discharged towards the reservoir and / or flow into the first flow path upstream of the coreless 230. As a result, the by-products accumulated in the second concentrator 220 are removed from the second concentrator 220 and trapped in the reservoir 260 or the coreless 230. Thus, the secondary regeneration process resets the second concentrator 220 while the first concentrator 210 is operating normally. After the secondary regeneration is complete (e.g., after a predetermined time and / or after the second concentrator 220 reaches a predetermined temperature), the system 200 cools the second concentrator 220 (enabling passive cooling of the second concentrator 220) to prepare for future regeneration of the first concentrator 210.

[0055] In some embodiments, system 200 performs a secondary regeneration step after each regeneration (sometimes also referred to herein as primary regeneration) of the first concentrator 210. In some embodiments, system 200 performs the secondary regeneration step after a predetermined number of primary regenerations and / or after a predetermined time. For example, system 200 can perform the secondary regeneration step for every 2, 3, 4, 5, 10, and / or any suitable number of primary regenerations. In another example, system 200 can perform the secondary regeneration step for every 1 hour, 2 hours, 3 hours, 4 hours, 5 hours, 10 hours, 1 day, 5 days, 30 days, and / or any other suitable number of hours or days. In some embodiments, system 200 performs the secondary regeneration step in response to detecting an accumulation in the second concentrator 220. For example, when the pressure in the input channel 202 does not drop below a predetermined threshold during primary regeneration, system 200 can determine that the second concentrator 220 is at least partially clogged.

[0056] As further shown in FIG. 2A, system 200 can include features that help purge the reservoir 260 and / or allow the reservoir 260 to be periodically replaced. For example, system 200 can include a third valve 246, a sensor 262, and one or more purge lines 272. Sensor 262 is positioned to measure the level of fluid in reservoir 260. For example, sensor 262 can include a radar-based level indicator, a weight-based sensor, a proximity sensor, an immersion sensor, and / or any other suitable sensor for measuring the volume of fluid in reservoir 260. As a result, sensor 262 can indicate that reservoir 260 is full and / or at (or above) a predetermined threshold, enabling system 200 to perform a reservoir replacement.

[0057] The third valve 246 is coupled between the reservoir 260 and any one of the first concentrator 210, the corelesser 230, and the second concentrator 220 to regulate (e.g., permit or block) the stage of discharging the by-products into the reservoir 260. During the replacement of the reservoir, the third valve 246 is closed to prevent the outflow of by-products from the system 200, during which the reservoir 260 is disconnected and replaced with an empty reservoir. As a result, the third valve 246 can reduce the possibility that by-products are discharged from the system 200 while the reservoir 260 is being replaced.

[0058] However, before the reservoir 260 is disconnected, the purge line 272 can purge any space remaining in the reservoir 260 with an inert gas (e.g., argon, nitrogen, neon, helium, sulfur hexafluoride, carbon dioxide, and / or krypton). The inert gas can reduce the possibility that any chemical reaction and / or combustion occurs within the reservoir 260 before the reservoir is processed by another system (e.g., sent back into the pyrolysis reactor 110 of FIG. 1 to enable the decomposition of by-products). Similarly, when a new reservoir is connected to the system 200, the purge line 272 can purge the new reservoir with an inert gas and fill it with the inert gas to reduce (or eliminate) the possibility that by-products will react within the new reservoir when they are recovered. Further, the purge line 272 can help prevent air and other contaminants within the new reservoir from mixing into the product stream.

[0059] In various embodiments, it will be understood that system 200 can include additional components, rearrange the various components discussed above, omit the various components discussed above, and / or combine the various components discussed above. For example, in some embodiments, one or more of the first and second T-shaped tubes 252, 254 can be combined. For example, the first T-shaped tube 252 can be combined with the second T-shaped tube 254 in a cross-T configuration (e.g., a four-way junction). In such embodiments, the first concentrator 210 is coupled to the first junction of the intersection, the first valve 242 is coupled to the second junction of the intersection along the first flow path, the second concentrator 220 is coupled to the third junction of the intersection along the second flow path, the reservoir 260 is coupled to the fourth junction of the intersection, and allows liquid by-products to be discharged from the first and second flow paths.

[0060] In another example, as shown in FIG. 2A, system 200 can include one or more ports 216. The port 216 (e.g., a ball valve coupled to a component of system 200) provides access into system 200 to sample the product stream within system 200 (e.g., to measure temperature, pressure, and / or composition, etc.). For example, in the illustrated embodiment, system 200 includes ports upstream of the first valve 242, upstream of the corelesser 230 (e.g., on the third T-shaped tube 256), upstream of the second concentrator 220, and upstream of the reservoir 260. These locations allow system 200 to be sampled at various locations to monitor the pressure within system 200, the temperature of the product stream, and / or the composition of the product stream, contributing to monitoring whether system 200 is operating properly. In some embodiments, system 200 includes additional (or alternative) ports at various other locations. By way of example only, system 200 can include one or more ports (e.g., for monitoring the composition of the gas removed from the reservoir 260 by the purge line) coupled to one or more purge lines 272.

[0061] In yet another example, system 200 can omit reservoir 260 and direct the by-products to various other endpoints. In various such embodiments, all (or a portion) of the by-products are recycled back to the original pyrolysis reactor for further decomposition (e.g., along the 16th path (P) of FIG. 1), and / or all (or a portion) of the by-products are directed to a carbon recovery system (e.g., for binding with carbon), and / or all (or a portion) of the by-products can replace reservoir 260 with a function of directing them to a combustion component for combustion. In some embodiments, reservoir 260 acts as an intermediate storage component prior to other endpoints. For example, when emptying reservoir 260, reservoir 260 can supply the recovered by-products to a reaction chamber, a combustion component, and / or a carbon recovery system.

[0062] In yet another example, as further shown in FIG. 2A, system 200 can include one or more filters 282 positioned between various components of the first and second flow channels. For example, in the illustrated embodiment, system 200 includes filters 282 (e.g., mesh screens and / or any other suitable filter) at both ends of the first concentrator 210. Filter 282 can hold a packing material (e.g., spheres (such as ball bearings), wool, complex 3D shapes, stainless steel, copper, ceramic, beads, carbon, and / or any other suitable material) within the first concentrator 210. The packing material helps to improve gas / solid contact and further helps to transfer heat out of the product stream (thereby cooling the product stream). In various embodiments, the packing material can include spheres (e.g., ball bearings), meshes, fairly complex shapes, honeycombs, and / or any other suitable shape. In various embodiments, the packing material can include stainless steel, copper, and / or any other suitable thermally conductive material. In some embodiments, filter 282 is removable, allowing these filters to be cleaned and / or replaced over time to address the accumulation of solid particles.

[0063] In yet another example, as further shown in FIG. 2A, system 200 can include one or more sensors 284 positioned to measure its various states and / or the flow of product streams into and out of it. For example, sensors 284 can include pressure sensors, flow meters, temperature sensors, ionization detectors, and / or photoelectric detectors, and / or any other suitable sensors. In the illustrated embodiment, system 200 includes sensors 284 upstream of the first concentrator 210 and downstream of the co-respressor 230. At these locations, sensors 284 can measure the pressure within the product stream upstream of system 200, the pressure drop through system 200, and / or the flow rate drop through system 200, etc.

[0064] In yet another example, system 200 can include one or more additional flow paths. For example, the second T-joint 254 can include four (or five or more) openings, thereby enabling the coupling of a third flow path (and / or additional flow paths) to the system downstream of the first concentrator 210. The third flow path can include a third concentrator capable of removing by-products from the product stream during the regeneration of the first and / or second concentrators 210, 220. For example, in some embodiments, the regeneration of the first concentrator 210 may require a period of time long enough that both the second and third flow paths are necessary to support the regeneration. During the first part of the regeneration, the product stream can be directed along the second flow path P 2 (see FIG. 2B). Next, during the second part of the regeneration, the product stream can be directed along the third flow path through the third concentrator. In addition or alternatively, the third flow path can provide a standby flow path for the second flow path. For example, the third flow path can be used to enable the simultaneous regeneration of both the first concentrator 210 and the second concentrator 220 only when a regeneration state is detected before the secondary regeneration is complete.

[0065] FIG. 3 is a partial schematic view of a system 300 for removing by-products from a product stream configured in accordance with an embodiment of the technology of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 3, system 300 is substantially similar to system 200 described above with reference to FIG. 2A. For example, system 300 includes an input channel 302, a first concentrator 310 coupled thereto, and a second concentrator 320 coupled thereto, and further includes a flow control component for controlling the flow of the product stream through system 300. Although similar, in the illustrated embodiment, system 300 includes a first core lessor 330 downstream from the first concentrator 310 and a second core lessor 334 downstream from the second concentrator 320.

[0066] In the illustrated exemplary embodiment, the flow control component includes first and second valves 342, 344 (sometimes referred to as a "set of valves" with respect to each other). During normal operation, the set of valves is in a first state in which the first valve 342 is open and the second valve 344 is closed. As a result, system 300 directs the product stream into takeout channel 304 along a first flow path through the first concentrator 310, the first T-joint 352, the first core lessor 330, and the first valve 342. As discussed above, the first concentrator 310 cools the product stream to transfer by-products therein from a gas to a liquid (or solid), and then can discharge it through the first T-joint 352 and the second T-joint 354 towards a reservoir 360 (or other suitable component). Next, the first core lessor 330 can absorb (or otherwise capture) any remaining by-products and discharge them towards the reservoir through the first core lessor discharge pipe 332.

[0067] During the regeneration process, the valve set is moved to a second state where the first valve 342 is closed and the second valve 344 is open. As a result, the system 300 directs the product stream into the withdrawal channel 304 along a second flow path through the first concentrator 310, the first T-joint 352, the second T-joint 354, the second concentrator 320, the second core lessor 334, and the second valve 344. When the valve set enters the second state, as discussed above, the system 300 can heat (or not actively cool) the first concentrator 310. As the temperature rises, the by-products in the first concentrator 310 melt and are discharged towards the reservoir 360 and / or evaporate from the first concentrator 310. Since the first valve 342 blocks the flow through it, the evaporated by-products are carried into the second concentrator 320 along the second flow path together with the product stream. Next, the second concentrator 320 can cool the product stream to condense and recover the by-products. Next, the by-product liquid can be discharged from the second concentrator 320 through the second T-joint 354 towards the reservoir 360, while the product stream flows into the second core lessor 334. The second core lessor 334 absorbs (or otherwise removes) at least a portion of any remaining by-products from the product stream and discharges them towards the reservoir 360 through the second core lessor discharge pipe 336.

[0068] In some embodiments, the system 300 also heats (or does not actively cool) the first core lessor 330 during the regeneration process. As a result, the by-products in the first core lessor 330 can melt, and these by-products can be discharged towards the reservoir 360 and / or evaporated from the first core lessor 330. However, since the first valve 342 is closed, the evaporated by-products reverse through the first T-joint 352 and / or proceed through the first core lessor discharge pipe 332 and enter the second flow path towards the second concentrator 320. Thus, the regeneration process can help return both the first concentrator 310 and the first core lessor 330 to their initial states and reduce the accumulation of by-products (and / or other related compounds).

[0069] After the regeneration process, system 300 can return the valve set to a first state (the first valve 342 is open and the second valve 344 is closed), and optionally, a secondary regeneration process can be performed to address the accumulation of by-products in the second flow path. For example, as discussed above, system 300 can heat (or not actively cool) the second concentrator 320, thereby melting the by-products in the second concentrator 320 and discharging them towards the reservoir 360 and / or evaporating them from the second concentrator 320. Since the second valve 344 blocks the flow therethrough, the evaporated by-products flow into the first flow path and are captured within the first coreless 330. Further, system 300 can heat (or not actively cool) the second coreless 334. As a result, the by-products within the second coreless 334 can melt, and these by-products can be discharged towards the reservoir 360 and / or evaporated from the second coreless 334. However, since the second valve 344 is closed, the evaporated by-products reverse through the second concentrator 320, enter the first flow path, and head towards the first coreless 330. Thus, the secondary regeneration process can help return both the second concentrator 320 and the second coreless 334 to their initial states and reduce the accumulation of by-products within them.

[0070] In some embodiments, the valve set 340 can include a three-way valve disposed in the first T-shaped tube 352 to direct the flow of the product stream along one or more flow paths. For example, when in the first position, the three-way valve can direct the product stream along a first flow path through the first concentrator 310 and the first corelesser 330, and when in the second position, can direct the product stream along a second flow path through the second concentrator 320 and the second corelesser 334. In various embodiments, the valve set 340 can include a three-way valve in addition to or instead of the first valve 342 and / or the second valve 344. For example, during the regeneration process, the three-way valve can direct the flow of the product stream, while the first and second valves 342, 344 help prevent by-products from leaking along the first and second flow paths. In the illustrated embodiment, the system 300 includes a third T-shaped tube 356 downstream of the first and second valves 342, 344. The third T-shaped tube 356 rejoins the first and second flow paths upstream of the outlet channel 304 so that there is only one outlet from the system 300. However, it will be understood that in some embodiments, the outlet channel 304 can include a plurality of sub-channels that allow the first and second flow paths to remain separate as they extend from the system 300. By way of example only, these sub-channels can be coupled to different inlets on a gas compression component (e.g., the product compression and separator component 160 of FIG. 1) rather than rejoining by the third T-shaped tube 356. In another example, the sub-channels can be directed to various downstream devices such that normal operation and the regeneration process supply hydrogen gas to different endpoints.

[0071] As further shown in FIG. 3, system 300 can include additional features related to its maintenance. For example, similar to system 200 discussed above with reference to FIG. 2A, system 300 of FIG. 3 can include a third valve 346 positioned between reservoir 360 and second T - shaped tube 354 to control the flow of by - products discharged from the first and / or second flow paths, a sensor 362 positioned to measure the volume of fluid within reservoir 360, and one or more purge lines 372 positioned to purge reservoir 360 and / or any new reservoir with an inert gas. In addition to or in place of this, system 300 can include one or more filters 382 (two are shown in FIG. 3) to help retain the packing material within the first concentrator 310. As discussed above, the packing material can help improve gas / solid contact and remove (and thus cool) heat from the product stream.

[0072] Furthermore, in some embodiments, one or more of the first and second T - shaped tubes 352, 354 are combined. For example, the first T - shaped tube 352 can be combined with the second T - shaped tube 354 in a cross - T configuration (e.g., a four - way junction). In such embodiments, the first concentrator 310 is coupled to the first intersection joint, the first corelesser 330 is coupled to the second intersection joint along the first flow path, the second concentrator 320 is coupled to the third intersection joint along the second flow path, and the reservoir 360 is coupled to the fourth intersection joint to enable liquid by - products to be discharged from the first and second flow paths. In that regard, in some embodiments, the first corelesser discharge pipe 332 and the second corelesser discharge pipe 336 can meet at a joint (e.g., another T - shaped tube) before discharging towards the reservoir 360.

[0073] Furthermore, although the system 300 has been primarily discussed herein with respect to use in a pyrolysis reactor, it will be understood that the system 300 can be used in a variety of other suitable situations. For example, similar to the discussion above, the system 300 can be used in conjunction with other reactors, chemical processing facilities, manufacturing facilities (e.g., for manufacturing pesticides, detergents, personal care products, and / or solvents, etc.), and / or in any other suitable situation for removing by-products from a gas or liquid stream. In addition to or in place of this, it will be understood that various aspects of the system 300 can be omitted and / or replaced with other components discussed herein. For example, the reservoir 360 can be replaced with various suitable valves, pumps, and / or flow channels to direct the by-products back to the pyrolysis reactor (e.g., the reaction chamber and / or the combustion component) and / or to any other suitable endpoint.

[0074] FIG. 4A is a schematic diagram of a system 400 for removing by-products from a product stream configured according to an embodiment of the technology of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 4A, system 400 is substantially similar to systems 200, 300 described above with reference to FIGS. 2A and 3. In the illustrated embodiment, system 400 includes an input channel 402 and further includes a first valve 442, a second valve 444, a third valve 446, and a fourth valve 448 (sometimes collectively referred to as a “set of valves”) that control the flow of the product stream through system 400. For example, when the set of valves is in a first state, the first and second valves 442, 444 are open and the third and fourth valves 446, 448 are closed, the product stream moves along a first flow path. The first flow path is coupled to the input channel 402 and extends downstream from the first valve 442 to a first concentrator 410, a first corelesser 430 coupled thereto, then through the second valve 444 and into the output channel 404. Similar to the discussion above, the first concentrator 410 can cool the product stream and condense (or solidify) by-products therein. The condensed by-products can then be discharged through a first discharge pipe path 412 towards a reservoir 460. The first corelesser can absorb (or otherwise remove) at least a portion of the by-products remaining in the product stream after the first concentrator 410. The absorbed by-products can then be discharged along a second discharge pipe path 432 towards the reservoir 460. System 400 operates using the set of valves in the first state during normal operation, thereby removing by-products from the product stream within the first concentrator 410 and the first corelesser 430. However, similar to the discussion above, when by-products accumulate within the first concentrator 410 and / or the first corelesser 430, these by-products can begin to clog the first flow path and system 400 can perform a regeneration process.

[0075] To initiate the regeneration process, the valve set is moved to a second state in which the first and second valves 442, 444 are closed and the third and fourth valves 446, 448 are open. As a result, the product stream is coupled to the input channel 402 and travels along a second flow path downstream from the third valve 446 to the second concentrator 420, the second coreless 434 coupled thereto, then through the fourth valve 448 and into the output channel 404. The second concentrator 420 and the second coreless 434 can remove by-products from the product stream, similar to the first concentrator 410 and the first coreless 430 discussed above. The by-products removed by the second concentrator 420 can then be discharged through the third discharge pipe path 422 towards the reservoir 460, while the by-products removed by the second coreless 434 are discharged through the fourth discharge pipe path 436 towards the reservoir 460.

[0076] Further, with the first and second valves 442, 444 closed, the system 400 can heat (or cease actively cooling) the first concentrator 410 and / or the first coreless 430. As a result, the by-products accumulated in the first concentrator 410 and / or the first coreless 430 can melt, and these by-products can be discharged towards the reservoir 460 and / or evaporated and flowed towards the reservoir 460. In the illustrated embodiment, the evaporated by-products can also flow through the first and second discharge pipe paths 412, 432 towards the reservoir 460. In addition to or instead of this, these by-products may flow upstream through the third and fourth discharge pipe paths 422, 436 towards the second concentrator 420 and the second coreless 434, where they are captured and discharged back towards the reservoir 460.

[0077] After the regeneration process, the system 400 can return the valve set to the first state and continue normal operation through the first concentrator 410 and the first corelesser 430. Further, the system 400 can perform a secondary regeneration process to reduce the accumulation of by-products in the second concentrator 420 and / or the second corelesser 434. The secondary regeneration process can be performed after all regeneration processes, after a predetermined number of regeneration processes, in response to the detection of accumulation, after a predetermined time, and / or by a similar trigger.

[0078] Furthermore, the system 400 enables the reservoir 460 to be periodically reset (e.g., emptied and / or replaced with a new reservoir). For example, in the illustrated embodiment, the system 400 includes a fifth valve 449 between each of the reservoir 460 and the discharge pipe path. When the reservoir 460 is full and / or when otherwise a reset is required, the system 400 can close the fifth valve 449 to prevent (or inhibit) the by-products from flowing through this valve and can reset the reservoir 460. In some embodiments, as discussed above, the return to the initial state can include one or more purges and / or installing a new reservoir within the system 400 to reduce (or prevent) a chemical reaction with the by-products removed from the system 400 and / or to prevent air from mixing with the product stream.

[0079] In the embodiment of FIG. 4 discussed above, the first and second flow paths are implemented exclusively. However, it will be understood that the technology of the present invention is not limited to doing so. For example, in some embodiments, the first to fourth valves 442 to 448 are all opened, allowing the product stream to flow along both the first and second flow paths. This mutual flow path can be useful, for example, during high demand periods (e.g., when the volumetric flow rate of the product stream is high) and / or when transitioning (bidirectionally) between normal operation and the regeneration process. In another example, during the regeneration process, the first valve 442 can be opened to allow the by-products evaporated from the first concentrator 410 and / or the first corelesser 430 to flow through the first valve 442 into the second flow path. Similarly, during the secondary regeneration process, the third valve 446 can be opened to allow the by-products evaporated from the second concentrator 420 and / or the second corelesser 434 to flow through the third valve 446 into the first flow path. In yet another example, each of the first to fourth valves 442 to 448 can be closed to perform a complete regeneration process (e.g., when the pyrolysis reactor is not operating, the system 400 can be closed to force any by-product flow towards the reservoir 460). In some embodiments, the concentrator and the corelesser are interconnected, for example, to allow flow from the first concentrator 410 to the second corelesser 434 and / or from the second concentrator 420 to the first corelesser 430.

[0080] Furthermore, in some embodiments, one or more of the first through fourth valves 442-448 can be combined. By way of mere example, the first valve 442 and the third valve 446 can be a single three-way valve positioned to control the flow of the product stream along one or more flow paths. For example, the three-way valve can direct the product stream along a first flow path through the first concentrator 410 and the first corelesser 430 when in a first position, and can direct the product stream along a second flow path through the second concentrator 420 and the second corelesser when in a second position. In addition or alternatively, the second valve 444 and the fourth valve 448 can be combined into a three-way valve that controls the outflow from the first and second flow paths. Alternatively, multiple parallel paths (e.g., sets of valves, concentrators, and / or corelessers each having more than two that are parallel) can be present for regeneration.

[0081] Furthermore, although the system 400 has been primarily discussed herein in the context of use in a pyrolysis reactor, it will be understood that the system 400 can be used in a variety of other suitable situations. For example, similar to the discussion above, the system 400 can be used in conjunction with other reactors, chemical processing facilities, manufacturing facilities (e.g., for manufacturing pesticides, detergents, personal care products, and / or solvents, etc.), and / or in any other situation suitable for removing by-products from a gas or liquid stream.

[0082] Figure 4B is a partial schematic view of a system 401 including a plurality of reservoirs according to an embodiment of the technology of the present invention. More specifically, system 401 is substantially similar to system 400 of Figure 4A and includes a first reservoir 460A for a first flow path (e.g., from input channel 402 through first valve 442, first concentrator 410, first core lessor 430, and second valve 444 to output from output channel 404), and a second reservoir 460B for a second flow path (e.g., from input channel 402 through third valve 446, second concentrator 420, second core lessor 434, and fourth valve 448 to output from output channel 404) with modified features. In other words, system 401 of Figure 4B generates a first flow path and a second flow path that are completely parallel and include a regeneration path (e.g., first and second reservoirs 460A, 460B) for regenerating the first and second flow paths. As a result, for example, the first flow path can be regenerated without any risk that an organic compound travels around the second flow path (e.g., by flowing backward through the fourth discharge pipe path 436 of Figure 4A). In addition to or instead of this, the plurality of reservoirs 460 helps to expand the overall capacity of system 400, thereby allowing the reservoirs 460 to be replaced less frequently. In addition to or instead of this, system 400 can monitor the first and second reservoirs 460A, 460B to schedule a reservoir exchange / content removal cycle (e.g., replacing first reservoir 460A after regenerating the first flow path) that is completed between the regeneration of the first flow path and the regeneration of the second flow path.

[0083] FIG. 5 is a flow diagram of process 500 for removing by-products from a product stream according to an embodiment of the technology of the present invention. Process 500 can control various components of a pyrolysis system (e.g., pyrolysis system 100 of FIG. 1), such as a pyrolysis reactor and / or an associated by-product separation system. Process 500 can be implemented by a controller in any of systems 200, 300, 400 discussed above with reference to FIGS. 2A-4B, a controller in pyrolysis system 100 discussed above with reference to FIG. 1, and / or any suitable controller coupled to these systems. In some embodiments, for example, pyrolysis system 100 includes a controller having a processor and a non-transitory memory device storing instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the controller to implement process 500.

[0084] Process 500 begins by detecting a regeneration condition at block 502. In various embodiments, the regeneration condition may be a time longer than a predetermined threshold from the previous regeneration (e.g., 1 hour, 2 hours, 4 hours, 5 hours, 1 day, 5 days, or 30 days, and / or any other period), a pressure greater than a predetermined threshold upstream from the first concentrator (e.g., within input channel 202 of FIG. 2A) (e.g., 0.01 pounds per square inch (PSI), 0.5 PSI, 1 PSI, 2 PSI, 4 PSI, 10 PSI, 20 PSI, 100 PSI, 1000 PSI, and / or any other pressure), a pressure increase rate greater than a predetermined threshold upstream from the first concentrator (e.g., higher than 0.01 PSI per minute (PSI / min), 0.1 PSI / min, 0.5 PSI / min, 0.7 PSI / min, 1 PSI / min, 2 PSI / min, 10 PSI / min, 20 PSI / min, 100 PSI / min, 1000 PSI / min, and / or any other rate of increase), and / or a flow rate drop greater than a predetermined threshold between the input channel and the output channel (e.g., between input channel 202 and output channel 204 of FIG. 2A) (e.g., a 50% drop, a 30% drop, a 25% drop, a 10% drop, and / or any other suitable drop). The regeneration condition can indicate that by-products are accumulating within the by-product separation system and impeding the flow of the product stream. As a result, this accumulation may dangerously increase the pressure within the by-product separation system and / or reduce the effectiveness of the by-product separation system. Alternatively, the regeneration condition can indicate that the by-product separation system should be regenerated to avoid the accumulation of compounds that are thought to impede the flow of the product stream.

[0085] In block 504, step 500 includes a stage of inspecting for emergency conditions related to the regeneration conditions. The emergency conditions can indicate, for example, that when the pressure in the by-product separation system (or upstream thereof) increases to be higher than a predetermined safety level before the regeneration can reduce the accumulation, there is a possibility that normal regeneration may be insufficient to safely handle the accumulation of by-products. For example, the emergency conditions can include a pressure greater than a predetermined threshold (such as 5 PSI, 10 PSI, 15 PSI, 20 PSI, 50 PSI, 100 PSI, 1000 PSI, and / or any other pressure) upstream from the first concentrator, a pressure increase rate greater than a predetermined threshold (such as higher than 0.5 PSI / min, 0.7 PSI / min, 1 PSI / min, 2 PSI / min, and / or any other increase rate) upstream from the first concentrator, and / or any other appropriate condition. In decision block 506, if step 500 finds an emergency condition, it moves to block 508 to handle the emergency condition or otherwise to block 512.

[0086] In block 508, step 500 includes a stage of stopping the supply of reaction fuel to the pyrolysis reactor and, in some embodiments, starting the flow of purge gas. By stopping the supply of reaction fuel, step 500 reduces (or removes) the inflowing product stream, thereby reducing (or removing) the possibility that the pressure will increase to be greater than the danger threshold and / or cause harmful effects (such as leaks in the by-product separation system) while the regeneration process is dealing with the accumulation in the by-product separation system. The purge gas can be an inert gas that helps carry through the by-product separation system without introducing molecules that may react with the by-product compounds evaporated during regeneration.

[0087] In block 510, step 500 includes the step of reducing the output of the heating component (or other suitable reaction driving component such as a microwave element) for the pyrolysis reactor in order to reduce the energy consumption while the pyrolysis reactor is not decomposing hydrocarbons. In a particular non-limiting example, step 500 can include, in block 510, the step of reducing the output of the combustion component (e.g., combustion component 114 of FIG. 1) of the pyrolysis reactor in order to reduce the consumption of the combustion component while the pyrolysis reactor is not decomposing hydrocarbons. In some embodiments, the heating component is completely shut down. In other embodiments, the output of the heating component is reduced until it is below a predetermined consumption threshold in order to maintain the pyrolysis reactor at the reaction temperature (or near it) during regeneration.

[0088] In block 512, step 500 includes configuring the byproduct separation system for regeneration. For example, as discussed herein, in block 512, step 500 can include opening and / or closing one or more valves in the byproduct separation system to direct the product stream along a second flow path through a second concentrator downstream of the first concentrator. For example, as discussed with respect to FIG. 2A, the first valve 242 can be closed and the second valve 244 can be opened simultaneously to establish the second flow path. With the valves configured, step 500 can include heating (or not actively cooling) the first concentrator and / or the first coreless in the byproduct separation system in block 512. In various embodiments, heating the first concentrator and / or the first coreless can include stopping one or more cooling elements, wrapping the first concentrator and / or the first coreless with a heat insulating element (e.g., foil), and / or activating one or more heating components (e.g., heating tape and / or heating coil, etc.). As a result, the temperature in the first concentrator and / or the first coreless can increase. In response to the temperature increase, the solids in the concentrator and / or the first coreless can melt and can be discharged towards the reservoir. Further, the liquid in the first concentrator and / or the first coreless can be evaporated and / or discharged from the first concentrator and / or the first coreless.

[0089] In block 514, step 500 includes the step of inspecting regarding normal operating conditions. For example, the normal operating conditions can include that the pressure upstream of the by-product separation system indicating that the by-products accumulated in the first concentrator and / or the first core lessor are sufficiently reduced (or removed) is lower than a predetermined baseline. In addition to or instead of this, the normal operating conditions can include that the first concentrator and / or the first core lessor is at a predetermined temperature (for example, about 5°C, about 10°C, about 30°C, about 50°C, about 80°C, about 100°C, about 120°C, about 150°C, about 200°C, about 250°C, about 350°C, about 500°C, and / or any other suitable temperature) and / or the regeneration has proceeded over a predetermined amount of time (for example, longer than 30 minutes, 45 minutes, 1 hour, and / or any other suitable period). The regeneration at a temperature higher than the threshold value and / or over a predetermined time can be used as a simple expression for determining that sufficient regeneration has occurred. In addition to or instead of this, the regeneration at a temperature higher than the threshold value and / or over a predetermined time can trigger normal operation when the accumulation of by-products in the second concentrator and / or the second core lessor results in an increase in the upstream pressure much higher than the predetermined baseline. In decision block 516, when the normal operating conditions are satisfied, step 500 moves to block 520 to resume normal operation, or otherwise step 500 moves to block 518.

[0090] In block 518, step 500 includes the step of waiting for a preset period before returning to block 514 to reinspect regarding normal operating conditions. The preset period can be 5 minutes, 10 minutes, 15 minutes, 30 minutes, 1 hour, and / or any other suitable period that enables the regeneration to occur and carry out the by-products from the first concentrator and / or the first core lessor.

[0091] In some embodiments, step 500 includes adjusting the temperature in the first concentrator and / or the first core lessor to help ensure that by-products evaporate and / or can otherwise flow out of the first concentrator and / or the first core lessor at block 518. By way of example only, step 500 can maintain the first concentrator and / or the first core lessor at about 100 °C. In some embodiments, the temperature adjustment is performed by continuously driving a heating unit. For example, a heating tape, a line heater, a combustor, and / or another suitable heating mechanism can be controlled or self-regulated to maintain a preset temperature. Accordingly, step 500 can adjust the temperature in the first concentrator and / or the first core lessor by continuously supplying energy to a heating tape, a line heater, a combustor, and / or another suitable heating mechanism.

[0092] At block 520, step 500 includes configuring the by-product separation system for normal operation. For example, similar to the discussion above, step 500 can include cooling the first concentrator and / or the first core lessor to prepare for removing by-products from the product stream at block 520. When the first concentrator and / or the first core lessor are cooled, step 500 can include opening and / or closing one or more valves to direct the product stream along a first flow path through the first concentrator and / or the first core lessor such that the product stream does not proceed through the second concentrator. Further, in a regeneration cycle when an emergency condition is detected, step 500 can include increasing the output of a combustion component at block 520 and / or opening a reactant fuel supply to restart a pyrolysis reactor.

[0093] Figure 6 is a flowchart of process 600 for the secondary regeneration of the by-product separation system according to yet another embodiment of the technology of the present invention. Process 600 can control various components of a pyrolysis system, such as a pyrolysis reactor and / or a by-product separation system coupled thereto (e.g., various components of the pyrolysis system 100 of FIG. 1). Similar to the discussion above, process 600 can be implemented by a controller in any of the systems 200, 300, 400 discussed above with reference to FIGS. 2A - 4B, a controller in the pyrolysis system 100 discussed above with reference to FIG. 1, and / or any suitable controller coupled to these systems.

[0094] Process 600 begins by detecting secondary regeneration conditions at block 602. Secondary regeneration conditions can include the occurrence of a pre-set number of primary regenerations (e.g., regeneration by process 500 of FIG. 5), e.g., after each primary regeneration, or after the second, third, fifth, tenth, and / or any other suitable number of primary regenerations. In addition to or instead of this, secondary regeneration conditions can include insufficient pressure drop in the input channel during the primary regeneration process (e.g., when the pressure does not drop (or does not drop below the baseline) after 30 minutes, 45 minutes, 1 hour, and / or any other suitable time), an increase in pressure in the input channel during the primary regeneration process, and / or when a pressure higher than the upstream pressure from the first concentrator is detected upstream of the second concentrator and / or the second core lessor (e.g., from a sensor disposed in the by-product separation system).

[0095] In block 604, step 600 includes heating (or not actively cooling) the second concentrator and / or the second core less. Similar to the above discussion, the step of heating the second concentrator and / or the second core less can include the step of stopping one or more cooling elements, the step of wrapping the second concentrator and / or the second core less with a heat insulating element (e.g., foil), and / or the step of operating one or more heating components (e.g., heating tape, heating coil, combustor, and / or line heater, etc.) coupled to the second concentrator and / or the second core less. As a result, the temperature in the second concentrator and / or the second core less rises, and the by-products in the second concentrator and / or the second core less can be melted, evaporated, and / or discharged more rapidly from the second concentrator and / or the second core less.

[0096] As discussed above, secondary regeneration occurs while the valve in the by-product separation system blocks (or inhibits) the flow along the second flow path (e.g., the flow directly from the second concentrator and / or the second core less to the outlet). Thus, the by-products leaving the second concentrator and / or the second core less either flow into the reservoir or flow into the first flow path and are captured by the first concentrator and / or the first core less.

[0097] In block 606, step 600 holds over the regeneration period. The regeneration period can be preset based on the expected time to regenerate the second concentrator and / or the second coreless, for example, 5 minutes, 10 minutes, 15 minutes, 20 minutes, 30 minutes, 1 hour, and / or any other suitable period. In addition to or instead of this, the regeneration period can continue until the second concentrator and / or the second coreless reaches the target temperature for secondary regeneration. In some embodiments, the length of the regeneration period may be at least partially based on the regeneration conditions detected in block 502. For example, the first secondary regeneration triggered by a preset number of primary regenerations is similar to routine maintenance, while the second secondary regeneration triggered by an increase in pressure detected during the primary regeneration is performed in response to blockage detected in the second concentrator and / or the second coreless. Thus, the first secondary regeneration may have a shorter regeneration period than the second secondary regeneration. In this example, the first secondary regeneration saves associated energy costs, while the second secondary regeneration more thoroughly flushes the second concentrator and / or the second coreless.

[0098] In block 608, step 600 includes the step of returning the second concentrator and / or the second coreless to the operating temperature. For example, step 600 can include the step of recooling the second concentrator and / or the second coreless so that the second concentrator and / or the second coreless is in a state prepared for the next primary regeneration when the system detects the primary regeneration conditions.

[0099] FIG. 7A is an isometric view of a system 700 for removing by-products from a product stream, and FIG. 8 is an isometric view of a storage component of the system 700 configured in accordance with an embodiment of the technology of the present invention. In the illustrated embodiment, the system 700 is substantially similar to the system 300 described above with reference to FIG. 3. For example, the system 700 shown in FIG. 7A includes a first concentrator 710 coupled to an input channel 702, a first corelesser 730 downstream of the first concentrator 710 along a first flow path, a second concentrator 720 downstream of the first concentrator 710 along a second flow path, and a second corelesser 734 downstream of the second concentrator 720. The system 700 further includes a first valve 742 downstream of the first corelesser 730 and a second valve 744 downstream of the second corelesser 734.

[0100] As discussed above, the first and second valves 742, 744 can open and close the first and second flow paths to configure the system 700 for normal operation and / or playback. For example, during normal operation, the first valve 742 is opened and the second valve 744 is closed. As a result, the product stream flows along the first flow path that enters the extraction channel 704 through the first concentrator 710, the first T-joint 752, the first core reducer 730, the first valve 742, and the third T-joint 756. In this configuration, the first concentrator 710 and the first core reducer 730 can remove by-products from the product stream (e.g., by condensation and / or absorption, etc.). During regeneration, the first valve 742 is closed and at the same time the second valve 744 is opened. As a result, the product stream flows along the second flow path that enters the extraction channel 704 through the first concentrator 710, the first T-joint 752, the second T-joint 754, the second concentrator 720, the second core reducer 734, the second valve 744, and the third T-joint 756. In this configuration, the first concentrator 710 and the first core reducer 730 can be heated (and / or actively cooled) so that the by-product compounds in the first concentrator 710 and the first core reducer 730 melt and / or evaporate and are discharged from the first concentrator 710 and the first core reducer 730. In this case, the second concentrator 720 and the second core reducer 734 can remove by-products from the product stream (e.g., by condensation and / or absorption, etc.).

[0101] As shown in FIG. 7A, the first and second concentrators 710, 720 are disposed above the reservoir 760 with a downward discharge pipe path therebetween between these concentrators and the reservoir. For example, the first concentrator 710 is immediately above the reservoir 760, and the first T-shaped pipe 752, the second T-shaped pipe 754, and the third valve 746 form a direct discharge pipe path to the reservoir. Thus, the by-products condensed within the first concentrator 710 are discharged toward the reservoir 760 without using any active pumping from the system 700. In addition to this, as further shown in FIG. 7A, the first core lessor 730 is coupled to the first core lessor discharge pipe 732, and the second core lessor 734 is coupled to the second core lessor discharge pipe 736. The first and second core lessor discharge pipes 732, 736 establish a downward discharge pipe path between the first and second core lessors 730, 734 respectively and the reservoir 760. As a result, the by-product compounds adsorbed (or otherwise captured) within the first and second core lessors 730, 734 can be discharged toward the reservoir 760 without using any active pumping from the system 700.

[0102] In the illustrated embodiment, the first and second flow paths through the system 700 are at least partially defined by piping between and / or integrated with the components of the system 700. The piping can include metal, PVC, and / or other suitable pipes. In a particular non-limiting example, the piping can include 2-inch (2'') pipes that help facilitate its design, maintenance, and / or replacement. However, in various other embodiments, the flow paths can be defined by 1'', 1.5'', 3'', 4'' pipes, and / or any other suitable sized pipes based on, for example, the scale of the pyrolysis reactor, the desired operating pressure, and / or the desired pressure drop.

[0103] As further illustrated in FIG. 7A and shown in more detail by the partial schematic of FIG. 8, system 700 further includes features that allow the reservoir 760 to be periodically replaced, emptied, and / or cleaned. For example, system 700 includes a third valve 746 positioned between the reservoir 760 and any of the drain pipe paths discussed above, a sensor 762 positioned to measure the fluid level within the reservoir 760, and one or more purge lines 772.

[0104] As most clearly shown in FIG. 8, the third valve 746 can be configured as a double-block and bleed valve arrangement to prevent by-products from being discharged into the reservoir 760 during the replacement and / or cleaning process, and / or to prevent the product stream from leaking beyond the third valve 746, and / or to prevent air from leaking into the system 700 during the replacement of the reservoir, while also allowing excess purge gas (or another suitable gas) to be vented from the reservoir side as needed. In the illustrated embodiment, the third valve 746 has a double isolation and bleed configuration including first and second shut-off valves 746a, 746b and a bleed valve 746c. The first shut-off valve 746a can be opened and closed to control the flow of by-products towards the reservoir 760, whereas the second shut-off valve 746b and the bleed valve 746c can be opened and closed to control the venting of purge gas (and other suitable gases) from the reservoir 760. For example, the first shut-off valve 746a can be closed to initiate the replacement process. Next, the purge line 772 can purge the empty space remaining in the reservoir 760 with an inert gas (e.g., argon) that expels lighter gases (e.g., air and hydrogen gas) from the reservoir 760. The removed gas then flows through the second shut-off valve 746b and out of the system 700 through the bleed valve 746c to another system where it can be captured, processed, and / or vented. When the purge is complete (e.g., after a predetermined period, when an inert gas flowing through the bleed valve 746c is detected, and / or similar cases), the bleed valve 746c and the second shut-off valve 746b are closed. Next, the reservoir 760 is removed, cleaned (e.g., emptied by feeding it to a pyrolysis reactor to decompose by-product compounds), and / or replaced. Next, the bleed valve 746c and the second shut-off valve 746b are opened, and the purge line 772 purges the new reservoir with an inert gas to remove air and / or other gases that may react with the recovered by-products. When the purge is complete, the bleed valve 746c is closed and the first shut-off valve 746a is opened, thereby allowing by-product compounds to be discharged into the reservoir 760.

[0105] In various other embodiments, the third valve 746 can have a different configuration. For example, the third valve 746 can have a trunnion-type ball valve that can be modified to control discharge and exhaust through the third valve 746. In some embodiments, the third valve 746 is a single shutoff and bleed valve (e.g., with the second shutoff valve 746b omitted). Further, in some embodiments, the third valve 746 is a single shutoff valve, and the system 700 includes and / or does not include an individual shutoff valve coupled to the purge line 772.

[0106] FIG. 8 also illustrates specific details regarding the connection between the sensor 762 and the reservoir 760 according to some embodiments of the technology of the present invention. In the illustrated embodiment, as further shown in FIG. 8, the sensor 762 can be coupled to the reservoir 760 through a flange 764. The flange 764 allows the sensor 762 to be disconnected during replacement and / or cleaning of the reservoir to enable the system to reuse the sensor 762. In various other embodiments, the sensor 762 can be made connectable to various other portions of the reservoir 760 (e.g., the bottom surface, side surfaces, and / or similar locations), can be permanently integrated with the reservoir 760, and / or can be coupled to the reservoir 760 by various other mechanisms (e.g., a window within the top surface of the reservoir 760). Further, in some embodiments, the system 700 does not include the sensor 762 (or the flange 764 for including the sensor 762). In such embodiments, the system 700 can include a window (or other volume indicator) on the side surface of the reservoir 760 that allows the user to monitor the volume of the recovered by-products and / or the empty volume remaining within the reservoir 760.

[0107] Returning to the discussion of FIG. 7A, in some embodiments, similar to the discussion above, the first T-shaped tube 752 and the second T-shaped tube 754 are combined. For example, the first T-shaped tube 752 can be combined with the second T-shaped tube 754 in a cross-T configuration (e.g., a four-way junction). In such embodiments, the first concentrator 710 is coupled to the first junction of the cross, the first coreless 730 is coupled to the second junction of the cross along the first flow path, the second concentrator 720 is coupled to the third junction of the cross along the second flow path, and the reservoir 760 is coupled to the fourth junction of the cross to enable liquid by-products to be discharged from the first and second flow paths. In this regard, in some embodiments, the first coreless discharge pipe 732 and the second coreless discharge pipe 736 can meet at a junction (e.g., another T-shaped tube) before extending a discharge line toward the reservoir 760.

[0108] Furthermore, it will be understood that in some embodiments, the various components of the system 700 can be arranged in various orientations. For example, the second concentrator 720 can be oriented vertically (or substantially vertically) to assist in discharging liquid by-products toward the reservoir 760. In another example, the first and second valves 742, 744 can be arranged at various other angles (e.g., upside down to provide additional access to the valve mechanism). In another example, a particular configuration of the purge line 772 is shown in FIGS. 7A and 8, but it will be understood that various other suitable configurations can be used to deliver purge gas to the reservoir 760 and / or the system 700 and / or to carry other gases (e.g., oxygen) out of a newly provided reservoir. In a particular non-limiting example, the purge line 772 is directly coupled to the reservoir 760 and can be addressed during reservoir replacement. In addition or alternatively, one or more of the components of the system 700 can have different sizes. For example, the reservoir 760 can be made larger to reduce the frequency of required reservoir 760 replacements.

[0109] Figure 7B is an isometric view of a system 701 for removing by-products from a product stream configured according to an embodiment of the technology of the present invention. As shown in Figure 7B, system 701 is substantially similar to system 700 of Figure 7A and is modified to include a plurality of parallel paths according to yet another embodiment of the technology of the present invention. For example, in the embodiment illustrated in Figure 7B, the input channel 702 is coupled to a first T-junction 752, and the first T-junction 752 divides the incoming product stream into a first flow path 706 (e.g., proceeding left from the first T-junction 752) and a second flow path 708 (e.g., proceeding right from the first T-junction 752). As a result, the first flow path 706 and the second flow path 708 are substantially parallel to each other.

[0110] Furthermore, the first flow path 706 and the second flow path 708 can include substantially similar components. For example, as shown in Figure 7B, the first flow path 706 can include a first concentrator 711a, a first corelesser 731a downstream of the first concentrator 711a along the first flow path 706, and a first valve 743a downstream of the first corelesser 731a along the first flow path 706. Similarly, the second flow path 708 can include a second concentrator 711b, a second corelesser 731b downstream of the second concentrator 711b along the second flow path 708, and a second valve 743b downstream of the second corelesser 731b along the second flow path 708. Each of the first and second concentrators 711a, 711b can be substantially similar (or identical) to the first concentrator 710 discussed above with reference to Figure 7A. Similarly, the first and second corelessers 731a, 731b can be substantially similar (or identical) to the first corelesser 730 discussed above with reference to Figure 7A.

[0111] As a result, when the first valve 743a is opened, the product stream flows in through the input channel 702, flows through the first concentrator 711a, the first corelessa 731a, and the first valve 743a, and then can flow into the second T-shaped tube 754 and flow towards the extraction channel. In this configuration, the first concentrator 711a and the first corelessa 731a can remove by-products from the product stream (e.g., by condensation and / or absorption, etc.). To regenerate the first flow path 706, the first valve 743a can be closed while the second valve 743b is opened. As a result, the product stream flows along the second flow path 708 that enters the extraction channel 704 through the second concentrator 711b, the second corelessa 731b, the second valve 743b, and the second T-shaped tube 754. In this configuration, the first concentrator 711a and the first corelessa 731a can be heated (and / or actively cooled) so that the by-product compounds in the first concentrator 711a and the first corelessa 731a melt and / or evaporate and are discharged from the first concentrator 711a and the first corelessa 731a. On the other hand, the second concentrator 711b and the second corelessa 731b can remove by-products from the product stream (e.g., by condensation and / or absorption, etc.). To regenerate the second flow path 708, the first valve 743a can be opened while the second valve 743b is closed, thereby reversing the flow of the product stream.

[0112] In some embodiments, the first and second flow paths are operated and / or regenerated mutually in reverse exclusivity, and thus, while the first flow path 706 removes by-products from the product stream, the second flow path 708 is regenerated, and vice versa. The exclusive operation embodiment can help ensure that the second flow path 708 is always available (e.g., sufficiently regenerated) when the first flow path 706 needs to be regenerated, and vice versa. As a result, the exclusive operation embodiment can help shorten the downtime required to regenerate the system 701 in the overall pyrolysis system. In some embodiments, the first flow path 706 and the second flow path 708 are operated in a non-exclusive manner, and thus, both the first flow path 706 and the second flow path 708 can actively remove by-products from the product stream simultaneously. In such embodiments, these flow paths can be managed (e.g., scheduling periodically and / or monitoring) to help reduce the likelihood of needing to regenerate both the first flow path 706 and the second flow path 708 simultaneously. The full parallel operation of the first flow path 706 and the second flow path 708 can enable the system 701 to process a larger volume of product stream to support a larger pyrolysis system and / or a more intensive pyrolysis operation.

[0113] As further shown in FIG. 7B, the first flow path 706 and the second flow path 708 are each disposed above the first reservoir 760a and the second reservoir 760b, sandwiching a downward discharge pipe path between the respective flow path and the reservoir. For example, the first concentrator 711a is immediately above the first reservoir 761a, and the second T-shaped pipe 754 and the first reservoir valve 747a form a direct discharge pipe path to the first reservoir 760a. Accordingly, the by-products condensed in the first concentrator 711a are discharged toward the first reservoir 760a without using any active pumping from the system 701. In addition to this, as further shown in FIG. 7B, the first core cooler 731a is coupled to the first core cooler discharge pipe 733a. The first core cooler discharge pipe 733a can establish a downward discharge pipe path between the first core cooler 731a and the first reservoir 760a. As a result, the by-products adsorbed (or otherwise captured) in the first core cooler 731a can be discharged toward the first reservoir 760a without using any active pumping from the system 701. Similarly, the second concentrator 711b is immediately above the second reservoir 761b, the second core cooler 731b is coupled to the second core cooler discharge pipe 733b, and the second core cooler discharge pipe 733b establishes a downward discharge pipe path between the second core cooler 731b and the second reservoir 760b. Accordingly, the by-products condensed in the second concentrator 711b and / or adsorbed (or otherwise captured) in the second core cooler 731b are discharged toward the second reservoir 760b without using any active pumping from the system 701.

[0114] As further shown in FIG. 7B, system 701 can include features that enable the first and second reservoirs 760a, 760b to be periodically exchanged, emptied, and / or cleaned. For example, system 701 includes first and second reservoir valves 747a, 747b positioned between the first and second reservoirs 760a, 7610b and any of the drain path discussed above. In addition or alternatively, the system can include first and second sensors 762a, 762b positioned to measure the fluid levels within the first and second reservoirs 760a, 7610b and / or within the first and second purge lines 772a, 772b. Additional details regarding examples of suitable sensors and purge lines that enable the fluid levels within the first and second reservoirs 760a, 7610b to be monitored and / or that enable the first and second reservoirs 760a, 7610b to be emptied, exchanged, and / or cleaned and isolated from system 701 are discussed with reference to FIGS. 7A and 8 above.

[0115] In some embodiments, system 701 of FIG. 7B can be modified to include any suitable number of flow channels (e.g., one flow channel, three flow channels, five flow channels, and / or any other suitable number of flow channels). The additional flow channels can provide additional parallel channels that can help, for example, expand the capacity of system 701 and / or reduce the likelihood that a flow channel will be unavailable for removing by-products from the product stream. In addition to or instead of this, it will be understood that the first flow channel 706 and / or the second flow channel 708 can be modified in light of any of the above discussions. As a mere example, the first flow channel 706 can include two partial flow channels that are substantially similar to system 700 discussed above with respect to FIG. 7A such that the second flow channel 708 is parallel to system 700. In such an embodiment, the second flow channel 708 of FIG. 7B can provide a standby flow channel to system 700 in the event that both partial flow channels need to be regenerated simultaneously. In another example, similar to the discussion of FIG. 4A, system 701 of FIG. 7B can be modified such that each of the first and second flow channels 706, 708 discharges into the same reservoir.

[0116] In addition to or instead of this, the first and second reservoirs 760a, 760b can be replaced by various other suitable features. For example, as discussed above, other features can be configured to recycle all by-products (or a portion thereof) back to the original reactor and / or send all by-products (or a portion thereof) to a carbon capture system and / or send all by-products (or a portion thereof) to a combustion feed line (e.g., when system 700 is operating in a state that permits CO 2 generation).

[0117] FIG. 9 is a flowchart of step 900 for resetting a system for recovering by-products according to yet another embodiment of the technology of the present invention. Step 900 can control various components of a pyrolysis system, such as a pyrolysis reactor and / or a by-product separation system coupled thereto (e.g., various components of the pyrolysis system 100 of FIG. 1). Similar to the discussion above, step 900 can be implemented by a controller in the pyrolysis system 100 discussed above with reference to FIG. 1, a controller in any of the systems 200, 300, 400 discussed above with reference to FIGS. 2A-4B, and / or any suitable controller coupled to these systems.

[0118] Step 900 begins in block 902 by configuring the system (e.g., a pyrolysis system and / or particularly a by-product separation system) for the replacement of a reservoir. The step of configuring the system can include closing one or more valves (e.g., the first shut-off valve 746a discussed above with reference to FIG. 8) and / or reducing the output of the pyrolysis system to reduce the production of by-product compounds while the reservoir is being replaced. The step of reducing the output of the pyrolysis system can include reducing (or stopping) the flow of reaction fuel supply to the pyrolysis reactor, reducing (or stopping) the flow of combustion fuel to the combustion components, and / or similar steps.

[0119] In block 904, step 900 includes the step of purging the used reservoir with an inert gas. As discussed above, the purging step can include the step of opening one or more valves and the step of supplying a flow of inert gas into the reservoir. Since the inert gas is relatively heavy (compared to ambient air and hydrogen gas, etc.), it pushes the compound out of the reservoir through the gas vent valve and forms an inert layer covering the liquid by-products within the reservoir. For example, the inert layer helps to remove combustible hydrogen, unreacted pyrolysis fuel, and / or other gaseous products from reservoir 760, thereby improving the safety of reservoir 760, and / or helps to reduce (or prevent) the occurrence of reactions of by-products that may generate heat and / or dangerous chemicals inside the reservoir while it is being transported and / or stored. Once the purging is complete, step 900 can close any valves (e.g., the second shut-off valve 746b, the gas vent valve 746c, and / or any other suitable valve in FIG. 8) that are not necessary to prepare for disconnecting the reservoir.

[0120] In block 906, step 900 includes the step of disconnecting the used reservoir and replacing it with a new reservoir (or disconnecting the reservoir, emptying it, and reinstalling it). In some embodiments, the used reservoir is coupled to an input supply for a pyrolysis reactor to feed by-products into the pyrolysis reactor for decomposition. As a mere example, hydrocarbon by-products (e.g., PAH) can be fed into the left reactor and decomposed into hydrogen gas and various other substances. In other embodiments, the reservoir is transferred to another processing system to safely decompose, disassemble (e.g., by another chemical reaction), and / or discard the captured compound.

[0121] In block 908, step 900 includes the step of purging the new (or emptied) reservoir with an inert gas. The purging process includes opening one or more valves (e.g., the second shut-off valve 746b, the vent valve 746c, and / or any other suitable valve in FIG. 8) and supplying the inert gas to the reservoir (e.g., through the purge line 772 in FIG. 8). By purging the new reservoir, step 900 can remove oxygen and / or other components of the ambient air that may react with the gas and / or by-products in the product stream when the new reservoir is attached to the system and discharged into the reservoir. As a result, step 900 can reduce the possibility of generating heat and / or dangerous chemicals when the by-product compound is discharged into the reservoir.

[0122] In block 910, step 900 configures the system for operation. Block 910 can start after the reservoir has been sufficiently purged to reduce the possibility of harmful chemical reactions (e.g., after a predetermined period, after a known volume of inert gas has been directed into the reservoir, after inert gas has been detected at the location of the vent valve, and / or similar cases). The step of configuring the system for operation can include closing one or more valves (e.g., the vent valve 746c in FIG. 8), opening one or more valves (e.g., the first shut-off valve 746a), and / or raising the output of the pyrolysis reactor again.

[0123] Figures 10A and 10B are, respectively, a schematic side view and a schematic top view of a rotatable concentrator 1020 for a system 1000 for removing organic compounds from a product stream configured in accordance with an embodiment of the technology of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 10A, the system 1000 can include a flow chamber 1010 (e.g., one or more pipes) that defines an input flow path 1012. Similar to the discussion above, the input flow path 1012 can be coupled to the product stream from the pyrolysis reactor. Further, the input flow path 1012 is coupled to the rotatable concentrator 1020. The rotatable concentrator 1020 can be substantially similar to the first concentrator 210 discussed above with reference to FIG. 2. However, in the illustrated embodiment, the rotatable concentrator 1020 is coupled to a rotation subsystem 1030.

[0124] The rotation subsystem 1030 includes an actuator 1032 (e.g., a motor), a drive shaft 1034 coupled between the actuator 1032 and the rotatable concentrator 1020, and a sealing component 1036 coupled between the drive shaft 1034 and the flow chamber 1010. The sealing component 1036 can enable the drive shaft 1034 to operate without releasing the product stream outside of the flow chamber. As a result, the sealing component 1036 can enable the actuator 1032 to be disposed outside of (and thermally insulated from) the flow chamber 1010. In this case, the actuator 1032 and the drive shaft 1034 can drive rotation about the longitudinal axis of the rotatable concentrator 1020. For example, as most clearly shown in FIG. 10B, the actuator 1032 and the drive shaft 1034 (FIG. 10A) can drive the rotatable concentrator 1020 along a rotation path R 1 therealong.

[0125] As further shown in FIG. 10B, the rotatable concentrator 1020 can include a plurality of sections 1021. As the rotatable concentrator 1020 travels along the rotation path R 1When moving along, section 1021 can move between a condensation zone 1022 (e.g., an active cooling zone) and a regeneration zone 1024 (e.g., a heating zone and / or a passive cooling zone). Referring to FIGS. 10A and 10B with each other, the inlet flow path 1012 can be fluidly coupled only to the section 1021 within the condensation zone 1022. Next, the product stream can flow into the condensation zone 1022, and the by-products can be condensed (or solidified), and at the same time, hydrogen gas (and / or other gases) can be cooled and released into the first extraction channel 1014. That is, when the product stream flows through the condensation zone 1022, a part (or all) of the by-products in the product stream is condensed (or solidified) and captured in the rotatable concentrator 1020. The first extraction channel 1014 can be coupled to another concentrator (e.g., another rotatable concentrator and / or any concentrator of the types discussed above), one or more corelessers for further different processing, and / or another suitable system (e.g., a hydrogen processing system).

[0126] In contrast, the section 1021 of the rotatable concentrator 1020 within the regeneration zone 1024 is heated (or not actively cooled) so that the by-products melt and / or evaporate. Next, the by-products can be directed into the second extraction channel 1016. Similar to the first extraction channel 1014, the second extraction channel 1016 can be coupled to another concentrator (e.g., another rotatable concentrator and / or any concentrator of the types discussed above) and / or one or more corelessers, etc., in order to capture any residual hydrogen within the section 1021 within the regeneration zone 1024 and separate it from the by-products. In addition to or instead of this, the second extraction channel 1016 can be coupled to a reservoir and / or another suitable end point (e.g., a system that returns the by-products to a pyrolysis reactor).

[0127] In the illustrated embodiment, system 1000 can include one or more active cooling components 1042 thermally coupled around condensation zone 1022 to flow chamber 1010 and / or rotatable concentrator 1020. In addition to or instead of this, system 1000 can include one or more active heating components 1044 thermally coupled around regeneration zone 1024 to flow chamber 1010 and / or rotatable concentrator 1020.

[0128] Examples The technology of the present invention is exemplified by various aspects described below, for example. Various embodiments of aspects of the technology of the present invention will be described as conveniently numbered examples (such as 1, 2, 3). These examples are for illustrative purposes and do not limit the technology of the present invention. Note that any of the dependent examples can be incorporated into each independent example by combining them in any suitable manner. Other examples can be presented in a similar manner. 1. A system for removing by-products from a pyrolysis reactor product stream, A first concentrator fluidly connectable to the product stream and positioned to capture at least a portion of the by-products from the product stream; A core less positioned to receive the product from the first concentrator; A first valve positioned to regulate the flow of the product stream along a first flow path including the first concentrator and the core less; A second concentrator fluidly connectable to the product stream and parallel to or downstream of the first concentrator; A second valve positioned to regulate the flow of the product stream along a second flow path different from the first flow path; A system comprising. 2. The system of clause 1, wherein the first valve and the second valve are part of a set of valves configurable between (i) a first state that at least partially blocks the product stream from flowing through the second flow path and (ii) a second state that allows the product stream to flow through the second flow path. 3. In the first state, the first valve is open and the second valve is closed, In the second state, the first valve is closed and the second valve is open. The system of clause 2. 4. The system according to any one of clauses 1 to 3, wherein the corelesser is a first corelesser and the system further includes a second corelesser that can be fluidly coupled to the product stream downstream from the second concentrator along a second flow path. 5. The first valve is positioned downstream from the first corelesser, The second valve is positioned downstream from the second corelesser, The first valve and the second valve are part of a set of valves that can be configured between the first state and the second state, In the first state, the first valve is opened and the second valve is closed to at least partially prevent the product stream from flowing through the second corelesser. In the second state, the first valve is closed and the second valve is opened to at least partially prevent the product stream from flowing through the first corelesser. The system of clause 4. 6. The system according to any one of clauses 1 to 3, wherein the corelesser can be fluidly coupled to the product stream downstream from the second concentrator along a second flow path. 7. The first valve is positioned between the first concentrator and the corelesser, The second valve is positioned between the second concentrator and the corelesser, The first valve and the second valve are part of a set of valves that can be configured between the first state and the second state, In the first state, the first valve is opened and the second valve is closed to prevent the product stream from flowing through the second concentrator before reaching the corelesser. In the second state, the first valve is closed and the second valve is opened to prevent the product stream from passing through the corelesser without flowing through the second concentrator. The system of clause 6. 8. The core cooler is a first core cooler, and the system further includes a second core cooler that is fluidly connectable to the product stream downstream from the second concentrator along a second flow path. The first valve is positioned upstream from the first concentrator. The second valve is positioned upstream from the second concentrator. The first valve and the second valve are part of a set of valves that are configurable between a first state and a second state. In the first state, the first valve is opened and the second valve is closed to at least partially prevent the product stream from flowing through the second flow path. In the second state, the first valve is closed and the second valve is opened to at least partially prevent the product stream from flowing through the first flow path. The system of any one of clauses 1 to 3. 9. The system of any one of clauses 1 to 8, further including a reservoir that is fluidly connectable to the first flow path and the second flow path to receive at least a portion of the by-products captured within the first flow path and the second flow path. 10. A first cooling component that is thermally connectable to the first concentrator and is positioned to cool the first concentrator, and A heating component that is thermally connectable to the first concentrator and is positioned to heat the first concentrator, and A second cooling component that is thermally connectable to the second concentrator and is positioned to cool the second concentrator, and The system of any one of clauses 1 to 9, further including. 11. The product stream is at a first temperature, The first concentrator is configured to operate at a second temperature lower than the first temperature to remove one or more first by-product compounds having a first boiling point and / or melting point, The second concentrator or core cooler is configured to operate at a third temperature lower than the second temperature to remove one or more second by-product compounds having a second boiling point and / or melting point lower than the first boiling point or the first melting point. The system of any one of clauses 1 to 10. 12. The second temperature is not higher than 5 °C, 10 °C, 30 °C, 50 °C, 80 °C, 100 °C, 120 °C, 150 °C, 200 °C, 250 °C, 350 °C, or 500 °C, The third temperature is not higher than 5 °C, 10 °C, 30 °C, 50 °C, 80 °C, 100 °C, 120 °C, 150 °C, 200 °C, 250 °C, or 350 °C, The system of clause 11. 13. A system according to any one of clauses 1 to 12, wherein the by-product comprises one or more organic compounds. 14. A system according to any one of clause 13, wherein the organic compound comprises polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). 15. A method of operating a system for removing by-products from a product stream from a pyrolysis reactor, configuring a set of one or more valves to a first state such that the product stream flows through a first concentrator; detecting regeneration conditions; after detecting the regeneration conditions, configuring the set of one or more valves from the first state to a second state such that the product stream flows through a second concentrator; A method comprising. 16. The method of clause 15, further comprising cooling the first concentrator to cool the product stream when the product stream flows through the first concentrator. 17. The method according to any one of clauses 15 and 16, further comprising heating the first concentrator towards a regeneration temperature, whereby the solid by-products in the first concentrator are melted and / or the liquid by-products in the first concentrator are evaporated. 18. The method of clause 17, wherein the regeneration temperature is between 80 °C and 200 °C. 19. The method according to any one of clauses 17 and 18, further comprising cooling the first concentrator from the regeneration temperature towards a condensation temperature. 20. Detecting completion conditions; After detecting the completion condition, reconfiguring one or more sets of valves from a second state to a first state such that the product stream flows through a first concentrator and into the coalescer and at least partially inhibits flow through a second concentrator; The method according to any one of clauses 15 to 19, further comprising. 21. The method according to clause 20, further comprising, after the completion condition, heating the second concentrator towards a regeneration temperature, the heating melting solid by-products in the second concentrator and / or evaporating liquid by-products in the second concentrator. 22. The method according to any one of clauses 20 and 21, wherein the step of detecting the completion condition includes detecting a pressure lower than a predetermined baseline pressure threshold upstream from the first concentrator. 23. One or more sets of valves include a first valve downstream from the first coalescer and a second valve downstream from the second coalescer, the first coalescer being fluidly coupled to the first concentrator, the second coalescer being fluidly coupled to the second concentrator, The step of configuring one or more sets of valves to a second state includes closing the first valve to at least partially prevent the product from the first concentrator from flowing through the first coalescer and opening the second valve to allow the product from the first concentrator to flow through the second coalescer. The step of configuring one or more sets of valves to a first state includes opening the first valve to allow the product from the first concentrator to flow through the first coalescer and closing the second valve to at least partially prevent the product from the first concentrator from flowing through the second coalescer. The method according to any one of clauses 15 to 22. 24. One or more sets of valves include (1) at least a first valve coupled between the first concentrator and the coalescer and (2) a second valve coupled between the second concentrator and the coalescer. Configuring the set of one or more valves to a second state includes closing the first valve and opening the second valve to at least partially prevent the product from the first concentrator from flowing through the co-respressor without flowing through the second concentrator. Configuring the set of one or more valves to a first state includes opening the first valve and closing the second valve to at least partially prevent the product from the first concentrator from flowing through the second concentrator. The method according to any one of clauses 15 to 23. 25. The method according to any one of clauses 15 to 24, wherein the step of detecting the regeneration condition includes detecting at least one of a predetermined maximum time between regenerations, a pressure higher than a predetermined maximum pressure threshold upstream from the first concentrator, and a rate of increase in pressure higher than a predetermined rate upstream from the first concentrator. 26. Detecting an emergency condition, and After detecting the emergency condition, Reducing the flow of reactants to the pyrolysis reactor, and / or Initiating a purge gas flow through the pyrolysis reactor and the first concentrator, The method according to any one of clauses 15 to 25, further comprising. 27. A system for producing hydrogen from a hydrocarbon reactant, A pyrolysis reactor fluidly connectable to a hydrocarbon reactant supply, the pyrolysis reactor including at least one reaction chamber positioned to (i) receive the hydrocarbon reactant and (ii) heat the hydrocarbon reactant to above the reaction temperature to generate a product stream including hydrogen gas and byproduct gas, A product exclusion system fluidly coupled to the pyrolysis reactor and positioned to remove at least a portion of the byproduct gas from the product stream, A first concentrator fluidly coupled to the product stream and positioned to condense at least a portion of the byproduct gas, A co-respressor fluidly coupled to the first concentrator and positioned to absorb at least a portion of the byproduct gas remaining in the product stream, A first valve positioned to regulate the flow of a product stream along the flow path of claim 1, including a first concentrator and a core less; A second concentrator fluidly coupled to the first concentrator and positioned to condense at least a portion of the by-product gas; The product exclusion system including a second valve positioned to regulate the flow of the product stream along a second flow path; A system including the above. 28. The core less is a first core less, The first valve is downstream of the first core less, The product exclusion system further includes a second core less fluidly coupled to the second concentrator downstream of the second concentrator, The second valve is downstream of the second core less, The system of claim 27. 29. The product exclusion system is a system according to any of claims 27 and 28 fluidly coupled to a pyrolysis reactor to direct at least a portion of the by-product gas condensate towards the pyrolysis reactor. 30. A system according to any of claims 27 to 29, wherein the by-product gas includes aromatic hydrocarbons. 31. A system for removing organic compounds (by-products) from a pyrolysis reactor product stream, A first concentrator fluidly connectable to the product stream and positioned along a first flow path to capture at least a first portion of the by-product from the product stream; A second concentrator fluidly connectable to the product stream and positioned along a second flow path to capture at least a second portion of the by-product from the product stream; A flow control device positioned to regulate the flow of the product stream along the first flow path and / or the second flow path; A system including the above. 32. The system of claim 31, wherein the first flow path and the second flow path are parallel. 33. The flow control device includes a three-way valve positioned upstream of the first concentrator and the second concentrator, The three-way valve guides the flow of the product stream along the first flow path at the first position, and the three-way valve guides the flow of the product stream along the second flow path at the second position. The system of clause 32. 34. The flow control device includes a set of one or more valves movable between a first position and a second position, wherein at the first position, the set of one or more valves guides the flow of the product stream along the first flow path, and at the second position, the set of one or more valves guides the flow of the product stream along the second flow path. The system of clause 32. 35. The system of clause 31, wherein the second flow path is at least partially downstream of the first flow path. 36. The second flow path is coupled to the first flow path at a connection point downstream from the first concentrator, and the flow control device includes a three-way valve at the connection point, wherein the three-way valve guides the flow of the product stream along the first flow path beyond the connection point at the first position, and the three-way valve guides the flow of the product stream along the second flow path beyond the connection point at the second position. The system of clause 35. 37. The flow control device includes a set of one or more valves movable between a first position and a second position, wherein at the first position, the set of one or more valves guides the flow of the product stream along the first flow path beyond the connection point, and at the second position, the set of one or more valves guides the flow of the product stream along the second flow path beyond the connection point. The system of clause 35. 38. The system according to any one of clauses 31 to 37, further comprising a core lessor positioned downstream from the first concentrator along the first flow path. 39. The system according to any one of clauses 31 to 38, further comprising a core lessor positioned downstream from the second concentrator along the second flow path. 40. The system of any one of clauses 31 to 39, further comprising an absorbent bed positioned downstream from the first concentrator along the first flow path. 41. The system of any one of clauses 31 to 40, further comprising an absorbent bed positioned downstream from the second concentrator along the second flow path. 42. The system of any one of clauses 31 to 41, further comprising an absorbent bed positioned downstream from the first and second flow paths to remove at least a portion of the organic compound from the product stream. 43. The system of any one of clauses 31 to 42, wherein the by-product comprises one or more organic compounds. 44. The system of any one of clause 43, wherein the organic compound comprises polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). 45. A method of operating a system for removing by-products from a product stream from a pyrolysis reactor, comprising: configuring a flow control device to a first state such that the product stream flows through a first concentrator; detecting regeneration conditions; after detecting the regeneration conditions, configuring the flow control device from the first state to a second state such that the product stream flows through a second concentrator; and a method comprising. 46. The method of clause 45, further comprising cooling the first concentrator to cool the product stream when the product stream flows through the first concentrator. 47. The method of any one of clauses 45 and 46, further comprising heating the first concentrator towards a regeneration temperature, whereby the solid by-products in the first concentrator are melted and / or the liquid by-products in the first concentrator are evaporated. 48. The method of clause 47, wherein the regeneration temperature is between 80 degrees Celsius and 200 degrees Celsius. 49. The method of any one of clauses 45 to 48, further comprising cooling the first concentrator from the regeneration temperature towards a condensation temperature. 50. A method according to any one of clauses 45 to 49, wherein a composition analyzer or other analyzer measures the composition, melting point, boiling point, or heat capacity of the by-product and adjusts the temperature of each of the first and second concentrator stages and the core lessor stage to optimally remove or recover the by-product. 51. A step of detecting a completion condition, and After detecting the completion condition, a flow control device is configured and returned from a second state to a first state such that the product stream flows through the first concentrator and into the core lessor and at least partially inhibits flowing through the second concentrator. A method according to any one of clauses 45 to 50, further comprising. 52. A method according to clause 51, further comprising heating the second concentrator towards a regeneration temperature after the completion condition, and melting the solid by-product in the second concentrator and / or evaporating the liquid by-product in the second concentrator by the heating. 53. A method according to any one of clauses 51 and 52, wherein the step of detecting the completion condition includes detecting a pressure lower than a predetermined baseline pressure threshold upstream from the first concentrator. 54. A method according to any one of clauses 45 to 53, wherein the step of detecting the regeneration condition includes detecting at least one of a predetermined maximum time between regenerations, a pressure higher than a predetermined maximum pressure threshold upstream from the first concentrator, and a rate of increase in pressure higher than a predetermined rate upstream from the first concentrator. 55. A step of detecting an emergency condition, and After detecting the emergency condition, Reducing the flow of reactants to the pyrolysis reactor, and / or Initiating a flow of purge gas through the pyrolysis reactor and the first concentrator, A method according to any one of clauses 45 to 54, further comprising. 56. A system for removing by-products from a product stream from a pyrolysis reactor, A first concentrator fluidly connectable to the product stream to capture at least a first portion of the by-product from the product stream, A core less that is fluidly coupled to the first concentrator and positioned to receive the product from the first concentrator, A first valve positioned to regulate the flow of the product stream along the flow path of claim 1 including the first concentrator and the core less, A second concentrator fluidly coupleable to the product stream to capture at least a second portion of the by-product from the product stream, A second valve positioned to regulate the flow of the product stream along the flow path of claim 2 including the second concentrator, different from the first flow path, A system including. 57. The system of embodiment 56 where the second concentrator is downstream of the first concentrator. 58. The system of embodiment 57 further including a T-tube downstream of the first concentrator and the second concentrator, fluidly coupled between the first concentrator and the core less, and positioned between the second concentrator and the core less. 59. The core less is the first core less, The system of embodiment 57 further including a second core less fluidly coupled to the second concentrator to receive the product from the second concentrator. The system of embodiment 57. 60. The second flow path is parallel to the first flow path, the core less is the first core less, and the system of embodiment 56 further includes a second core less fluidly coupled to the second concentrator to receive the product from the second concentrator within the second flow path. 61. The system of any of embodiments 56 to 60 where the first valve and the second valve are part of a set of valves configurable between (i) a first state that at least partially blocks the product stream from flowing through the second flow path and (ii) a second state that allows the product stream to flow through the second flow path. 62. The core less is the first core less, the system further includes a second core less fluidly coupleable to the product stream downstream of the second concentrator along the second flow path, The first valve is positioned downstream of the first core less, The second valve is positioned downstream from the second coreless, The first valve and the second valve are part of a set of valves configurable between a first state and a second state, In the first state, the first valve is opened and the second valve is closed to at least partially inhibit the product stream from flowing through the second coreless, In the second state, the first valve is closed and the second valve is opened to at least partially inhibit the product stream from flowing through the first coreless, The system of any one of Examples 56 to 60. 63. The coreless is the first coreless, and the system further includes a second coreless fluidly connectable to the product stream downstream from the second concentrator along a second flow path, The first valve is positioned upstream from the first concentrator, The second valve is positioned upstream from the second concentrator, The first valve and the second valve are part of a set of valves configurable between a first state and a second state, In the first state, the first valve is opened and the second valve is closed to at least partially prevent the product stream from flowing through the second flow path, In the second state, the first valve is closed and the second valve is opened to at least partially prevent the product stream from flowing through the first flow path, The system of any one of Examples 56 to 60. 64. The system of any one of Examples 56 to 63 further including a reservoir fluidly connectable to the first flow path to receive at least a portion of the by-products captured within the first flow path. 65. A method of operating a system for removing by-products from a pyrolysis reaction within a product stream from a pyrolysis reactor, Configuring a set of valves to a first state such that the product stream flows along a first flow path through the system, Detecting regeneration conditions, After detecting the regeneration conditions, configuring the set of valves from a first state to a second state such that the product stream flows along a second flow path different from a first flow path through the system; A method comprising. 66. The method of embodiment 65, wherein the first flow path includes a concentrator, and the method further includes heating the concentrator towards a regeneration temperature after configuring the set of valves from the first state to the second state, and by the heating, melting solid by-products in the concentrator and / or evaporating liquid by-products in the concentrator. 67. Detecting completion conditions; After detecting the completion conditions, configuring and returning the set of valves from the second state to the first state such that the product stream flows along the first flow path and at least partially inhibited from flowing along the second flow path; The method according to any one of embodiments 65 and 66, further comprising. 68. The method of embodiment 67, wherein the first flow path includes a concentrator, and the method includes cooling the concentrator from a regeneration temperature towards a condensation temperature after detecting the completion conditions. 69. The method according to any one of embodiments 67 and 68, wherein the second flow path includes a concentrator, and the method further includes heating the concentrator towards a regeneration temperature after configuring and returning the set of valves from the second state to the first state, and by the heating, melting solid by-products in the concentrator and / or evaporating liquid by-products in the concentrator. 70. The method according to any one of embodiments 67 to 69, wherein the first flow path includes a concentrator, and the step of detecting the completion conditions includes detecting a pressure lower than a predetermined baseline pressure threshold upstream from the concentrator. 71. The first flow path includes a first concentrator and a first corelesser downstream of and fluidly coupled to the first concentrator, The second flow path includes a second concentrator and a second corelesser downstream of and fluidly coupled to the second concentrator, The set of valves includes at least a first valve downstream from the first corelesser and a second valve downstream from the second corelesser, The step of configuring the valve set to the second state includes closing the first valve to at least partially prevent the first product from the first concentrator from flowing through the first core less, and opening the second valve to allow the second product from the second concentrator to flow through the second core less. The step of configuring the valve set to the first state includes opening the first valve to allow the first product from the first concentrator to flow through the first core less, and closing the second valve to at least partially prevent the second product from the second concentrator from flowing through the second core less. The method according to any one of Examples 65 to 70. The method according to any one of Examples 65 to 71, wherein the step of detecting the regeneration condition includes detecting a pre-determined maximum time between regenerations, a pressure higher than a pre-determined maximum pressure threshold upstream of the concentrator in the first flow path, and / or a rate of increase in pressure higher than a pre-determined rate upstream of the concentrator in the first flow path. 73. The step of detecting an emergency condition, and After detecting the emergency condition, Reducing the flow of reactants to the pyrolysis reactor, and / or Initiating a purge gas flow through the pyrolysis reactor and the concentrator in the first flow path, The method according to any one of Examples 65 to 72, further comprising. 74. A system for removing organic compounds from a product stream from a pyrolysis reactor, A first concentrator fluidly connectable to the product stream and positioned along a first flow path to capture at least a first portion of the organic compound from the product stream, A second concentrator fluidly connectable to the product stream and positioned along a second flow path to capture at least a second portion of the organic compound from the product stream, A flow control device positioned to regulate the flow of the product stream along the first flow path and / or the second flow path, A system comprising. 75. The system of Example 74 in which the first flow path and the second flow path are parallel. 76. The system of Example 74 in which the second flow path is at least partially downstream of the first flow path. 77. The flow control device includes a three-way valve positioned upstream from the first concentrator and the second concentrator, In the first position, the three-way valve directs the flow of the product stream along the first flow path, In the second position, the three-way valve directs the flow of the product stream along the second flow path. The system of Example 76. 78. The flow control device includes a set of valves movable between a first position and a second position, In the first position, the set of valves directs the flow of the product stream along the first flow path, In the second position, the set of valves directs the flow of the product stream along the second flow path. The system of any one of Examples 74 to 77. 79. The second flow path is coupled to the first flow path at a connection point downstream from the first concentrator, and the flow control device includes a three-way valve at the connection point, In the first position, the three-way valve directs the flow of the product stream along the first flow path beyond the connection point, In the second position, the three-way valve directs the flow of the product stream along the second flow path beyond the connection point. The system of Example 76. 80. The system of any one of Examples 74 to 79, further including a co-asser positioned downstream from the first concentrator along the first flow path.

[0129] Conclusion Accordingly, although specific embodiments of the technology of the present invention have been described herein for illustrative purposes, it will be recognized that known structures and functions have not been shown or described in detail so as not to needlessly obscure the description of these embodiments of the technology of the present invention. Any material incorporated herein by reference shall be subordinate to the disclosure of the present invention if it is contrary to the disclosure of the present invention. Where circumstances permit, singular and plural items may each include plural or singular items, respectively. Further, with respect to a list of two or more items, the use of "or" in such a list shall be construed to include (a) any single item in the list, (b) all of the items in the list, or (c) any combination of the items in the list, unless explicitly limited to mean only a single item not including the other items. Further, as used herein, the phrase "and / or" such as in the case of "A and / or B" means only A, only B, and both A and B. In addition to this, as used herein, the terms "comprising", "including", "having", and "with" are used to mean including at least the features being described, and thus do not exclude any greater number of the same features and / or further other types of other features. Further, the terms "substantially", "about", and "approximately" are used herein to mean within at least 10% of a given value or limit. By way of mere example, a substantial ratio means a ratio within 10 percent of a given ratio.

[0130] Some implementations of the disclosed technology of the present invention have been described above with reference to the figures. A computer device capable of implementing the described technology can include one or more central processing units, a memory, an input device (e.g., a keyboard and a pointing device), an output device (e.g., a display device), a storage device (e.g., a disk drive), and a network device (e.g., a network adapter). The memory and the storage device are computer-readable storage media that can store instructions for implementing at least a portion of the described technology. Further, data structures and message structures can be stored or transmitted through a data transmission medium such as a signal on a communication link. Various communication links such as the Internet, a local area network, a wide area network, or a point-to-point dial-up connection can be used. That is, a computer-readable medium can include a computer-readable storage medium (e.g., a "non-transitory" medium) and a computer-readable transmission medium.

[0131] From the above, it will also be recognized that various modifications can be made without departing from the disclosure of the technology of the present invention. For example, although specific examples of pyrolysis reactors have been described herein, the by-product elimination system described herein can be used in combination with various other pyrolysis reactors and / or in combination with various other sources of by-products of similar composition, or alternatively, various components of the technology of the present invention can be further divided into sub-components, the various components and functions of the technology of the present invention can be combined and integrated, and / or the order of the various components can be changed, which will be understood by those skilled in the art. In a specific non-limiting example, the second concentrator described above with reference to FIGS. 2A and 2B can be disposed downstream of the core less. In another specific non-limiting example, the second concentrator described above with reference to FIGS. 2A and 2B can be present in a second flow path parallel to the first flow path (e.g., the second concentrator is not downstream of the first concentrator but parallel to the first concentrator). In addition to this, certain aspects of the technology of the present invention described in the context of specific embodiments can also be combined or excluded in other embodiments.

[0132] Furthermore, while the advantages associated with certain embodiments of the technology of the present invention have been described in the context of such embodiments, other embodiments may exhibit such advantages, and not all embodiments need to exhibit such advantages that fall within the technology of the present invention. For example, while various alternatives have been discussed above with reference to the by-product elimination systems of FIGS. 2A and 2B, it will be understood that such modifications and / or alternatives are also applicable to the by-product elimination systems described with reference to FIGS. 3, 4A, 4B, 7A, and 7B. In a specific non-limiting example, any of the by-product elimination systems described with reference to FIGS. 3, 4A, 4B, 7A, and 7B can include one, three, four, five, and / or any other suitable number of flow paths (e.g., a third flow path as a backup for a second flow path when it is necessary to perform the first regeneration and the second regeneration simultaneously). Accordingly, the disclosure of the present invention and related technologies can encompass other embodiments not explicitly shown or described herein.

Explanation of Signs

[0133] 100 Pyrolysis system 110 Pyrolysis reactor 120 Pyrolysis product heat exchanger 140 First separator 150 Second separator

Claims

1. 1. A system for removing by-products in a product stream from a pyrolysis reactor, comprising: a first concentrator fluidly connectable to the product stream to capture at least a first portion of the by-product from the product stream; a coalescer fluidly coupled to the first concentrator and positioned to receive an output from the first concentrator; a first valve positioned to regulate flow of the product stream along a first flow path that includes the first concentrator and the coalescer; a second concentrator fluidly connectable to the product stream for capturing at least a second portion of the by-product from the product stream; a second valve positioned to regulate flow of the product stream along a second flow path different from the first flow path; Including, The system wherein the second flow path includes the second concentrator.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the second concentrator is downstream from the first concentrator.

3. further comprising a tee downstream from the first concentrator and the second concentrator; the Tee is fluidly coupled between the first concentrator and the coalescer and is positioned between the second concentrator and the coalescer; The system of claim 2.

4. the coalescer is a first coalescer, the system further comprising a second coalescer fluidly coupled to the second concentrator for receiving an output from the second concentrator. The system of claim 2.

5. the second flow path is parallel to the first flow path; the coalescer is a first coalescer, the system further comprising a second coalescer in the second flow path; the second coalescer is fluidly coupled to the second concentrator for receiving an output from the second concentrator; The system of claim 1 .

6. 2. The system of claim 1, wherein the first valve and the second valve are part of a set of valves configurable between (i) a first state that at least partially blocks the product stream from flowing through the second flow path, and (ii) a second state that allows the product stream to flow through the second flow path.

7. the coalescer is a first coalescer, the system further comprising a second coalescer fluidly connectable to the product stream downstream from the second concentrator along the second flow path; the first valve is positioned downstream from the first coalescer; the second valve is positioned downstream from the second coalescer; the first valve and the second valve are part of a set of valves configurable between a first state and a second state; in the first state, the first valve is open and the second valve is closed to at least partially inhibit the product stream from flowing through the second coalescer; in the second state, the first valve is closed and the second valve is open to at least partially inhibit the product stream from flowing through the first coalescer; The system of claim 1 .

8. the coalescer is a first coalescer, the system further comprising a second coalescer fluidly connectable to the product stream downstream from the second concentrator along the second flow path; the first valve is positioned upstream from the first concentrator; the second valve is positioned upstream from the second concentrator; the first valve and the second valve are part of a set of valves configurable between a first state and a second state; in the first state, the first valve is open and the second valve is closed to at least partially prevent the product stream from flowing through the second flow path; in the second state, the first valve is closed and the second valve is open to at least partially prevent the product stream from flowing through the first flow path. The system of claim 1 .

9. The system of claim 1 , further comprising a reservoir fluidly connectable to the first flow path for receiving at least a portion of the by-product captured in the first flow path.

10. 1. A method of operating a system for removing by-products from a pyrolysis reaction in a product stream from a pyrolysis reactor, comprising: configuring a set of valves in a first state such that the product stream flows along a first flow path through the system; detecting a regeneration condition; configuring the set of valves from the first state to a second state after detecting the regeneration condition such that the product stream flows along a second flow path through the system that is different from the first flow path; The method includes:

11. the first flow path includes a concentrator; the method further comprising heating the concentrator toward a regeneration temperature after configuring the set of valves from the first state to the second state; The heating step melts solid by-products in the concentrator and / or vaporizes liquid by-products in the concentrator. The method of claim 10.

12. detecting a completion condition; configuring the set of valves from the second state back to the first state after detecting the completion condition such that the product stream is permitted to flow along the first flow path and is at least partially inhibited from flowing along the second flow path; The method of claim 10 further comprising:

13. the first flow path includes a concentrator; the method further comprising cooling the concentrator from a regeneration temperature toward a condensation temperature after detecting the completion condition. The method of claim 12.

14. the second flow path includes a concentrator; the method further comprising heating the concentrator toward a regeneration temperature after reconfiguring the set of valves from the second state to the first state; The heating step melts solid by-products in the concentrator and / or vaporizes liquid by-products in the concentrator. The method of claim 12.

15. the first flow path includes a concentrator; detecting the completion condition includes detecting a pressure upstream from the concentrator that is less than a predetermined baseline pressure threshold. The method of claim 12.

16. the first flow path includes a first concentrator and a first coalescer downstream from and fluidly coupled to the first concentrator; the second flow path includes a second concentrator and a second coalescer downstream from and fluidly coupled to the second concentrator; the set of valves includes at least a first valve downstream from the first coalescer and a second valve downstream from the second coalescer; configuring the set of valves in the second state includes closing the first valve to at least partially block a first output from the first concentrator from flowing through the first coalescer and opening the second valve to allow a second output from the second concentrator to flow through the second coalescer; configuring the set of valves in the first state includes opening the first valve to allow the first output from the first concentrator to flow through the first coalescer and closing the second valve to at least partially prevent the second output from the second concentrator from flowing through the second coalescer. The method of claim 10.

17. 11. The method of claim 10, wherein detecting the regeneration condition comprises detecting a predetermined maximum time between regenerations, a pressure upstream from a concentrator in the first flow path greater than a predetermined maximum pressure threshold, and / or a rate of increase of the pressure upstream from the concentrator in the first flow path greater than a predetermined rate.

18. detecting an emergency condition; and after detecting the emergency condition, Reducing the flow of reactants to the pyrolysis reactor; and / or commencing a flow of purge gas through the pyrolysis reactor and a condenser in the first flow path; The method of claim 10 further comprising:

19. 1. A system for removing organic compounds in a product stream from a pyrolysis reactor, comprising: a first concentrator fluidly connectable to the product stream and positioned along a first flow path to capture at least a first portion of the organic compounds from the product stream; a second concentrator fluidly connectable to the product stream and positioned along a second flow path to capture at least a second portion of the organic compounds from the product stream; a flow control device positioned to adjust the flow of the product stream along the first flow path and / or the second flow path; A system including:

20. 20. The system of claim 19, wherein the first flow path and the second flow path are parallel.

21. 20. The system of claim 19, wherein the second flow path is at least partially downstream from the first flow path.

22. the flow control device includes a three-way valve positioned upstream from the first concentrator and the second concentrator; in a first position, the three-way valve directs the flow of the product stream along the first flow path; In a second position, the three-way valve directs the flow of the product stream along the second flow path.

22. The system of claim 21.

23. the flow control device includes a set of valves movable between a first position and a second position; In a first position, the set of valves directs the flow of the product stream along the first flow path; In a second position, the set of valves directs the flow of the product stream along the second flow path.

20. The system of claim 19.

24. the second flow path is coupled to the first flow path at a connection point downstream from the first concentrator; the flow control device includes a three-way valve at the connection point; in a first position, the three-way valve directs the flow of the product stream along the first flow path past the connection point; In a second position, the three-way valve directs the flow of the product stream past the connection point and along the second flow path.

22. The system of claim 21.

25. 20. The system of claim 19, further comprising a coalescer positioned downstream from the first concentrator along the first flow path.

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