Systems and methods for cooling and separating co-products from pyrolysis system

Abstract

To provide systems and methods for cooling and separating co-products from a pyrolysis system.SOLUTION: Embodiments include, in some instances, a pyrolysis system comprising a pyrolysis reactor including a pyrolysis chamber to generate a product stream from a system feed, a plurality of separation components to separate the product stream, one or more heat exchange components coupled to one or more of the plurality of separation components, and a solids collection component to collect separated non-gas products. Some embodiments include, in some instances, a pyrolysis system comprising the pyrolysis reactor, the plurality of separation components including an adsorption separation component that includes first and second adsorption components, and a plurality of valves configured to control flow of the gas product stream and a flushing gas. Some embodiments include a pyrolysis system comprising the pyrolysis reactor, a regeneration feed, a plurality of valves, a burner, and one or more separation components. Some embodiments include a method of separating components of a product stream.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] Related Applications This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63 / 640,732, filed April 30, 2024, and U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63 / 640,693, filed April 30, 2024, the entire contents of each of which are incorporated herein by reference.

[0002] This disclosure relates generally to pyrolysis reactions. More specifically, this disclosure relates to pyrolysis systems for separating and processing by-products from such reactions. [Background technology]

[0003] In hydrocarbon pyrolysis, the hydrocarbon decomposes into hydrogen gas (H) and solid carbon (C). For example, pyrolysis of hydrocarbons (e.g., natural gas, methane, propane, and / or other suitable hydrocarbons) can produce hydrogen gas and solid carbon in a product stream, each of which can be used in downstream applications. By way of purely example, hydrogen gas can replace some (or all) of the natural gas consumed by furnaces to heat residential spaces (e.g., homes, apartments, and / or the like), commercial buildings (e.g., stores, office buildings, and / or the like), and / or industrial buildings or systems (e.g., data centers, asphalt plants, steel mills, etc.). Meanwhile, the carbon co-product can be utilized or sequestered to help prevent carbon from being released downstream. In some embodiments, the carbon co-product is sequestered by incorporating it into various carbon-containing products. By way of purely example, the carbon co-product can supplement bitumen (or other binders) in asphalt and / or other paving products.

[0004] The co-products can be separated from one another before the hydrogen gas and solid carbon can be used in downstream applications. However, separating the co-products of a pyrolysis reaction can be difficult (e.g., due to the high temperatures of the pyrolysis system). Summary of the Invention

[0005] In general, the present disclosure is directed to pyrolysis reactions, and more particularly, to pyrolysis systems for separating and processing by-products from such reactions. In one example, the present disclosure includes a pyrolysis system. The pyrolysis system can include a pyrolysis reactor including a pyrolysis chamber configured to generate a product stream from a system feed, the system feed including a hydrocarbon reactant, and the product stream including hydrogen gas and carbon. The pyrolysis system can also include a plurality of separation components configured to separate the product stream, the plurality of separation components being downstream of the pyrolysis reactor. The pyrolysis system can also include one or more heat exchange components coupled to one or more of the plurality of separation components. The pyrolysis system can also include a solids collection component configured to collect non-gaseous products separated from the product stream by the plurality of separation components, the non-gaseous products including at least carbon.

[0006] In another example, the present disclosure includes a pyrolysis system. The pyrolysis system can include a pyrolysis reactor including a pyrolysis chamber configured to generate a product stream from a system feed, the product stream including hydrogen gas, one or more organic compounds, and carbon. The pyrolysis system can also include multiple separation components downstream of the pyrolysis reactor. The multiple separation components can include one or more separation components, where a first separation component separates carbon from the product stream to produce a gas product stream. The multiple separation components can also include an adsorptive separation component including a first adsorption component including one or more adsorption materials configured to remove one or more organic compounds from the gas product stream, a second adsorption component including one or more adsorption materials configured to remove one or more organic compounds from the gas product stream, and multiple valves operably coupled to the first and second adsorption components and configured to control the flow of the gas product stream and a flushing gas through the first and second adsorption components, where the flushing gas is a process gas.

[0007] In another example, the present disclosure includes a thermal decomposition system. The thermal decomposition system can include a thermal decomposition reactor including a thermal decomposition chamber configured to generate a product stream from a system feed, the system feed including a hydrocarbon reactant, and the product stream including hydrogen gas and carbon. The thermal decomposition system can also include a regenerative feed, the thermal decomposition reactor configured to react the regenerative input with residual carbon in the thermal decomposition chamber to generate a regenerative effluent stream output from the thermal decomposition reactor, and only one of the system feed and the regenerative feed can be present in the thermal decomposition reactor at a time. The thermal decomposition system can also include multiple valves configured to control the flow of the system feed to the thermal decomposition reactor and the flow of the regenerative input to the thermal decomposition reactor. The thermal decomposition system can also include a burner coupled to the thermal decomposition reactor. The thermal decomposition system can also include one or more separation components downstream of the thermal decomposition reactor, at least one of the one or more separation components configured to separate carbon from the product stream.

[0008] In another example, the present disclosure includes a method for separating components of a product stream. The method can include providing a pyrolysis system. The pyrolysis system can include a pyrolysis reactor including a pyrolysis chamber configured to generate a product stream from a system feed, the product stream including hydrogen gas and carbon. The pyrolysis system can also include a plurality of separation components configured to separate the product stream, the plurality of separation components being downstream from the pyrolysis reactor. The pyrolysis system can also include one or more heat exchange components coupled to one or more of the plurality of separation components. The pyrolysis system can also include a solids collection component coupled to one or more of the plurality of separation components. The method can also include controlling the flow of the product stream through the pyrolysis system.

[0009] The details of one or more examples are set forth in the accompanying drawings and the description below. Other features, objects, and advantages will become apparent from the description and drawings, and from the claims. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0010] The following drawings illustrate certain embodiments of the present invention and, therefore, do not limit the scope of the invention. The drawings are not necessarily to scale (unless so noted) and are intended for use in conjunction with the explanations in the following detailed description. Embodiments of the present invention are hereinafter described in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which like numerals represent like elements. [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic diagram of a pyrolysis system, according to one embodiment. [Figure 2] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of an airlock valve, according to one embodiment. [Figure 3A] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of an example gravity settler, according to one embodiment. [Figure 3B] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of an example gravity settler, according to one embodiment. [Figure 4] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a separation component, according to one embodiment. [Figure 5] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a pyrolysis system having a solids collection component, according to one embodiment. [Figure 6A] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a solid-gas separation component for solids collection, according to one embodiment. [Figure 6B] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a solid-gas separation component for solids collection, according to one embodiment. [Figure 7] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a modular pyrolysis system, according to one embodiment. [Figure 8A] 1 illustrates a playback results graph, according to one embodiment. [Figure 8B] 1 illustrates a playback results graph, according to one embodiment. [Figure 9] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of separation components of a pyrolysis system, according to one embodiment. [Figure 10]FIG. 1 is a flow diagram of a method for regenerating a separation component of a pyrolysis system, according to one embodiment. [Figure 11] 1 is a schematic diagram of a pyrolysis system having an adsorption component, according to one embodiment. [Figure 12] 1 is a schematic diagram of a pyrolysis system having an adsorption component, according to one embodiment. [Figure 13] 1 is a schematic diagram of a pyrolysis system having an adsorption component, according to one embodiment. [Figure 14] 1 is a schematic diagram of a pyrolysis system having an adsorption component, according to one embodiment. [Figure 15] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a system having an adsorption component, according to one embodiment. [Figure 16] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a system having an adsorption component, according to one embodiment. [Figure 17] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a system having an adsorption component, according to one embodiment. [Figure 18] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a system having an adsorption component, according to one embodiment. [Figure 19] 1 is a schematic diagram of a pyrolysis system, according to one embodiment. [Figure 20A] FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a simple regeneration process flow for a pyrolysis system, according to one embodiment. [Figure 20B] FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a simple regeneration process flow for a pyrolysis system, according to one embodiment. [Figure 21] 1 is a schematic diagram of a pyrolysis system with regeneration and multiple reactors, according to one embodiment. [Figure 22] 1 is a flow chart of an exemplary method for separating components of a product stream from a reactor, according to one embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0011] The following detailed description is exemplary in nature and is not intended to limit the scope, applicability, or configuration of the present invention in any way. Rather, the following description provides some practical illustrations for implementing exemplary embodiments of the present invention. Examples of configurations, materials, dimensions, and manufacturing processes are provided for selected elements, while all other elements use elements known to those skilled in the art of the present invention. Those skilled in the art will recognize that many of the described embodiments have various suitable alternatives.

[0012] A pyrolysis reactor heats hydrocarbon reactants (e.g., methane, natural gas, ethane, propane, butane, pentane, gasoline, diesel, kerosene, and / or the like) and decomposes them into hydrogen gas, solid carbon, and various products. For example, a pyrolysis reactor can crack the methane, ethane, propane, and other hydrocarbon components in natural gas to produce hydrogen gas. In the example of methane, the pyrolysis reaction can: CH4 (gas) → C (solid) + 2H2 (gas).

[0013] The hydrogen gas co-product (H) can then be substituted as a combustion fuel wherever natural gas would have been used. For example, the hydrogen gas can be consumed by various heating units (e.g., furnaces, water heaters, water heaters, steam boilers, and / or the like), combustion engines, fuel cells and / or generators (e.g., backup generators), combined heat and power systems, cooking units (e.g., gas stoves), and / or various other suitable applications. Additionally or alternatively, the hydrogen can be used in various industrial processes, such as the production of various ammonia-based products (e.g., ammonia fertilizer), providing process heat, and / or other chemical processing industries, and / or can be injected back into natural gas pipelines to partially decarbonize the natural gas in the pipeline. Meanwhile, the carbon co-product can be sequestered and / or utilized to decarbonize natural gas consumption. In some embodiments, the carbon co-product is sequestered by incorporating the carbon co-product into various carbon-containing products. Purely by way of example, the carbon co-product may supplement bitumen (or other binder) in asphalt and / or other paving products.

[0014] Pyrolysis systems perform a pyrolysis reaction to crack hydrocarbons (e.g., natural gas, pure methane, ethane, propane, butane, and / or other suitable hydrocarbons) into hydrogen gas and solid carbon. Examples of suitable pyrolysis systems are described in U.S. Non-Provisional Patent Application No. 17 / 337,326, filed June 2, 2021, now published as U.S. Patent No. 11,897,768; U.S. Non-Provisional Patent Application No. 17 / 832,516, filed June 4, 2021, now published as U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2022 / 0387952; U.S. Non-Provisional Patent Application No. 17 / 832,516, filed October 15, 2021, now published as U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2022 / 0120217; No. 17 / 503,187, filed March 3, 2022, now published as U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2022 / 0315424, U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63 / 592,904, filed October 24, 2023, and U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63 / 592,906, filed October 24, 2023, each of which is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety. In such pyrolysis systems, solid carbon (and by-products from the pyrolysis reactor) must be removed from the product stream before the product gases (hydrogen gas, unreacted hydrocarbons, and / or various other gases) can be consumed.

[0015] However, the product stream typically exits the pyrolysis reactor at a relatively high temperature, such as from about 500°C to about 1500°C. The relatively high temperatures can be too high for hydrogen-carbon separation systems and / or byproduct separation systems to handle. Furthermore, handling the relatively high temperatures can be complicated by limited access to utilities such as water, inert gases (e.g., helium, nitrogen, argon, and / or the like), and / or the like. Additionally, the solid carbon particles in the product stream can have a wide range of sizes (e.g., ranging from about 1 micrometer (μm) to about 30 millimeters (mm)). This wide range of particle sizes cannot be captured by a single separation system. Furthermore, the hydrogen gas resulting from the pyrolysis system must be at a temperature and pressure compatible with various endpoints, such as existing natural gas lines connected to furnaces, water heaters, water heaters, and / or the like.

[0016] Systems and methods that address these challenges for separating hydrogen gas, solid carbon, and / or by-products in a product stream from a pyrolysis reactor are discussed herein. For example, a pyrolysis system according to the present technology can process a high-temperature mixed-phase product stream from a pyrolysis reactor to isolate and / or blend products (e.g., hydrogen gas, solid carbon, etc.) having suitable chemical compositions, pressures, and temperatures for delivery to downstream locations, distribution networks, storage devices, and / or any other suitable endpoints.

[0017] For example, Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of a pyrolysis system 100 configured in accordance with some embodiments of the present technology. As illustrated, the pyrolysis system 100 can include a pyrolysis reactor 110, as well as a plurality of separation components 125 and a plurality of heat exchange components 115 each operatively coupled downstream of the pyrolysis reactor. The separation components can include separator 125a, separator 125b, separator 125c, etc. Although three separation components / separators 125 are depicted, the pyrolysis system 100 can include any number of separation components 125.

[0018] In some embodiments, as depicted in FIG. 1, the pyrolysis system 100 can include one or more heat exchange components 115. FIG. 1 depicts multiple heat exchange components HX 115a, HX 115b, HX 115c, etc. In this exemplary embodiment, each heat exchange component 115 can be a heat exchanger (HX) 115. The heat exchangers / heat exchange components 115 are used to improve the thermal efficiency of the overall system (e.g., system 100) by cooling the products, heating the pyrolysis feed, pre-combustion fuel, combustion air, etc., and / or providing heat to external users (i.e., steam generators, power generators, adsorption chillers, etc.). In some embodiments, although FIG. 1 depicts three heat exchange components 115, the pyrolysis system 100 can include any number of heat exchange components 115. For example, component n 126 is depicted to represent any additional component, such as an additional HX n, an additional separator n, etc.

[0019] In some embodiments, separation components 125 may be coupled in series to the product stream (output from the pyrolysis reactor 110) to remove solids, liquids, condensable gases, and / or mixtures thereof from the product stream. Heat exchange components 115 may be positioned at various stages to adjust the temperature of the product stream to help facilitate separation in the separation components 125, transfer heat from the product stream to another location (e.g., the hydrocarbon reactants entering the pyrolysis reactor), and / or reduce downstream fouling and degradation. In some embodiments, as depicted in FIG. 1 , one or more of the separation components 125 may be configured, in some cases, to deliver the hydrogen gas product (and / or a product stream containing at least the hydrogen gas product) back to the pyrolysis reactor 110.

[0020] In the illustrated embodiment, the heat exchange elements 115 and separation elements 125 are alternately coupled to the product stream from the reactor 110, starting with the first heat exchange element 115a (e.g., the first heat exchanger), followed by the first separation element 125a, the second heat exchange element 115b, etc. As a result, as discussed in more detail below, the first heat exchange element 115a can cool the product stream to a first temperature suitable for the first separation element 125a, the first separation element 125a can remove one or more products and / or by-products from the product stream, the second heat exchange element 115b can cool the product stream to a second temperature suitable for the second separation element 125b, etc. In some embodiments, although FIG. 1 depicts the first heat exchange element 115a and then the first separation element 125a, the pyrolysis system 100 can include other configurations. For example, the product stream from the pyrolysis reactor 110 can be sent directly to a first separation component 125a, then to a heat exchange component 115b, then to a second separation component 125b, and so on.

[0021] The resulting product stream (after being sent through the plurality of separators 125) may be primarily (or entirely) gas product 170 from reactor 110, such as hydrogen gas, unreacted hydrocarbons, and / or the like. Gas product 170 may then be directed / sent to a suitable destination. For example, a portion of gas product 170 may be directed back to reactor 110 (e.g., to fuel a combustion component (e.g., combustion component 1113, discussed further herein), to provide input heat for the pyrolysis reaction as input to a reaction chamber within pyrolysis reactor 110, and / or for use with any other components of reactor 110). Additionally or alternatively to the previous example, a portion of gas product 170 may be directed to a hydrogen-consuming system (e.g., a furnace, a water heater, a water heater, a manufacturing facility, and / or the like).

[0022] In the illustrated embodiment, pyrolysis system 100 includes at least three separation components 125 that remove solid carbon from the product stream and direct / channel the solid carbon to solids collection component 140. Thus, in some embodiments, solids collection component 140 is coupled to one or more separation components 125 (in this example, three separation components 125). In some embodiments, separation component 125 may be coupled to solids collection component 140, but there may still be one or more components between separation component 125 and solids collection component 140. For example, there may be one or more airlocks 130 between separation component 125 and solids collection component 140, as discussed further herein and depicted in FIG. 1 .

[0023] Also, as discussed in more detail below, the use of multiple separation components 125 allows the pyrolysis system 100 to separate a wider range of particles from the product stream. Purely by way of example, the separator / separation components 125 can be configured to focus on gradually reducing the size of carbon particles, resulting in an overall separation system that is effective for separating a wide range of carbon particles.

[0024] As further illustrated in FIG. 1 , solids collection component 140 then directs the solids (e.g., solid carbon, other particulates, and / or any other suitable compounds (e.g., organic compounds, pyrolysis oil, and / or the like) to solids cooling component 145 for further cooling. Solids cooling component 145 then directs the solids (and / or oil and / or liquid carried thereby) to solids separator 150 to separate carbon from other particulates, separate carbon particles of different sizes, separate fluid compounds from solid compounds, and / or the like. Although solids collection component 140 is referred to as collecting and directing solids, these solids can include oils, liquids, etc. in addition to solids, and thus solids (as referred to herein) can, in some cases, be mixtures containing solids. Various portions of the results may then be directed back to reactor 110 (e.g., to decompose organic compounds), to resulting gas product 170 (e.g., to be fed back to the combustion component in the reactor), and / or to another suitable endpoint (e.g., storage, a carbon sequestration endpoint, and / or the like). For example, Figure 1 depicts at least a portion of the results (e.g., separated carbon) being sent to storage 155 and then to charging component 160 and to solid product 180 endpoint.

[0025] Multiple monitoring instruments can be used to help ensure that the pyrolysis system 100 meets operational requirements. For example, the pyrolysis system 100 can include one or more temperature monitoring devices to help reduce the likelihood that downstream storage equipment will be damaged and / or degraded by excessive heat. The pyrolysis system 100 can include one or more gas composition monitors in the product stream to measure the composition within the product stream and check for mixtures that may support combustion. Furthermore, measurements can be integrated with a control system that adjusts control elements to maintain product quality to customer specifications, reduce operating costs, reduce environmental impact (e.g., carbon intensity), and / or the like. The control system can be configured with logic to perform these functions without human intervention.

[0026] In addition to the challenges discussed above, the systems and methods disclosed herein can be configured to address additional challenges and / or meet additional goals. For example, it may be advantageous for the pyrolysis system 100 to have a relatively small footprint within a target destination and / or for the pyrolysis system 100 to be relatively easy to construct at a target destination. The small footprint and / or ease of construction may enable the pyrolysis system 100 to be retrofitted into existing spaces (e.g., added to homes, apartment buildings, commercial buildings, treatment facilities, and / or the like) and / or constructed in a wide variety of locations. Additionally or alternatively, the small footprint may allow the pyrolysis system 100 to be enclosed within an aesthetically pleasing housing, which may increase the opportunity for the pyrolysis system 100 to be employed in existing spaces to decarbonize our plumbing networks. To help meet these objectives, the pyrolysis system 100 may have a modular construction that helps reduce the overall size of the system, allows the system to be tailored to the end user's requirements, deployed in more locations, and / or reduces the cost of building (and / or the time required to build) the pyrolysis system.

[0027] For example, a significant portion of the construction of the pyrolysis system 100 may be performed at a location other than the target site (e.g., a central manufacturing location), a partially or fully constructed unit (e.g., pyrolysis system 100) may include one or more modules, the size of the modules may be determined at least in part by the transportation method, cost, and / or complexity of the transportation, the partially constructed unit (e.g., partially constructed pyrolysis system 100) may be shipped to various geographic locations, the partially constructed unit may be shipped by various means (e.g., over-the-road truck, container ship, rail, barge, etc.), and the final assembly of the pyrolysis system 100 may be performed at a location other than the target site (e.g., a central manufacturing location), the partially constructed unit (e.g., partially constructed pyrolysis system 100) may be shipped to various geographic locations, the partially constructed unit may be shipped by various means (e.g., over-the-road truck, container ship, rail, barge, etc.), and the final assembly of the pyrolysis system 100 may be performed at a location other than the target site (e.g., a central manufacturing location), the size of the modules may be determined at least in part by the transportation method, cost, and / or complexity of the transportation, ... Setup may be completed at the target site, and final construction may include stacking, arranging, and / or joining multiple modules, and the assembled pyrolysis system 100 may have a vertical height of about 20 feet or less, about 20 feet to about 40 feet, about 40 feet to about 60 feet, about 60 feet to about 80 feet, up to 200 feet (e.g., 20 feet to 200 feet), etc., depending on various other aspects of the pyrolysis system 100 (e.g., hydrocarbon flow rate to the pyrolysis reactor, available shipping methods, and / or the like), and the assembled pyrolysis system 100 may have an area of ​​about 200 square feet (sq ft) to about 400 sq ft, about 400 sq ft to about 600 sq ft, about 600 sq ft to about 800 sq ft, up to 100,000 sq ft (e.g., 200 sq ft to 100,000 sq ft), etc., and the pyrolysis system 100, necessary utilities (e.g., equipment air), and / or control panels for carbon storage and / or loading can be located outside the main footprint of the pyrolysis system 100, etc.

[0028] As discussed in more detail below, the fully assembled pyrolysis system 100 can be divided into containerized subassemblies that can be arranged and / or customized to suit various product requirements. The subassembly containers can include a pyrolysis reactor container, a product conditioning container, and a solids handling container. The solids handling container can be positioned vertically below the pyrolysis reactor container and the product conditioning container. This positioning can allow the pyrolysis system 100 to have different sizes and number combinations of each container that are easily integrated for different overall performance considerations (e.g., hydrogen and carbon output). Purely by way of example, the height of the reactor and product conditioning containers can be adjusted by modifying the support structure to adjust the size of the solids handling system and / or to incorporate different equipment.

[0029] In another example of additional challenges and / or to meet additional objectives, the pyrolysis systems discussed herein (e.g., pyrolysis system 100) may be deployed in locations with limited (or no) access to utilities such as water, sewage, inert gas, and / or the like. Additionally or alternatively, some utility streams (e.g., water) require additional input, output, and / or processing steps (e.g., chemical treatment of water, excessive steam discharge, and / or the like), which can increase the cost and complexity of the overall system. Therefore, it may be advantageous to limit (or eliminate) the need to rely on a supply of hydrocarbon reactant (e.g., natural gas), or in some cases, utilities other than the supply of hydrocarbon reactant and electricity. For example, in some embodiments, pyrolysis system 100 does not require water from surrounding systems (e.g., via a closed-loop circulation system) and / or does not require water at all. As an example, in cases where steam is used as the regeneration gas (discussed further herein), pyrolysis system 100 may use water, which may be provided by the combustion of natural gas and hydrogen, which may help prevent the need for water from a separate system and / or tank. In some embodiments, utilities are supplied by on-site containers (e.g., water tanks), requiring pyrolysis system 100 to use a limited amount of utilities to operate. Limited reliance may be useful even when access to utilities is available, for example, to eliminate (or limit) the need for peripheral piping systems and / or to help simplify the operation of pyrolysis system 100.

[0030] In certain non-limiting examples, the pyrolysis systems discussed herein (e.g., pyrolysis system 100) can limit (or eliminate) water consumption through adjustments to heat management and / or cooling systems within pyrolysis system 100. For example, pyrolysis system 100 can use recuperative devices to recover high-temperature heat through inter-process heat transfer (e.g., instead of direct-contact water-cooling components). Recuperative devices include heat pipes, plate-and-frame, shell-and-tube, direct-contact heat exchangers, and / or various other suitable devices. Low-temperature heat removal can be obtained through closed-loop indirect cooling methods that do not require significant water replenishment and / or discharge rates. Indirect cooling system components can include air-cooled heat exchangers, cooling conveyors, shell-and-tube heat exchangers, plate-and-frame heat exchangers, moving-bed heat exchangers, and / or various other suitable devices. Any of the above-discussed elements can be used individually or sequentially throughout pyrolysis system 100. Additionally, excess heat may be recovered in cooler process streams (e.g., recuperated, rejected to ambient air, and / or rejected to a closed-loop cooling water system).

[0031] Water consumption and effluent production also frequently occur in systems that separate solids from gases. For example, wet scrubbing devices can effectively remove a wide variety of solid particulates, but require significant amounts of fluid and may require fluid treatment systems for the effluent fluids. The systems and methods discussed herein can use only “dry” equipment to perform the separation, thereby eliminating water (or other fluid) consumption. However, as discussed in more detail below, eliminating water (and other fluid) consumption can introduce constraints on how system 100 components (e.g., solids separator and / or separation component 125) are arranged in the process flow. Furthermore, in some cases, the systems and methods discussed herein may not generate or consume steam in the operation of pyrolysis system 100. Instead, in these cases, natural gas, methane, ethane, propane, nitrogen, or other inert gases are used for adsorber regeneration, gas stripping / displacement, pressure testing, and / or the like. In some cases, steam can be generated and used as a reactor regenerative oxidant (discussed further herein). In these cases, as an example, steam may be produced from the combustion of natural gas and hydrogen.

[0032] In certain non-limiting examples, pyrolysis systems discussed herein (such as pyrolysis system 100) may limit (or eliminate) consumption of inert gases. For example, sufficient natural gas, product gas, and / or air concentrations may be used in components where nitrogen or inert gases are typically consumed to maintain the system below flammability limits. The reduction (or elimination) of inert gases in pyrolysis system 100 may help reduce operating costs and / or simplify operation and maintenance of pyrolysis system 100.

[0033] In another example of additional challenges and / or to meet additional objectives, the pyrolysis systems discussed herein (such as pyrolysis system 100) can include features that help match the hydrogen gas product 170 and / or solid carbon product 180 resulting from the pyrolysis system 100 with an endpoint. For example, the pyrolysis system 100 can operate at a pressure that helps match the pressure of the product stream with the hydrogen gas endpoint without requiring additional gas compression equipment. Purely by way of example, the pyrolysis system 100 can operate at a pressure of from about 1 bar gauge (barg) to about 2 barg, from about 2 barg to about 3 barg, from about 3 barg to about 5 barg, from about 5 barg to about 10 barg, and / or from about 10 barg to about 15 barg. However, in some embodiments, the pyrolysis system 100 includes a compression component coupled to the hydrogen gas stream exiting the pyrolysis system 100 and / or the pyrolysis reactor 110. In such embodiments, the product stream can be compressed (e.g., to pressures as high as about 700 bar) to suit various end-point applications. To help limit the pressure drop in the pyrolysis system 100, the gas-solid separation component 125 can limit gas flow rates to between about 2 meters per second (m / s) and about 5 m / s, between about 5 m / s and about 10 m / s, between about 10 m / s and about 20 m / s, and / or between about 20 m / s and about 30 m / s. Maintaining pressure within the pyrolysis system 100 can result in recycle and / or waste gas streams that can be reinjected into process locations without the use of a compressor. Furthermore, the operating pressure of the reinjection locations can be optimized to remain below the recycle stream generation pressure. For example, effluent gas from a continuous gas analyzer can be incorporated into an energy source (such as a combustion fuel system and / or another type of energy source) for the pyrolysis reactor 110. To do so, the pressure drop through the gas analyzer must be minimized and / or part (or all) of the combustion fuel system must be maintained at a pressure lower than the analyzer outlet pressure (e.g., to avoid drawing gases back through the pyrolysis system).In some embodiments, the pyrolysis system 100 includes less complex and less expensive static devices (e.g., ejectors) instead of mechanical compressors and blowers to help maintain (or increase) pressure along the flow path.

[0034] Furthermore, pyrolysis system 100 can help ensure that the resulting hydrogen gas (e.g., gas product 170) is relatively free of solid carbon (e.g., which becomes carbon dioxide upon combustion) and / or by-products from the pyrolysis reaction. In some embodiments, pyrolysis system 100 includes additional purification devices downstream of separation component 125. These additional purification devices can include adsorption components, as discussed further herein. As a result, pyrolysis system 100 helps minimize downstream fouling and / or emissions that compromise the effectiveness of replacing hydrocarbons with hydrogen gas from pyrolysis reactor 110. In yet another example, pyrolysis system 100 can collect, condition, and / or blend with other by-products to help prepare a solid carbon product for end-point use.

[0035] Although discussed herein primarily as systems and methods for separating products (and co-products) in a product stream from a pyrolysis reactor 110, those skilled in the art will understand that the scope of the technology is not so limited. For example, the systems and methods discussed herein can be used in a variety of other settings to separate co-products and / or by-products of reactors, chemical manufacturing processes, and / or the like, under constraints from heat, pressure, and / or co-product and by-product attributes. Thus, the scope of the technology is not limited to any subset of the embodiments discussed herein.

[0036] In some embodiments, the product stream from the pyrolysis reactor 110 (e.g., the outlet of the pyrolysis reactor 110) can have a pressure above atmospheric and / or ambient pressure. Maintaining pressure in the product stream may enable the resulting hydrogen gas (e.g., gas product 170) to be delivered to an endpoint without the need for additional gas compression equipment and / or may maintain the resulting hydrogen gas at a pressure suitable for existing natural gas pipelines. However, relatively high pressures may affect the operation of the solids collection component 140 and / or increase the complexity of operating the solids collection component 140. Therefore, it is beneficial to operate the solids collection component 140 at atmospheric and / or ambient pressure. As a result, the gas / solid phase separator (i.e., separation component 125) must operate at a relatively high pressure compared to the solids collection component 140.

[0037] To help bridge the gap between the two, pyrolysis system 100 can include an airlock valve arrangement (comprising one or more airlocks 130). Figure 1 depicts three airlocks: airlock 130a, airlock 130b, and airlock 130c. In some embodiments, the airlock valve arrangement can include an airlock 130 for each separation component 125 (as depicted in Figure 1).

[0038] FIG. 3 illustrates an exemplary airlock 130, according to one embodiment. As illustrated in FIG. 3, the airlock 130 can include two suitable valves (e.g., an upper valve 232 and a lower valve 234) and an intermediate space 238 between the valves 232, 234. The intermediate space 238 can be constructed from piping components, hoppers, canisters, and / or any other suitable components. The valves 232, 234 can be constructed from materials capable of withstanding (and operating at) temperatures of greater than about 1000°C, between about 900°C and 1000°C, between about 700°C and about 900°C, and / or between about 500°C and about 700°C, depending on the stage of the separation process. Additionally or alternatively, the valves 232, 234 can be integrated with active cooling features, additional heat exchangers, and / or internal tolerances to withstand the temperatures. In various embodiments, the valves 232, 234 may include any combination of gate, ball, segmented ball, sealed butterfly, and / or other suitable valve types.

[0039] In addition to temperature tolerance, the airlock 130 (and valves 232, 234 therein) must be capable of sealing against differential pressures of about 0.5 barg to about 1 barg, about 1 barg to about 2 barg, about 2 barg to about 3 barg, about 3 barg to 5 barg, about 5 barg to about 10 barg, and / or about 10 barg to about 15 barg to restrict gas flow from the product stream (high-pressure system) to the solids collection component 140 (low-pressure system). To help maintain an airtight seal, the valves 232, 234 may include any of the above features, as well as (or alternatively) live-loaded seals, multiple or tandem seals, high-integrity scrapers, and / or components made from materials softer than steel (e.g., graphite).

[0040] In some embodiments, the pyrolysis system 100 includes controls for operating the valves 232, 234. In such embodiments, the control system can close both the upper valve 232 and the lower valve 234 and empty the solids from the intermediate space 238. Additionally, the control system can bring the intermediate space 238 to any suitable pressure. The control system can open the upper valve 232, allowing solids to flow into the intermediate space 238 and allowing the pressure in the intermediate space 238 to equalize with the high-pressure system (e.g., the product stream). The control system can then close the upper valve 232. The control system can then open the lower valve 234, allowing solids to flow into downstream equipment (e.g., the solids collection component 140). While the lower valve 234 is open, a small amount of high-pressure gas is sent to the low-pressure system, allowing the pressure in the intermediate space 238 to equalize with the low-pressure system. The control system can then close the lower valve 234, thereby completing one cycle of emptying the separation component 125 coupled thereto. When the upper valve 232 opens in the second cycle, the pressure can help draw the solids into the intermediate space 238 because the intermediate space 238 is at a relatively low pressure.

[0041] In some embodiments, the control system is configured to dynamically adjust the duration of any of the steps discussed above. For example, the cycle may be completed frequently enough to prevent excessive buildup of solids in upstream equipment (e.g., separation component 125). However, it is desirable to perform the sequence as frequently as possible to extend the life of the valves 232, 234 in the airlock 130 and / or minimize the amount of maintenance required due to wear in the system. In various embodiments, the intermediate space 238 may be sized to deliver sufficient solids at 5 to 1 valve cycles / minute, 1 cycle / minute to 1 cycle / 2 minutes, 1 cycle / 2 minutes to 1 cycle / 10 minutes, and / or 1 cycle / 10 minutes to 1 cycle / hour.

[0042] In some embodiments, the solids collection component 140 (and / or the system downstream from the solids collection component) can operate at relatively high pressures. For example, the solids collection component 140 (and / or the downstream system) can operate at pressures of about 1 barg to about 2 barg, about 2 barg to about 3 barg, about 3 barg to about 5 barg, about 5 barg to about 10 barg, and / or about 10 to about 15 barg. In such embodiments, the solids collection component 140 (and / or the downstream system) can have custom features, such as a cylindrical shape, external reinforcements, thicker construction materials, special seals, flanges, and / or gaskets, that help the system tolerate relatively high pressures.

[0043] 1 , as discussed above, pyrolysis system 100 (e.g., separation component 125 within pyrolysis system 100) must reliably remove solid carbon (and various by-products) from the product stream to avoid fouling of downstream components. Additionally, any carbon remaining in the product stream after separation component 125 will ultimately be converted to carbon dioxide emissions when the hydrogen gas is combusted, thereby increasing the carbon intensity of the pyrolysis process and / or defeating one of the purposes of the overall pyrolysis system. Furthermore, the separation system (e.g., including separation component 125) should be capable of operating at relatively high temperatures (e.g., above 500° C.) and pressures (e.g., above 1 barg) while removing particles having a wide range of sizes. Furthermore, in some embodiments, the pyrolysis system 100 has limited access to utilities such as water and / or inert gas to support the operation of the separation system / separation component 125 (e.g., to support particle separation in wet gas scrubbers, venturi scrubbers, and / or the like used in other settings to separate particles having diameters less than about 10 μm). Furthermore, the separation system / separation component 125 should be capable of removing solid particles (and by-products) with a relatively short residence time to support continuous (or near-continuous) operation of the pyrolysis reactor 110 and meet the demand for hydrogen gas (e.g., gas product 170). As a result, the separation system / separation component 125 typically cannot rely solely on low superficial gas velocities, long residence times, and / or gravity effects to provide separation, as such systems cannot support the flow rate of the product stream.

[0044] To address these challenges, the separation system of the pyrolysis system 100 can include multiple gas / liquid / solid phase separation components 125 arranged in series. Each of the separation components 125 can have a different design and / or operating principle, such that each separation component 125 can remove solids of different sizes and / or remove specific by-products in the product stream (e.g., organic compounds, pyrolysis oil, and / or the like). In some embodiments, the separators / separation components 125 are positioned to remove particles from largest to smallest, followed by various liquids and / or gases. This arrangement of the separation components 125 can help limit equipment fouling and clogging. In some embodiments, the separation components 125 (and / or heat exchangers / heat exchange components 115) are ordered from hot to cold to help increase the thermal efficiency of the pyrolysis system 100 (e.g., by avoiding the need to reheat the product stream).

[0045] 1 may comprise a gravity settler configured to remove solids having particle sizes between about 50 μm and about 100 μm, between about 100 μm and about 500 μm, and / or between about 500 μm and about 25 mm. Examples of suitable gravity settlers are illustrated in FIGS. 5A and 5B.

[0046] Because the first separator / separation component 125a is closest to the pyrolysis reactor 110, the first separator 125a can operate at the highest temperatures in the separation system, for example, temperatures greater than about 1000°C, between about 900°C and 1000°C, between about 700°C and about 900°C, and / or between about 500°C and about 700°C. To help withstand the temperatures and / or increase the service life of the first separator 125a, the first separator 125a can include various alloys that are resistant to hydrogen embrittlement and wear at high temperatures. In specific, non-limiting examples, the first separator 125a can include (or be made entirely of) austenitic stainless steel 316, 316H, nitrided alloys such as Nitronic 50, Nitronic 60, hard surface coatings, and / or the like. Additionally or alternatively, first separator 125a can include seals and / or flanges suitable for the hydrogen-rich gas pressure in the product stream (eg, Class 300, ASME B16.5).

[0047] As illustrated in Figures 3A and 3B, the first separation component 125a can include a sloped wall 332, an inlet 334 on one side of the settler, a gas outlet 336 (e.g., opposite the inlet 334), and a solids collection zone 338 located at the bottom of the settler. The solids collection zone 338 can be connected to an airlock component (e.g., airlock 130). The sloped wall 332 can have an angle of about 5 degrees ("degrees") from vertical to about 15 degrees from vertical, about 15 to about 30 degrees, about 30 degrees to about 45 degrees, and / or about 45 to about 60 degrees to prevent solids from accumulating along the sidewall and / or anywhere else in the vessel except for the collection zone 338. Furthermore, the first separation component 125a can have a larger cross-sectional area than the flow path (e.g., a reactor, a pipe connected to the reactor, and / or the like) upstream from the first separator / separation component. The larger cross-sectional area can help reduce gas velocity through the first separator / separation component 125a, promoting gravity-induced settling of solids into the solids collection zone 338. That is, separation can be achieved within the first separation component 125a without the use of internal penetrations, such as mesh pads, screens, filters, baffles, and / or louvers, which may create collection points for carbon fouling and / or require maintenance during operation.

[0048] As discussed above, the first separation component 125a may target only the largest solid particles in the product stream. As a result, solids smaller than 50 μm, 100 μm, and / or 500 μm are present in the product stream exiting the first separation component 125a through the gas outlet 336. To help avoid fouling within the gas outlet 336 from these smaller particles, the gas outlet 336 may have a diameter greater than approximately 50 mm, 75 mm, 100 mm, and / or 400 mm. Additionally or alternatively, the gas outlet may be positioned to help direct the outlet flow perpendicular to the flow of solids within the first separation component 125a, helping to ensure that targeted solids are not inadvertently carried downstream.

[0049] In some embodiments, the first separation component 125a is integrated with the shell of the pyrolysis reactor 110. In such embodiments, the first separation component 125a may omit high temperature and pressure seals and / or flanges. However, this integration may make it more difficult to service and / or replace the first separation component 125a.

[0050] Returning to the description of FIG. 1, the second separation component 125b can include a cyclone separator configured to remove solids having particle sizes of, for example, about 1 μm to about 3 μm, about 3 μm to about 10 μm, and / or about 10 μm to about 100 μm. These particle sizes may be relatively common in the product stream, thereby requiring the second separation component 125b to handle a relatively high solids load and / or withstand additional exposure to the relatively high temperatures of the product stream. Accordingly, the second separation component 125b can be constructed from a high-temperature alloy (e.g., ASTM Gr321 stainless steel, 316H steel, and / or the like) to help extend the life of the second separation component 125b. Additionally or alternatively, the second separation component 125b may include seals and / or flanges (e.g., Class 300, ASME B16.52, and / or the like) suitable for hydrogen-rich gas pressure containment at the relatively high temperatures and / or pressures of the product stream. However, similar to the discussion above, the second separation component 125b may be incorporated into the shell of the reactor 110 to eliminate the need for high temperature and high pressure seals. In some embodiments, the second separation component 125b may include a high temperature ceramic filter.

[0051] The third separation component 125c can include, for example, a pulse-jet baghouse filter configured to remove solids having particle sizes between about 100 nanometers (nm) and about 1 μm, and / or between about 1 μm and about 3 μm. Although the third separation component 125c is further downstream in the line (e.g., flow path), the third separation component 125c is still exposed to relatively high temperatures (e.g., between about 150°C and about 200°C, between about 200°C and about 300°C, and / or between about 300°C and about 350°C) and pressures discussed above. Accordingly, the baghouse filter can include one or more seals and flanges (e.g., Class 300, ASME B16.5, and / or similar) suitable for hydrogen-rich gas pressure containment at the relatively high temperatures and / or pressures discussed above. Additionally or alternatively, the third separation component 125c can include a baghouse filter having a cylindrical shape and / or external reinforcements to help withstand pressure. Non-limiting examples of suitable materials include carbon steel, ASTM Gr312, 316, 316L, and / or the like. Additionally, the filter bag can be constructed of PTFE for enhanced temperature resistance compared to polyester or polypropylene bags.

[0052] Solids can be removed from the filter bag with a pulse of gas. In other configurations, jet baghouse filters use air to remove solid particles from the filter bag into a downstream collection system. However, air is incompatible with the pyrolysis system 100 because it introduces oxygen into the product stream, which can form a flammable mixture. Instead, various embodiments of the present technology use a modified design to use an alternative pulse fluid. For example, control valves, venturi nozzles, and / or other design elements are modified to accommodate natural gas, methane, ethane, propane, nitrogen, other inert gases, and / or the like as the pulse fluid. In some embodiments, the pulse gas is drawn into the pyrolysis reactor 110 from the input line (i.e., a portion of the hydrocarbon reactant (e.g., natural gas) is used as the pulse fluid). While the use of a hydrocarbon reactant may slightly reduce the purity of the resulting product (e.g., introducing hydrocarbon gas into a hydrogen gas stream), the hydrocarbon reactant does not pose a combustion threat, does not need to be separated by a subsequent filtration process, and may not require additional compression components to fit into the product stream.

[0053] The fourth separation component (e.g., n126) can include a separator vessel 400 for collecting condensable liquids (e.g., organic compounds, pyrolysis oil, and / or the like), an example of which is illustrated in the schematic diagram of FIG. 4. In some embodiments, the fourth heat exchange component can follow (i.e., be connected to) the third separation component 125c, and the separator vessel 400 can be connected / followed by the fourth heat exchange component. The design of the separator vessel 400 can be optimized to minimize fouling and / or solidification of the liquids.

[0054] For example, the fourth separation component (e.g., separator vessel) 400 can include minimal internal components to reduce (or avoid) fouling and / or solids accumulation. That is, the separator vessel 400 can include mostly open space within the vessel. In some cases, the separator vessel 400 can include heat tracing and insulation to maintain a suitable operating temperature within the vessel to help avoid subcooling, which can solidify the liquid within the vessel. The vessel level of the separator vessel 400 can be controlled by adjusting the liquid outlet flow rate.

[0055] For example, the fourth separation component (e.g., separator vessel 400) can include a flow control valve 410 to help control the vessel level. The flow control valve can additionally or alternatively form a seal to help prevent product gas from the separation and cooling system from leaking into the solids collection system. In some embodiments, as depicted in FIG. 4, separator vessel 400 can include a demister pad 420 to help remove / separate liquid from the product stream so that the resulting product stream is a gas product stream (e.g., a hydrogen gas product stream).

[0056] Returning to the description of FIG. 1 , pyrolysis system 100 can, in some embodiments, include a fifth separation component, which can include a separator vessel generally similar to the fourth separation component (e.g., separator vessel 400). Repeating the cooling and liquid separation vessels can enable the system to target and / or remove from the product stream compounds that liquefy and / or freeze at various temperatures, such as various hydrocarbons and / or by-products having boiling points between about 80°C and about 60°C, between about 60°C and about 40°C, and / or between about 40°C and about 20°C. Furthermore, the cooling and separation vessels can be repeated any suitable number of times to remove compounds from the product stream, resulting in hydrogen gas (e.g., gas product 170) that meets downstream purity requirements. In some embodiments, one or more of separation components 125 can be adsorption components. For example, pyrolysis system 100 can include a sixth separation component, which can be an adsorption bed for collecting hydrocarbons that condense at temperatures below about 60°C, about 40°C, about 20°C, and / or about 0°C. In some embodiments, one or more of the separation components 125 may be a high temperature filter.

[0057] In various embodiments, the pyrolysis system 100 can include various alternative (or additional) gas-solid separation components 125, such as electrostatic precipitators, cartridge filters, impingement baffles, ceramic filters, and / or other suitable components that do not require water for separation. In some cases, the pyrolysis system 100 can include various liquid scrubbers and / or separators to achieve separation and / or cooling purposes. For example, a scrubber can be designed to contact the product stream with condensed liquid pyrolysis products (e.g., pyrolysis oil), and the effluent (solids and liquids) is routed to the solids collection component 140. Additionally or alternatively, the pyrolysis system 100 can include a closed-loop liquid system to provide the water separation component 125 without (or with limited) access to water. However, in such embodiments, the pyrolysis system 100 can have filtration devices that can be very complex and / or expensive to maintain.

[0058] The separation components 125 discussed herein may be arranged in various alternative orders. Additionally or alternatively, one or more of the components may be omitted entirely. In a specific, non-limiting example, the separation system of pyrolysis system 100 may include a first heat exchange component / device 115a, a first separation component 125a, a second separation component 125b (e.g., without a heat exchange component 115b between separation component 125a and separation component 125b), such as a high-temperature ceramic filter, and a third solids separation component (e.g., separator 125c) to separate the product without the need for another heat exchange component. The system can include a second heat exchange element (e.g., HX 115c) downstream of second separation element 125b that can reduce the temperature of the stream from a high-side temperature (e.g., greater than about 1000°C, about 900°C to 1000°C, about 700°C to about 900°C, and / or about 500°C to about 700°C) to a low-side temperature (e.g., about 80°C to about 60°C, about 60°C to about 40°C, and / or about 40°C to about 20°C), and one or more liquid separation elements.

[0059] In some embodiments, the pyrolysis system 100 can include various liquid-gas separator / separation components that do not include an atmospheric vessel (e.g., coalescers, hydrocyclones, or liquid drawn directly from a heat transfer device). Additionally, the pyrolysis system 100 can include various other removal systems for removing by-products from the reaction stream. Purely by way of example, the pyrolysis system 100 can include a regenerable gas-liquid absorber, a depleted carbon bed that is not regenerated in place, a refrigerant system that allows for removal of low temperature condensate, and the like.

[0060] As discussed herein, the pyrolysis system 100 can include one or more heat exchange components 115 (e.g., multiple heat exchange components). The heat exchange components 115, in some cases, can be positioned in hot to cold order along the process flow to avoid the need to reheat the product stream during the separation process (e.g., by the separation components 125). Further, in the illustrated embodiment, the heat exchange components 115 are heat exchangers (HX) 115 positioned between each of the separation components 125. While this is what is depicted in FIG. 1 , the technology disclosed herein is not so limited. In various other embodiments, the pyrolysis system 100 can include multiple heat exchange components 115 (e.g., multiple heat exchangers, one or more active cooling components, and / or the like) between one or more pairs of separation components 125 and / or can include no heat exchange components 115 between one or more pairs of separation components 125. In any of the embodiments discussed below, the heat exchange components 115 can include active cooling components and / or heat exchangers. The heat exchanger / heat exchanging component may include a variety of heat transfer devices such as a bayonet heat exchanger, a shell and tube heat exchanger, a plate and frame heat exchanger, a brazed plate heat exchanger, a moving bed heat exchanger, a direct contact heat exchanger, an air-cooled heat exchanger, a heat pipe heat exchanger, and / or any other suitable device.

[0061] The number, device selection, and sequence of heat exchange components 115 may be determined by temperature limitations in one or more of the separation components 125, the properties of the compounds in the product stream (e.g., the condensation temperature of the hydrocarbon liquid), and / or the like. Similar to the features discussed herein, the selection of heat exchange components 115 may also be limited by peripheral considerations such as access to utilities (e.g., water), the temperature of the product stream exiting the pyrolysis reactor, and / or the like.

[0062] For example, the first heat exchange element 115a can include a high temperature heat exchanger positioned within the pyrolysis reactor 110 and / or coupled to an outlet of the pyrolysis reactor 110 (as depicted in FIG. 1). As a result, the first heat exchange element 115a can condition the product stream to a suitable temperature for the first separation element 125a. In various embodiments, the first heat exchange element 115a can include high temperature alloy and / or non-metallic (e.g., ceramic) elements to allow for operating temperatures of about 1000°C, about 1250°C, and / or about 1500°C. Fouling from contact with solid carbon in the product stream (from pyrolysis reactor 110) can be reduced (or minimized and / or eliminated) by maintaining wide passages (e.g., passages at least about 3 times wider, about 5 times wider, about 10 times wider, and / or about 15 times wider than the largest particle of solid carbon) for the flow path of the product stream (e.g., not including narrow gaps and / or narrow passages, such as passages below the thresholds discussed above). Wide passages can also reduce (or minimize) the pressure drop through first heat exchange element 115a, helping to maintain pressure in the product stream.

[0063] In some embodiments, heat can be recovered (e.g., recuperated) by transferring heat to one or more other locations within the pyrolysis system 100, such as the hydrocarbon input channel for the pyrolysis reactor 110. As a result, the heat in the product stream can help preheat the combustion air, hydrocarbon fuel for the pyrolysis reactor, combustion flue gas, and / or the like, and help improve the efficiency of the pyrolysis reactor 110.

[0064] In some embodiments, a dedicated heat transfer fluid (e.g., high temperature stable oil, air, inert gas, molten metal, water, aqueous solutions, and / or the like) can be used as an intermediate between the product stream and other components of pyrolysis system 100. Additionally or alternatively, heat can be recuperated to separate systems and / or processes that are thermally coupleable to pyrolysis system 100. Examples include providing input heat to various power generators, input heat for the production of steam, chemical processing, HVAC systems, and / or the like.

[0065] In some embodiments, a second heat exchange element 115b (i.e., HX 115b) can be coupled to the product stream upstream of the second separation element 125b to condition the product stream for the second separation element 125b. In various embodiments, the second heat exchange element 115b can be constructed from a high-temperature alloy (e.g., ASTM Gr321 stainless steel, 316H steel, and / or the like) to extend the life of the second heat exchange element 115b at temperatures above about 500°C, about 700°C, about 900°C, and / or about 1000°C. The second heat exchange element 115b can, in some cases, include one or more seals and flanges (e.g., Class 300, ASME 16.5, and / or the like) suitable for hydrogen-rich gas pressure containment at high pressures in the product stream. In some embodiments, the second heat exchange component 115b needs to be able to tolerate the thermal stresses associated with heating and cooling from ambient to elevated temperatures multiple times during the life of the equipment. The frequency can be based on how often the pyrolysis reactor 110 needs to be maintained (e.g., once per week, once per month, once per quarter, and / or the like). To help tolerate the cooling and heating cycles, the second heat exchange component 115b can include one or more expansion joints, machined slots, precisely designed and manufactured clearances, and / or the like.

[0066] In various embodiments, the second heat exchange component 115b can include a shell-and-tube and / or bonded / welded plate design. In some cases, the internal clearances, tube diameters, and return / U-bends can be specified in a range to maintain a superficial gas velocity of about 1.5 m / s to about 5 m / s, about 5 m / s to about 10 m / s, about 10 m / s to about 20 m / s, about 20 m / s to about 30 m / s, and / or about 30 m / s to about 45 m / s, maintain a pressure drop of less than about 0.01 bar, about 0.1 bar, about 0.3 bar, and / or about 0.5 bar to help maintain the pressure of the product stream, to limit carbon fouling and / or buildup and / or to enhance the heat transfer coefficient via turbulence within the second heat exchange element 115b, and / or to provide sufficient surface area to cool the outlet product gas to a temperature of about 200° C. to about 400° C., about 400° C. to about 600° C., and / or about 600° C. to about 800° C.

[0067] In some embodiments, the second heat exchange component 115b includes a compact area exposed to cooling water, another cooling aqueous solution, cooling oil, and / or the like, integrated into a closed loop to help provide efficient heat transfer within the second heat exchange component 115b.

[0068] In some embodiments, as depicted in FIG. 1 , the pyrolysis system 100 can include a third heat exchange element 115c. The third heat exchange element (HX 115c) can be coupled to the product stream upstream of the third separation element 125c to condition the product stream for the third separation element 125c. In various embodiments, the third heat exchange element 115c can control the outlet temperature of the product stream to a temperature between about 150°C and about 200°C, between about 200°C and about 250°C, or between about 250°C and about 300°C to limit the effect of the product stream temperature on the filter bags in the third separation element 125c while reducing (or minimizing) the amount of liquid and / or solid condensate in the filter bags, which can cause irreversible fouling and / or increased bag replacement frequency. Temperature control at the third heat exchange element 115c can be monitored by one or more sensors at the outlet of the third heat exchange element 115c. In some embodiments, the amount of cooling provided by the third heat exchange element 115c is controlled at least in part using a cooling medium (e.g., water and / or some other fluid) in a closed loop system coupled to the third heat exchange element 115c and / or a heating medium (e.g., an electric heater) coupled to the third heat exchange element 115c.

[0069] The pyrolysis system 100 can also include any other suitable number (e.g., a fourth, fifth, sixth, and / or any other suitable number) of heat exchange elements 115 to further reduce and / or control the temperature of the product stream for the downstream separator 125. For example, the pyrolysis system can include additional heat exchangers (i.e., heat exchange elements 115) to control the temperature of the product stream as needed to help condense and / or freeze other compounds (e.g., organic compounds, pyrolysis oil, and / or the like) from the product stream. In each of the heat exchange elements 115, the pyrolysis system 100 can include temperature monitoring elements and / or various cooling media to help control the temperature within a specific range. In some embodiments, relatively low temperatures can result in various solid contaminants (e.g., frozen compounds) collecting on the heat exchange elements 115. In such embodiments, the pyrolysis system 100 can periodically heat the heat exchange elements 115 to re-liquefy some (or all) of these solids and clean the heat exchange elements 115 in place.

[0070] 1, multiple liquid and / or solid products (e.g., different sized solid carbon, organic compounds, pyrolysis oil, and / or the like) separated from a product stream (e.g., by separator 125) can be combined in a single collection device (e.g., solids collection component 140) to form a blended product. That is, rather than directing the compounds (including carbon co-products) separated from the product stream according to the methods discussed above to separate endpoints, the products separated by different separation components 125 can be recombined into a single product (e.g., a conditioned, cooled, and treated solid carbon product). However, in some embodiments, one or more of the compounds are maintained separately and / or re-separated in the solids collection component (e.g., individual solid and liquid components that may be directed to separate endpoints).

[0071] Recombining the products (e.g., by combining the separated products into a single solids collection component 140) can have several advantages. For example, recombining can simplify handling of the solid co-product (e.g., resulting in a single carbon co-product) and / or simplify bulk transportation of the solid carbon (e.g., solid product 180) leaving the pyrolysis system 100, direct all of the carbon to a single storage device that can be emptied periodically (e.g., daily, weekly, monthly, and / or the like), reduce the footprint required to handle each of the compounds separated from the product stream, and / or pretreat the carbon needed for downstream applications (e.g., to replace bitumen in an asphalt product).

[0072] FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram illustrating the pyrolysis system 100 with additional details of the solids collection component 140, in one embodiment. As illustrated in FIG. 5, the solids collection component 140 can be isolated from the gaseous product stream by one or more airlocks 130. As a result, the solids collection component 140 can operate at pressures of about −0.2 barg to about 0.2 barg, as opposed to the high pressures in the gaseous product stream. The higher temperature, higher pressure system 105 depicted in FIG. 5 can represent components of the pyrolysis system 100 that operate at high temperatures and pressures, such as the pyrolysis reactor 110, the separation component 125, the heat exchange component 115, etc. In some embodiments, carbon collected from one or more separation components 125 (e.g., in the higher temperature, higher pressure system 105) is fed to one or more cooling screw conveyors 546. Although FIG. 5 depicts a single cooling screw conveyor 546, the solids collection component 140 can include any number of conveyors 546. Conveyor 546 provides simultaneous cooling, mixing, and transport of the solid carbon.

[0073] Liquids condensed from the gases by one or more heat exchangers and separators (e.g., by separation components 125, such as, by way of example, the fourth, fifth, and / or sixth separation components) can be introduced into a conveyor 546 to form a single product with solids. The screw conveyor 546 can include rotating equipment (e.g., a screw) having a shaft extending outside the process cavity. The shaft can in turn be coupled to one or more motors 547 to drive rotation of the screw, and thus drive the solid carbon through the screw conveyor 546. The shaft exit point can be sealed to help reduce (or prevent) leakage from the screw conveyor 546 to the atmosphere.

[0074] In some embodiments, moving equipment (rotating shafts, plungers, and / or the like) extending from the process area of ​​the screw conveyor 546 are coupled with specialized seals designed to operate in hydrogen-rich environments and / or at ambient or elevated temperatures and pressures. The seals can use inert gas or aqueous purging, positive or vacuum pressure, with lubricated or non-lubricated seal components. Additionally or alternatively, the seals can include components made from specialty alloys that are resistant to hydrogen embrittlement and wear at high temperatures, such as austenitic stainless steel 316, 316H, nitrided alloys such as Nitronic 50, Nitronic 60, or hardened surface coatings.

[0075] To help prevent the pressure in the solids handling system from equalizing with the pressure in the gas separation system (e.g., to help prevent high pressure in the solids collection component 140), blowers, fans, ejectors, compressors, and / or other suitable components can be connected to the solids handling equipment. Figure 5 illustrates a fan / blower 548 as an example.

[0076] In embodiments using a blower or fan 548, the blower or fan 548 can be modulated with a variable frequency drive to control the pressure in the solids handling equipment at a desired set point. In embodiments using an ejector, the drive (high-pressure) gas flow or pressure can be varied to control the pressure in the solids handling equipment at a desired set point, or product gas can be recycled to suction. Excess gas processed by the blower, fan, compressor, or ejector can, by way of example, be routed to a combustion component in the pyrolysis reactor 110 and combusted to provide heat for the pyrolysis reaction. The excess gas can additionally and / or alternatively be routed to other components of the pyrolysis system and / or the pyrolysis reactor 110. Recycling gas from the product stream to the combustion component can help improve the thermal efficiency of the pyrolysis system (e.g., by using hot gas in the combustion component) and / or help reduce atmospheric emissions (e.g., by burning hydrogen gas instead of hydrocarbon gas).

[0077] However, the hydrogen-rich product gas may be flammable in the presence of oxygen from the ambient air. Thus, in some embodiments, the solids collection component 140 may separate the residual product gas (e.g., hydrogen-rich gas) from the solid carbon before exposing the solids stream to air in a downstream conveyor, container, or other atmospheric handling, storage, or transport system.

[0078] An example of a suitable solid-gas separation component 600 for the solids collection component 140 is illustrated in the schematic diagrams of FIGS. 6A and 6B. In some embodiments, the illustrated component may be coupled to the solids collection component 140 downstream of one or more cooling screw conveyors. Thus, in some cases, the product gas inlet 661 may be from one or more cooling screw conveyors. The separation component 600 may include one or more rotary valves 652 (e.g., a single rotary valve 652 (as depicted in FIG. 6A), multiple rotary valves 652a and 652b (as depicted in FIG. 6B), etc.). In some embodiments, an inert gas 663 may be introduced at one or more locations (e.g., into the rotary valve 652) to replace the product gas with a non-flammable fluid. In various such embodiments, a hopper (e.g., hopper 653), a pipe spool, a vessel, and / or other suitable mixing component may be provided to help facilitate mixing of the inert gas 663 with the solids / product gas mixture. FIG. 6B illustrates one such exemplary hopper 653 .

[0079] Additionally or alternatively, the inert gas inlet may be designed to help facilitate gas-solids mixing. For example, the system (e.g., separation component 600) may include multiple ports in the same container, mechanical vibration, pulsed flow, and / or any combination thereof. The product gas and diluent mixture may be routed (e.g., through inert gas and product gas outlet 664) to a hydrogen gas product end point, a pyrolysis reactor (e.g., as a pyrolysis reactant or combustion fuel), the atmosphere in a safe location, and / or any other suitable location. In some embodiments, a blower, fan, compressor, or ejector may be provided to pressurize the effluent gas as needed based on the desired location. The cooled, low-pressure, degassed solid product may then be transported to a storage system (e.g., through outlet 662). Downstream transport may be accomplished using a pneumatic system using air as a driving fluid and / or any other suitable conveyor. The conveyor may feed directly into a container, tank, trailer, vehicle, and / or other suitable storage device equipped to receive the solid carbon product. Once filled, the container, tank, trailer, vehicle, and / or other suitable storage device (e.g., silo, hopper, drum, tank, rail car, pressurized hopper container, bin, bulk bag, drum, gaylord box, and / or the like) may then be transported (e.g., by truck, rail, ship, barge, and / or the like) to a desired destination and / or emptied into another container.

[0080] In some embodiments, the carbon is diverted to smaller intermediate containers as containers are emptied and / or replaced so that upstream processes are not interrupted. Suitable intermediate containers include silos, hoppers, drums, tanks, railcars, pressurized hopper containers, bins, bulk bags, drums, gaylord boxes, and / or the like. In some embodiments, the system (e.g., separation component 600) includes multiple containers. In such embodiments, the carbon can be directed to a first container while a second container is being emptied and / or replaced. The carbon can then be directed to a second container while the first container is being emptied and / or replaced.

[0081] In various embodiments, the solids collection component 140 can include a moving bed heat exchanger for cooling the carbon product. The solids collection component 140 can, in some cases, include a direct contact heat exchanger (with a cooling medium) for cooling the carbon product. The cooling medium can include a closed loop water system, water, cooled product gas, air, and / or any other suitable medium. In some embodiments, the solids collection component 140 can include additional or alternative solids conveying devices, such as dense or dilute phase pneumatic, disk, belt, tubular, uncooled screw, bucket elevator, and / or the like.

[0082] In a specific, non-limiting example, product gas from the pyrolysis reactor 110 can be recycled for pneumatically conveying solids. This is preferable for hot solids transport because no oxygen is introduced and it can be done at lower pressures requiring blowers instead of compressors. In another specific, non-limiting example, inert gas can be used at high operating temperatures if supplied from an in-place nitrogen concentrator. The nitrogen concentrator can help reduce the system's reliance on bulk delivery and / or storage to incorporate nitrogen gas.

[0083] The solids collection component 140 can include ejectors wherever a blower or fan is designated to provide pressure increase without moving parts. Natural gas, inert gas, or any other compatible gas at a pressure higher than the desired discharge pressure can be used as the driving fluid in any such ejector. In some embodiments, the solids collection component 140 (and / or the system coupled thereto) is designed so that flammable product gases leaking into the solids collection component 140 are diluted without additional equipment or a separate process. For example, the air velocity of the pneumatic system can be much higher than the leakage rate to ensure sufficient dilution occurs within the pneumatic system. The solids collection component 140 can include additional monitoring equipment and a high-availability shaft-down system to help reduce the likelihood of flammable gases exceeding predetermined concentrations.

[0084] Dilution of the product gas can be combined with the airlock valve 130 described above. For example, an inert gas is supplied to a nozzle on the intermediate space. In some such embodiments, the intermediate space includes a vent, and the supply and vent can be controlled with valves to introduce or release gas only during specific steps in the airlock cycle. Carbon can be transferred between any combination of the above before shipping from the system.

[0085] FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram illustrating further details of a pyrolysis system according to some embodiments of the present technology. As illustrated in FIG. 7, pyrolysis system 700 can be constructed of one or more modules and / or blocks. In some embodiments, pyrolysis system 700 can correspond to pyrolysis system 100 (FIG. 1). Pyrolysis system 700 includes a reactor module / container 710, a product conditioning module / container 720, and a solids handling module / container 730. These modules 710, 720, and 730 can be built on a foundation 740 or, in some cases, tiled together using a skid module 740 (also referred to herein as a tiling skid 740). Reactor module 710 can include components such as a pyrolysis reactor (e.g., pyrolysis reactor 110). Product conditioning module 720 can include components such as a separator component (e.g., separator component 125) and / or a heat exchange component (e.g., heat exchange component 115). The solids handling module 730 may include components such as an airlock (e.g., airlock 130), a solids collection component (e.g., solids collection component 140), a solids cooling component (e.g., solids cooling component 145), a solids separator (e.g., solids separator 150), etc.

[0086] As discussed herein, the modular construction of pyrolysis system 700 may help enable system 700 to meet various footprint requirements, be constructed off-site, and be installed on-site in a relatively short amount of time (e.g., allowing pyrolysis system 700 to be implemented in a wider variety of locations). Thus, in some cases, individual modules and / or blocks may not typically exceed size and weight requirements defined for road freight in various countries. Completed modules and / or blocks can be packaged in a manner suitable for transport via truck without damage or deterioration under normal conditions. Shipped modules and / or blocks can be received and assembled at a desired location. Assembly may include welding, pipe fitting, electrical connections, and / or the like. Additionally, modules and / or blocks (e.g., 710, 720, and 730) may be stacked vertically and / or positioned horizontally. Once constructed, pyrolysis system 700 (and / or individual modules and / or blocks therein) may be covered with panels, gratings, roofs, tarps, or scaffolding for aesthetic appearance, weather protection, access control, and / or the like.

[0087] Additionally, individual modules and / or blocks (e.g., reactor module 710, product conditioning module 720, and / or solids handling module 730) can be defined by the desired flow sequence of fluids and solids, the sizes of individual devices and components, the size and orientation of interconnecting piping to allow unimpeded process flow, other piping details to ensure reliable operation, and / or the like. The flow sequence can include a gas flow 714 from the reactor module 710 to the product conditioning module 720 and a solids flow 712 from the reactor module 710 and / or product conditioning module 720 to the solids handling module 730.

[0088] Additionally or alternatively, the modules and / or blocks (e.g., reactor module 710, product conditioning module 720, and / or solids handling module 730) can be designed to allow for multiple configurations of pyrolysis system 700 (e.g., multiple reactor modules and / or blocks feeding a single product conditioning system module and / or block). Furthermore, the relative orientation of the individual modules and / or blocks (e.g., reactor module 710, product conditioning module 720, and / or solids handling module 730) is configured to allow for easy modification depending on the needs of the process flows (e.g., gas flow 714 and / or solids flow 712) discussed above and / or for future design changes. For example, the solids collection component (as part of the solids handling module 730) is located at the lowest level of the assembly to facilitate the downward flow of solids (e.g., using gravity). Individual modules and / or blocks positioned above the solids collection component and solids handling module 730 can be raised or lowered for any modifications to the solids collection component, for example, by changing the selection of structural support members. The modules (e.g., 710, 720, and 730) and sizing discussed herein with respect to pyrolysis system 700 are exemplary. For example, system 700 may include additional and / or different modules than those discussed herein, different arrangements of modules, different size limitations (e.g., system 700 and corresponding modules may be expanded in size), etc.

[0089] In some embodiments, for pyrolysis systems (such as pyrolysis system 100, pyrolysis system 700, etc.) and pyrolysis reactors (such as, for example, pyrolysis reactor 110), the product stream of the pyrolysis reactor can contain other materials in addition to hydrogen and carbon. For example, in addition to hydrogen and carbon, the product stream from a pyrolysis reactor can include other materials such as partially reacted by-products and 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, volatile organic compounds (VOCs) (e.g., hexane, propane, butane, butadiene, toluene, benzene, trimethylbenzene, ethanol, formaldehyde, naphthalene, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), and / or the like), and / or semivolatile organic compounds (SVOCs) (e.g., decane, fluorene, dibenzofuran, chrysene, pyrene, fluoranthene, octadecane, phenanthrene, anthracene, naphthalene, caprolactam, and / or the like), other oils, waxes, etc. If left in the product stream from the pyrolysis reactor, the by-products can also damage and / or plug processing equipment and / or act as undesirable impurities in downstream processes. Therefore, it is desirable to remove the by-products from the product stream and / or utilize them in further processes.

[0090] For example, organic compounds may be captured from the product stream in a separation component that includes one or more adsorption components. The separation component, in some cases, may be a separation component such as separation component 125 (FIG. 1). The adsorption component can remove organic compounds from the product stream and retain them within the separation component. However, the adsorption component eventually becomes saturated, thereby requiring the separation component to be regenerated (e.g., emptied, washed, desorbed, and / or otherwise reset). For example, the adsorption component may be physically removed from the pyrolysis system and / or disposed of in a separate device in order to select a new adsorption component. However, removing and / or disposing of the adsorption component may generate waste, increase maintenance costs for the pyrolysis system, and / or require downtime during which hydrocarbons are not cracked.

[0091] In another example, a pyrolysis system can periodically flow a flushing gas (e.g., steam, air, an inert gas such as argon and / or nitrogen, etc.) through the adsorption component at elevated temperature and / or reduced pressure. The flushing gas can desorb and carry away organic compounds from the adsorption component, thereby regenerating the adsorption component without removing the adsorption component (or its components) from the pyrolysis system. The organic compounds can then be combusted in a thermal or catalytic oxidizer unit. Alternatively, the organic compounds can then be removed from the flushing gas by condensation. However, the use of inert gases requires a system and / or a source of inert gas to generate them, which can increase costs associated with maintaining the pyrolysis system. Additionally, the mixture of inert gas and organic compounds must be processed by a separate processing component, further increasing costs associated with maintaining the pyrolysis system. When using air or steam as the flushing gas, the resulting air / steam organic compound mixture can be thermally or catalytically oxidized. However, due to the presence and concentration of flammable gases, additional safety precautions are required for handling the flushing gas. Furthermore, in each of the examples discussed above, the combustion and / or oxidation of organic compounds can produce carbon dioxide (CO2), thereby increasing the carbon footprint associated with the pyrolysis system.

[0092] In yet another example, organic compounds can be oxidized in situ using air as a flushing gas. However, oxidation of organic compounds typically requires an additional process unit for burning the organic compounds, increasing the complexity and maintenance costs of the pyrolysis system. Furthermore, in situ processes can cause delays in the regeneration process while the organic compounds are destroyed. Furthermore, as discussed above, the oxidation process can produce carbon dioxide and water, thereby increasing the carbon footprint of the pyrolysis system.

[0093] Discussed herein are systems and methods for regenerating adsorber components using process gases (e.g., gases present in the process flow of a thermal cracking system). For example, the process gases can include hydrocarbon reactants (e.g., natural gas, methane, and / or the like), hydrogen gas in a product stream, flue gases (e.g., containing nitrogen gas and steam) from a combustion component, mixtures thereof, and / or various other suitable gases. As discussed in more detail below, the process gases can be supplied to the adsorber components at a suitable temperature and / or pressure to regenerate (e.g., desorb) the adsorber components without removing them from the thermal cracking system. As a result, the regeneration processes described herein can reduce the complexity of maintaining the adsorber components and / or reduce (or eliminate) downtime associated with regeneration.

[0094] Additionally, the desorbed stream can be recycled back to the pyrolysis reactor for pyrolysis, combustion, and / or another suitable chemical reaction that decomposes the organic compounds. In other words, the pyrolysis reactor can be configured to use the desorbed stream in a chemical reaction (such as pyrolysis, combustion, etc.). In a specific, non-limiting example, natural gas can be used to flush the adsorber components, and the desorbed stream of natural gas and organic compounds can be provided to a reaction chamber in the pyrolysis reactor. There, the natural gas can undergo the pyrolysis reactions discussed above, while the organic compounds are pyrolyzed to produce solid carbon and hydrogen gas. In another specific, non-limiting example, a portion of the hydrogen gas co-product can be used to flush the adsorber components, and the desorbed stream of hydrogen gas and organic compounds can be provided to a combustion component of the pyrolysis reactor. There, the hydrogen gas and organic compounds can be combusted to provide input heat to the pyrolysis reactor. In another example, at least a portion of the hydrogen gas co-product can be sent back through the reaction chamber (i.e., the hydrogen gas co-product can be recycled back through the pyrolysis reactor).

[0095] In some embodiments, the systems and methods described herein provide a closed loop for a pyrolysis system that uses a process gas to desorb the adsorption component and recycles organic compounds through a pyrolysis reactor to convert them to carbon and hydrogen. As a result, the closed loop can reduce costs associated with maintaining the adsorption component and / or operating the pyrolysis system. For example, the pyrolysis system may not rely on an inert gas supply, may not require a separate handling system for the flush gas after desorbing the adsorption unit, may not require an oxidation system for the organic compounds, and / or may not require a handling system for the flush gas containing the organic compounds. Additionally or alternatively, by recycling the organic compounds through the pyrolysis reactor, the closed loop can increase throughput from the pyrolysis reactor (e.g., by increasing the percentage of the hydrocarbon reactant that ultimately cracks into solid carbon and hydrogen gas) and / or reduce the carbon footprint associated with the hydrocarbon reactant (e.g., by reducing (or eliminating) the amount of organic compounds that must be oxidized downstream from the pyrolysis reactor).

[0096] Furthermore, as discussed in more detail below, process gas can desorb the adsorber components as efficiently (or more efficiently) as air, steam, and / or inert gases. As a result, a closed loop can reduce (or eliminate) the downtime required for regeneration, thereby enabling continuous (or near-continuous) operation of the pyrolysis system. For example, FIGS. 8A and 8B illustrate a graph 800 of results obtained from regenerating the separation components of a pyrolysis system using process gas versus results obtained from regenerating the separation components using argon gas. The results were obtained in laboratory tests using a carbon adsorption medium as the adsorption component and regenerating using either natural gas or argon. After each regeneration, the time to saturation of the regenerated adsorber components (requiring another regeneration) and the capacity of the regenerated adsorber components were measured.

[0097] 8A illustrates a graph 800 of the measured time (hours) to saturation of the adsorbent component after regeneration with natural gas and after regeneration with argon. As illustrated in FIG. 8A, the average time to saturation differed by about 8 minutes between natural gas and argon, with natural gas having a slightly longer time to saturation. This result suggests that natural gas is at least as capable of regenerating the adsorbent component as argon and / or that using natural gas as a flushing gas may require the pyrolysis system to regenerate the adsorbent component less frequently.

[0098] 8B illustrates a graph 800 of the measured capacity of the adsorption component after regeneration with natural gas and after regeneration with argon. As illustrated in FIG. 8B, the average capacity of the regenerated adsorption component differed by about 1.1% between the natural gas and argon regenerated cycles. This result also suggests that natural gas is at least as capable of regenerating the adsorption component as argon, and / or that using natural gas as a flushing gas does not limit the amount of organic material the adsorption component can remove from the product stream after a regeneration cycle.

[0099] Also, as discussed in more detail below, the systems and methods discussed herein can manage the temperature and / or pressure of the process gas throughout the system. Purely by way of example, the system can manage the pressure of the incoming desorption stream (sometimes referred to herein as the recycle stream) to be higher than the pressure in the corresponding adsorption component being regenerated. As a result, the system can help prevent gas from backflowing in the recycle stream (e.g., thereby helping to prevent organic compounds from backflowing toward the source of the recycle stream) and / or allow the recycle stream to be injected into another location in the pyrolysis system (e.g., the pyrolysis chamber of the pyrolysis reactor and / or the combustion component) after desorbing the adsorption component without additional pressurization. Additionally or alternatively, the system can manage the pressure of the recycle stream downstream from the adsorption component. Purely by way of example, the system can include a vacuum component positioned to reduce the pressure downstream from the adsorption component (e.g., creating a pressure drop through the adsorption component) to help ensure that the recycle stream flows only forward through the adsorption component. Additionally or alternatively, the vacuum component can help reduce the temperature required of the incoming process gas to desorb the adsorbent component.

[0100] In some embodiments, the system can heat (or cool) the incoming recycle gas to a temperature of about 25 degrees Celsius (°C) to about 600°C, about 200°C to about 500°C, or about 250°C to about 350°C before entering the adsorption component. The temperature can be based on the organic compounds being desorbed, the material in the adsorption component, whether the system includes a vacuum component, the strength of the bonds between the adsorption component and the organic compounds, and / or various other suitable factors that help improve the ability of the process gas to regenerate the adsorber component. In some embodiments, the pyrolysis system can use heat in the combustion flue gas and / or the product stream from the pyrolysis reactor to heat the incoming recycle gas.

[0101] In some embodiments, the system includes two or more adsorption components connected in parallel. In such embodiments, one or more adsorption components can be used to adsorb materials from the product stream gas, while one or more other adsorption components are desorbed in situ (e.g., providing a simultaneous adsorption and desorption process). That is, one or more of the adsorption components can be available to adsorb organic compounds from the product stream, while one or more of the adsorption components can be simultaneously regenerated (e.g., desorbing organic compounds from the adsorption components). Parallel adsorption and desorption can, for example, allow the pyrolysis system to operate continuously (or nearly continuously) without the need to pause to regenerate the adsorption components. Additional details regarding separation components, adsorber components, and related systems and methods are discussed herein.

[0102] As used herein, "continuous" operation (and / or operating "continuously") can refer to substantially continuous operation of a pyrolysis system, which can include operating the pyrolysis system for at least 3, 6, 12, 24, 48, 72, 168, 730, 2190, 8760 hours, and / or longer periods without having to pause to replace, empty, desorb, or otherwise regenerate the adsorption components of the pyrolysis system. Continuous operation can include operation of a pyrolysis system that is periodically paused (e.g., when hydrogen gas demand decreases (or becomes zero)) and / or paused to allow pyrolysis reactor components to be inspected (e.g., for maintenance).

[0103] Furthermore, while primarily discussed herein in the context of regenerating adsorber components in pyrolysis systems, those skilled in the art will understand that the scope of the present invention is not so limited. For example, the system's process gas can be used in a variety of other settings requiring adsorptive removal of species (e.g., organic compounds) from liquid or gas streams, followed by regeneration of the adsorber components when the process gas does not react with the associated adsorber components, such as in the combustion of biomass to generate energy, petroleum refining, chemical manufacturing, and / or the like. Furthermore, it will be understood that the use of hydrogen gas and / or hydrocarbon gases as desorbents is not limited to systems having a closed loop for flushing gas. Instead, for example, hydrogen gas and / or hydrocarbon gases can be used to regenerate adsorber components anywhere where the presence of oxygen, water, inert gases, and / or other components is an issue (e.g., systems sensitive to combustion when oxygen is introduced, with exposed electronics, and / or the like) and / or to reduce the cost of regeneration (e.g., by eliminating the need for inert gases). Furthermore, although the present invention is primarily discussed in the context of regeneration processes having sufficient heat and / or vacuum pressure to desorb the adsorbent component without chemical reaction, those skilled in the art will understand that the scope of the present invention is not so limited. For example, the processes disclosed herein may be applied even in systems that require some degree of chemical reaction between the adsorbate and desorbent. In such embodiments, the process requires that the effluent gas be recirculated to the reactor (e.g., for use in thermal oxidation, combustion, and / or another suitable process) or collected for disposal by another system. Thus, the scope of the present invention is not limited to any subset of the embodiments disclosed herein.

[0104] 9 is a schematic diagram of a separation component 900 for a pyrolysis system configured in accordance with some embodiments of the present technology. Separation component 900 may be referred to herein as an adsorptive separation component. In some embodiments, the pyrolysis system is a system such as pyrolysis systems 100 and / or 700. In some cases, adsorptive separation component 900 is one of the separation components (e.g., 125) in pyrolysis system 100. In some cases, separation component 125 may be a solid separation component, a liquid separation component, and / or a liquid-gas separation component, and adsorptive separation component 900 may be a subsequent separation component (e.g., n126). For example, a pyrolysis system (e.g., system 100) can include multiple solid separation components (e.g., separators 125a, 125b, and 125c) and may also include one or more liquid separation components. In this example, adsorptive separation component 900 may be the fifth or sixth separation component in the pyrolysis system (e.g., 100) downstream of the solid and liquid separation components. In such pyrolysis systems (e.g., systems 100 and / or 700), it may be beneficial to remove organic compounds (e.g., resulting from incomplete reactions, by-product reactions, secondary reactions, and / or the like) from the product stream before the product gas (hydrogen gas, unreacted hydrocarbons, and / or various other gases) is consumed, for example, to increase the purity of the product gas, reduce carbon dioxide emissions associated with the product gas, and / or the like.

[0105] To aid in removing organic compounds, the pyrolysis system can include one or more separation components (e.g., one or more of adsorptive separation components 900) of the type illustrated in Figure 9. As illustrated in Figure 9, adsorptive separation component 900 can include multiple adsorption components 912 (two are illustrated, 912a and 912b, collectively referred to as 912) and a set of valves (e.g., 915a-h, collectively referred to as 915) that control gaseous flow through adsorption components 912. For example, a first subset of valves, valves 915a-d, control the flow of product streams from a pyrolysis reactor (e.g., pyrolysis reactor 110 (Figure 1)) into and out of adsorption component 912 (e.g., adsorber 912). Additionally, a second subset of valves, valves 915e-h, control the flow of incoming and outgoing flushing gases. Specifically, as an example, valves 915g and 915h can control the flow of incoming flushing gas, and valves 915e and 915f can control the flow of outgoing flushing gas.

[0106] The product stream may be the result of a pyrolysis reaction of the type discussed herein, such as the decomposition of methane (and / or another hydrocarbon) into hydrogen gas and solid carbon. The pyrolysis reaction, in some embodiments, may occur in a pyrolysis reactor (e.g., reactor 110), and thus the product stream may be an outlet from the pyrolysis reactor (e.g., reactor 110). The product stream may therefore contain hydrogen gas, solid carbon, organic compounds, unreacted hydrocarbons (e.g., methane that was not decomposed in the reactor), and / or various other compounds. In some embodiments, the adsorptive separation component 900 is downstream from one or more separation components (e.g., separation components 125a, 125b, 125c, and / or any other separation components (e.g., 126)) such that the product stream at the inlet of the adsorptive separation component 900 contains only trace amounts of solid carbon (or no solid carbon). In these embodiments, the product stream directed to the adsorptive separation component 900 is a gas product stream because solid and / or liquid particles (including carbon) have already been separated / removed from the product stream.

[0107] The adsorption component 912 can include one or more adsorbent materials configured to remove one or more organic compounds from the product stream. For example, the adsorbent component 912 can include adsorbent materials such as activated carbon, zeolite ("molecular sieve"), polymer, metal-organic framework, bentonite clay, and / or the like. In some embodiments, the adsorption component 912 includes multiple adsorbent materials such that the adsorption component 912 can adsorb multiple different components in a gas (e.g., a gas remaining in the product stream). For example, different adsorbents can be used as a mixture. In another example, different adsorbents can be in a multi-stage adsorption component 912, with each stage containing a different adsorbent material to remove different organic compounds in series. Additionally or alternatively, different grades of adsorbent material (e.g., different grades of activated carbon and / or zeolite) can be used to target specific organic compounds and / or to tailor the adsorption component 912 to operating parameters.

[0108] In various embodiments, adsorption component 912 can include a fixed-bed adsorption component and / or a moving-bed adsorber (such as a rotary adsorber). Simply by way of example, adsorption component 912 can include a rotating drum. In some such embodiments, the product stream flows through a section of the drum in a direction parallel to the drum's axis of rotation, while heated flash gas simultaneously flows through another section of the drum. As a result, adsorption component 912 can be continuously regenerated as it rotates.

[0109] The incoming flashing gas can include one or more process gases already consumed, used, and / or produced by the pyrolysis system (e.g., systems 100, 700, etc.). For example, the flashing gas can include a hydrocarbon reactant (e.g., natural gas, methane, and / or the like), a combustion fuel for the pyrolysis reactor (e.g., hydrogen gas, natural gas, methane, and / or the like), flue gas from the combustion component, and / or a portion of the hydrogen gas from the purified product stream. As a result, the outgoing flashing gas (also referred to herein as the desorption stream, since it is a stream of outgoing gases, such as flashing gas and any desorbed organic compounds) can be sent back to the pyrolysis reactor (e.g., reactor 110) or another suitable endpoint within the pyrolysis system (e.g., 100, 700, etc.) for consumption. For example, as discussed in more detail below, if a hydrocarbon reactant is used in the incoming flashing gas, the outgoing desorption stream (i.e., the hydrocarbon reactant carrying the desorbed organic compounds) can be fed to a pyrolysis reactor (e.g., 110). There, the hydrocarbons undergo the pyrolysis reactions discussed above, while the organic compounds decompose into hydrogen gas, solid carbon, and / or various other suitable gases. As a result, a separation component of the type illustrated in FIG. 9 (e.g., adsorptive separation component 900) can establish a closed loop within a pyrolysis system (e.g., 100, 700, etc.) for capturing and processing the organic compounds. The closed loop can help reduce (or eliminate) the amount of organic compounds that must be processed (e.g., oxidized) in a subsequent system. For example, the outgoing flashing gas (i.e., the desorption stream) can be sent / vented to an oxidizer. Furthermore, the closed loop can help reduce (or eliminate) the carbon dioxide emissions associated with processing the organic compounds.

[0110] 9 , the adsorption separation component 900 includes a vacuum component 920 coupled to a flow path for the outgoing flush gas. The vacuum component 920 can help support the desorption process by creating a pressure drop across the adsorption component 912 to pull the flush gas through the adsorption component 912 and / or can help maintain an appropriate pressure within the adsorption component 912 to ensure interaction between the flush gas and the adsorption component 912. Additionally or alternatively, the vacuum component 920 can help reduce the temperature required for the incoming process gas to desorb the adsorption component 912. The separation component 900 can include valves 925a and 925b to help control the flush gas flow through the adsorption separation component 900 and to and from the vacuum component 920. Valves 925a and 925b can, in some embodiments, be part of a second subset of valves (e.g., valves 915e-h and 925a-b). In some embodiments, the adsorption separation component 900 does not include the vacuum component 920. For example, the incoming flushing gas may be pressurized and / or may naturally have sufficient pressure to cause desorption and push the flushing gas to another point in the pyrolysis system. In these embodiments, the adsorption-separation component 900 may not include a valve 925b that can control flow to the vacuum component 920.

[0111] 10 is a flow diagram of a method 1000 for regenerating (e.g., including desorbing) a separation component (e.g., adsorption separation component 900) of a pyrolysis system (e.g., system 100, system 700, etc.), according to some embodiments. Method 1000 can be implemented by a controller of the pyrolysis system in communication with one or more components of the pyrolysis system to direct the flow of gases through the system. For example, in some cases, pyrolysis systems 100 and / or 700 can include a controller, and the controller can be in communication with one or more components of systems 100 and / or 700.

[0112] Method 1000 begins in block 1002 by configuring a set of valves in a first position to regenerate one or more first adsorption components of a pyrolysis system. For example, referring to FIG. 9 , method 1000 can close a subset of valves (e.g., valves 915d and 915b) that control the flow of product streams into and out of adsorption component 912b in block 1002, while opening a subset of valves (e.g., valves 915h and 915f) that control the flow of flushing gas into and out of adsorption component 912b. In some cases, valve 925a can also be opened. That is, in the first position, the valves are positioned to prevent the product stream from entering adsorption component 912b and allow the incoming flushing gas to flow through adsorption component 912b. Thus, the first position can include valves 915d and 915b in a closed position and valves 915h and 915f in an open position. As a result, the flushing gas can desorb organic compounds from adsorption component 912b (e.g., to regenerate adsorption component 912b). Additionally, in the first position, the valves (e.g., valves 915f and 925a, and in some cases, 925b) direct the exiting gas from adsorption component 912b (e.g., the exiting flushing gas) back toward the pyrolysis system (e.g., into the pyrolysis reactor (e.g., 110)) rather than toward a destination for the purified product stream.

[0113] Furthermore, in the first position, the valves (e.g., valves 915c, 915a, etc.) direct the product stream through adsorption component 912a while preventing flushing gas from entering adsorption component 912a. As an example, the first position can further include valves 915c and 915a in an open position (so that the product stream may be directed through adsorption component 912a) and valves 915g and 915e in a closed position (to prevent flushing gas from flowing through adsorption component 912a). As a result, adsorption component 912a can continue to process the product stream while adsorption component 912b is being regenerated, thereby allowing the pyrolysis system to continue operating during regeneration. After the product stream flows through adsorption component 912a, a valve in a first position (e.g., 915a in an open position and 915b in a closed position) can direct the gas (e.g., purified hydrogen gas) exiting adsorption component 912a toward an end point (e.g., a hydrogen-consuming unit such as a furnace, water heater, power generation component, and / or the like; another process unit for conditioning the product such as a compressor, membrane separator, and / or the like; and / or a hydrogen storage unit, or a natural gas pipeline, storage tank, and / or the like) and / or back to the pyrolysis reactor (e.g., 110) to help power the reactor.

[0114] 10 , in block 1004, method 1000 includes regenerating a first adsorption component (e.g., adsorption component 912b of FIG. 9 ) and directing the resulting flush gas back to the pyrolysis system. That is, in block 1004, method 1000 allows the flush gas to flow through first adsorption component 912b to desorb the first adsorption component and directs the flush gas carrying the organic compounds back to the pyrolysis system. The regeneration process in block 1004 can be implemented until a sensor (e.g., a gravimetric sensor, a chemical sensor, and / or the like) in adsorption component 912b detects that a predetermined amount of organic compounds has been removed therefrom, until a chemical sensor in the flow returning to the pyrolysis reactor detects a concentration of organic compounds below a threshold level, and / or similarly for a predetermined period of time (e.g., 1 minute, 2 minutes, 5 minutes, 30 minutes, 1 hour, 2 hours, and / or any other suitable period of time).

[0115] At block 1006, method 1000 includes configuring the set of valves in a second position to regenerate one or more second adsorption components of the pyrolysis system. In some embodiments, the second position is substantially opposite to the first position to reverse which adsorption components are being regenerated. For example, referring again to FIG. 9 , at block 1004, method 1000 can close a subset of the valves (e.g., valves 915c and 915a) that control the flow of the product stream into and out of adsorption component 912a, while opening a subset of the valves (e.g., valves 915g and 915e) that control the flow of flushing gas into and out of adsorption component 912a. That is, in the second position, the valves are positioned to prevent the product stream from entering adsorption component 912a (by closing valves 915c and 915a) and allow the incoming flushing gas to flow through adsorption component 912a (by opening valves 915g and 915e). As a result, the flushing gas can desorb organic compounds from adsorption component 912a (e.g., to regenerate adsorption component 912b). Additionally, in the second position, the valve directs the exiting gas from adsorption component 912a (e.g., the exiting flushing gas) back toward the pyrolysis system (e.g., into pyrolysis reactor 110) rather than toward a destination for the purified product stream.

[0116] Furthermore, in the second position, the valve directs the product stream through adsorption component 912b (e.g., by opening valves 915d and 915b) while preventing flushing gas from entering adsorption component 912b (e.g., by closing valves 915h and 915f). As a result, adsorption component 912b can continue to process the product stream while adsorption component 912a is being regenerated, thereby allowing the pyrolysis system to continue operating during regeneration. After the product stream flows through adsorption component 912b, the valve in the second position can direct the gas (e.g., purified hydrogen gas) exiting adsorption component 912a toward an end point (e.g., a hydrogen-consuming unit such as a furnace, water heater, power generation component, and / or the like; another process unit for conditioning the product such as a compressor, membrane separator, and / or the like; and / or a hydrogen storage unit, or a natural gas pipeline, storage tank, and / or the like).

[0117] At block 1008, method 1000 includes regenerating the second adsorption component (e.g., adsorption component 912a in FIG. 9 ) and directing the resulting flush gas back to the pyrolysis system. That is, at block 1008, method 1000 allows the flush gas to flow through the second adsorption component to desorb the second adsorption component and directs the flush gas carrying the organic compounds back to the pyrolysis system. Similar to method 1000 at block 1004, method 1000 at block 1008 can regenerate the second adsorption component for any suitable period of time and / or until any suitable condition (e.g., that a predetermined amount of organic compounds has desorbed from the second adsorption component) is detected.

[0118] In some embodiments, method 1000 then returns to block 1002 to repeat continuously cycling through regenerating the first and second sorbent components. In some embodiments, method 1000 is complete after block 1008. In such embodiments, method 1000 can be periodically triggered by detection of a regeneration condition (e.g., a predetermined time since the last regeneration, detection of a predetermined amount of organic compounds in the first and / or second sorbent components, and / or the like). In some embodiments, method 1000 continues to configure the valves (e.g., valves 915a, 915b, 915c, 915d, 915e, 915f, 915g, 915h, 925a, and / or 925b) in yet further positions to regenerate yet further sorbent components in the pyrolysis system while removing organic compounds from the product stream using the first and second sorbent components.

[0119] FIG. 11 is a schematic diagram of a pyrolysis system 1100 having adsorption components 1112a and 1112b configured according to some embodiments. In some embodiments, as discussed herein and depicted in FIG. 9, the adsorption components 1112a and 1112b are part of a separation component (e.g., the same and / or similar to separation component 900). More specifically, FIG. 11 is a schematic diagram of a pyrolysis system 1100 configured to regenerate the adsorption components 1112a and 1112b (collectively referred to as adsorption components 1112) using a hydrocarbon reactant 1105 (which may also be referred to herein as a “process feed,” “process inlet gas,” “system feed,” and / or the like). The adsorption component 1112, in some embodiments, may be the same and / or similar to the adsorption component 912. As discussed above, the hydrocarbon reactant 1105 may include natural gas, methane, renewable natural gas, biogas, and / or any other suitable hydrocarbon gas. In some embodiments, pyrolysis system 1100 may be the same / similar to pyrolysis systems 100 and / or 700.

[0120] In the pyrolysis system 1100, a system feed 1105 may be fed to a pyrolysis reactor 1110. The system feed 1105 may be referred to herein as a hydrocarbon reactant 1105, although the system feed 1105 may be a hydrocarbon reactant, a process feedstock, a process inlet gas, or the like. In some embodiments, as depicted in FIG. 11 , the pyrolysis reactor 1110 may include one or more pyrolysis channels 1111 and one or more combustion components 1113. While the pyrolysis channels 1111 and the combustion component 1113 may be referred to herein in the singular, the pyrolysis channels 1111 may include any number of pyrolysis channels, and the combustion component 1113 may include any number of combustion components. In some embodiments, the pyrolysis reaction of the system feed 1105 occurs in the pyrolysis channels 1111. The combustion component 1113, in some embodiments, may provide input heat for the pyrolysis reaction in the pyrolysis channels 1111.

[0121] To regenerate the adsorption component 1112, the system 1100 can follow a process generally similar (or identical) to the method 1000 discussed above with reference to FIG. 10. For example, to configure the illustrated valves in a first position (e.g., block 1002 of FIG. 10), valves V1 and V3 are opened and valves V5 and V7 are closed, allowing the product stream / product gas 1138 effluent from the pyrolysis reactor 1110 to flow through the organic adsorption component 1112a while preventing the hydrocarbon reactant 1105 from flashing the organic adsorption component 1112a. As a result, the organic adsorption component 1112a can selectively remove organic by-products from the product stream 1138 by adsorption. The organic by-products can be recycled (1142) to the reactor 1110 and / or taken an alternative route (1144). Once the organic by-products are removed from product stream 1138, product stream 1138 can become a purified product 1136 (e.g., partially purified, fully purified, etc.) (also referred to herein as a purified product stream). In some embodiments, at least a portion of purified product 1136 can be recycled (1134) to reactor 1110. In some embodiments, at least a portion of purified product 1136 can be sent to another separator, purifier, etc., and / or sent to some other product gas destination.

[0122] Further, in this example, valves V6 and V8 are opened and valves V2 and V4 are closed, allowing the hydrocarbon reactant 1105 to pass through the organic adsorption component 1112b while preventing the flow of product gas 1138 through the organic adsorption component 1112b. The hydrocarbon reactant 1105 can be used in this case as a flushing gas 1146 (also referred to as a desorption gas). As a result, the hydrocarbon reactant 1105 can desorb organic compounds from the organic adsorption component 1112b (e.g., regenerate the organic adsorption component 1112b) and then be delivered to the pyrolysis reaction chamber / channel 1111 and / or combustion component 1113 of the pyrolysis reactor 1110. In some embodiments, heat 1132 can be provided to the flashing / desorption gas 1146 from a hot flue gas.

[0123] To configure the valves in the second position (e.g., block 1006 of FIG. 10 ), valves V5 and V7 are opened, and valves V1 and V3 are closed, allowing the hydrocarbon reactant 1105 to pass through the organic adsorption component 1112a while preventing the flow of product gas 1138 through the adsorption component 1112a. As a result, the hydrocarbon reactant 1105 desorbs organic compounds from the organic adsorption component 1112a and can then be fed into the pyrolysis reactor 1110 (e.g., the pyrolysis channel 1111 of reactor 1110) and / or the combustion component 1112b. Additionally, valves V2 and V4 are opened, and valves V6 and V8 are closed, allowing the effluent of the product stream 1138 from the pyrolysis reactor 1110 to flow through the organic adsorption component 1112b while preventing the hydrocarbon reactant 1105 from flashing the organic adsorption component 1112b. As a result, the organic adsorption component 1112b can selectively remove organic by-products from the product stream 1138 by adsorption.

[0124] Figure 12 is a schematic diagram of a pyrolysis system having a pyrolysis system 1200 configured in accordance with some embodiments of the present technology. As illustrated in Figure 12, pyrolysis system 1200 is generally similar to pyrolysis system 1100 discussed above with reference to Figure 11. For example, valves V1-V12 can be configured in generally similar positions as discussed above with reference to Figure 11 to regenerate adsorption component 1112. However, in the embodiment illustrated in Figure 12, valves V1-V12 are positioned to direct partially (or fully) purified product gas 1136 (e.g., hydrogen gas) through adsorption component 1136 as flash gas 1246 (also referred to herein as desorption gas). The effluent hydrogen gas and organic compounds may then be directed (1134) to a combustion component 1113 within the pyrolysis reactor 1110 to provide input heat to drive the pyrolysis reaction (within the pyrolysis channel 1111) and destroy the organic compounds (e.g., to produce steam, carbon dioxide, and / or the like), and / or may be directed to the pyrolysis reaction chamber / channel 1111 of the pyrolysis reactor 1110, where the organic compounds may be converted to carbon, hydrogen, or other molecules.

[0125] Similarly, Figure 13 is a schematic diagram of a pyrolysis system 1300 configured in accordance with some embodiments of the present technology. As illustrated in Figure 13, pyrolysis system 1300 is generally similar to pyrolysis system 1100 discussed above with reference to Figure 11. For example, valves V1-V12 can be configured in generally similar positions as discussed above with reference to Figure 11 to regenerate adsorption component 1112. However, in the embodiment illustrated in Figure 13, valves V1-V12 are positioned to direct combustion flue gas through adsorption component 1112 as flushing gas 1346. In other words, in pyrolysis system 1300, the flushing gas / desorption gas 1346 is combustion flue gas. In some cases (not shown), the effluent flue gas and organic compounds can then be directed to a collection component within pyrolysis system 1300 to destroy, contain, and / or transport the organic compounds. While using flue gas to desorb the sorption component 1112 requires subsequent processing of the effluent gas, the flue gas is already sufficiently hot that it does not require additional heating and / or heat transfer components. Furthermore, because flue gas contains primarily nitrogen gas and steam (especially when hydrogen gas is combusted in the combustion component), the flue gas can act as an effective substitute for pure inert gas for safely desorbing the sorption component 1112. In some embodiments, the pyrolysis system 1300 can include a three-way catalyst component that processes the flue gas before and / or after the sorption component 1112 to oxidize organic compounds carried by the flue gas.

[0126] 11-13, the pressure inside either (or both) of the organic adsorption components 1112 can be set based on whether the organic adsorption component 1112 is acting to remove organic material from the product stream (e.g., normal operation) or is in a regeneration state. For example, regenerating the adsorption component 1112 at a pressure higher than that used under normal operation allows the effluent from the regeneration process to be recycled into the pyrolysis reactor 1110 without additional pressurization. For example, the pressure inside the organic adsorption component 1112 can be about 20 pounds per square inch gauge (psig) to about 25 psig during normal operation and about 30 psig to about 35 psig during regeneration. In various other examples, the pressure inside the organic adsorption component 1112 can be from about 0 psig to about 25 psig during normal operation, from about 10 psig to about 40 psig during regeneration, from about 25 psig to about 100 psig during normal operation, from about 35 psig to about 200 psig during regeneration, from about 100 psig to about 1,000 psig during normal operation, from about 110 psig to about 1,100 psig during regeneration, or from about 1,000 psig to about 10,000 psig during normal operation and from about 1,100 psig to about 11,000 psig during regeneration. The high pressure can be provided by one or more compressors integrated into the pyrolysis system (e.g., 1100, 1200, 1300, etc.) and / or by the pressure of the incoming hydrocarbon reactant 1105.

[0127] Additionally, the organic adsorption component 1112 can be designed to handle a wide range of adsorption and regeneration flows. For example, the organic adsorption component 1112 can be regenerated using some or all of the hydrocarbon reactant 1105 (e.g., natural gas, propane, and / or other suitable hydrocarbons) used in the pyrolysis, and the effluent stream can be recycled back to the pyrolysis reactor 1110. For example, the adsorption flow of the product stream (e.g., the volume of the product stream flowing through the organic adsorption component 1112 being treated) can be about 300 standard cubic meters per hour (Sm 3 / h), while the regeneration flow (e.g., the volume of product stream flowing through the organic adsorption component 1112 to regenerate the organic adsorption component 1112) can be about 50 S m 3 / h (standard temperature and pressure conditions for Sm / h are defined as 15°C (59°F) and 1 atmosphere (14.696 pounds per square inch atmosphere (psia) or 101.325 kilopascals (kPa))). In various other examples, the adsorption flow can be about 0.1 Sm 3 / h~approx.300Sm 3 / h, while the regeneration flow is about 0.01 Sm 3 / h~approx.200Sm 3 / h, and the adsorption flow is approximately 300 Sm 3 / h~approx.10,000Sm 3 / h, while the regeneration flow is about 200 Sm 3 / h~approx.9,000Sm 3 / h, and the adsorption flow is approximately 10,000 Sm 3 / h~Approx. 1,000,000Sm 3 / h, while the regeneration flow is about 9,000 Sm 3 / h ~ approx. 900,000Sm 3 / h, or the adsorption flow is about 1,000,000 Sm 3 / h~Approx. 10,000,000Sm 3 / h, while the regeneration flow is about 900,000 Sm 3 / h~approx.9,000,000Sm 3 / h.

[0128] Further, as discussed above, the regeneration process can be continuously cycled and / or implemented periodically. For example, in an embodiment involving a periodic implementation, each of valves V1, V2, V3, and V4 can be opened during normal operation so that product stream 1138 flows through both organic adsorption components 1112, while valves V5, V6, V7, and V8 are closed. Furthermore, other valve configurations can be used during startup, shutdown, emergency conditions, or other conditions to selectively route either product stream 1138 or hydrocarbon reactant 1105 through none, some, or all of the adsorption unit (e.g., completely closing one of the organic adsorption components 1112 in response to a detected error).

[0129] As further illustrated in Figures 11-13, the pyrolysis system also includes valves V9 and V10 for selectively routing a mixture of flash gas and desorbed organics (shown as flow 1142) (sometimes referred to herein as "effluent gas" and / or "effluent flashing gas" from the adsorption unit) back to the pyrolysis reactor 1110. As discussed above, the pyrolysis reactor 1110 can then convert the effluent gas to hydrogen, carbon, and other products. Additionally or alternatively, valves V9 and V10 can route the effluent gas to an alternative location (shown as flow 1144), such as a storage container or oxidation unit, for processing and / or later consumption in the pyrolysis system (e.g., 1100, 1200, 1300, etc.). Additionally or alternatively, valves V9 and V10 can route the mixture of desorbed organics and flushing gas to the combustion component 1113 of the pyrolysis reactor 1110, where it is combusted to provide heat to the pyrolysis chamber / channel 1111 while destroying the organic compounds.

[0130] The pyrolysis system can also include valves V11 and V12 to allow either the product gas 1136 or the hydrocarbon reactant 1105 to be delivered to the combustion component 1113 of the pyrolysis reactor 1110 (e.g., to combust a portion of the purified hydrogen gas to provide heat for the pyrolysis reaction). The schematics of Figures 11-13 illustrate the gas (e.g., after purification) in the product stream 1136 being recycled to the combustion component 1113 from a point downstream of the organic adsorption component 1112 (as indicated by flow 1134), although the recycle stream 1134 can additionally (or alternatively) be drawn from a point upstream of the organic adsorption component 1112. In such an embodiment, a portion of the product stream (e.g., product stream 1138 before being fed to adsorber 1112) can be directed to the combustion component before the organic compounds are removed, thereby allowing the organic compounds in that portion of product stream 1138 to be destroyed in combustion component 1113 without having to be adsorbed and desorbed from organic adsorption component 1112. As a result, directing a portion of product stream 1138 to combustion component 1113 upstream of organic adsorption component 1112 can help reduce the flow through organic adsorption component 1112 and therefore reduce the frequency at which organic adsorption component 1112 needs to be regenerated.

[0131] 11 and 12 , hot flue gas from the combustion component 1113 can be thermally coupled to the desorption flushing gas 1146, 1246 upstream of the organic adsorption component 1112 (e.g., to the input of the hydrocarbon reactant 1105). For example, a pyrolysis system (e.g., 1100, 1200, etc.) can include a heat exchanger between an outlet for the hot flue gas from the combustion component 1113 and an input channel for the flashing gas (e.g., the hydrocarbon reactant 1105, the partially purified product gas, and / or the like) to the adsorption component 1112. As a result, the hot flue gas can assist in the thermal swing regeneration process to help more efficiently desorb organic compounds from the organic adsorption component 1112. Additionally or alternatively, hot product gas can be thermally coupled to the desorption flushing gas 1146, 1246 upstream of the organic adsorption component 1112 (e.g., to the input of the hydrocarbon reactant 1105) to provide heat for the thermal swing regeneration process. Additionally or alternatively, the pyrolysis system (e.g., 1100, 1200, etc.) can include an electric heater and / or another suitable heat source to help ensure that the hydrocarbon reactant 1105 is hot enough to desorb the organic sorbent component 1112. The target temperature of the hydrocarbon reactant 1105 during regeneration can be based on the interaction energy between the sorbent material in the organic sorbent component 1112 and the organic compounds adsorbed therein. In various embodiments, for example, the target temperature of the hydrocarbon reactant 1105 during regeneration is between about 25°C and about 600°C, between about 200°C and about 500°C, between about 50°C and about 400°C, between about 70°C and about 300°C, or between about 250°C and about 350°C.

[0132] In some embodiments, the thermal coupling between the incoming flushing gas 1146, 1246 (e.g., the incoming hydrocarbon reactant 1105) and various heat sources is controllable. For example, once the regeneration process is complete, the incoming flushing gas 1146, 1246 can be thermally isolated from the heat source such that the desorption flushing gas flows through the organic adsorption component 1112 until the adsorbent material therein reaches a temperature sufficient for adsorption. In various embodiments, for example, the adsorption temperature can be from about 10°C to about 55°C, from about 15°C to about 50°C, or from about 20°C to about 45°C.

[0133] However, in embodiments that include a vacuum component downstream of the organic adsorption component 1112, the target temperature of the hydrocarbon reactant 1105 during regeneration is reduced. For example, the target temperature of the hydrocarbon reactant 1105 during regeneration can be reduced to about −20° C. to about 50° C. As a result, embodiments that include a vacuum component can omit a cooling process after the regeneration process because the adsorbent material in the organic adsorption component 1112 is already at the appropriate temperature for adsorption.

[0134] In some embodiments, the pyrolysis system (e.g., 1100, 1200, 1300, etc.) includes additional valves that allow the pyrolysis system to continuously select a flash gas from the hydrocarbon reactant (e.g., flash gas 1146), the product stream (e.g., flash gas 1246), the combustion flue gas (e.g., flash gas 1346), an inert gas, air, steam, and / or any combination thereof. In such embodiments, the pyrolysis system can also include other components (e.g., electric-based or combustion-based heaters, cooling devices, compressors, and / or the like) to adjust the amount of heat delivered to the adsorption component 1112 and / or the pressure of the flash gas during regeneration. In certain non-limiting examples, the pyrolysis system can include one or more heating and / or cooling components (e.g., heat exchange components) directly coupled to the adsorption component 1112 to help control the temperature therein. Additionally or alternatively, the pyrolysis system can control the flow rate of the flush gas such that the energy delivered in the flush gas (e.g., 1146, 1246, 1346, etc.) to the adsorption component 1112 exceeds the sum of the energy required to heat the adsorption component 1112 plus the energy required to desorb organic compounds from the adsorption component 1112. As a result, the pyrolysis system can help ensure that sufficient energy is delivered by the flush gas (e.g., 1146, 1246, 1346, etc.) to regenerate the adsorption component 1112.

[0135] Additionally, the pyrolysis system can also include one or more components for monitoring and / or controlling the adsorption component 1112. For example, the pyrolysis system (e.g., 1100, 1200, 1300, etc.) can include one or more sensors coupled to the adsorption component 1112 (or other suitable component) to measure (e.g., by volume and / or weight) the total amount of organic compounds collected in the adsorption component 1112 since the last regeneration period. As a result, the pyrolysis system can detect when the adsorption component 1112 is approaching capacity and / or becoming less effective at removing organic compounds from the product stream. In certain non-limiting examples, the total amount of organic compounds adsorbed since the last regeneration cycle can be determined through measurements of the concentrations of organic compounds before and after the adsorption component 1112 and / or the flow rate of the product stream through the adsorption component 1112. Similarly, the total amount of organic compounds removed from the adsorption component 1112 during regeneration can be determined by measuring the concentration of organic compounds before and after the adsorption component 1112 and / or the flow rate of flushing gas (e.g., 1146, 1246, 1346, etc.) through the adsorption component 1112 during regeneration.

[0136] Additionally or alternatively, the total amount of organic compound adsorbed or removed (desorbed) can also be determined through measurement of the temperature of the adsorption component 1112. This determination is based on the exothermic nature of adsorption, which causes an increase in the temperature of the adsorption component. That is, the magnitude of the temperature increase can be proportional to the amount of organic compound adsorbed. Similarly, the temperature change can also be used to determine the amount of organic compound removed from the adsorption component 1112 during regeneration. The specific relationship between the temperature change of the adsorption component 1112 and the amount of organic compound adsorbed or removed can be established experimentally using calibration, direct calculation using known parameters of the pyrolysis system (e.g., enthalpy of adsorption, heat capacity of the adsorbent, and / or other suitable factors), and / or a combination thereof.

[0137] In response to these measurements, the controller can recommend and / or implement changes to the operating conditions of the pyrolysis system (e.g., 1100, 1200, 1300, etc.). For example, the controller may detect that the adsorption component 1112 is approaching its full capacity (or some suitable percentage of its full capacity) and, in response, can configure a set of valves V1-V12 to regenerate the adsorption component 1112 while directing the product stream into another adsorption component 1112 to adsorb organic compounds from the product stream. Alternatively or additionally, as discussed above, the controller can implement operational changes based on the time elapsed since the last regeneration period, a combination of the elapsed time and the feed rate of reactants to the pyrolysis reactor, reactor temperature, and / or other factors of the like.

[0138] In some embodiments, the controller uses external data sources (such as the price of hydrocarbon reactants, the price of hydrogen, the price of carbon co-products, product purity requirements, carbon dioxide emission requirements, the price of electricity, the price of carbon dioxide emission rights, and / or the like) to determine whether to route the desorbed organic compounds to the reaction chamber / channel 1111 within the pyrolysis reactor 1110, the oxidation unit, the combustion component 1113 of the pyrolysis reactor 1110, or some other destination. For example, the selection of the injection point for the mixture of flashing gas and desorbed organic compounds, and the selection of the flashing gas, can affect the operating efficiency of the pyrolysis reactor 1110. In a specific, non-limiting example, if the price of hydrogen is high enough, the controller can route the desorbed organic compounds to a destination other than the pyrolysis reactor 1110 in order to maximize hydrogen production and therefore maximize the value produced by the pyrolysis system (e.g., 1100, 1200, 1300, etc.). Additionally or alternatively, the controller may use external inputs (e.g., price of hydrocarbon reactant, price of hydrogen, price of carbon co-product, product purity requirements, carbon dioxide emission requirements, price of electricity, price of carbon dioxide emission allowances, and / or the like) to select the hydrocarbon reactant, product gas, combustion flue gas, inert gas, air, steam, and / or another suitable gas to use as the desorption flushing gas.

[0139] In some embodiments, the controller is coupled to one or more heat sources (e.g., a toggleable heat exchanger, an electric heater, and / or the like) to regulate the amount of heat delivered to the adsorption component 1112 during regeneration. For example, the controller can operate (or position) a heat source to directly heat the adsorption component 1112 and / or to preheat the desorption flushing gas (e.g., 1146, 1246, 1346, etc.). In another example, the controller can operate (or position) a heat source (and / or heat exchange component) to directly cool the adsorption component 1112 and / or to cool the desorption flushing gas (e.g., 1146, 1246, 1346, etc.).

[0140] Additionally, in various embodiments, the controller may be manually or automatically switched to other states, such as an emergency state, a startup state, a shutdown state, and / or any other suitable state. In these states, the controller may configure the valves V1-V12 in various other positions. For example, the controller may configure the valves V1-V12 to divide the flow of the product stream among multiple adsorption components 1112, to disable normal operating conditions, and / or to bypass the adsorption component 1112.

[0141] While the embodiments discussed above with reference to FIGS. 9-13 are discussed in the context of pyrolysis systems (e.g., 1100, 1200, 1300, etc.) including multiple adsorption components 1112, it will be understood that the technology disclosed herein is not so limited. FIG. 14 is a schematic diagram of a pyrolysis system 1400 configured in accordance with some embodiments. As illustrated in FIG. 14, pyrolysis system 1400 is generally similar to pyrolysis system 1100 discussed above with reference to FIG. 11. For example, system 1400 includes valves that can be configured in generally similar locations as discussed above with reference to FIG. 11 to regenerate adsorption component 1412 (e.g., adsorption component 1412 is part of a separation component). In some embodiments, the separation component and / or pyrolysis system 1400 includes a single adsorption component 1412. To regenerate a single adsorption component 1412, the valves can be configured to stop the flow of product stream 1138 through adsorption component 1412 (e.g., closing the first valve V1). Additionally or alternatively, operation of pyrolysis reactor 1110 can be reduced (or shut off entirely) to slow (or stop) the flow of product stream 1138 during regeneration (e.g., to avoid a pressure buildup upstream from adsorption component 1412 while the first valve V1 is closed). Alternatively, product stream 1138 can include a bypass valve (e.g., a thirteenth valve V13) to direct product stream 1138 around adsorption component 1412 during regeneration.

[0142] Furthermore, as noted above, the systems and methods disclosed herein are not limited to use within pyrolysis systems (e.g., pyrolysis systems 100, 700, 1100, 1200, 1300, 1400, etc.). For example, the regeneration process discussed above can be used in any system requiring adsorptive removal of species (e.g., organic compounds) from a liquid or gas stream, followed by regeneration of the adsorber components. Purely by way of example, the regeneration process discussed above can be used in the combustion of biomass to generate energy, oil refineries, chemical manufacturing, and / or various other suitable settings. Figures 15-18 are schematic diagrams of general systems having separation components configured in accordance with further embodiments of the present technology.

[0143] For example, Figure 15 illustrates a system 1500 that includes an adsorption component 1112 (in some cases, as part of a separation component) and a set of valves generally similar to those discussed above with reference to Figures 11-13. Additionally, in the illustrated embodiment, the system includes a reactor 1510 with two input streams (1507 and 1509). The first input stream 1507 contains reactants that are precursors for making desired products, and the second input stream 1509 contains fuel for combustion in the reactor 1510. In the illustrated embodiment, a portion of the combustion fuel 1509 is diverted from the reactor 1510 (indicated by flow 1546) and used as a desorption gas (referred to herein as desorption gas 1546 and / or flushing gas 1546) in the adsorption component 1112 using a set of valves generally similar to those discussed above with reference to Figures 11-13. The effluent from the adsorption component 1112 during regeneration (a mixture of desorbed flushing gas and desorbed organic material) can then be recycled to the combustion fuel inlet of the reactor 1510. Similar to the systems shown in Figures 11 and 12, heat 1132 from the combustion flue gas and / or reactor product stream can be used to heat the flushing gas 1546 before it enters the adsorption component 1112 during regeneration.

[0144] FIG. 16 is a schematic diagram of a system 1600 generally similar to the system 1500 discussed above with reference to FIG. 15. However, in the illustrated embodiment, the reactor 1510 has a single input stream of reactants 1607. The single stream of reactants 1607 can include one or more compounds that are premixed and / or flow through multiple inputs in parallel and mix within the reactor 1510. In the illustrated embodiment, a portion of the reactants 1607 is diverted for use as a flushing / desorption gas 1646 before being directed into the reactor 1510. As a result, the reactants (as flushing gas 1646) desorb the adsorption component 1112 and carry organic compounds (and / or various other suitable species) into the reactor, where they can be largely converted to hydrogen and carbon. In some embodiments, heat 1632 can be provided to the desorption gas (e.g., 1646) from the product gas 1138.

[0145] Figure 17 is a schematic diagram of a system 1700 that is generally similar to the systems (e.g., 1500 and 1600) discussed above with reference to Figures 15 and 16. As in Figure 16, for example, reactor 1510 has a single input stream of reactants 1607. The single stream of reactants 1607 may include one or more compounds that are premixed and / or flow through multiple inputs in parallel and mix within reactor 1510. However, in the illustrated embodiment, a portion of the purified product stream 1136 is diverted (indicated by flow 1746) for use as a flushing / desorption gas 1746 before being directed into reactor 1510 and / or to another component for collection.

[0146] Also, as noted above, the regeneration process using hydrocarbon gas or hydrogen as a flushing gas can be used in various systems in place of other flushing gases. The use of hydrocarbon and / or hydrogen gas can be particularly beneficial in systems where, for example, the presence of oxygen, water, nitrogen, or other components is a concern (e.g., combustion-sensitive systems, systems with water-sensitive electronics, cost-conscious systems, and / or the like).

[0147] Accordingly, FIG. 18 is a schematic diagram of a system 1800 having an adsorption component 1112 (e.g., within a separation component) configured according to some embodiments. As illustrated in FIG. 18, system 1800 can be generally similar to the systems (e.g., 1500, 1600, and / or 1700) discussed above with reference to FIGS. 15-17. However, in the illustrated embodiment, system 1800 includes a dedicated source of alternative flushing gas 1846 (e.g., natural gas from a pipeline, tank, or compressor; methane; mixed hydrocarbons; RNG; biogas; propane; hydrogen; mixtures of hydrogen and one or more hydrocarbon gases; mixtures of these gases with air, oxygen, and / or an inert gas), which in some instances may be referred to as a desorption flushing gas source 1846. In such embodiments, the effluent gas from adsorption component 1112 during regeneration can be routed to various suitable destinations. For example, when reactor 1510 is capable of consuming and / or otherwise decomposing the effluent gases (e.g., in a combustion component within reactor 1510), the effluent gases can be directed to reactor 1510 by one or more valves in the system. In another example, the effluent gases can be directed to another suitable channel within the reactor (e.g., a dedicated pyrolysis and / or oxidation channel) to decompose and / or destroy the organic compounds. In yet another example, the effluent gases can be directed via an alternative route to a storage component (or other suitable endpoint) (e.g., to another methane tank coupled to a combustion component to generate heat and destroy the organic compounds) to be consumed and / or processed by downstream components. 11, 12, and 15 (e.g., 1100, 1200, 1500), in the systems shown in Figures 16-18 (e.g., 1600, 1700, 1800), the stream exiting reactor 1510 can be used to preheat the flash gas (shown as heat 1832) before entering the adsorption component during regeneration. In some embodiments (not shown), reactor 1510 can have a single input stream of reactant.In some embodiments, reactor 1510 (of system 1800) can have a first input stream of reactant 1807 and a second input stream of reactant 1808. Each input stream (1807, 1808) can have a single reactant and / or multiple reactants.

[0148] As discussed herein, a system (such as the pyrolysis system 100) can have multiple separation components (and in some cases, one or more heat exchange components) to separate various components (e.g., solid carbon, hydrogen gas, and various by-products) of a product stream from a reactor (such as a pyrolysis reactor). Having multiple separation components can allow for more effective separation of the components because the separation components can be tailored to the type of components in the product stream, their size, etc. For example, one or more separation components can be solids separators (and in some cases, each of the solids separators can be arranged in series to remove different particle sizes), one or more separation components can be liquid separators, one or more separation components can be condensable gas separators, etc. These separation components can, in some embodiments, be arranged in series to further improve separation. One or more heat exchange components can adjust the temperature of the product stream, which can help improve and facilitate separation in the separation components.

[0149] In some embodiments, as discussed herein, a system (such as pyrolysis system 100) can include an airlock, a solids collection component, one or more solids handling components (e.g., a solids cooling component, a solids separator, a storage component, a loading component, etc.), and / or the like. These various components can help improve the effectiveness of the system and the separation of components in the product stream (from the reactor).

[0150] In some embodiments, as discussed herein, the system may have one or more adsorbent components (e.g., as part of a separator) to aid in removing organic compounds from the product stream, and in some cases, may improve the regeneration process of one or more adsorbent components.

[0151] In some embodiments, systems can have various combinations of the components discussed herein. For example, while systems 1100, 1200, 1300, 1400, 1500, 1600, 1700, and 1800 are depicted with a reactor and one or more adsorption components, these systems (e.g., 1100, 1200, 1300, 1400, 1500, 1600, 1700, and / or 1800) can include various other components. As an example, one or more systems (1100, 1200, 1300, 1400, 1500, 1600, 1700, and / or 1800) can include multiple separation components, one or more heat exchange components, an airlock, a solids collection component, one or more solids processing components (e.g., a solids cooling component, a solids separator, a storage component, a loading component, etc.), and / or the like. As another example, although reactor 110 of system 100 is not depicted with pyrolysis channels and combustion components, reactor 110 can, in some embodiments, include pyrolysis channels and / or combustion components (e.g., the same and / or similar to pyrolysis channels 1111 and combustion components 1113).

[0152] 19 illustrates an exemplary pyrolysis system 1900 having a variety of different components, according to one embodiment. Specifically, FIG. 19 depicts pyrolysis system 1900 having alternating heat exchange components 1915 and separation components 1925, with one such separation component including an adsorption component 1912, as well as a solids collection component 1940, and an airlock 1930 separating the separation component 1925 and the solids collection component 1940. In some embodiments, components such as pyrolysis reactor 1910, heat exchange component 1915, separation component 1925, airlock 1930, solids collection component 1940, etc., can be the same and / or similar to pyrolysis reactor 110, heat exchange component 115, separation component 125, airlock 130, solids collection component 140, etc., respectively, depicted in FIG. In some embodiments, although not depicted in FIG. 19, system 1900 may include additional components that are the same and / or similar to those in FIG. 1 (e.g., solids cooling component 145, solids separator 150, reservoir 155, loading component 160, etc.).

[0153] In some embodiments, as depicted in FIG. 19 , a system feed 1905 (e.g., hydrocarbon reactant, process feedstock, process inlet gas, etc.) can be fed into a reactor 1910. While system 1900 is depicted as a pyrolysis reactor 1910, the reactor can be other types of reactors (e.g., similar to reactor 1510 depicted in FIGS. 15-18 ). In the exemplary pyrolysis system 1900, the system feed 1905 can undergo a pyrolysis reaction in the pyrolysis reactor 1910 (e.g., within the pyrolysis chamber / channels of reactor 1910), which can output a product stream that can include, for example, hydrogen gas and solid carbon. While the product stream is primarily composed of hydrogen gas and solid carbon, the product stream can also include other gas products (e.g., unreacted hydrocarbons), various by-products (e.g., partially reacted by-products, hydrocarbon by-products, organic compound by-products, and / or the like), etc.

[0154] Thus, to aid in separating solid carbon, hydrogen gas, and various other product stream components, system 1900 can include multiple separation components 1925. While FIG. 19 depicts three separation components 1925a, 1925b, and 1925c, as discussed herein, the system can include any number of separation components 1925. In some embodiments, each separation component 1925 can be tuned to separate / remove a particular type of particle and / or a particular particle size. For example, separation components 1925 can be sequenced sequentially to remove solids, liquids, condensable gases, and / or mixtures thereof from the product stream. As a more specific example, the first separator / separation component 1925a can be a solid separation component 1925a configured to remove solid particles (including solid carbon) from the product stream. In some embodiments, the first separation component 1925a can be configured to remove solids of a certain particle size (e.g., about 50 μm to about 100 μm, about 100 μm to about 500 μm, and / or about 500 μm to about 25 mm).

[0155] In some embodiments, pyrolysis system 1900 can include multiple solid separation components. For example, as discussed above, first solid separation component 1925a can be configured to remove larger solid particles from the product stream. In this example, second separation component 1925b can also be a solid separation component, but second solid separation component 1925b can be configured to remove smaller solid particles (e.g., solids having particle sizes of about 1 μm to about 3 μm, about 3 μm to about 10 μm, and / or about 10 μm to about 100 μm). In some embodiments, system 1900 can include a third solid separation component (not shown) that can be configured to remove even smaller solid particles (e.g., solids having particle sizes of about 100 nanometers (nm) to about 1 μm, and / or about 1 μm to about 3 μm).

[0156] In some embodiments, pyrolysis system 1900 can include a liquid separation component. The liquid separation component can be a separation component such as separator vessel 400, in the exemplary case. In embodiments where system 1900 includes multiple solid separation components (e.g., separation component 1925a, separation component 1925b, etc.), the liquid separation component can be an additional separation component not depicted in FIG. 19 . In embodiments where system 1900 includes a single solid separation component (e.g., separation component 1925a), the liquid separation component can be second separation component 1925b. In some embodiments, system 1900 can include additional liquid separation components (i.e., multiple liquid separation components). This can allow system 1900 to target and / or remove from the product stream compounds that liquefy and / or freeze at different temperatures.

[0157] In some embodiments, pyrolysis system 1900 can include other alternative and / or additional separation components 1925. For example, system 1900 can include various alternative (or additional) gas-solid separation components 1925, such as electrostatic precipitators, cartridge filters, impingement baffles, ceramic filters, and / or other suitable components that do not require water for separation.

[0158] In some embodiments, as depicted in FIG. 19 , pyrolysis system 1900 can include a separation component (in this case, separation component 1925c) having an adsorption component 1912 (also referred to herein as adsorption separation component 1925c). Adsorption separation component 1925c can use adsorption to remove organic compounds from the product stream. In some embodiments, as depicted in FIG. 19 , adsorption separation component 1925c can be downstream of one or more separation components 1925. For example, one or more solids separation components, one or more liquid separation components, etc. can all be upstream of adsorption separation component 1925c. In these cases, adsorption separation component 1925c can be many of the purification components that help purify the product stream (and hydrogen gas) after various other components (e.g., solid carbon, by-products, etc.) have been separated / removed from the product stream. For example, system 1900 can include multiple solid separation components (e.g., first, second, and third solid separation components), one or more liquid separation components (e.g., a fourth separation component that is a liquid separation component, and in some cases, a fifth separation component that is also a liquid separation component). In this example, adsorbent separation component 1925c can be the fifth and / or sixth separation component in the sequence of separation components 1925. In some embodiments, adsorbent separation component 1925c can be at any position within the sequence of separation components 1925. Adsorbent separation component 1925c can, in some cases, be a separation component such as separation component 900.

[0159] As discussed herein, the adsorption separation component 1925c can remove organic compounds from the product stream, which can help purify the product stream and its corresponding hydrogen gas. The removed organic compounds may, in some cases, be retained within the adsorption component 1912. As such, the adsorption component 1912 may eventually become saturated and therefore require regeneration (e.g., emptied, washed, desorbed, and / or otherwise reset) to reset / refresh the adsorption component 1912 and continue to function properly. In some embodiments, as depicted in FIG. 19 , the system feed 1905 may be used as a flushing gas (indicated by the dashed flow path from the system feed 1905 to the adsorption component 1912) and then recycled back to the pyrolysis reactor 1910 (e.g., as a reactant). The flushing gas may be a desorption gas that desorbs and carries away the organic compounds from the adsorption component 1912. This may, in some cases, be similar to FIGS. 11 and 14 . Figure 19 depicts one exemplary flushing gas for the adsorption component 1912. As discussed herein, other flushing gases can be used. For example, Figures 12 and 17 depict systems 1200, 1700 having partially (or fully) purified product gas and / or product stream 1136 (e.g., partially or fully purified hydrogen gas) as the flushing gas 1246, 1746, Figure 13 depicts a system 1300 having flue gas as the flushing gas 1346, Figure 15 depicts a system 1400 that uses combustion fuel 1509 as the flushing gas 1546, Figure 16 depicts a system 1600 that uses a portion of the reactant 1607 as the flushing gas 1646, and Figure 18 depicts a system 1800 that has a separate flushing gas source 1846.

[0160] Any of these exemplary systems (1100-1800) can be combined with system 1900. For example, while Figure 19 depicts a portion of system feed 1905 used as a flushing gas, system 1900 can (alternatively and / or additionally) use gas product 1970 as the flushing gas, flue gas as the flushing gas, combustion fuel (e.g., from the combustion components in reactor 1910 and / or another energy source) as the flushing gas, a portion of the reactants as the flushing gas, a separate flushing gas source as the flushing gas, etc.

[0161] 19 depicts an adsorption-separation component 1925c having multiple adsorption components 1912a and 1912b (e.g., connected in parallel). This may, in some cases, be similar to separation component 900 and / or systems 1100, 1200, 1300, 1500, 1600, 1700, and / or 1800. As discussed herein, utilizing multiple adsorption components 1912 allows for simultaneous adsorption and desorption processes. For example, one of the adsorption components (1912a or 1912b) may undergo desorption (i.e., with flushing gas flowing through the component), while the other adsorption component (1912a or 1912b) performs an adsorption operation to adsorb organic compounds from the product stream. In this example, the product stream may flow through one adsorption component 1912, while flushing gas flows through the second adsorption component 1912. This allows for continuous functioning of the system 1900 without the need to pause to regenerate the adsorption component 1912 .

[0162] 19 depicts multiple adsorption components 1912, adsorption-separation component 1925c, in some cases, can include a single adsorption component 1912, which can be the same and / or similar to system 1400. As discussed herein with respect to system 1400, when the system includes a single adsorption component 1912, the flow of the product stream to the adsorption component 1912 can be stopped (e.g., via a valve) when the adsorption component 1912 is undergoing regeneration. Once the flow of the product stream is stopped, the flow of flushing gas through the adsorption component 1912 can be initiated (e.g., via a valve), thus initiating regeneration of the adsorption component 1912. In some embodiments, when the system includes a single adsorption component 1912, operation of reactor 1910 can be stopped and / or shut down when the adsorption component 1912 is undergoing regeneration. In some embodiments, system 1900 can include a bypass valve to direct the product stream around adsorption component 1912 and adsorption-separation component 1925c, thus bypassing adsorption component 1912 when adsorption component 1912 is undergoing regeneration.

[0163] The product stream output from the adsorption separation component 1925c can be a partially and / or fully purified gas product (e.g., hydrogen gas) 1970. As discussed herein with respect to other exemplary systems, the gas product 1970 can be recycled / reused to various components of the system 1900 (e.g., to help power and / or heat one or more components) and / or used for various other end-point uses.

[0164] In some embodiments, the pyrolysis system 1900 can include one or more heat exchange components 1915 (such as a heat exchanger (HX)) to cool the product stream. As discussed herein, the pyrolysis reactor 1910 can have a very high operating temperature. Thus, the product stream exiting the pyrolysis reactor 1910 can also be very hot, which in some cases may be too hot for the separation component 1925 and may adversely affect the function of the separation component 1925. Therefore, one or more heat exchange components 1915 can be used to cool the product stream so that it does not adversely affect the separation component 1925 and / or other components of the system 1900. Thus, as discussed herein, the heat exchange component 1915 can be operably coupled downstream of the pyrolysis reactor 1910.

[0165] In some embodiments, the heat exchange component 1915 and the separation component 1925 may be alternately coupled to the product stream from the reactor 1910. For example, as depicted in FIG. 19 , the product stream may be coupled to a first heat exchange component 1915a, then a first separation component 1925a downstream of the first heat exchange component 1915a, then a second heat exchange component 1915b downstream of the first separation component 1925a, then a second separation component 1925b downstream of the second heat exchange component 1915b, etc. In some embodiments, as depicted in FIG. 19 , the product stream may be sufficiently cooled by the time it reaches the adsorption separation component 1925c, and thus, there may not need to be a heat exchange component 1915 upstream from the adsorption separation component 1925c. In some embodiments, although not depicted in FIG. 19 , the system 1900 may include a heat exchange component 1915 between the separation component 1925b and the adsorption separation component 1925c. Heat exchanging component 1915 may, in some cases, be the same as and / or similar to heat exchanging component 115.

[0166] In some embodiments, as depicted in FIG. 19 , system 1900 can include a solids collection component 1940 for collecting solid particles (e.g., including solid carbon) separated from the product stream. Solids collection component 1940 can, in some cases, be the same and / or similar to solids collection component 140 ( FIGS. 1 and 5 ). In some embodiments not depicted, solids collection component 1940 can direct the solids (and / or oil and / or liquid carried thereby) to a solids cooling component for further cooling. The solids can then be directed to a solids separator to separate the solid carbon from other particulates, separate carbon particles of different sizes, separate fluid compounds from solid compounds, etc. In some embodiments, solid product 1980 is a solid product including solid carbon and any other solid particles (and / or oil and / or liquid carried thereby). In some embodiments, solid product 1980 is solid carbon after being separated from other components in solids collection component 1940 (e.g., by a solids separator).

[0167] 19, the adsorptive separation component 1925c may not be connected / coupled to the solids collection component 1940. This may be because the solid particles have been entirely removed from the product stream by a previous separation component (e.g., separation components 1925a, 1925b, etc.). Additionally, organic compounds removed by the flushing gas may be carried along with the flushing gas and recycled within the pyrolysis system 1900. In some embodiments, the adsorptive separation component 1925c can be coupled to the solids collection component 1940 (e.g., with an airlock 1930 between them, as discussed further herein).

[0168] In some embodiments, pyrolysis system 1900 can include one or more airlocks 1930 between separation component 1925 and solids collection component 1940. As discussed herein, the product stream from pyrolysis reactor 1910 can have a high pressure, and it may be desirable to maintain pressure in the product stream to allow the resulting hydrogen gas (e.g., gas product 1970) to be delivered to an endpoint and / or recycled for use in system 1900 without the need for additional gas compression equipment. However, high pressure can have an adverse effect on solids collection component 1940. Therefore, to help bridge between the desired higher pressure in the product stream and the desired lower pressure in solids collection component 1940, system 1900 can include one or more airlocks 1930. In some embodiments, each separation component 1925 coupled to a solids collection component 1940 can have a corresponding airlock 1930 between the separation component 1925 and the solids collection component 1940. For example, separation component 1925a may be connected / coupled to a corresponding airlock 1930a, and separation component 1925b may be connected / coupled to a corresponding airlock 1930b. Airlocks 1930 are further discussed herein in connection with FIGS.

[0169] Pyrolysis system 1900, having multiple separation components, one or more adsorption separation components, one or more heat exchange components, etc., can effectively separate various components of a product stream (and, in some cases, purify a gas product) while also allowing for continuous operation, even while an adsorption separation component undergoes regeneration. In some embodiments, system 1900 is a modular system the same as and / or similar to system 700 (FIG. 7). In some embodiments, although not depicted, system 1900 can include one or more valves for controlling flow to and / or from various components of system 1900 (e.g., 1910, 1915, 1925, 1912, 1930, 1940, etc.). Thus, in some cases, one or more valves may be configured in certain locations to direct flow (e.g., flow of product stream, flow of separated solid particles, liquid particles, etc., flow of flashing gas, etc.) as it is being directed through system 1900.

[0170] 20A and 20B, a block diagram of a simple regeneration process flow for pyrolysis system 2000 is illustrated, according to one embodiment. In some embodiments, regeneration has been discussed herein in connection with an adsorptive separation component, but regeneration can be performed on various other components of a pyrolysis system (e.g., system 2000, system 1900, system 100, system 700, etc.). For example, in a pyrolysis reactor, solid carbon (e.g., from the pyrolysis reaction) can accumulate over time on the reactor's internal elements and its outlet system. The carbon can be difficult to remove during normal reactor operation (e.g., operation associated with the thermal cracking of hydrocarbons). Continuous carbon buildup within a pyrolysis reactor can obstruct fluid flow, obstruct heat transfer, and / or otherwise interfere with reactor operation. In conventional systems, the pyrolysis reactor may need to be shut down and disassembled, the accumulated carbon may then need to be mechanically removed, and the reactor may then need to be reassembled and restarted to function properly. This can be time-consuming and may require work by skilled technicians. In some cases, it may take more than 24 hours to disassemble the reactor, remove the accumulated carbon, and reassemble the reactor. Furthermore, additional time may be required to shut off the feed gas, cool and purge the system and / or reactor of flammable or reactive materials, and ensure that the reactor can be safely opened. Also, after removal of the accumulated carbon is complete, there may be additional time to purge oxygen from the system and / or reactor, reheat the reactor to target conditions for pyrolysis, and resume operation.

[0171] Therefore, it may be desirable to remove carbon from these surfaces without complete shutdown and / or disassembly of the pyrolysis system. It may also be desirable to remove carbon without interrupting hydrogen production. Removing carbon from a pyrolysis reactor without complete shutdown and / or disassembly and without interrupting hydrogen production can increase hydrogen product throughput (e.g., increase the annual average throughput of hydrogen product) and improve the ability to provide continuous hydrogen product to downstream consumers.

[0172] Existing in-situ carbon removal methods may include fluidization, erosion, and / or mechanical removal. However, these methods may not completely remove all carbon buildup that affects the operation of the pyrolysis reactor, and therefore may require periodic removal of any residual carbon deposits using the complete shutdown and / or decomposition methods discussed above.

[0173] As discussed herein, regeneration can include introducing a regeneration gas into a component (in this case, the pyrolysis reactor) to remove carbon and regenerate the reactor (e.g., restore it to full functionality). To remove carbon deposits from the reactor, the regeneration gas can include oxygen, which can then react with the carbon to oxidize and remove it from the reactor, or change the carbon structural characteristics to enhance removal by methods discussed herein (e.g., fluidization, erosion, mechanical removal, etc.). Figures 20A and 20B depict an exemplary pyrolysis system 2000 with regeneration capabilities. For example, as discussed herein, the pyrolysis reactor 2010 can have solid carbon accumulated within the reactor 2010. To regenerate the carbon, the system 2000 can include a regeneration feed 2015 that feeds a regeneration gas 2015a into the pyrolysis reactor 2010. In some embodiments, to effectively regenerate the solid carbon, the regeneration gas 2015a can contain oxygen, which can be an oxidizing species such as oxygen, air, steam, a mixture of air and steam, carbon dioxide, etc. Furthermore, when regenerating the solid carbon in the reactor 2010, the reactor can be at an elevated temperature. The combination of elevated temperatures (e.g., 500-750°C, 750-1000°C, 1000-1250°C, 1250-1500°C, etc.) and oxygen in the pyrolysis reactor 2010 can result in oxidation of the residual solid carbon (in the reactor 2010) to form carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, hydrogen gas, water, and / or other products (e.g., through water-gas and / or water-gas shift reactions).

[0174] When the solid carbon is reacted with oxygen and / or oxygen-containing compounds (such as steam or other oxygen-containing compounds) at elevated temperatures, the resulting carbon monoxide and / or carbon dioxide products (referred to herein as regeneration products) 2015b can exit the reactor 2010 in the gas phase. Regeneration feed 2015 and / or regeneration flow 2015 can refer to the inlet and / or outlet of the regeneration gas. Regeneration inlet flow 2015a can be controlled by valve 2020 and can refer to the oxygen-containing regeneration gas 2015a that is fed into the reactor 2010. Regeneration outlet flow 2015b can refer to the gas-phase regeneration products (e.g., carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, etc.) that exit the reactor 2010 after regeneration. In some embodiments, the regeneration products 2015b can be recycled into the pyrolysis process and / or pyrolysis reactor 2010 for further use, combusted in a dedicated and / or shared steam combustor, flare, or thermal oxidizer, and / or vented directly to the atmosphere. In some embodiments, prior to venting to the atmosphere, the regeneration product 2015b may undergo treatment to reduce concentrations of trace contaminants, such as oxygen, carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, nitrogen, hydrocarbon species (e.g., methane, ethane, ethylene, etc.), and / or nitrogen oxides. Treatment devices may include dust filters, solid adsorbent beds, controlled combustion, catalyst beds, selective catalytic reduction (SCR), wet scrubbers with or without selective chemical adsorbents, electrostatic precipitators, etc. In some embodiments, the regeneration product 2015b after any necessary treatment may be combined with other pyrolysis product streams in a single vent pipe. The location of the vent pipe, including its orientation and height, may be selected to comply with applicable standards, safety, industrial hygiene, environmental regulations, and / or good engineering practices.

[0175] In some embodiments, system 2000 may be part of a larger pyrolysis system, such as pyrolysis systems 100 and / or 1900. In these embodiments, regenerated product 2015b may be fed to various components (e.g., heat exchange component 1915, separation component 1925, etc.) (in some embodiments, this may occur after regenerated product 2015b has been processed), may be fed to a separate component (e.g., regenerated separation component, regenerated product endpoint, etc.), and / or may be fed to any other applicable endpoint. In some embodiments, if system 2000 is part of a larger system (such as pyrolysis system 1900) that has an adsorptive separation component (such as adsorptive separation component 1925), regenerated product 2015b may be used by adsorptive separation component 1925 as a flushing gas. In some cases, this may be the same as and / or similar to alternative flushing gas 1846 depicted in FIG. 18 .

[0176] In some embodiments, the regeneration gas 2015a can include feeding multiple gases into the reactor 2010. For example, in some cases, both air and steam can be the regeneration gas 2015a fed into the reactor 2010. In these cases, both the water-gas reaction and the water-gas shift reaction can occur simultaneously (at the high temperature ranges discussed herein) to form carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, hydrogen gas, and water. In this case, carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, hydrogen gas, and water can be regeneration products. In some embodiments, it may be preferred to operate the reactor 2010 (at least during regeneration) at low to medium pressures in the ranges of 0 to 1 barg, 1 barg to 1 barg, 2 barg to 3 barg, and / or 3 barg to 5 barg, although operation at higher pressures can also be accommodated.

[0177] As discussed herein, the pyrolysis reaction can use heat instead of oxygen to crack materials (e.g., hydrocarbons). Therefore, it is undesirable to have oxygen in reactor 2010 during the pyrolysis reaction. In some cases, oxygen can be removed from reactor 2010 through regenerated product 2015b exiting reactor 2010. In some cases, system 2000 can further include a purge feed (e.g., an inert gas purge) that flushes an inert gas through reactor 2010 to remove any remaining oxygen before resuming the pyrolysis reaction.

[0178] System 2000 illustrates some exemplary support systems for enabling regeneration of pyrolysis reactor 2010. For example, in addition to regeneration feed 2015, system 2000 can include pyrolysis feed 2005 and fuel feed 2025. Pyrolysis feed 2005 can include a hydrocarbon system feed 2005a (e.g., the same and / or similar to system feed 1905) that is fed into reactor 2010 and a pyrolysis product stream 2005b (e.g., containing solid carbon and hydrogen gas) that exits reactor 2010. In some embodiments, as discussed herein, pyrolysis reactor 2010 may need to perform the pyrolysis reaction at very high temperatures. Burner 2008 and fuel feed 2025 can be utilized to heat reactor 2010. In some embodiments (such as FIG. 20A ), the burner may be within the reactor 2010, and / or the reactor 2010 may have an alternative heating method. In some cases (such as cases where the reactor 2010 has an alternative heating method), the system 2000 may not include a fuel feed 2025. In some embodiments (such as FIG. 20B ), the system may include a burner 2008 that is separate from, but may be connected to, the reactor 2010. In some cases, the fuel feed 2025 may include a fuel gas input 2025 a and a flue gas output 2025 b. In some embodiments, as discussed herein, if the system includes an adsorptive separation component (e.g., systems 1300, 1900, etc.), the flue gas output 2025 b may be recycled / used as a flushing gas (e.g., the same and / or similar to flushing gas 1346) for the adsorption component in the adsorptive separation component. In some embodiments, when system 2000 includes a single pyrolysis reactor 2010, only one of regeneration gas 2015a and system feed 2005a can be fed into reactor 2010 at a time. In other words, only one of regeneration and pyrolysis can occur in reactor 2010 at a time.This is because simultaneous regeneration and pyrolysis in a single reactor 2010 (e.g., a single reactor chamber) can expose the pyrolysis reaction to oxygen, which is undesirable for pyrolysis system 2000. Instead, valves (such as valve 2020) and / or other components (e.g., controllers, etc.) can be used to control the flow of feeds 2005 and / or 2015 to ensure that oxygen from regeneration gas 2015a is not exposed to the pyrolysis reaction.

[0179] In some embodiments, system 2000 can include various components to help improve the function of pyrolysis system 2000 and facilitate effective regeneration within system 2000. For example, system 2000 can include control valves (including, in some cases, valve 2020). Control valves can include ball valves, globe valves, gate valves, etc., with actuators driven by compressed air, electric motors, hydraulic fluids, etc. In some cases, control valves can be positioned to control at least the inlet flow of fuel feed 2025, pyrolysis feed 2005, and / or regeneration feed 2015. In some cases, system 2000 can include enhanced instrumentation to optimize the system. Enhanced instrumentation can include temperature monitoring devices inside the reactor, on-stream regeneration product composition analysis, etc. In some embodiments, a temperature indicator can be positioned along the outlet stream of regeneration product 2015b. The temperature indicator is a thermocouple inserted into a thermowell and / or attached (e.g., by welding, magnet, adhesive, flexible strap, etc.) to the outlet pipe surface and can measure a range of temperatures (e.g., 500-750°C, 750-1000°C, 1000-1250°C, 1250-1500°C, etc.). In some embodiments, system 2000 can include a gas analyzer, which can include, but is not limited to, an infrared laser spectrometer, a zirconia oxygen analyzer, a gas density meter, a dust monitor, a gas chromatograph for detecting concentrations of hydrogen, oxygen, carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, nitrogen, hydrocarbon species (e.g., methane, ethane, ethylene), and / or trace contaminants such as nitrogen oxides. In some embodiments, an additional manual sampling connection can be provided at regeneration product outlet 2015b. Manual sampling is performed by collecting gas in a pressurized cylinder for laboratory analysis and can be tested in situ using a portable gas analyzer and / or colorimetric tubes, etc.

[0180] In some embodiments (not shown), a heat exchanger (such as a recuperator) can be provided in the regenerated product 2015b line to recover heat for process use and / or to generate a hot utility stream (e.g., steam, conditioned water, hot oil, etc.). This can increase system thermal efficiency and / or reduce the temperature at the exhaust atmosphere vent (i.e., the vent for discharging the regenerated product 2015b to the atmosphere), if present. In some cases, various feeds (e.g., 2005, 2015, and / or 2025), components, heat, etc. can be recycled to the process and / or pyrolysis system 2000. For example, the process recycle process can include a pyrolysis reactor burner 2008, where residual combustible compounds can be burned to generate process heat.

[0181] As discussed herein, regeneration of pyrolysis reactor 2010 can help remove residual solid carbon from reactor 2010, thus helping to maintain and / or improve the functionality of reactor 2010 and preventing blockage of fluid flow, blockage of heat transfer, etc. due to accumulated carbon. However, in some cases, the pyrolysis reaction may need to be paused during a regeneration operation to prevent the pyrolysis reaction from being exposed to oxygen (e.g., from regeneration gas 2015a). This may occur, for example, in a system where there is a single pyrolysis reactor 2010, such as system 2000. In some cases, it may be desirable to perform regeneration without pausing the pyrolysis reaction and hydrogen gas production. Thus, in some embodiments, a pyrolysis system can have multiple pyrolysis reactors and thus have the ability to run simultaneous pyrolysis and regeneration reactions.

[0182] Figure 21 is a schematic diagram of one such exemplary pyrolysis system 2100 with regeneration capabilities and multiple reactors 2110, according to one embodiment. System 2100 includes three pyrolysis reactors 2110a, 2110b, and 2110c (collectively referred to as pyrolysis reactors 2110). While Figure 21 is depicted with three reactors 2110, system 2100 can include any number of reactors (i.e., any number of reactors (two or more)). Similar to pyrolysis system 2000, pyrolysis system 2100 includes a regeneration feed 2115, a pyrolysis feed 2105 (also referred to as a system feed 2105), and a fuel feed 2125. The regeneration feed 2115 may direct regeneration gas 2115a (e.g., regeneration oxidant 2115a as depicted in FIG. 21) into the reactor 2110 to regenerate the reactor 2110 and remove residual solid carbon from the reactor 2110. After regeneration, the regeneration product 2115b may be directed from the reactor 2110 to other components in the system 2100 and / or to various other destinations as combustion fuel or customer feed. As an example, in the case where the regeneration oxidant 2115a (i.e., the regeneration input) is water and the regeneration product 2115b includes syngas (i.e., hydrogen gas, carbon monoxide, and carbon dioxide), the regeneration product 2115b may be recycled back to the burner 2108 and / or separated into the product stream.

[0183] The pyrolysis feed 2105 can direct feed gas 2105a (also referred to herein as system feed 2105a) into the reactor 2110 to undergo pyrolysis and produce a product stream (including at least hydrogen gas and solid carbon). The pyrolysis products 2105b can be directed from the reactor 2110 to other components of the system 2100 and / or to a larger system. For example, the pyrolysis products 2105b can be directed to one or more heat exchange components, one or more separation components, etc. The fuel feed 2125 can direct fuel gas 2125a to pyrolysis heating burners 2108 to heat the pyrolysis reactor 2110. Flue gas 2125b can be output from the reactor 2110. Fuel feed 2125, pyrolysis feed 2105, and / or regeneration feed 2115 may be the same as and / or similar to fuel feed 2025, pyrolysis feed 2005, and / or regeneration feed 2015, respectively.

[0184] In some embodiments, system 2100 can include components for controlling the system feed 2105 (e.g., system feed input 2105a) to achieve a stable pyrolysis reaction, to achieve appropriate product quality, and to manage equipment degradation and failure mechanisms. These components can also control the regeneration feed 2115 (e.g., regeneration gas input 2115a) and operating temperature to react residual carbon, manage equipment at temperatures not exceeding 500-750°C, 750-1000°C, 1000-1250°C, 1250-1500°C, etc., maintain pressures within ranges of 0-1 barg, 1 barg-1 barg, 2 barg-3 barg, 3 barg-5 barg, 5 barg-10 barg, 10 barg-15 barg, etc. Distribution devices (e.g., nozzles, swirlers, baffles, etc.) can be used to promote turbulence or to direct the regeneration gas 2115a to areas where carbon removal is most needed (e.g., to make these processes more effective). Thus, in some cases, the system 2100 can include distribution devices for directing the regeneration gas 2115a.

[0185] In some embodiments, pyrolysis system 2100 can include multiple modules 2101. Each module 2101 can include a pyrolysis reactor 2110 and various corresponding components. For example, a first module 2101a can include a pyrolysis reactor 2110a, a corresponding pyrolysis heating burner 2108a, and various corresponding valves 2131, 2132, and / or 2133. Similarly, a second module 2101b can include a pyrolysis reactor 2110b, a pyrolysis heating burner 2108b, and various valves 2131, 2132, and / or 2133, and a third module 2101c can include a pyrolysis reactor 2110c, a pyrolysis heating burner 2108c, and various valves 2131, 2132, and / or 2133. Each module 2101 can be in regeneration mode, pyrolysis mode, etc., and can include components to keep necessary streams / feeds separate from other modules 2101. For example, if module 2101a is in regeneration mode (i.e., regenerating reactor 2110a) and module 2101b is in pyrolysis mode (i.e., carrying out the pyrolysis reaction in reactor 2110b), then the regeneration feed 2115 (i.e., regeneration gas 2115a and regeneration product 2115b) fed through module 2101a and reactor 2110a needs to be kept separate from module 2101b (and its corresponding reactor 2110b) because the pyrolysis reaction should not be exposed to oxygen. Thus, each module 2101 can have the necessary components to keep the various feeds (2125, 2105, and / or 2115) separate from the various modules 2101, if necessary.

[0186] In some cases, steam from pyrolysis heating burners 2108 may be recycled back to system 2100. For example, as depicted in Figure 21, steam generated from each pyrolysis heating burner 2108 may be added to and / or used as regeneration gas stream 2115a. This is shown by lines 2113a, 2113b, and 2113c. As an example, steam produced by pyrolysis heating burner 2108a may be recycled back to regeneration gas stream 2115a (as shown by flow 2113a) and / or used as regeneration gas stream 2115a, steam produced by pyrolysis heating burner 2108b may be recycled back to regeneration gas stream 2115a (as shown by flow 2113b) and / or used as regeneration gas stream 2115a, and / or pyrolysis heating burner 2108c may be recycled back to regeneration gas stream 2115a (as shown by flow 2113c) and / or used as regeneration gas stream 2115a.

[0187] During regeneration, in the case where the regeneration gas 2115a is oxygen, the reaction between oxygen and carbon is exothermic (i.e., generates heat), and in the case where the regeneration gas 2115a is steam, the reaction between steam and carbon is endothermic (i.e., consumes heat). Both reactions can increase the total gas flow from the reactor 2110 as carbon is converted to carbon monoxide and / or carbon dioxide. Therefore, it may be desirable to control the regeneration operating conditions to account for endothermic and / or exothermic reactions and resulting effects. An exemplary specific technique / mechanism that can control the regeneration operating conditions includes the addition of an inert gas (e.g., nitrogen) to increase fluid velocity inside the reactor without contributing to the regeneration reaction. The addition of an inert gas can also reduce exothermic reaction temperatures through dilution. Another exemplary technique includes varying the rate at which the regeneration gas 2115a (e.g., oxygen, steam, etc.) is added to the reactor 2110 to maintain the temperature, gas flow rate, and / or product (effluent) gas composition within target parameters. In cases where both steam and oxygen are used as the regeneration gas 2115a, if steam and oxygen are added simultaneously, their ratio can be adjusted to balance exothermic and endothermic reactions and further control temperature, product gas composition, and / or other parameters. Steam and oxygen can also, or alternatively, be added at different times during the same regeneration cycle as pulsed or sequential process steps.

[0188] The above techniques / mechanisms may require that module 2101 in regeneration mode be adjusted independently from module 2101 in pyrolysis mode. Adjustable parameters include the pressure of regeneration gas 2115a, fuel gas 2125a, pyrolysis feed gas 2105a, and / or pyrolysis products 2105b. Adjustment of these parameters can be performed using control valves (e.g., including valves 2131, 2132, and / or 2133) and / or equipment as discussed herein in connection with system 2000. In some cases, the valves and / or equipment can be located within the boundaries of each independent module 2101. In some embodiments, valves in system 2100 include tight shutoff valves 2131, regulating valves 2132, and other valves 2133. Tight shutoff valve 2131a can be a tight shutoff valve for pyrolysis feed 2105a, tight shutoff valve 2131b can be a tight shutoff valve for fuel gas 2125a, and tight shutoff valve 2131c can be a tight shutoff valve for regeneration gas 2115a. In some embodiments, each module 2101 can have at least one of each of tight shutoff valves 2131a, 2131b, and 2131c. Adjusting valve 2132a can be a adjusting valve for pyrolysis feed 2105a, adjusting valve 2132b can be a adjusting valve for fuel gas 2125a, and adjusting valve 2132c can be a adjusting valve for regeneration gas 2115a. In some embodiments, each module 2101 can have at least one of each of adjusting valves 2132a, 2132b, and 2132c. Valves 2133 can be valves that control (and / or shut off) the outlet flow from the reactor. For example, valve 2133a can control pyrolysis product flow 2105b output from reactor 2110. Valve 2133b can control flue gas flow 2125b from reactor 2110. Valve 2133c can control regeneration product flow 2115b from reactor 2110. In some embodiments, each module 2101 can have at least one of each valve 2133a, 2133b, and 2133c.

[0189] In a system with multiple reactors 2110, such as system 2100, regeneration within reactor 2110 can result in an oxidizing atmosphere within module 2101 adjacent to module 2101 containing flammable gas above its autoignition temperature (i.e., module 2101 in pyrolysis mode). Gas mixing between module 2101 in regeneration mode and module 2101 in pyrolysis mode can create an explosive mixture. Furthermore, flow control devices (such as valves 2131, 2133, and / or other flow control devices) may be designed to regulate flow and may not be capable of tight shutoff. Therefore, as discussed herein and depicted in FIG. 21, system 2100 can include additional devices with tight shutoff (e.g., tight shutoff valve 2131) to prevent gas mixing. In some embodiments, tight shutoff valve 2131 can include any combination of a gate, a ball, a segmented ball, and / or a sealing butterfly. In some cases, specialized high temperature valves can be selected to tolerate temperatures such as 500-700°C, 700-900°C, 900-1000°C, etc., depending on process conditions. The specialized high temperature valves can include customized features to form valves that operate reliably at these temperatures. These features can include materials of construction, active cooling, specially designed internal tolerances, etc. In some cases, tight shutoff valve 2131, modulating valve 2132, and / or valve 2133 can be specialized high temperature valves. In some embodiments, the valves (e.g., 2131, 2132, and / or 2133) may need to be able to seal against differential pressures such as 0.5 barg to 1 barg, 1 barg to 2 barg, 2 barg to 3 barg, 3 barg to 5 barg, 5 barg to 10 barg, 10 barg to 15 barg, etc. Customized features may be required to form valves that operate reliably at these absolute pressures and pressure differentials. These customized features can include materials of construction, active cooling, specially designed internal tolerances, live-load seals, multiple and / or tandem seals, high integrity scrapers, built-in components made from materials softer than steel (such as graphite), etc.

[0190] In some embodiments, as discussed herein, system 2100 is designed to ensure that valves (e.g., 2131, 2132, and 2133) operate to prevent explosive mixtures. As discussed herein, explosive mixtures can occur when module 2101 in pyrolysis mode is exposed to regeneration gas 2115a (which contains oxygen). This can occur if the pyrolysis feed 2105a and regeneration gas 2115a are fed to the same reactor 2110 / module 2101 and / or if module 2101 in regeneration mode has not been properly sealed (e.g., using at least tight shutoff valve 2131) from module 2101 in pyrolysis mode. Operating valves 2131, 2132, and 2133 to prevent explosive mixtures can also significantly reduce the probability of hazardous conditions occurring due to valve component failure and / or operator error.

[0191] In some embodiments, a controlled sequence can be used, where the valves (2131, 2132, 2133) are only allowed to operate in an order that does not allow the regeneration module 2101 (i.e., module 2101 in regeneration mode) and the pyrolysis module 2101 (i.e., module 2101 in pyrolysis mode) to intermix. Feedback from monitoring equipment regarding the state of the system can be used to actuate the valves (2131, 2132, and / or 2133). The equipment can monitor flow, pressure, temperature, valve position, gas composition, etc. In some embodiments, switches can be attached to the tight shutoff valves 2131 of system 2100 to indicate their position. Valve combinations that allow dangerous intermixing are prohibited. Valve actuation is not allowed if it results in a prohibited combination. In some embodiments, limit switches can be used as direct contact mechanical and / or magnetic proximity sensors. In some embodiments, other equipment (such as that discussed in connection with system 2000) can be used in system 2100. Depending on the degree of risk mitigation desired, the system 2100 may be rated to a safety integrity level in accordance with international standards and / or accepted engineering practices. Higher integrity levels (e.g., certified equipment, redundant equipment, etc.) reduce the probability of system failure, but may result in more stringent hardware and software requirements.

[0192] In some embodiments, as discussed herein, pyrolysis systems 2000 and / or 2100 can enable pyrolysis reactor regeneration. These systems 2000 and / or 2100 can be configured with control valves and instrumentation for introducing oxygen (e.g., in the form of regeneration gas) to each reactor section being regenerated, for controlling the operating temperature and / or oxygen flow rate to meet target regeneration conditions, and / or for indicating the status of the regeneration cycle (e.g., whether the regeneration process has been satisfactorily completed). These systems 2000 and / or 2100 can include regeneration gas exhaust piping (and an exhaust system) that connects the reactor effluent to a suitable location during regeneration. The exhaust system can include a treatment device for removing entrained solids and / or undesired combustion products. In some embodiments, for variations that simultaneously regenerate and generate carbon, the system (such as system 2100) may include independent pyrolysis feed, product, and process heat controls and instrumentation for each individual reactor module, isolation devices to separate modules in regeneration mode from modules in pyrolysis mode (in some cases, with isolation devices separate from the control devices to ensure zero leakage between modules), and / or safety interlock systems to prevent the combination of oxygen and flammable gases.

[0193] In some embodiments, as discussed herein, pyrolysis system 2100 is a reactor system 2100 separated into two or more modules 2101 (FIG. 21 depicts three modules 2101a, 2101b, and 2101c) such that pyrolysis mode can be maintained in one or more modules 2101 (thus maintaining hydrogen gas production) while one or more modules 2101 undergo regeneration (i.e., are in regeneration mode). In some embodiments, system 2100 can include sufficient instrumentation and controls to determine when a module 2101 in pyrolysis mode requires regeneration and / or when a module 2101 in regeneration mode has completed a desired degree of carbon removal (from reactor 2110).

[0194] In some embodiments, pyrolysis systems 2000 and / or 2100 are depicted as individual systems, however, pyrolysis systems 2000 and / or 2100 can be part of and / or combined with any of the systems discussed herein (e.g., 100, 700, 900, 1100, 1200, 1300, 1400, 1500, 1600, 1700, 1800, and / or 1900). For example, any of the systems discussed herein can include multiple reactors and reactor modules (such as those depicted in FIG. 21) to allow for regeneration of one or more of the reactors while at least one reactor is still performing the pyrolysis reaction and producing hydrogen gas. As another example, any of the systems discussed herein may include a regeneration feed 2115 and various valves (e.g., 2020, 2131, 2132, and / or 2133) to control whether the regeneration feed 2015, 2115 and / or system feed 2005, 2105 is flowing through the reactor 2010, 2110 (i.e., whether the reactor 2010, 2110 is in regeneration mode or pyrolysis mode).

[0195] Although regeneration of reactors has been discussed herein (e.g., in connection with Figures 20A, 20B, and 21), regeneration may actually occur within the pyrolysis chamber of the pyrolysis reactor. For example, a pyrolysis reactor may include other components in addition to the pyrolysis chamber. The pyrolysis chamber may be the actual chamber in which pyrolysis occurs, and thus carbon accumulates within the reactor. Thus, regenerating a reactor may include flowing a regeneration gas through the pyrolysis chamber, thus regenerating the pyrolysis chamber and its corresponding reactor.

[0196] 22 depicts a method 2200 for separating components of a product stream from a reactor, according to one embodiment. In some embodiments, method 2200 may be performed by a system such as systems 100, 700, 900, 1100, 1200, 1300, 1400, 1500, 1600, 1700, 1800, 1900, 2000, and / or 2100. In some embodiments, systems 100, 700, 900, 1100, 1200, 1300, 1400, 1500, 1600, 1700, 1800, 1900, 2000, and / or 2100 may include one or more controllers, and method 2200 may be performed by the controllers of the systems. Exemplary operations of method 2200 are discussed below, although method 2200 may include any separation methods and / or techniques discussed herein.

[0197] In some embodiments, method 2200 includes an operation 2210 for providing a pyrolysis system. In some cases, this can be a system such as systems 100, 700, 900, 1100, 1200, 1300, 1400, 1500, 1600, 1700, 1800, 1900, 2000, and / or 2100. In some embodiments, the pyrolysis system can include a pyrolysis reactor, multiple separation components, one or more heat exchange components, and / or a solids collection component. In some embodiments, alternatively or additionally, the pyrolysis system can include an adsorption-separation component having one or more adsorption components. In some embodiments, alternatively or additionally, the pyrolysis system can include a regeneration feed for regenerating the reactor, and in some cases can include multiple reactors (and corresponding reactor modules) to simultaneously regenerate one or more reactors and produce hydrogen gas (from pyrolysis) in one or more separate reactors. As discussed herein, multiple separation components can separate / remove various components (e.g., solid carbon, by-products, etc.) from the product stream. In some examples, one or more of the separation components can be organized in series based on particle size (e.g., in order of decreasing particle size). Alternatively or additionally, one or more separation components can be organized in series based on particle type (e.g., in order of solid particle removal, liquid particle removal, etc.). One or more heat exchange components can, in some cases, cool the product stream to a temperature suitable for the separation components. An adsorptive separation component can, in some cases, remove / desorb organic compounds from the product stream, thus helping to purify and / or filter the remaining product stream (which contains entirely and / or primarily hydrogen gas).

[0198] In some embodiments, the method 2200 includes an operation 2220 for controlling the flow of the product stream through the pyrolysis system. As discussed herein, the product stream and its components can be directed through various components of the pyrolysis system to effectively separate the components of the product stream (e.g., hydrogen gas, solid carbon, by-products, organic compounds, etc.), recycle the components of the product stream throughout the pyrolysis system, etc.

[0199] In some embodiments, as discussed herein, the plurality of separation components can include at least a first separation component and a second separation component, and the one or more heat exchange components can include at least a first heat exchange component and a second heat exchange component. In these embodiments, operation 2220 of controlling the flow of the product stream can include sending the product stream to a first heat exchange component, where the first heat exchange component cools the product stream to a first temperature suitable for the first separation component. Operation 2220 can also include sending the product stream from the first heat exchange component to a first separation component, where the first separation component removes a first portion of carbon from the product stream, the first portion of carbon being carbon particles having a size equal to or greater than the first size. In some cases, operation 2220 can also include sending the first portion of carbon to a solids collection component. The product stream can also be sent from the first separation component to a second heat exchange component, where the second heat exchange component cools the product stream to a second temperature suitable for the second separation component. In some embodiments, operation 2220 can also include sending the product stream from the second heat exchange component to a second separation component, where the second separation component removes a second portion of carbon from the product stream, the second portion of carbon being carbon particles having a size equal to or greater than a second size, the second size being smaller than the first size. In some embodiments, the second portion of carbon is sent to a solids collection component. In some embodiments, as discussed herein, various components of the product stream can be recycled / reused throughout the pyrolysis system. Thus, in some cases, operation 2220 can include sending at least a portion of the remaining product stream, including hydrogen gas, to a pyrolysis reactor.

[0200] In some embodiments, as discussed herein, the pyrolysis system can include components such as a solids separator, a solids reservoir, a loading component, etc. Thus, in some embodiments, controlling the flow of the product stream (operation 2220) can include directing / sending solid components through a solids separator, a solids reservoir, a loading component, etc. In some embodiments, the solid components of the product stream can be recycled / reused throughout the pyrolysis system. Thus, in some cases, operation 2220 can include sending at least a portion of the remaining product stream that includes solids to a pyrolysis reactor.

[0201] In some embodiments, as discussed herein, the plurality of separation components can include an adsorption separation component, which can include an adsorption component and one or more valves. In these embodiments, controlling the flow of the product stream (operation 2220) can include routing the product stream to the adsorption component when the one or more valves are in a first position, where the adsorption component adsorbs one or more organic compounds from the product stream. When the one or more valves are in a second position, a flushing gas can be routed to the adsorption component, where the flushing gas can desorb the organic compounds from the adsorbed gas. In various embodiments, as discussed herein, the flushing gas can be a process gas (i.e., a gas present in the process flow of the pyrolysis system). For example, the process gas can include a hydrocarbon reactant (e.g., natural gas, methane, and / or the like), hydrogen gas in the product stream, flue gas (e.g., containing nitrogen gas and steam) from a combustion component, mixtures thereof, and / or various other suitable gases. In some embodiments, operation 2220 and / or method 2200 may include the same and / or similar steps as method 1000 (FIG. 10).

[0202] In some embodiments, operation 2220 of controlling the flow of the product stream through the pyrolysis system can include both separating various components (e.g., solid particles and liquids) from the product stream using one or more separation components and then separating gaseous components (e.g., organic compounds) from the product stream using one or more adsorptive separation components. The resulting product stream can be hydrogen gas, which can be recycled throughout the pyrolysis system and / or directed to a hydrogen gas end use. The separated solid particles and / or liquids (including carbon) can be directed to a solids collection component (and, in some cases, additional carbon processing and / or storage components). In some embodiments, the pyrolysis system can include an airlock between the separation component and the solids collection component, and operation 2220 can include controlling a valve of the airlock to prevent the solids collection component from being exposed to too much pressure. In some embodiments, once the solids and / or liquids are separated / removed from the product stream, the remaining product stream (i.e., the gaseous product stream) can be sent / directed to an adsorptive separation component to remove organic compounds from the gaseous product stream and result in a hydrogen gas product stream. The process gas can also be directed / passed to an adsorptive separation component to regenerate the adsorptive component and desorb the organic compounds.

[0203] In some embodiments, method 2200 can include operations (not shown) for controlling inlet flows to the pyrolysis reactor. For example, if the pyrolysis system includes a regeneration capability, controlling the inlet flows can include controlling one or more valves to ensure that the pyrolysis feed (i.e., the system feed) and the regeneration feed are separate and are not fed to the reactor simultaneously. As discussed herein, the pyrolysis reaction can be explosive if exposed to oxygen (which may be part of the regeneration feed). Therefore, when regeneration is performed in the reactor, one or more valves can be controlled to be in a position that completely shuts off the flow of the system feed through the reactor and opens the flow of regeneration gas through the reactor. After regeneration is complete, the valves can be controlled to be in a position that completely shuts off the flow of regeneration gas through the reactor and opens the flow of the system feed through the reactor.

[0204] In some embodiments, when the pyrolysis system includes multiple reactors and reactor modules, controlling the inlet flows can include controlling one or more valves (and / or other components) such that a first reactor is in pyrolysis mode and a second reactor is in regeneration mode, and the first and second reactors (and their corresponding modules and components) are not allowed to mix. For example, when a first reactor module and the corresponding first reactor are in regeneration mode, a tight shutoff valve (e.g., 2131a) for the system feed can be completely closed to prevent flow of the system feed into the first reactor during regeneration. In this example, a tight shutoff valve (e.g., 2131c) for the regeneration gas can be opened to flow regeneration gas through the first reactor so that regeneration of the first reactor can occur. Continuing with this example, a second reactor module and the corresponding second reactor can be in pyrolysis mode so that hydrogen gas production is not stopped even when the reactor (the first reactor in this example) is undergoing regeneration. Thus, in this example, the tight shutoff valve for the system feed (e.g., 2131a) can be opened to allow flow of the system feed to the second reactor during regeneration, and the tight shutoff valve for the regeneration gas (e.g., 2131c) can be completely closed to prevent flow of the regeneration gas to the second reactor.

[0205] The reactors referred to herein (such as reactors 110, 710, 1110, 1510, 1910, 2010, and / or 2110) can be a variety of reactor types. For example, by way of non-limiting example, the reactors (e.g., 110, 710, 1110, 1510, 1910, 2010, and / or 2110) can be pyrolysis reactors such as thermal pyrolysis reactors, fluidized bed reactors, fixed catalyst reactors, molten metal or salt bubble reactors, plasma reactors, electrically heated or microwave heated reactors, and / or other types of reactors.

[0206] Advantages of embodiments disclosed herein include effectively separating various components of a product stream (e.g., using multiple separation components) while preventing harm to the separation components due to the high temperatures of the product stream (e.g., using one or more heat exchange components); improving the thermal efficiency of the pyrolysis system (e.g., by recycling gases from the product stream to the pyrolysis reactor or using a recuperative heat exchanger external to the pyrolysis reactor); preventing saturation of the adsorption components (e.g., by regenerating and / or desorbing the adsorption components) while preventing waste (e.g., by using process gases as flue gases, thus creating a closed-loop system); removing carbon from the pyrolysis reactor without complete shutdown and / or decomposition and without interrupting hydrogen production; and the like.

[0207] To facilitate an understanding of the subject matter described herein, many aspects are described in terms of a sequence of actions. The description of any sequence of actions herein is not intended to imply that the particular order described must be followed to perform that sequence. All methods described herein may be performed in any suitable order unless otherwise indicated herein or otherwise clearly contradicted by context.

[0208] The use of the terms "a," "an," and "the" and similar references in the context of describing the subject matter should be interpreted to encompass both the singular and the plural, unless otherwise indicated herein or clearly contradicted by context. The use of the term "at least one" followed by a list of one or more items (e.g., "at least one of A and B") should be interpreted to mean one item selected from the listed items (A or B), or any combination of two or more of the listed items (A and B), unless otherwise indicated herein or clearly contradicted by context. Furthermore, the scope of protection sought is defined by this application, and therefore the foregoing description is illustrative only, and not limiting. The use of any and all examples or exemplary language (e.g., "such as") provided herein is intended merely to better illustrate the subject matter and does not impose limitations on the scope of the subject matter. In both any claim and the written description, the use of the term "based on" and other similar phrases indicating a condition for producing a result is not intended to exclude any other conditions for producing that result. No language in the specification should be construed as indicating any non-claimed element as essential to the practice of any claimed invention.

[0209] While specific examples are provided above, it is understood that the present invention may be applied with a wide variety of inputs, thresholds, ranges, and other factors, depending on the application. For example, while the time frames and ranges provided above are exemplary, one skilled in the art will understand that these time frames and ranges may change or even be dynamic and variable, depending on the implementation.

[0210] As will be appreciated by those skilled in the art, several modifications may be made to the disclosed embodiments without departing entirely from the scope of the present disclosure. It should be noted that although features and elements are described in particular combinations, each feature or element may be used alone without other features and elements, or in various combinations with or without other features and elements. The provided methods or flowcharts may be implemented in a computer program, software, or firmware tangibly embodied in a computer-readable storage medium for execution by a general-purpose computer or processor.

[0211] Thus, embodiments of a pyrolysis system for separating and processing components of a product stream are disclosed. Although the invention has been described in considerable detail with reference to certain disclosed embodiments, the disclosed embodiments are presented for purposes of illustration and not limitation, and other embodiments of the invention are possible. Those skilled in the art will recognize that various changes, adaptations, and modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the invention.

Claims

1. 1. A pyrolysis system comprising: a pyrolysis reactor comprising a pyrolysis chamber configured to produce a product stream from a system feed, the system feed comprising a hydrocarbon reactant, and the product stream comprising hydrogen gas and carbon; a plurality of separation components configured to separate the product stream, the plurality of separation components being downstream of the pyrolysis reactor; one or more heat exchange components coupled to one or more of the plurality of separation components; a solids collection component configured to collect non-gaseous products separated from the product stream by the plurality of separation components, the non-gaseous products comprising at least the carbon.

2. The pyrolysis system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more heat exchange elements and the plurality of separation elements are alternately coupled to the product stream.

3. the alternatingly coupled one or more heat exchange components and a plurality of separation components; a first heat exchange element; a first separation element downstream of the first heat exchange element; a second heat exchange component downstream of the first separation component; and a second separation element downstream of the second heat exchange element.

4. the first heat exchange element is configured to cool the product stream to a first temperature suitable for the first separation element; the second heat exchange component is configured to cool the product stream to a second temperature suitable for the second separation component; The pyrolysis system of claim 3 .

5. The pyrolysis system of claim 1 , wherein one or more of the plurality of separation components is configured to deliver at least a first portion of the hydrogen gas back to the pyrolysis reactor.

6. The pyrolysis system of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of separation components are configured to sequentially separate the carbon by reducing the size of the carbon particles.

7. 10. The pyrolysis system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of separation components comprises one or more of a gravity settler, a cyclone separator, a pulse jet baghouse filter, a high temperature filter, and a separator vessel for collecting condensable liquids.

8. 10. The pyrolysis system of claim 1, wherein the one or more heat exchange elements comprise a plurality of heat exchange elements positioned in sequence to cool the hydrogen-rich product from a high temperature to a low temperature, and wherein the pyrolysis feed or other low temperature input may be recuperatively heated to enhance the thermal efficiency of the pyrolysis system.

9. The pyrolysis system of claim 1 , further comprising one or more airlock valve arrangements between said plurality of separation components and said solids collection component.

10. a solids cooling component configured to cool the solids-containing mixture to a temperature suitable for the gas-solids separator, the solids cooling component being coupled to the solids collection component; the gas-solids separator downstream of the solids cooling component, the gas-solids separator configured to direct various portions of the mixture to at least one of the pyrolysis reactor, a resultant gas product, and an end point; The pyrolysis system of claim 1 further comprising:

11. The plurality of separation elements comprises an adsorption separation element, the adsorption separation element comprising: a first adsorption component comprising one or more adsorption materials configured to remove one or more organic compounds from the product stream; and one or more valves configured to control the flow of the product stream and / or flash gas through the first adsorption component.

12. The adsorptive separation component is a second adsorption component comprising the one or more adsorption materials configured to remove the one or more organic compounds from the product stream, wherein the first adsorption component and the second adsorption component are in parallel; 12. The pyrolysis system of claim 11, wherein the one or more valves are a plurality of valves, the plurality of valves being further configured to control the flow of the product stream and / or the flash gas through the second adsorption component.

13. 12. The pyrolysis system of claim 11, wherein the flushing gas comprises at least one of a portion of the system feed, the hydrogen gas, flue gas, combustion fuel, and one or more reactants that are precursors for making the product stream.

14. 2. The pyrolysis system of claim 1, further comprising a regenerative feed, wherein the pyrolysis reactor is configured to react the regenerative input with residual carbon in the pyrolysis chamber to produce a regenerative effluent stream output from the pyrolysis reactor, and wherein only one of the system feed and the regenerative feed can be in the pyrolysis reactor at a time.

15. the regeneration input is water; the regeneration effluent stream comprises hydrogen gas, carbon monoxide, and carbon dioxide; at least a portion of the regeneration effluent stream is directed to a burner coupled to the pyrolysis reactor and / or directed to the product stream; 15. The pyrolysis system of claim 14.

16. a second pyrolysis reactor; and a first tight shutoff valve operably coupled to the system feed and the pyrolysis reactor; a second tight shutoff valve operably coupled to the regeneration feed and the pyrolysis reactor; a third tight shutoff valve operably coupled to the system feed and the second pyrolysis reactor; and a fourth tight shutoff valve operably coupled to the regeneration feed and the second pyrolysis reactor, and the first tight shutoff valve is configured in a closed position to shut off the system feed from the pyrolysis reactor; the second tight shutoff valve is configured in an open position to flow the regenerator feed through the pyrolysis reactor; the third tight shutoff valve is configured in the open position to flow the system feed through the second pyrolysis reactor; and the fourth tight shutoff valve is configured in the closed position to shut off the regeneration feed from the second pyrolysis reactor.

15. The pyrolysis system of claim 14.

17. a subassembly container, the subassembly container comprising: a pyrolysis reactor container comprising the pyrolysis reactor; a product conditioning container comprising the plurality of separation components and the one or more heat exchange components; a solids handling container comprising said solids collection component.

18. 1. A pyrolysis system comprising: a pyrolysis reactor comprising a pyrolysis chamber configured to produce a product stream from a system feed, the product stream comprising hydrogen gas, one or more organic compounds, and carbon; a plurality of separation components downstream of the pyrolysis reactor, one or more separation components, a first separation component separating the carbon from the product stream to provide a gas product stream; an adsorptive separation component, a first adsorption component comprising one or more adsorbent materials configured to remove the one or more organic compounds from the gas product stream; a second adsorbent component comprising one or more adsorbent materials configured to remove the one or more organic compounds from the gas product stream; a plurality of valves operably coupled to the first and second adsorption components, the plurality of valves configured to control the flow of the gas product stream and a flushing gas through the first and second adsorption components, wherein the flushing gas is a process gas; an adsorption separation component; and a plurality of separation components.

19. the plurality of valves 20. The pyrolysis system of claim 18, configured to direct the flushing gas through the first adsorption component and / or the second adsorption component, wherein an output of the first adsorption component and / or the second adsorption component is a desorption stream, the desorption stream comprising the flushing gas and the one or more organic compounds.

20. the plurality of valves 20. The pyrolysis system of claim 19, further configured to direct the desorption stream back to the pyrolysis reactor, the pyrolysis reactor configured to use the desorption stream in a chemical reaction and return it to a burner and / or oxidizer coupled to the pyrolysis reactor.

21. 1. A pyrolysis system comprising: a pyrolysis reactor comprising a pyrolysis chamber configured to produce a product stream from a system feed, the system feed comprising a hydrocarbon reactant, and the product stream comprising hydrogen gas and carbon; a regeneration feed, wherein the pyrolysis reactor is configured to react a regeneration input with residual carbon in the pyrolysis chamber to produce a regeneration effluent stream output from the pyrolysis reactor, and only one of the system feed and the regeneration feed may be present in the pyrolysis reactor at a time; a plurality of valves configured to control the flow of the system feed to the pyrolysis reactor and the flow of the regeneration input to the pyrolysis reactor; a burner coupled to the pyrolysis reactor; 1. A pyrolysis system comprising: one or more separation components downstream of the pyrolysis reactor, at least one of the one or more separation components configured to separate the carbon from the product stream.

22. the plurality of valves a first tight shutoff valve and a first regulating valve operably coupled to the system feed and the pyrolysis reactor; 22. The pyrolysis system of claim 21, comprising a second tight shutoff valve and a second regulating valve operably coupled to the regeneration feed and the pyrolysis reactor, wherein when the second tight shutoff valve is in an open position, the first tight shutoff valve is in a closed position.

23. 22. The pyrolysis system of claim 21, wherein steam produced from the burner is added to and / or used as the regeneration input.

24. a second pyrolysis reactor comprising a second pyrolysis chamber configured to produce the product stream from the system feed; a second plurality of valves configured to control the flow of the system feed to the second pyrolysis reactor and the flow of the regeneration input to the pyrolysis reactor; a second burner coupled to the pyrolysis reactor; 22. The pyrolysis system of claim 21, further comprising:

25. at a first time, the pyrolysis reactor is in a regeneration mode and the plurality of valves are configured to close the flow of the system feed to the pyrolysis reactor and open the flow of the regeneration input to the pyrolysis reactor; at the first time, the second pyrolysis reactor is in a pyrolysis mode, and the second plurality of valves are configured to open the flow of the system feed to the second pyrolysis reactor and close the flow of the regeneration input to the second pyrolysis reactor; at a second time, the pyrolysis reactor is in the pyrolysis mode and the plurality of valves are configured to open the flow of the system feed to the pyrolysis reactor and close the flow of the regeneration input to the pyrolysis reactor; 25. The pyrolysis system of claim 24, wherein at the second time, the second pyrolysis reactor is in the regeneration mode and the second plurality of valves are configured to close the flow of the system feed to the second pyrolysis reactor and open the flow of the regeneration input to the second pyrolysis reactor.

26. 1. A method for separating components of a product stream, comprising: A pyrolysis system is provided, the pyrolysis system comprising: a pyrolysis reactor comprising a pyrolysis chamber configured to produce the product stream from a system feed, the product stream comprising hydrogen gas and carbon; a plurality of separation components configured to separate the product stream, the plurality of separation components being downstream of the pyrolysis reactor; one or more heat exchange components coupled to one or more of the plurality of separation components; a solids collection component coupled to one or more of the plurality of separation components; and controlling the flow of the product stream through the pyrolysis system.

27. the plurality of separation components includes a first separation component and a second separation component; the one or more heat exchange components include a first heat exchange component and a second heat exchange component; controlling the flow of the product stream passing the product stream to the first heat exchange element, the first heat exchange element cooling the product stream to a first temperature suitable for the first separation element; passing the product stream from the first heat exchange component to the first separation component, the first separation component removing a first portion of the carbon from the product stream, the first portion of the carbon being carbon particles having a size equal to or greater than a first size; directing the first portion of the carbon to the solids collection component; passing the product stream from the first separation component to the second heat exchange component, the second heat exchange component cooling the product stream to a second temperature suitable for the second separation component; passing the product stream from the second heat exchange component to the second separation component, the second separation component removing a second portion of the carbon from the product stream, the second portion of the carbon being carbon particles having a size greater than or equal to a second size, the second size being smaller than the first size; directing the second portion of the carbon to the solids collection component; passing at least a portion of the remaining product stream comprising hydrogen gas to said pyrolysis reactor; 27. The method of claim 26, comprising:

28. the plurality of separation components comprises an adsorption separation component, the adsorption separation component comprising an adsorption component and one or more valves; controlling the flow of the product stream directing the product stream to the adsorption component when the one or more valves are in a first position, the adsorption component adsorbing one or more organic compounds from the product stream; delivering a flushing gas to the adsorption component when the one or more valves are in a second position, the flushing gas desorbing the one or more organic compounds from the adsorption component, the flushing gas being a process gas; 27. The method of claim 26, comprising:

29. the pyrolysis system further comprising a regenerator feed for reacting with residual carbon in the pyrolysis chamber, the method comprising: controlling an inlet flow to the pyrolysis reactor, wherein controlling the inlet flow comprises:

27. The method of claim 26, further comprising controlling, including controlling one or more valves to ensure that the system feed and the regeneration feed are separate and are not simultaneously fed to the pyrolysis reactor.

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