Lance for injecting reactants into a gasifier

Abstract

A lance for injecting reactants into a gasification zone of a gasifier includes a face, an outer shell, and a primary cooling circuit with an inlet nozzle and an outlet nozzle, the lance being an actively cooled lance.

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS This application claims the benefit of priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63 / 314,148, filed February 25, 2022, which is incorporated by reference in its entirety for any and all purposes.

[0002] FIELD OF THEINVENTION The present invention relates to a lance, preferably an actively cooled lance, for injecting reactants into the gasification zone of a gasifier, preferably a countercurrent fixed bed slagging gasifier. The present invention also relates to effectively managing the local heat load experienced by the lance and optimizing the injection of reagents into the feed bed. [Background technology]

[0003] background Injecting reactive materials at high temperatures into a fixed bed of waste material is a complex process. The waste is compositionally diverse and contains numerous corrosive contaminants that limit the metallurgy that can be effectively used.

[0004] Plasma torches are complex devices containing numerous seals and wear parts that are subject to intensive maintenance. They also use electricity and contribute to high parasitic loads when utilized in the process.

[0005] There is a need for a robust device constructed of corrosion resistant alloys capable of introducing reactants and difficult waste materials into the high temperature zone of a waste gasifier. Summary of the Invention

[0006] overview In one aspect, provided herein is a lance, preferably an actively cooled lance, for injecting reactants into the gasification zone of a gasifier, preferably a countercurrent fixed bed slagging gasifier. In one embodiment, the gasifier gasifies heterogeneous waste. The reactants include, but are not limited to, one or more of steam, oxygen, and fuel gas. Various coolants are useful in the actively cooled lance provided herein. In one embodiment, the coolant is water.

[0007] In one embodiment, the lance can include a face, an outer shell, and a primary cooling circuit with inlet and outlet nozzles (e.g., inlet nozzle i and outlet nozzle i). The lance can be an actively cooled lance for injecting reactants into the gasification zone of the gasifier. The lance can include a secondary cooling circuit with inlet and outlet nozzles (e.g., inlet nozzle ii and outlet nozzle ii) to provide additional cooling to the face of the lance to ensure sufficient cooling of the face. The lance can include inlet nozzles for steam and oxygen (e.g., inlet iii). The lance can include an inlet nozzle for fuel gas (e.g., inlet iv). The lance can include an inlet nozzle for heterogeneous waste (e.g., inlet v). In one embodiment, the face is welded to the outer shell.

[0008] In one embodiment, the primary cooling circuit includes a distributor. The distributor can be positioned about the outer shell. The distributor can be configured to maintain a sufficient average cooling water flow velocity. In another embodiment, the secondary cooling circuit can include a second distributor. The second distributor can be configured to maintain a sufficient average cooling water velocity.

[0009] Multiple inlet nozzles and injection nozzles as provided herein may be used. In one embodiment, the lance may include an annulus. The annulus may be configured to distribute the fuel gas to the multiple injection nozzles. For example, the annulus may distribute the fuel gas from a single fuel gas inlet nozzle to the multiple injection nozzles. In other embodiments, the fuel gas inlet nozzle includes one or more (e.g., multiple) fuel gas injection nozzles.

[0010] Illustrative and non-limiting examples of lances provided herein are illustrated in the figures provided herein.

[0011] In one embodiment, the steam and oxygen inlet nozzle (e.g., inlet nozzle iii) comprises a steam and oxygen injection nozzle 12. In another embodiment, the fuel gas inlet nozzle (e.g., inlet nozzle iv) comprises one or more, preferably a plurality of fuel injection nozzles 13.

[0012] In one embodiment, the inlet nozzle for the heterogeneous waste (e.g., inlet v) comprises one or more injection nozzles, such as, but not limited to, hydraulic atomization nozzles. The inlet nozzle for the heterogeneous waste can be configured to inject the heterogeneous waste into a gasifier or the like.

[0013] The injection nozzle(s) as used herein accelerate the flow of the various components (oxygen, steam, fuel gas, waste) introduced herein.

[0014] In one embodiment, the lance further comprises an automatic flow control valve (such as, but not limited to, an on-off valve). Flow control refers to stopping or 0% flow, full or about 100% flow, or reduced flow such as about 20%, about 50%, or about 80% flow. The automatic flow control valve is cycled to pulse the injection of steam and oxygen through the corresponding injection nozzle. Without being bound by theory, this increases the instantaneous mass flow rate of injection to achieve the desired penetration into the solid feed bed while maintaining the time-averaged injection mass flow rate required by the overall gasifier. The automatic flow control valve adjusts the flow of steam and oxygen to increase the instantaneous mass flow rate of the injectants, thereby increasing the penetration into the material bed. In one embodiment, the flow control valve is an on-off valve.

[0015] In one embodiment, the lance is manufactured to be attached to the gasifier through a port to facilitate introduction, removal, and replacement of the lance while the gasifier is in operation.

[0016] In some embodiments, the fuel gas is asymmetrically injected into multiple zones around an exterior surface, such as the periphery of the face, and the fuel flow rate to each zone is adjusted by an automatic flow control valve to achieve a desired distribution around the periphery of the face.

[0017] In one embodiment, the lance, including its components, is constructed from a superalloy, for example, but not limited to, as disclosed herein above, and welded into an assembled lance. When in use, the lance is preferably cooled to maintain it below the maximum use temperature of the superalloy.

[0018] In one embodiment, the lance is fabricated or manufactured using direct metal laser sintering. Without being bound by theory, this provides for a lance that includes complex geometries.

[0019] In another aspect, provided herein is a gasifier, preferably a countercurrent fixed bed slagging gasifier, comprising a lance provided herein. Lance placement can be varied in terms of spacing around the perimeter, position relative to bed height, downward angle, and offset angle from normal (i.e., a line perpendicular to the tangent to the reactor vessel wall at the lance location) to create an optimal temperature profile and ensure consistent movement of the bed across the diameter of the gasifier.

[0020] In certain embodiments, multiple lances are provided around the perimeter at each of the vertical lance locations with the number, spacing, and orientation adjusted to provide a suitable distribution of gas flow and ensure mobility of the bed across the cross section without stagnant dead zones. In some embodiments, between 4 and 8 lances are provided. In one embodiment, six lances are provided.

[0021] In another aspect, provided herein is a process for gasifying heterogeneous waste, the process comprising gasifying the heterogeneous waste in a gasifier, the gasifier comprising a lance provided herein.

[0022] In one embodiment, the gasifier gasifies the heterogeneous waste. In another embodiment, the heterogeneous waste is liquid waste. In one embodiment, the process includes co-injecting the liquid waste with steam and oxygen into the gasifier. In another embodiment, the liquid waste has a viscosity less than about 0.05 Pa·s (Pascal seconds). In another embodiment, the liquid waste has a viscosity greater than about 0.05 Pa·s but less than about 1.0 Pa·s. The viscosity is achieved by, for example, but not limited to, external heating of the liquid at a practical operating temperature (e.g., but not limited to, about 40° C. to 350° C.) that can be achieved, for example, but not limited to, by external heating of the liquid. In another embodiment, any harmful components of the liquid waste are effectively destroyed within the gasifier. In one embodiment, the lance is fabricated to be attached to the gasifier through a port to facilitate removal and replacement of the lance while the gasifier is operating. In another embodiment, the lance is attached to or removed from the gasifier through a port to facilitate removal and replacement of the lance while the gasifier is operating. In one embodiment, the fuel gas is introduced through multiple inlet nozzles each serving a zone with one or more injection nozzles around the exterior of the face of the lance, such as around the periphery of the face. In another embodiment, the gasifier excludes the plasma torch.

[0023] In another embodiment, the oxygen to steam ratio used in a lance, for example one located within a bed of material, is from about 1.5 to about 4.5 kg O2 / kg steam. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0024] [Figure 1] Illustrated are non-limiting examples of lances designed to inject a mixture of steam and oxygen and a secondary injection of fuel gas, for example, into the gasification zone of a waste gasifier. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view depicting certain internal details of the lance illustrated in FIG. 1; [Diagram 3]FIG. 2 is a diagram of a lance face, such as face 1, showing non-limiting locations of main steam and oxygen injection nozzles 12 and multiple fuel gas injection nozzles 13. [Figure 4] 1 is a cross-sectional representation of a converging-diverging nozzle. [Diagram 5] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of a representation of a liquid waste injection nozzle for low viscosity liquids. [Figure 6] 1 illustrates a lance configured for injection of viscous liquid waste. [Figure 7] 1 depicts a lance equipped with an automatic flow control valve 20 that is cycled to pulse the injection of steam and oxygen through 12 . [Figure 8] 1 depicts an exemplary, non-limiting lance having multiple fuel gas injection nozzles. Fuel is injected through multiple inlet nozzles in zones around the circumference of the face. Each zone is comprised of one or more injection nozzles, and the fuel flow rate can vary in each zone. [Figure 9] An example of a lance having an insufficient cooling design (comparative example) is illustrated. The lance was operated for approximately 150 hours injecting steam and oxygen into a fixed bed slagging gasifier. The operating time was accumulated over a series of short test campaigns, with inspections conducted after each test. After approximately 65 hours of operation, stress cracks and corrosion damage began to form. After approximately 150 hours, it was determined to be unsuitable for continued operation. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view of the front face of the lance of FIG. 9 illustrating the thick Inconel 625 front plate and the lack of cooling water on the face of the lance. [Figure 11] FIG. 10 is a modeled temperature distribution in front of the lance of FIG. 9. The temperature exceeds the maximum design temperature of Inconel 625. [Figure 12] 1 is a modeled temperature distribution for an improved design including secondary cooling water flow in accordance with the present invention, so that the temperature remains below the maximum use temperature of Inconel 625. [Figure 13]12 is an example of an improved lance design in accordance with the present invention. The photograph was taken after approximately 100 hours of operation. There is no evidence of damage, supporting the modeling performed and depicted in FIG. 12. [Figure 14] 1 is an example of a lance according to one embodiment. [Figure 15] 1 depicts thermal modeling of a reduced diameter injection lance with a single injection nozzle. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0025] Detailed Description In this specification and the claims that follow, reference will be made to a number of terms that have the following meanings. It should be noted that the specific embodiments are not intended as exhaustive descriptions or as limitations to the broader aspects discussed herein. An aspect described in conjunction with a specific embodiment is not necessarily limited to that embodiment and can be practiced in any other embodiment.

[0026] When used herein in relation to numerical ranges, the terms "approximately," "about," "substantially," and similar terms will be understood by those of ordinary skill in the art and will vary to some extent depending on the context in which they are used. If there is a use of a term that is not clear to a person of ordinary skill in the art given the context in which it is used, the term will be plus or minus 10% of the disclosed value. When "approximately," "about," "substantially," and similar terms are applied to structural features (e.g., to describe its shape, size, orientation, direction, etc.), these terms are intended to cover slight variations in the structure that may result, for example, from the manufacturing or assembly process, and are intended to have a broad meaning consistent with common and accepted usage by those of ordinary skill in the art to which the subject matter of this disclosure pertains. Thus, these terms should be interpreted as indicating that insubstantial or insignificant modifications or variations of the described and claimed subject matter are considered to be within the scope of the disclosure as set forth in the appended claims.

[0027] The use of the terms "a," "an," "the," and similar referents in the context of describing elements (particularly in the context of the appended claims) should be construed to cover both the singular and the plural, unless otherwise indicated herein or clearly contradicted by context. The recitation of ranges of values ​​herein is merely intended to serve as a shorthand method of referring individually to each individual value falling within the range, unless otherwise indicated herein, and each individual value is incorporated into the specification as if it were individually set forth herein. All methods described herein can be performed in any suitable order, unless otherwise indicated herein or clearly contradicted by context. The use of any and all examples or exemplary language (e.g., "to etc.") provided herein is intended merely to better illustrate the embodiments and does not present limitations on the scope of the claims, unless otherwise indicated. No language in the specification should be construed as indicating any non-claimed element as required.

[0028] "Coolant" refers to a cooling fluid that circulates through one or more circuits within the lance to maintain the materials of construction within safe operating limits. This coolant may include, but is not limited to, cooling water, thermal oil, or liquid metal, potentially with or without additives such as corrosion and scale inhibitors, and modifiers to alter the boiling and freezing points of the coolant to improve operability.

[0029] "Effective destruction" refers to the reduction of the amount of harmful components. The amount of harmful components may be reduced by chemical conversion to non-harmful components. To be considered effective, the overall conversion of harmful components would be a minimum of 70% by mass, and ideally greater than 90% by mass. In addition, the discharge streams from the process to the environment must be below the relevant regulatory limits. Intermediate streams can be recycled to the process to obtain the necessary conversion without restrictions. Effective destruction can also be achieved by modifying the physical state of the waste in such a way that the harmful effects of the harmful components are reduced. An example of this would be incorporation into a non-leachable vitreous slag material. Dilution of harmful components is not effective destruction even if it meets the regulated discharge limits.

[0030] "Fuel gas" refers to the gaseous fuel added to the gasification process through a lance to add energy to the gasification process. The composition of the fuel can vary widely depending on the application. Typical fuels are natural gas, liquefied petroleum gas, biogas, recycled syngas produced by the process, and tail gas streams containing varying amounts of hydrogen, methane, carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, C2-C6 hydrocarbons, and aromatic hydrocarbons such as benzene.

[0031] "Gasification Zone" refers to the high temperature zone within a fixed bed gasifier where organic components from the feed bed react with injected steam and oxygen to produce synthesis gas. In addition, it refers to the zone where slagging temperatures (generally above about 1400° C., above the melting point of inorganics in the feed) are achieved and molten slag is produced.

[0032] "Hazardous ingredient" refers to any chemical that has been determined by a government regulatory agency to have a specific harmful effect on plants, animals, including but not limited to humans, or the environment. Preferably, chemicals whose only harmful effect is as a climate change agent are excluded from this definition.

[0033] "Heterogeneous waste" refers to hydrocarbon waste streams having various particulate morphologies, such as, but not limited to, municipal solid waste ("MSW"), wood, agricultural waste, coal, shredded tires, petroleum coke, or within the size range of 6 mm to 100 mm, outside the range that can be handled by fluidized bed, entrained flow, or existing fixed bed gasification processes. The heterogeneous waste feed to the gasifier includes any mixture of the above waste streams, whether fed to the gasifier in a single blended stream, or fed to the gasifier as separate feed streams, either sequentially or via separate feeders.

[0034] "Injectant" refers to, but is not limited to, oxygen, steam, CO2, liquid feedstock, recycled soot from the gasifier, powdered solids, fuel gas, solid fuels or waste slurries and suspensions, or liquid or gaseous waste streams injected into the gasifier using a lance. Injectants include any mixture of the above components, whether fed to the gasifier in a single blended stream or as separate feed streams, either sequentially or through separate nozzles of the lance.

[0035] "Lance" refers to a device installed through the shell of a gasifier to inject material into a bed of feed material contained within the gasification zone. The device operates at high temperatures that require a coolant to operate adequately. In a specific, non-limiting example, a lance refers to a device inserted into a gasifier and secured to a vessel with one or more fluid passages via suitable flanges, the one or more fluid passages being arranged as individual tubes or annular passages to inject one or more gasifying agents or feedstocks, including oxygen, steam, supplemental fuel gas, CO2, liquid feedstock or powdered solid feedstock, into the bed material at high velocities in the preferred range of about 100 to about 125 m / s to allow for effective penetration and mixing. The fluid passages are contained within an outer shell that is cooled with cooling water or other suitable means to protect the materials of construction from the high temperatures within the gasifier. A lance does not require a supplemental electrical source, such as for a plasma torch. A lance also does not require an ignition device, burner management system, and fuel / oxidant ratio control (i.e., lambda), as in the case of a burner.

[0036] "Injection Nozzle" refers to a port in the face of the lance that allows for the introduction of gas, liquid, or mixtures thereof into the gasifier. The injection nozzle accelerates the velocity of the various components (oxygen, steam, fuel gas, waste) introduced herein.

[0037] "Inlet Nozzle" refers to a port on a lance that allows for the introduction of a gas, liquid, or mixture thereof into flow channels disposed within the body of the lance. These flow channels terminate in one or more "injection nozzles" or outlet nozzles through which the coolant flow exits.

[0038] "Oxygen" refers to pure oxygen and includes gases substantially enriched in oxygen. For example, but not limited to, gases substantially enriched in oxygen include gases obtained from vacuum / pressure swing processes having an oxygen purity of > about 85% by volume, with the remainder being nitrogen, argon, and carbon dioxide. Another non-limiting example of oxygen includes industrially supplied oxygen having a purity of greater than 99% by volume.

[0039] "Pulse width modulation" refers to a method of operation in which a flow control valve is periodically cycled to regulate the flow of injectant through the nozzle, allowing operation at higher instantaneous mass flow rates, benefiting bed penetration.

[0040] "Superalloy" refers to an alloy with a service temperature of at least 800°C that is corrosion resistant to sulfur, chlorine and other contaminants likely to be present in the waste material. The choice of material is informed by the feedstock composition. This includes, but is not limited to, materials such as high nickel stainless steels, nickel-chromium superalloys such as Inconel®, nickel-chromium-molybdenum superalloys such as Hastelloy®, and cobalt-chromium-nickel-molybdenum superalloys such as Ultimet®.

[0041] DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The present invention arises in part by overcoming several problems associated with conventional copper-based lances (copper is used for its high thermal conductivity, which promotes the formation of a protective "frozen" layer of slag, also called a "skull", because a low surface temperature is maintained), including: Varying feed composition in waste streams contains compounds that damage copper; The feed does not contain enough slag-forming material to maintain a protective layer on the lance, and Typical gasifier volumes are small, resulting in increased relative heat losses through the lance since the specific surface area of ​​the lance (i.e., the surface area of ​​the lance relative to the capacity or volume of the gasifier) ​​is inversely proportional to the capacity and volume of the gasifier, etc.

[0042] Thus, provided herein are lances, as well as devices and processes including the lances, that are cooled with a coolant, that are preferably not made of copper, and that are useful for gasifying waste streams, such as heterogeneous waste streams, more preferably liquid heterogeneous waste streams, and even more preferably effectively destroying harmful components present in the waste stream.

[0043] Figure 1 illustrates a non-limiting example of a lance designed to inject a mixture of steam and oxygen and a secondary injection of fuel gas, for example, into the gasification zone of a waste gasifier. The lance uses water as a coolant. Face 1 is welded to an outer shell 2. There is a primary cooling circuit with an inlet nozzle 3 and an outlet nozzle 4. There is a secondary cooling circuit to ensure sufficient cooling of the face with an inlet nozzle 5 and an outlet nozzle 6. There is an inlet nozzle 7 for steam and oxygen and an inlet nozzle 8 for fuel gas.

[0044] Figure 2 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view depicting certain internal details of the lance illustrated in Figure 1. The primary cooling circuit comprises channels around the outer shell 9 to maintain sufficient average cooling water flow velocity. Secondary surface cooling is also configured with a distributor 10 to maintain sufficient average cooling water velocity. An annulus 11 distributes the fuel gas to multiple injection nozzles when a single fuel gas inlet nozzle 8 is used.

[0045] FIG. 3 is a diagram of a lance face, such as face 1, showing non-limiting locations of main steam and oxygen injection nozzles 12 and multiple fuel gas injection nozzles 13.

[0046] In one embodiment, the lance is comprised of components manufactured from superalloys that are assembled and welded together in such a manner that no sharp stress concentrations are formed. The assembly has one or more coolant circuits consisting of an inlet nozzle, a distributor that conducts the coolant to the zone exposed to high temperatures, and an outlet nozzle. The coolant circuits are designed to prevent recirculation of the coolant flow and ensure that a minimum coolant velocity is maintained. As provided herein, the average velocity in a coolant circuit using water as the coolant ranges from about 4 m / s to about 20 m / s depending on the geometry and maximum design heat flux. For velocities greater than about 5 m / s, additional consideration of erosion of the cooling circuit is employed.

[0047] In some embodiments, the lance has at least one injection nozzle for continuously injecting a mixture of steam and oxygen into the feed bed to react with the organic material present and generate a local temperature of > about 1300° C. to melt the inorganic portion of the feed.

[0048] In some embodiments, the lance has a minimum service life of about 4,300 hours, a preferred service life of about 8,700 hours, and an ideal service life of about 13,000 hours. In some embodiments, the lance is flush or slightly recessed into the gasifier wall to protect it from abrasion by the feed material and from excessive contact with molten slag and metal. Any of the lance injection nozzles also serve to inject nitrogen or air into the system if needed.

[0049] In one embodiment, the lance is manufactured to be attached to the gasifier through a port to facilitate removal and replacement of the lance while the gasifier is operating. The port includes: 1. a purge gas inlet to prevent leakage of syngas, 2. an isolation valve outside the gasifier shell with a port of sufficient diameter for the lance to pass through, 3. a seal chamber that can maintain a secondary seal on the lance until it is retracted far enough from the vessel to close the isolation valve, and 4. a mechanical stop to prevent the lance from being retracted beyond the seal chamber until the isolation valve closes.

[0050] In one embodiment, the coolant distributor and injection nozzle are fabricated from a superalloy using direct metal laser sintering methods for fabrication.

[0051] In one embodiment, the injection nozzle for steam and oxygen is manufactured with a converging-diverging shape to accelerate the injectant and increase its penetration into the feed bed. FIG. 4 depicts a schematic cross-section of one embodiment of the injection nozzle at the lance face. FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional representation of a converging-diverging injection nozzle. The shape varies based on the instantaneous mass flow rate, upstream pressure, and exit pressure. The angle α of the converging inlet is set to obtain a throat diameter d to establish sonic flow at the target mass flow rate. The angle β and length l set the area ratio of the nozzle.

[0052] 5 is a cross-sectional representation of an embodiment of a liquid waste injection nozzle for low viscosity liquids, e.g., having a viscosity of less than about 0.05 Pa·s. Steam and oxygen enter inlet nozzle 14 and are accelerated through injection nozzle 12. Liquid is pumped through the inlet nozzle into header 15 and then injected through one or more hydraulic atomization nozzles 16.

[0053] FIG. 6 illustrates a lance configured for injection of viscous liquid waste, for example, having a viscosity greater than about 0.05 Pa·s but less than about 1.0 Pa·s. Such waste requires a two-fluid nozzle where the liquid is pumped through inlet nozzle 15 and through injection nozzle 17. The atomization fluid circuit is shaded gray for clarity. The fluid enters inlet nozzle 19 and exits through multiple injection nozzles 18 to atomize the viscous fluid. The injection nozzles are set at an angle ε such that they intersect and are entrained within the flow of steam and oxygen through injection nozzle 12.

[0054] 7 depicts a lance equipped with an automatic flow control valve 20 that is cycled to pulse the injection of steam and oxygen through 12. This is utilized to increase the instantaneous mass flow rate of injection to achieve the desired penetration into the solids feed bed while maintaining the time-averaged injection mass flow rate required by the overall gasifier.

[0055] In one embodiment illustrated in Figure 7, an on-off or flow control valve is installed upstream of the steam and oxygen inlet nozzles. This valve is cycled to implement pulse width modulation of the steam and oxygen injection. This improves penetration into the feed bed by increasing the instantaneous mass flow rate of the injectants while maintaining the time average mass flow rate required by the overall gasification process. Modulation of the injected materials (gas and liquid) also provides a means of agitating the solid feed bed, helping to avoid process upsets and / or the need for mechanical bed agitators.

[0056] Another embodiment includes the addition of one or more injection nozzles for injection of fuel gas into the gasifier. The number, diameter, and design of the nozzles will vary based on the fuel composition, energy content, and mass flow rate required. Those skilled in the art will recognize that for safe operation, the fuels must be introduced through separate nozzles and mixed externally.

[0057] FIG. 8 depicts an exemplary non-limiting lance with multiple fuel gas inlet nozzles. Fuel is injected through multiple zones of one or more injection nozzles around the perimeter of the face. Flow to each zone can be varied independently. This depicts a four zone setup with one fuel injection nozzle 13 per zone. Fuel flow to each zone is adjusted by automatic flow control valves 21 to achieve the desired distribution around the perimeter of the face.

[0058] In one embodiment, the flow of fuel gas to individual or groups of injection nozzles is regulated by the incorporation of a control valve. The control valve allows for variation of the fuel distribution relative to the steam and oxygen flow jets. This can change the oxygen concentration in the gasification reaction zone and effectively steer the influence of the jets in the feed bed. This is depicted in FIG. 8.

[0059] In another embodiment, gaseous or vaporized waste material that reacts with oxygen or feedbed material can be injected through the lance in a manner similar to fuel gas. The gaseous waste material should have a dew point at least about 15° C. above the lowest local lance operating temperature to ensure no condensation occurs. The waste material is heated to form steam and the required superheat can be achieved by an external heater.

[0060] In one embodiment, the lance injects the liquid waste into the gasifier. For liquid waste with low viscosity, < about 0.05 Pa·s, and no solids, hydraulic atomization can be used to inject the liquid. This is accomplished by including one or more injection nozzles on the lance.

[0061] In another embodiment, liquid waste having a viscosity up to about 1.00 Pa·s can be injected through a two-fluid atomization nozzle. Typically, steam is used as the atomization fluid, but there is no physical limitation to using air, nitrogen, or other suitable compressed gas in this role. The liquid injection nozzle is oriented to direct its outlet at an angle ε and lateral distance Y to entrain the steam and oxygen injection streams.

[0062] In another embodiment, the liquid waste can be injected through a separate nozzle not integrated into the lance, oriented at an angle ε to target a mixing point at distance Y to entrain with the steam and oxygen streams of the lance. EXAMPLES

[0063] Example 1: Operational testing of lances with different cooling water configurations Figure 9 shows the face of a Generation 1 lance after approximately 150 hours of operation in a fixed bed slagging waste gasifier. The gasifier was equipped with six of these lances located around the circumference of the vessel. The damage in Figure 9 is representative of the condition of the other lances.

[0064] The damage is less severe than predicted by modelling of the design, which is 820kW / m across the entire surface of the lance. 2 This is due to the use of conservative incident heat flux values ​​of 1000 psi. The lance is not subject to such conditions during service. However, the formation of stress cracks around the nozzle shown in Figure 9 is consistent with thermal cycling at elevated temperatures. The formation of these cracks at approximately 65 hours of operation indicates a need for increased cooling.

[0065] In accordance with the present invention, modeling was performed to develop an improved design. Figure 12 shows the modeled material temperature distribution of a thinner face plate with an auxiliary cooling water circuit to provide satisfactory localized cooling. This modeling led to the lance design shown in Figures 1-3. The improved lance design was installed and operated on the same gasifier. Figure 13 shows the lance face after 100 cumulative hours of operation with no signs of cracking in the improved design.

[0066] Example 2: Design, Construction, and Testing of a Simplified Lance with a Single Injection Nozzle In accordance with the present invention, a simplified lance having a reduced diameter outer shell 2 may be utilized to (i) provide additional space within an existing gasifier vessel port envelope to allow for placement of test equipment (including but not limited to thermocouples, optical measurement devices, etc.) and / or auxiliary injection lances adjacent to the main reduced diameter injection lance, or (ii) provide a simpler, smaller, and reduced weight main injection lance for ease of removal and replacement during operation.

[0067] 14 and 15 show the production lance and thermal modeling of a simplified reduced diameter injection lance with a single injection nozzle, which was installed and operated on the same test gasifier and approved by the engineering and operations teams to meet performance specifications, and which allows for these aspects of the invention, particularly the reduced size that allows adjacent test equipment to be placed on the same gasifier nozzle / port, the provision to allow for removal and replacement of this lance during operation, and reduces heat losses associated with this component, further slightly improving overall process efficiency.

[0068] While particular embodiments have been illustrated and described, it will be understood that changes and modifications may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the technology in its broader aspects as defined in the appended claims.

[0069] The embodiments illustratively described herein may be suitably practiced in the absence of any element or elements, limitation or limitations not specifically disclosed herein. Thus, for example, terms such as "comprising", "including", "containing" and the like should be read broadly and without limitation. Furthermore, the terms and expressions used herein are used as terms of description and not of limitation, and the use of such terms and expressions is not intended to exclude any equivalents of the illustrated and described features or portions thereof, but is recognized to be capable of various modifications within the scope of the claimed technology. In addition, the phrase "consisting essentially of" will be understood to include the specifically recited elements and additional elements that do not materially affect the basic and novel characteristics of the claimed technology. The phrase "consisting of" excludes any elements not specified.

[0070] The present disclosure should not be limited in terms of the specific embodiments described in this application. As will be apparent to those skilled in the art, many modifications and variations can be made without departing from the spirit and scope thereof. In addition to those recited herein, functionally equivalent methods and compositions within the scope of the present disclosure will be apparent to those skilled in the art from the foregoing description. Such modifications and variations are intended to fall within the scope of the appended claims. The present disclosure should be limited only by the terms of the appended claims, along with the full scope of equivalents to which such claims are entitled. It is to be understood that the present disclosure is not limited to particular methods, reagents, compounds, compositions, or biological systems, which can, of course, vary. It is also to be understood that the terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only, and is not intended to be limiting.

[0071] In addition, when features or aspects of the disclosure are described in terms of a Markush group, those skilled in the art will recognize that the disclosure is also thereby described in terms of any individual members or subgroups of members of the Markush group.

[0072] As will be understood by those skilled in the art, for any and all purposes, especially in terms of providing a written description, all ranges disclosed herein also include any and all possible subranges and combinations of those subranges. Any listed range can be easily recognized as fully descriptive and allowing the same range to be broken down into at least equal halves, thirds, quarters, fifths, tenths, etc. As a non-limiting example, each range discussed herein can be easily broken down into a lower third, middle third, and upper third, etc. As will also be understood by those skilled in the art, all language such as "up to," "at least," "greater than," "less than," etc., refers to a range that includes the recited numbers and can then be broken down into subranges as discussed above. Finally, as will be understood by those skilled in the art, a range includes each individual member.

[0073] All publications, patent applications, issued patents, and other references mentioned herein are herein incorporated by reference as if each individual publication, patent application, issued patent, or other reference was specifically and individually indicated to be incorporated by reference in its entirety. Definitions contained in any text incorporated by reference are excluded to the extent they conflict with definitions in this disclosure.

[0074] Other embodiments are within the scope of the following claims.

Claims

1. Face and An outer shell; a primary cooling circuit having an inlet nozzle and an outlet nozzle; Equipped with an actively cooled means for injecting reactants into the gasification zone of a gasifier; Lance.

2. The lance of claim 1 further comprising a secondary cooling circuit comprising a second inlet nozzle and a second outlet nozzle for providing additional cooling to the face.

3. The lance of claim 2 , wherein the secondary cooling circuit further comprises a distributor, the distributor configured to maintain an average cooling water velocity.

4. 4. The lance of claim 1, 2 or 3, further comprising a fuel gas inlet nozzle configured to inject fuel gas.

5. 5. The lance of claim 4, further comprising an annulus for distributing the fuel gas from the fuel gas inlet nozzle to a plurality of fuel injection nozzles.

6. The lance of claim 4 , wherein the fuel gas inlet nozzle comprises a plurality of fuel gas injection nozzles.

7. 4. The lance of claim 1, 2, or 3, further comprising a heterogeneous waste inlet nozzle configured to inject heterogeneous waste.

8. The lance of claim 7 , wherein the heterogeneous waste inlet nozzle for heterogeneous waste comprises one or more injection nozzles.

9. The lance of claim 8 , wherein the one or more injection nozzles are hydraulic atomizing nozzles.

10. 4. The lance of claim 1, 2 or 3, wherein the primary cooling circuit further comprises a distributor about the outer shell, the distributor configured to maintain an average cooling water flow velocity.

11. 4. The lance of claim 1, 2 or 3, wherein the inlet nozzle comprises a plurality of inlet nozzles and the outlet nozzle comprises a plurality of outlet nozzles.

12. 4. The lance of claim 1, 2 or 3, further comprising a steam and oxygen inlet nozzle.

13. 4. The lance of claim 1, 2 or 3, further comprising an automatic flow control valve.

14. 14. The lance of claim 13, wherein the automatic flow control valve is an on-off valve.

15. The lance of claim 1, 2, or 3, further comprising a nickel-based superalloy material.

16. 4. The lance of claim 1, 2, or 3, manufactured using direct metal laser sintering.

17. 4. The lance of claim 1, 2 or 3, wherein the face is welded to the outer shell.

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