Organic material processing reactor

Abstract

An organic material processing reactor consisting of a cylindrical vessel made of a heat-conductive material and provided with a convex bottom and a removable gas-tight sealed lid fitted with means for the removal of the substances released by thermal decomposition and for alignment in the thermal chamber, and with at least one handling fixture for transporting the container before and after the thermal decomposition process, with a hollow, vertically oriented extension with a closed top being fitted to the reactor bottom from the inside, with its inner space being connected to the outside of the reactor, and with the bottom being provided with stabilizing supports on the outer surface, characterized in that placed inside the reactor is an inner structure (5) made a heat-conductive material and comprising a hollow central beam (51) which is slid from above onto the extension (113) with its lower face being fitted with stabilizing feet (52) and its upper end being modified to allow the handling of the inner structure (5), with sets of crossbars (53) which are attached to the outer surface of the beam (51) and whose ends being connected with struts (54), and with a handling base (4) being removably attached to the supports (3).

Description

[0001] Organic Material Processing Reactor

[0002] Technical Field

[0003] The technical solution falls within the design field of waste treatment equipment and concerns the innovation of a reactor for the processing of organic materials by thermal decomposition of the charge using external heat without air access.

[0004] Background Art

[0005] Devices containing reactors that provide thermal decomposition of the charge without oxygen and using high temperatures and pressures that are selected and adjusted based on the composition of the charge material are often used for the treatment of wastes containing an organic component, in particular, biomass, plastics, sewage sludge or rubber. Such solutions are described, for example, by CZ 304835 B6, CZ305015 B6, CZ 309264 B6 or CZ 34925 U1, CZ 34926 U1 , and CZ34946 U1. The reactors in these devices consist of a cylindrical pressure vessel made of heat-conducting material, preferably stainless steel, which vessel is provided with a convex bottom and a removable gas-tight sealed lid. The lid is provided with at least one handling fixture and an outlet tube for the gradual removal of the substances released by thermal decomposition. In the central part, the bottom is provided with a through hole, above which is a hollow, vertically oriented tubular extension with a closed top, made of heat-conducting material, the length of which is selected based on the type of raw material to be processed and may be even greater than one-half of the height of the reactor, is attached, e g. welded, leading inwards of the reactor. The inner space of the reactor contains a horizontal partition at the bottom, below which a hollow pocket is formed, into which a tube for the supply of gas promoting the thermal decomposition of the charge is introduced. The partition is provided with a hole or sets of holes that ensure the passage of the gas supplied into the pocket. The bottom of the outer surface of the reactor is provided with a set of radially extending supports to ensure the reactor is in a stable position when placed in the thermal chamber and when being removed therefrom, when emptying undecomposed charge residues and subsequently filling the reactor with a new charge. The presented technical solution seeks to introduce a structurally modified embodiment of the reactor, which, according to testing verified by experiments, provides increased economy and effectiveness of the thermal decomposition process, flexibility of use for various types of raw materials processed, improved handling when filling with the charge and emptying undecomposed charge residues. A significant advantage of is the overall shortening of the time needed for the thermal decomposition of the material being processed while ensuring its heating throughout the interior of the reactor without the need for introducing supporting additives into the reactor interior. Another advantage is the possibility of a varied arrangement of both the external and internal structural elements of the reactor in particular, its use without an external stabilizing base and the variable structural arrangement of the inner structure inserted in the reactor to enable the input material to be divided into parts and be heated throughout the reactor interior.

[0006] Summary of the Invention

[0007] The stated objective is achieved by a technical solution, which is an organic material processing reactor consisting of a cylindrical vessel made of a heat-conductive material and provided with a convex bottom and a removable gas-tight sealed lid fitted with means for the removal of the substances released by thermal decomposition and for alignment in the thermal chamber, and with at least one handling fixture for transporting the container before and after the thermal decomposition process, with a hollow, vertically oriented extension with a closed top being fitted to the reactor bottom from the inside, with its inner space being connected to the outside of the reactor, and with the bottom being provided with stabilizing supports on the outer surface. The solution is based on the inner space of the reactor being fitted with a removable inner structure made of heat-conductive material and consisting of a hollow central beam which is slid onto the extension from above, with its lower face being fitted with stabilizing feet and its upper end being modified to allow the handling of the Inner structure, with sets of crossbars which are attached to the outer surface of the beam and whose ends are connected with struts, and with a handling base being removably attached to the supports.

[0008] In a preferred embodiment, the crossbars extend in a horizontally radial direction, the upper end of the beam is provided with suspension lugs, and the base has two parallel handling holes formed in the shell, and in the inner space of the base and above the level of the handling holes there are guide rails attached in which sets of relief holes are formed to enable air flow during the thermal process or reactor cooling.

[0009] Description of Drawings

[0010] A specific example of an embodiment of the technical solution is shown in the accompanying drawings, where:

[0011] Fig. 1 is an axonometric view of an exploded embodiment of the reactor,

[0012] Fig. 2 is a side view of the reactor from Fig. 1 with the lid removed and the lower base removed,

[0013] Fig. 3 Is a centre section of the reactor from Fig. 2,

[0014] Fig. 4 is a vertical section of the reactor seated In the thermal chamber,

[0015] Fig. 5 is a side view of the basic embodiment of the inner structure inserted into the reactor,

[0016] Fig. 6 is a top-view diagram of the inner structure from Fig. 5,

[0017] Fig. 7 is a separate axonometric view of the reactor base from Fig. 1,

[0018] Fig. 8 is a top view of the base from Fig. 7, and

[0019] Fig. 9 is a side view of the base from Fig. 7.

[0020] The drawings illustrating the submitted technical solution and the following examples of specific embodiments do not, in any way, limit the scope of protection stipulated in the definition, but merely illustrate the principle of the technical solution.

[0021] Examples of embodiments of the technical solution

[0022] An exploded view of the general embodiment of the basic design of the reactor is shown in Fig. 1, The reactor comprises a cylindrical pressure vessel IT which is made of a heat- conductive material, preferably stainless steel, and provided with a convex bottom 111 and a removable and lockable gas-tight sealed lid 12. The lid 12 is provided with a handling fixture 121 and an outlet tube 122. for the gradual removal of the substances released by thermal decomposition. Connection between the vessel 11 and the lid 12 is achieved by flanges 13, by means of which the reactor is aligned in the thermal chamber 2, as shewn in Fig. 4.

[0023] As shown in Fig. 3, the central part of the bottom 111 is provided with an inlet opening 1.1.2, attached, preferably welded, above which is a hollow vertically oriented tubular extenslon113 with a closed top, made of heat-conductive material, preferably also stainless steel, the length of which is selected based on the type of raw* material to be processed and may be even greater than one-half of the height of the reactor. The outer surface of the bottom 111 of the reactor is provided with a set of radially extending supports 3 ensuring the stability of the reactor when removed from the thermal chamber 2 and placed on a horizontal surface for cleaning and refilling. The supports 3 are provided with through holes (not shown) enabling both heat flow in the course of the thermal decomposition process and cold f!ow after the completion of the process and during reactor cooling and with connecting holes 31 to allow the attachment, e.g. by bolting, of a replaceable ring-shaped handling base 4, the outer diameter of which corresponds to the diameter of the pressure vessel IT Formed in the shell 4.1 of the base 4 has two parallel handling holes 42, preferably of a rectangular shape, and in the inner space of the base 4 above the level of the handling holes 42, there are flat guide rails 43 attached to enable easy introduction of manipulator skids (not shown) when transporting the reactor. A set of relief holes 44 is formed in the guide rails 43 to enable air flow during the thermal process or reactor cooling.

[0024] A removable inner structure 5, shown in detail in Figs. 5 and 6, is placed inside the reactor. The inner structure 5 is also made of heat-conductive material and comprises a hallow central beam 51 the inner cross-section of which is larger than the cross-section of the tubular extension 113 on which it Is slid from above. The beam 51 has the shape of a regular hexagon and its lower face is provided with three stabilising feet 52 to enable its set-up at the bottom 111 of the reactor and its upper end Is modified to enable handling of the inner structure 5; in this specific case, it is provided with suspension lugs 511.. Attached to the outer surface of the beam 51 are crossbars 53, which are arranged in four stacked sets which extend radially in the horizontal direction and their ends are connected to flat struts 54. This inner structure 5 is used to ensure the transfer of heat or cold from the extension 113 into the volume of material being processed and to divide the charge being processed into parts or portions, facilitating the disruption of the residual solid product during cleaning and emptying without disconnecting the flanged coupling of the lid 12,

[0025] The embodiment described is not the only possible design of the reactor and, without impacting its functionalities, the lid may be provided with more than one handling fixtures 121 , for example, with two or three, as shown in Fig. 4, depending on the size of the reactor and the type of material to be processed, i.e, the charge. The cross-section of the beam 51 does not need to be hexagonal but may be circular; the number of crossbar 53 sets may be lower or higher than four, optimally three, and the struts 54 and crossbars 53 may have a shape other than flat depending on the type of charge, and the suspension lugs 511 may be replaced with other standard atachments. Similarly, the height and shape of the base 4 may be adapted to the dimensions of the reactor, the type of material to be processed, the conditions of the thermal decomposition process, and the cooling of the reactor after the completion of the process.

[0026] When used to ensure thermal decomposition, the reactor is filled with a charge and placed in the thermal chamber 2, being seated at the upper face with flanges 13, as shown in Figure 4, without its circumference or bottom touching the walls of the thermal chamber 2. Then the thermal chamber 2 heats the reactor shell with electric heating segments (not shown) placed preferably along its inner circumference and botom of the chamber, with heat also flowing into the extension 113 and being transferred through the crossbars 53 and struts 54, thus improving the heating of the entire volume of the charge. After the lapse of the predetermined heating time the reactor is disconnected from the outlet tube 122, removed from the thermal chamber 2 and its cooling takes place, followed by the removal of the residual solid carbonaceous product.

[0027] Industrial Applicability

[0028] The reactor is mainly intended for use in facilities or production lines for the treatment of wastes containing organic components by thermal decomposition without the access of air, such as biomass, plastic and rubber materials, and sewage sludge.

Claims

C L A I M S1. An organic material processing reactor consisting of a cylindrical vessel made of a heat- conductive material and provided with a convex bottom and a removable gas-tight seated lid fitted with means for the removal of the substances released by thermal decomposition and for alignment in the thermal chamber and with at least one handling fixture for transporting the container before and after the thermal decomposition process, with a hollow, vertically oriented extension with a closed top being fitted to the reactor bottom from the inside, with its inner space being connected to the outside of the reactor, and with the bottom being provided with stabilizing supports on the cuter surface, characterized in that placed inside the reactor is an inner structure (5) made a heat-conductive material and comprising a hollow central beam (51) which is slid from above onto the extension (113) with its lower face being fitted with stabilizing feet (52) and its upper end being modified to allow the handling of the inner structure (5), with sets of crossbars (53) which are attached to the outer surface of the beam (51) and whose ends being connected with struts (54), and with a handling base (4) being removably attached to the supports (3).2 A reactor according to Claim 1, characterized in that the crossbars (53) extend radially in the horizontal direction and the tower end of the beam (51) is provided with suspension lugs (511).3 A reactor according to Claim 1, characterized in that the base (4) has two parallel handling holes (42) formed in its shell (41), and in the inner space of the base (4) and above the level of the handling holes (42) there are guide rails (43) attached in which sets of relief holes (44) are formed to enable air flow during the thermal process or reactor cooling.

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