Apparatus and methods of using small particles in large conical spouted bed reactors

Abstract

An apparatus includes a conical spouted bed reactor having a gas inlet opening diameter of D0 comprising a fountain confiner, wherein the conical spouted bed reactor is configured to fluidize and retain particles having a mean particle diameter of dp and a ratio of particle diameter to gas inlet opening diameter (dp / D0) of less than about 1 / 1000.

Description

Atty. Dkt. No.: 114096-6077 (W10344-00) APPARATUS AND METHODS OF USING SMALL PARTICLES IN LARGE CONICAL SPOUTED BED REACTORS FIELD

[0001] The present technology is generally to related processes that use conical spouted bed reactors, such as drying, gasification, pyrolysis, combustion, and coating of particles. Specifically, the technology is related to a conical spouted bed reactor comprising a fountain confiner that enable the use of small particles. BACKGROUND

[0002] A conical spouted bed is a type of reactor that can be used for various processes involving gas-solid interactions, which include drying, gasification, pyrolysis, combustion, and coating of particles. A conical spouted bed consists of a conical vessel with a gas inlet at the bottom and a gas outlet at the top. The gas flow creates a spout of particles in the center of the bed and a fountain of particles in the upper part of the bed surface, while the rest of the particles form an annular region that moves downward. The spout and the annulus exchange particles and heat, creating a dynamic and efficient system.

[0003] The particle size limits of a conical spouted bed depend on the gas inlet diameter and the cone angle of the bed. According to some studies, the gas inlet diameter should be no more than 20-30 times larger than the average particle diameter in order to achieve spouting status. See, Olazar, M., Ind. Eng. Chem. Res.1992, 31, 7, 1784–179. The cone angle also affects the spouting behavior and the pressure drop of the bed. A larger cone angle can accommodate larger particles and reduce the pressure drop, but it may also increase the gas consumption and decrease the heat transfer. See, Hosseini, S. H., Iranian Journal of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering 2018, 37(2), 183.

[0004] While there is no definitive answer to the particle size limits of a conical spouted bed, as they vary depending on the design and operation of the bed. However, some typical values reported in the literature are those in the mm size range, which include the following: 1 4881-7167-8878.7Atty. Dkt. No.: 114096-6077 (W10344-00) For a conical-cylindrical spouted bed with a cone angle of 60° and gas inlet diameters of 16, 20 and 25 mm, the particle size range was 1.9-3.3 mm (See, Ind. Eng. Chem. Res.2015, 54, 40, 9894-9902; a ratio between the gas inlet opening diameter and particle diameter (D0 / dp) of 4.84-13.15); For a conical spouted bed with a cone angle of 45° and a gas inlet diameter of 0.028 m, the particle size was 3 mm (See, Spreutels, L., American Institute of Chemical Engineers AIChE J 2016, 62, 26–37; a ratio between the diameter of the particle and the diameter of the gas inlet opening (dp / D0) of 1 / 9.33); and For a conical spouted bed with a cone angle of 30° and a gas inlet diameter of 0.01 m, the particle size range was 0.15-0.6 mm (See, Rovero G, Piccinini N., Particle mixing and segregation. In: Epstein N, Grace JR, eds. Spouted and Spout-Fluid Beds: Fundamentals and Applications. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press; 2010:141- 160; a ratio between the particle size diameter and diameter of the gas inlet opening (dp / D0) of 1 / 16-1 / 6).

[0005] As evidenced by the above, there remains a need to have conical spouted bed systems are configured for using smaller particles (e.g.0.05 to 1 mm) in large reactor (e.g. greater than 0.5 m reactor diameter). For instance, large, scaled-up reactors are able to process more material, and are more valuable in a commercial application. However, traditionally larger reactors require a larger gas inlet diameter and particle size to maintain spouting behavior. In traditional conical spouted bed (CSB) systems, the large reactor would require particle diameters that are only 20-30 times smaller than the gas inlet, which translates to 1 mm particles sizes for a reactor with a gas inlet size no more than 30 mm. Therefore, it is very difficult to scale-up the traditional conical spouted bed reactor with smaller particles.

[0006] The advantage of using smaller solid particle size in a multi-phase chemical reactor is that it increases the rate of reaction by increasing the effective contacting surface area of the solid particles. This means that more reactant / catalyst particles are exposed to the other reactant or the catalyst, and there are more successful collisions per unit time. Smaller 2 4881-7167-8878.7Atty. Dkt. No.: 114096-6077 (W10344-00) particle size also improves the heat and mass transfer rates between the phases, which is beneficial for fast reactions or processes that require high temperatures.

[0007] This disclosure address these needs by providing a conical spouted bed reactor comprising a fountain confiner that enable the use of small particles. Specifically, conical bed reactor described herein are configured to fluidize and retain particles having small particle sizes and have a ratio between the particle diameter and gas inlet opening (dp / D0) of less than about 1 / 1000. SUMMARY

[0008] In one aspect is an apparatus comprising a conical spouted bed reactor having a gas inlet opening diameter of D0comprising a fountain confiner, wherein the conical spouted bed reactor is configured to fluidize and retain particles having a mean particle diameter of dpand a ratio of particle diameter to gas inlet opening diameter (dp / D0) of less than about 1 / 1000.

[0009] In some embodiments, the dp / D0is less than about 1 / 2000. In some embodiments, the dp / D0 is less than about 1 / 3000. In some embodiments, the dp / D0 is about 1 / 6000 to about 1 / 2000.

[0010] In some embodiments, the conical spouted bed reactor further comprises a draft tube. In some embodiments, the draft tube is a nonporous draft tube. In some embodiments, the draft tube is an open-sided draft tube.

[0011] In some embodiments, the conical spouted bed reactor has a contactor angle of from about 28° to about 60°. In some embodiments, the contactor angle is about 32°.

[0012] In some embodiments, the conical spouted bed reactor has an outside cylindrical diameter (Dc) from about 0.36 m to about 3 m and contains a dense bed of solid particles in the conical section comprising from about 5 kgs to about 3000 kgs. In some embodiments, dense bed has a density of from about 350-1000 kgs / m3. 3 4881-7167-8878.7Atty. Dkt. No.: 114096-6077 (W10344-00)

[0013] In some embodiments, the fountain confiner has internal diameter (DF) and a ratio of internal diameter to the diameter of the outside cylindrical top (DF / Dc) is about 0.30 to about 0.65.

[0014] In some embodiments, the conical spouted bed reactor is operated with continuous addition and removal of particles. In some embodiments, conical spouted bed reactor is operated with continuous addition of a particulate feedstock. In some embodiments, the conical spouted bed reactor is operated with continuous addition of a liquid feedstock. In some embodiments, the conical spouted bed reactor is operated with continuous addition of a gaseous feedstock.

[0015] In some embodiments, the solid particles are catalyst particles. In some embodiments, the catalyst particles comprise a solid acid. In some embodiments, the catalyst particles comprise a zeolite-based catalyst. In some embodiments, the zeolite-based catalyst comprises a pentasil zeolite.

[0016] In some embodiments, the conical spouted bed reactor is operated at a temperature of about 100 °C to about 800 °C. In some embodiments, the conical spouted bed reactor is operated at a temperature of about 400 °C to about 600 °C.

[0017] In some embodiments, the conical spouted bed reactor is operated with a feedstock comprising solid plastic waste and / or biomass.

[0018] In some embodiments, the fountain confiner has a height of LF that extends above the height of the cylindrical zone of the conical spouted bed reactor. In some embodiments, the conical spouted bed reactor further has a cylindrical shell having a height of no greater than about 2.5 m.

[0019] In some embodiments, (LT / LH)0.5*((Dc2-DF2) / DT2) is more than about 85, wherein LTis tube length, LHis entrainment height, Dcis column diameter, DFis the fountain confiner diameter, and DT is tube diameter. 4 4881-7167-8878.7Atty. Dkt. No.: 114096-6077 (W10344-00)

[0020] In some embodiments, the open-sided draft tube has a draft tube diameter that is the same as the gas inlet diameter (DT=D0) and has aperture ratio (AR) of from about 40% to about 80%.

[0021] In some embodiments, the conical spouted bed reactor has an inlet gas flow rate of U0 / Ums of about 1.5 to about 6.4 and has a mass in the diluted bed of about 15 to about 30 wt% of the total mass, where U0is operation inlet gas velocity and Umsis minimum spouting inlet air velocity.

[0022] In some embodiments, the conical spouted bed reactor has an inlet gas flow rate of U0 / Umsof about 2 to about 10 and has a mass in the diluted bed is about 7 to about 18 wt% of the total mass, where U0 is operation inlet gas velocity and Ums is minimum spouting inlet air velocity. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0023] FIG.1 is a schematic depiction of a full spouting operation of a conical pouted bed reactor with fountain confiner and open-sided draft tube, according to an illustrative embodiment. The blue arrows show the flow pattern of spouting gas, and the red arrows show the flow pattern of the solid particles.

[0024] FIG.2 is a schematic depiction of a conical spouted bed reactor with key descriptive parameters, according to an illustrative embodiment.

[0025] FIG.3A illustrates the characteristic curve for the fountain confined conical spouted bed without draft tube operating with a catalyst of dp=0.064 mm where H0=0.95 m and catalyst mass=140 kg.

[0026] FIG.3B illustrates the characteristic curve for the fountain confined conical spouted bed without draft tube operating with a catalyst of dp=0.064 mm where H0=1.11 m and catalyst mass=200 kg. 5 4881-7167-8878.7Atty. Dkt. No.: 114096-6077 (W10344-00)

[0027] FIG.3C illustrates the characteristic curve for the fountain confined conical spouted bed without draft tube operating with a catalyst of dp=0.064 mm where H0=1.32 m and catalyst mass=300 kg.

[0028] FIG.4 is a schematic depiction of a conical spouted bed reactor with a non- porous draft tube and a confiner, according to an illustrative embodiment.

[0029] FIG.5A is a schematic depiction of an open-sided draft tube, according to an illustrative embodiment.

[0030] FIG.5B is a schematic depiction of a non-porous draft tube, according to an illustrative embodiment.

[0031] FIG.6 illustrates the characteristic curve for the fountain confined conical spouted bed with a non-porous draft tube operating with a catalyst of dp=0.064 mm where H0=0.95 m and catalyst mass=140 kg.

[0032] FIG.7 illustrates the characteristic curve for the fountain confined conical spouted bed with an open-sided draft tube operating with a catalyst of dp=0.064 mm where H0=0.95 m and catalyst mass=140 kg.

[0033] FIG.8 illustrates the upper limit of stable spouting operation as the function of the dimensions of the non-porous draft tubes.

[0034] FIG.9 illustrates the original and new designs of large scale conical spouted bed with long fountain confiner and non-porous draft tubes as described in the Examples.

[0035] FIG.10 illustrates the experimentally measured spout expansion with open- sided draft tube. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0036] Various embodiments are described hereinafter. It should be noted that the specific embodiments are not intended as an exhaustive description or as a limitation to the broader aspects discussed herein. One aspect described in conjunction with a particular 6 4881-7167-8878.7Atty. Dkt. No.: 114096-6077 (W10344-00) embodiment is not necessarily limited to that embodiment and can be practiced with any other embodiment(s).

[0037] As used herein, “about” will be understood by persons of ordinary skill in the art and will vary to some extent depending upon the context in which it is used. If there are uses of the term which are not clear to persons of ordinary skill in the art, given the context in which it is used, “about” will mean up to plus or minus 10% of the particular term.

[0038] The use of the terms “a” and “an” and “the” and similar referents in the context of describing the elements (especially in the context of the following claims) are to be construed to cover both the singular and the plural, unless otherwise indicated herein or clearly contradicted by context. Recitation of ranges of values herein are merely intended to serve as a shorthand method of referring individually to each separate value falling within the range, unless otherwise indicated herein, and each separate value is incorporated into the specification as if it were individually recited herein. All methods described herein can be performed in any suitable order unless otherwise indicated herein or otherwise clearly contradicted by context. The use of any and all examples, or exemplary language (e.g., “such as”) provided herein, is intended merely to better illuminate the embodiments and does not pose a limitation on the scope of the claims unless otherwise stated. No language in the specification should be construed as indicating any non-claimed element as essential.

[0039] Disclosed herein is an apparatus comprising a conical spouted bed reactor and a fountain confiner with a specific configuration that allows the use of smaller particles (e.g., 0.05-1 mm) in larger reactors (> 0.5 m reactor column diameter).

[0040] As demonstrated in the Examples 1, 2 and 3, the conical spouted beds as described herein can break the constraint that the ratio between the particle diameter and gas inlet diameter, dp / D0, is smaller than 1 / 20-1 / 30, enabling ratios of dp / D0=1 / 20-1 / 2500 which further enables small particles to be used with large conical spouted bed reactors. In fact, the fountain confiner created an unique zone inside its cylindrical body, where - the residence time of the spouting gas increased due to it rises through the core of the fountain to its top, it then descends along its periphery, and finally the gas crosses the gap between the confiner and contactor wall (See FIG.1 below). Accordingly, this device confines the particles of the 7 4881-7167-8878.7Atty. Dkt. No.: 114096-6077 (W10344-00) fountain and forms a diluted bed inside the confiner, where solid particles rise at the center of the fountain, and precipitate back into the dense bed along the wall of the confiner (see FIG. 1 below). Due to the high effectiveness of the fountain confiner, in some cases, stable spouting operation can be achieved even without other internal devices- such as draft tubes, however, the spouting operation maybe limited in a narrow gas flow range without the draft tube, as illustrated in Example 1. Furthermore, using different draft tube and fountain confiner at different gas flow regimes as illustrated in Examples 2 to 5, this device ensures a vigorous contact among the gas and solid phases inside the fountain confiner, increases the solid content in the diluted bed without fine particle entrainment. Conical Spouted Bed Reactors

[0041] A conical spouted bed is a type of reactor that can be used for various processes involving gas-solid interactions, such as drying, gasification, pyrolysis, combustion, and coating of particles. As shown in FIG.1, a conical spouted bed consists of a conical vessel with a gas inlet at the bottom and a gas outlet at the top. The gas flow creates a spout of particles in the center of the bed and a fountain of particles in the upper part of the bed surface, while the rest of the particles form an annular region that moves downward. The spout and the annulus exchange particles and heat, creating a dynamic and efficient system.

[0042] Some of the advantages of using a conical spouted bed are that (a) it can handle irregular or sticky solids that would otherwise cause problems in fluidized beds or other reactors; (b) it has high heat and mass transfer rates between the gas and solid phases, which is beneficial for fast reactions or processes that require high temperatures; (c) it has a wide range of operating conditions and can be modified for different applications; and (d) it has low pressure drop and low gas consumption compared to other reactors.

[0043] FIG.1 also shows a fountain confiner, which is a cylindrical tube with the upper conical outlet closed. The fountain confiner is located at the upper part of the contactor and is above the bed in order to confine the fountain and avoid particle entrainment. A fountain confiner provides stable spouting since it directs both spout and fountain along the axis of the bed, enhancing the cyclic movement of the solids. Moreover, the fountain confiner 8 4881-7167-8878.7Atty. Dkt. No.: 114096-6077 (W10344-00) allows increasing the upper limit of the residence time of the gas and improves gas-solid contact in the bed.

[0044] Described in one aspect is an apparatus comprising a conical spouted bed reactor having a gas inlet opening of D0 comprising a fountain confiner, wherein the conical spouted bed reactor is configured to fluidize and retain particles having an mean particle diameter of dpand has a ratio between the particle size diameter and gas inlet opening diameter (dp / D0) of less than about 1 / 1000.

[0045] As used herein, “fluidize” refers to particles circulating in the reactor for momentum, heat and mass transfer. “Retain” refers to particles that remain inside the reactor, and very minimum particles are carried out of the reactor by the carrier / product gas stream which can result particle loss.

[0046] "Mean particle diameter" may refer to the "Sauter mean diameter" of particles, which is defined as the diameter of a sphere that has the same volume / surface area ratio as the pack of particles of interest. However, if "volume average particle size" is reported, particle size distribution is required to convert the volume average particle size into the “Sauter mean diameter”. Table 1 below is an example of a typical spray-dried catalyst particles used in this invention, reported a “volume average particle size (APS)” as 87 micron with particle size distribution. The calculated Sauter mean diameter is 64 micron in this case. Table 1: Physical properties of a typical spray-dried catalyst Particle Size distribution vol% 020 i 29 4881-7167-8878.7Atty. Dkt. No.: 114096-6077 (W10344-00)

[0047] The conical spouted bed reactors described herein may have a ratio of the particle diameter and gas inlet opening diameter (dp / D0) of from about 1 / 6000 to about 1 / 2000, including about 1 / 6000, about 1 / 5000, about 1 / 4000, about 1 / 3000, and about 1 / 2000. In some embodiments, the conical spouted bed reactor has a ratio between the particle diameter and gas inlet opening diameter (dp / D0) of less than about 1 / 2000. In some embodiments, the conical spouted bed reactor has a ratio between the particle diameter and gas inlet opening diameter (dp / D0) of less than about 1 / 3000.

[0048] In some embodiments described herein, the conical spouted bed may further comprise a draft tube. Illustrative examples include conventional nonporous draft tubes, porous draft tubes and open-sided draft tubes, such as those shown in FIGS.5A and 5B. Draft tubes modify the hydrodynamics and solid circulation flow rate of the system by changing the minimum spouting velocity, operating pressure drop, solid circulation patterns, gas distribution and particle cycle times (time required for a solid to complete a full cycle, crossing all the zones in the spouted bed). In some embodiments, the draft tube is a nonporous draft tube. In some embodiments, the draft tube is an open-sided draft tube.

[0049] As described herein the conical spouted bed reactor may include an open- sided draft tube and a confiner. FIG.1 is a schematic depiction of a conical spouted bed reactor with an open-sided draft tube and a confiner, according to an illustrative embodiment. The following key parameters are shown in FIG.2: contactor angle, γ (°); column diameter, Dc(m); contactor base diameter, D1(m); gas inlet diameter, D0(m); static bed height, H0(m); fountain confiner diameter, DF (m); length of fountain confiner, Lf (m); and distance between the bed surface and the lower end of the confiner, Hf(m), wherein m as used herein refers to meters. Other key variables not shown may include bed mass (kg); particle diameter (mm); open-sided tube aperture ratio, AR (%); height of the draft tube, LT(m); and draft tube diameter, DT (m), and entrainment height, LH (m), wherein mm refers to millimeters.

[0050] As described herein the conical spouted bed reactor may include a nonporous draft tube and a confiner. Such conical spouted bed has one or more following key parameters: contactor angle, γ (°); column diameter, Dc(m); contactor base diameter, D1(m); gas inlet diameter, Do (m); static bed height, H0 (m); bed mass (kg); particle diameter (mm); fountain confiner diameter, DF(m); length of fountain confiner, Lf(m); distance between the 10 4881-7167-8878.7Atty. Dkt. No.: 114096-6077 (W10344-00) bed surface and the lower end of the confiner, Hf (m); tube length, LT (m); tube diameter, DT (m); and entrainment height, LH(m).

[0051] Other parameters may also include: tube diameter / column diameter, DT / Dc; entrainment height / static bed height, LH / H0; minimum spouting inlet air velocity, Ums (m / s); pressure differential at minimum spouting, ∆Pms (Pa); upper limit of inlet air velocity for stable spouting, UUL(m / s); pressure differential at the upper limit for stable spouting, ∆PUL(Pa); minimum spouting inlet air flow rate (Nm3 / h); upper limit of inlet air flow rate (Nm3 / h); and upper limit of inlet air velocity for stable spouting / minimum spouting inlet air velocity, UUL / Ums.

[0052] Also, other parameters may include height of cylindrical section (m); extended height of confiner above the cylindrical section (m); operation inlet gas velocity U0(m / s); gas residence time in fountain confiner (second); gas residence time in the whole reactor (second); calculated total transport disengaging height, TDH (m); and transport disengaging height available in conical section (m).

[0053] The contactor angle may be from about 28° to about 60°. In some embodiments, the contactor angle may be from about 30° to about 45°, including about 30°, about 31°, about 32°, about 33°, about 34°, about 35°, about 36°, about 37°, about 38°, about 39°, about 40°, about 41°, about 42°, about 43°, about 44°, and about 45. In some embodiments, the contactor angle is about 32°.

[0054] The conical spouted bed reactor may have an outside cylindrical diameter (Dc) from about 0.36 m to about 3 m, including about 0.36 m, about 0.4 m, about 0.5 m, about 0.6 m, about 0.7 m, about 0.8 m, about 0.9 m, about 1 m, about 1.5 m, about 2 m, about 2.5 m, and about 3 m.

[0055] The conical spouted bed reactor may contain a dense bed of solid particles in the conical section comprising from about 5 kgs to about 3000 kgs, including about 5 kgs, about 10 kgs, about 50 kgs, about 100 kgs, about 500 kgs, about 1000 kgs, about 1500 kgs, about 2000 kgs, about 2500 kgs, and about 3000 kgs. 11 4881-7167-8878.7Atty. Dkt. No.: 114096-6077 (W10344-00)

[0056] The conical spouted bed reactor may have a dense bed having a density of from about 350-1000 kgs / m3, including about 350 kgs / m3, about 400 kgs / m3, about 450 kgs / m3, about 500 kgs / m3, about 550 kgs / m3, about 600 kgs / m3, about 650 kgs / m3, about 700 kgs / m3, about 750 kgs / m3, about 800 kgs / m3, about 850 kgs / m3, about 900 kgs / m3, about 950 kgs / m3, and about 1000 kgs / m3.

[0057] As shown in FIG.2, the fountain confiner has a column diameter, Dc, which is the diameter of the outside cylindrical top and an internal diameter (e.g., fountain confiner diameter, DF). In some embodiments, the ratio between the internal diameter and the diameter of the outside cylindrical top (DF / Dc) from about 0.30 to about 0.65, including about 0.30, about 0.35, about 0.40, about 0.45, about 0.50, about 0.55, about 0.60, and about 0.65.

[0058] For pyrolysis of plastic / biomass where the raw material is directly fed from the top into the confiner, the inside of the fountain confiner is considered as the primary reaction zone for the contact of solid particles (e.g., catalyst particles and / or plastic / biomass particles) and gaseous reactants in a dilute fluidized bed, the fountain confiner may have a height of LF that extends above the height of the cylindrical zone of the conical spouted bed reactor. This long confiner facilitates the heat transfer and reactions of the raw materials in the diluted bed before the solid particles (such as feed, catalyst, or catalyst coated with melted feed) fall into the dense bed in the conical section. Such confiners are configured for use with a conical spouted bed and a nonporous draft tube operating at a high gas rate (see, Example 4).

[0059] The space in between the fountain confiner and the outside shell of the reactor works as the disengage zone of the reactor where the product gas separates with the catalyst and plastic particles and leave the reactor. As shown in Example 4, in order to limit the gas residence time in the disengage zone, the conical spouted bed reactor may have a cylindrical shell having a height of no greater than the calculated transport disengaging height (TDH) for fine particles. For exit gas with linear velocity less than 0.1 m / s, the TDH for fine particles usually is no more than 1.5 meter. In some embodiments, the conical spouted bed reactor has a cylindrical shell having a height of greater than about 0.75 m. In some embodiments, the conical spouted bed reactor has a cylindrical shell having a height of no greater than about 12 4881-7167-8878.7Atty. Dkt. No.: 114096-6077 (W10344-00) 2.5 m. In some embodiments, the conical spouted bed reactor has a cylindrical shell having a height of greater from about 0.75 m to about 2.5 m.

[0060] In some embodiments, when the conical spouted bed reactor is configured with a nonporous draft tube, (LT / LH)0.5*( (Dc2-DF2) / DT2) is more than 85, as shown in Example 4, wherein LT is tube length, LH is entrainment height, Dc is column diameter, DF is fountain confiner diameter, and DTis tube diameter. The stable operation can be achieved at UT(gas) at 0.5-3.5 m / s. If it is more than 100, the stable operation can be achieved at UT(gas) at 0.5-5.3 m / s. When further extended to the range for 130-200, the upper limit for stable spouting can be predicted at about 6-11m / s as gas inlet velocity for using small particles in the conical spouted bed reactor with fountain confiner and nonporous draft tube. In some embodiments, (LT / LH)0.5*( (Dc2-DF2) / DT2) is more than about 85. In some embodiments, (LT / LH)0.5*( (Dc2-DF2) / DT2) is from about 85 to about 200.

[0061] In some embodiments, when the conical spouted bed reactor is configured with an open-sided draft tube as DT=D0, the aperture ratio, AR (%) may be about 40 to about 80% as shown in Example 3, including about 40%, about 45%, about 50%, about 55%, about 60%, about 65%, about 70%, about 75%, and about 80%. At dp / D0= 1 / 1800-1 / 2200, the stable operation can be achieved at a UT(gas) of 0.4-2.3 m / s.

[0062] In some embodiments, the conical spouted bed reactor is configured with a fountain confiner and a draft tube where different forms of the draft tubes can be used to regulate the solid mass in the diluted bed as shown in Example 5. Using an open-sided draft tube with gas flow rate U0 / Umsof 1.5 to 6.4, the mass in the diluted bed can be 15-30 wt% of the total mass where U0 is operation inlet gas velocity and Ums is minimum spouting inlet air velocity. In some embodiments using a nonporous draft tube, the conical spouted bed reactor has an inlet gas flow rate of U0 / Ums of 2-10, the mass in the diluted bed can be 7-18% of the total solid mass. The application of open-sided draft tube will have better gas-solid contact and circulation in the annulus zone (dense bed). While use the non-porous draft tube will have stronger gas assisted spout and suitable for taller fountain confiner as the reaction zone

[0063] In any one of the embodiments described herein, the conical spouted bed reactor is operated with continuous addition and removal of particles. In any one of the 13 4881-7167-8878.7Atty. Dkt. No.: 114096-6077 (W10344-00) embodiments described herein, the conical spouted bed reactor is operated with continuous addition of a particulate feedstock. In any one of the embodiments described herein, the conical spouted bed reactor is operated with continuous addition of a liquid feedstock. In any one of the embodiments described herein, the conical spouted bed reactor is operated with continuous addition of a gaseous feedstock.

[0064] In any one of the embodiments described herein, the solid particles are catalyst particles and / or particles of biomass and / or plastics, it can be either of them or a mixture of any combination of them. For the fine catalyst particles, it refers to the spray-dried catalyst particles with average particle size of 50-150 micron, wherein the catalyst particles comprise a solid acid. In some embodiments, the catalyst particles comprise a zeolite-based catalyst. In some embodiments, the zeolite-based catalyst comprises a pentasil zeolite.

[0065] In any one of the embodiments described herein, the conical spouted bed reactor is operated at a temperature of from about 100 °C to about 800 °C, including about 100 °C, about 200 °C, about 300 °C, about 400 °C, about 500 °C, about 600 °C, about 700 °C, and about 800 °C. In some embodiments, the conical spouted bed reactor is operated at a temperature of from about 400 °C to about 600 °C. Applications

[0066] The conical spouted beds as described herein may be used a variety of processes, such as any one of the following described below: - Drying of suspensions, solutions, and pasty materials, such as food products, pharmaceuticals, ceramics, and biomass. - Gasification of biomass and waste plastics to produce syngas, a mixture of hydrogen and carbon monoxide that can be used for energy production or chemical synthesis. -  Pyrolysis of biomass and waste plastics to produce bio-oil, char, and gas, which can be used as fuels or feedstocks for other processes. - Combustion of biomass and waste plastics to produce heat and power; and 14 4881-7167-8878.7Atty. Dkt. No.: 114096-6077 (W10344-00) - Coating of particles with different materials, such as metals, polymers, or catalysts, to improve their properties or functionality.

[0067] In some embodiments, the conical spouted bed reactor is used in the pyrolysis of waste plastics and / or biomass, wherein the conical spouted bed reactor is operated with a feedstock comprising solid waste plastic and / or biomass.

[0068] The present invention, thus generally described, will be understood more readily by reference to the following examples, which are provided by way of illustration and are not intended to be limiting of the present invention. EXAMPLES

[0069] Example 1: 1 meter column diameter configuration without draft tube and varying static bed height

[0070] This example is directed to a conical spouted bed reactor without draft tube and varying static bed height: 0.95 m (140 kg), 1.11 m (200 kg) and 1.32 (300 kg). The following Table 2 describes the parameters used in this example. Table 2: Configurations of devices and particles for Example 1 Parameter Value15 4881-7167-8878.7Atty. Dkt. No.: 114096-6077 (W10344-00) Distance between the bed surface and the lower end of the confiner, Hf0.2 (m)

[0071] This example showed stable spouting with a ratio of dp / D0= 1 / 2109. FIGS. 3A, 3B, and 3C show the characteristic curves that determined the different regimes and their gas velocity ranges. Due to the low permeability, the maximum pressure drop (point C) corresponds to a very low air velocity, and a slight increase in air velocity opens the spout and leads to stable spouting (point A). Nevertheless, when air velocity increases great bubbles (slugging) appear (point B, 1.38 m / s or 69 Nm3 / h corresponding to 140 kg bed mass and 1.53 m / s or 79 Nm3 / h corresponding to 200-300 kg bed mass), with this phenomenon being more severe as air velocity is increased. Although a similar characteristic curve has been obtained for 200 to 300 kg, a more turbulent slugging regime occurs for 300 kg at gas velocities higher than 1.5 m / s. When air velocity is decreased, the minimum spouting velocity is clearly defined (point D), which corresponds to 0.43 m / s or 22 Nm3 / h (140 kg bed mass) and 0.6 m / s or 31 Nm3 / h (200-300 kg bed mass). Therefore, stable operation achieved in a narrow range from point D to point B, up to 2.5-3.2 times of the minimum spouting velocity. With the increase of the bed mass, the stable operation range became narrower and shifted to slightly higher velocities. This example showed the effectiveness of the fountain confiner using a spray dried catalyst particles in a 1 meter conical spouted bed reactor. Stable spout can be achieved with dp / D0 = 1 / 2109, but the operation range of inlet gas flow is limited in a narrow range.

[0072] Example 2: 1 meter column diameter configuration with nonporous draft tube and confiner

[0073] A schematic diagram of a conical spouted bed reactor with nonporous draft tube and confiner, as shown in FIGS.4 and 5B, was used in this example. The static bed height was 0.95 m (140 kg). The following Table 3 describes the parameters used in this example. Table 3: Configurations of devices and particles for Example 2 16 4881-7167-8878.7Atty. Dkt. No.: 114096-6077 (W10344-00) Parameter Value Contactor angle, γ (°) 32

[0074] This example used the same particle and device as Example 1, with a ratio of dp / Do = 1 / 2109 and a nonporous draft tube. The result of this example is shown as the characteristic curve in FIG.6, where different flow pattern regimes and their gas velocity ranges were determined. Due to the low permeability, the maximum pressure drop (point A) corresponds to a very low air velocity, and a slight increase in air velocity opens the spout and leads to stable spouting (point B). As air velocity is increased, the pressure drop remains constant for a range above the spout opening, but subsequently increases (point C) according to a linear trend. When air velocity is decreased, similar values of pressure drop to those of the increasing curve are obtained and the minimum spouting velocity is found at a low air velocity (point D). There is a stable spouting regime all the way from the minimum spouting velocity to very high velocities (point E). In spite of the increase in pressure drop with air velocity, no difference is observed in the hydrodynamics of the spouted bed. Comparing this configuration with the same bed height in Example 1 (no draft tube) and Example 3 (open sided draft tube), at low air velocities (up to 1 m / s) all systems lead to similar pressure drop values, the one with nonporous draft tube was the lowest. At high air velocities, the pressure 17 4881-7167-8878.7Atty. Dkt. No.: 114096-6077 (W10344-00) drop without draft tube (Example 1) increases due to certain instability (bubbling), the systems with draft tubes had similar values on pressure drop. The configuration with the nonporous draft tube requires the lowest minimum spouting velocity as 0.32 m / s (16.5 Nm3 / h), with the open-sided draft tube, it is slightly higher as 0.35 m / s (19 Nm3 / h). Without draft tube, it is further higher as 0.43 m / s (22 Nm3 / h). Using the nonporous draft tube configuration, it allows operating with the highest gas flow rates and the widest range of gas flow for stable operation as 0.32-4 m / s (16.5-208 Nm3 / h). As the operating linear gas velocity can be very high using the nonporous draft tube, which will result taller fountain / spout and allow for the use of longer fountain confiner to maximize the residence time of the solid particles, novel configurations of reactors using the nonporous draft tubes are discussed in Example 5 for specific applications.

[0075] Example 3: 1 meter column diameter configuration with open-sided draft tube and confiner

[0076] A schematic diagram of a conical spouted bed reactor with open-sided draft tube and confiner, as shown in FIG.1 and FIG.5A, was used in this example. The following Table 4 describes the parameters used in this example. Table 4: Configurations of devices and particles for Example 3 Parameter Value18 4881-7167-8878.7Atty. Dkt. No.: 114096-6077 (W10344-00) Fountain confiner diameter, DF(m) 0.5 Length of fountain confiner, Lf(m) 1

[0077] With a particle size of 64 microns and gas inlet diameter as 0.135 m, this resulted in a ratio of dp / D0 = 1 / 2109. The characteristic curve, as shown in FIG.7 with the pressure differential through the reactor as the function of inlet gas linear velocity, has been carried out experimentally. Due to the low permeability, the maximum pressure drop (point A) corresponds to a very low air velocity, and a slight increase in air velocity opens the spout and leads to stable spouting (point B). As air velocity is increased, the pressure drop decreases slightly and remains constant until big bubbles begins to appear in the bed (point C). Higher velocities than those for point C (2.34 m / s or 124 Nm3 / h) led to a steady increase in pressure with more frequent big bubbles. When air velocity is decreased similar values of pressure drop to those of air increasing curve are obtained. Moreover, a peak is observed at low velocity (point D) of 0.40 m / s or 21.5 Nm3 / h. Finally, the pressure drop decreases slightly, which corresponds to the minimum spouting velocity (0.35 m / s or 19 Nm3 / h). Three regimes were identified along the curve: First, weak spouting was noticed from the minimum spouting velocity to point D; in this range, the spout is low and not clearly defined, and the air crosses the bed with frequent bubbles; Second, full spouting was observed from point D (0.4 m / s or 1.14 times of Ums) to the point C (2.34 m / s or 6.69 times of Ums), this is a stable operation range with vigorous particle motion and well defined spout fully developed inside the fountain confiner; Third, bubbling spouting happened above the minimum bubbling velocity (point C) where big gas bubbles are more frequent with a trend to slugging. Compare with Example 1 and Example 2, insert of the open-sided draft tube clearly increased the operation range of the reactor from 0.4-1.5 m / s (Example 1) to 0.4-2.3 m / s. Although the upper limit of the operation range is not as high as the one with nonporous draft tube (Example 2), the spout size is wider and solid movement in the annulus zone is more vigorous with the open-sided draft tube. Therefore, different strategies can be adapted in reactor design, to maximize gas-solid contact using the open-sided draft tube. These strategies and corresponding advantages are shown in Example 6. 19 4881-7167-8878.7Atty. Dkt. No.: 114096-6077 (W10344-00)

[0078] Example 4: 1 meter column diameter configuration with confiner and various nonporous draft tubes

[0079] A schematic diagram of a conical spouted bed reactor with nonporous draft tube and confiner, is shown in FIGS.4 and 5B, was used in this example. The static bed height was 1.11 m (168 kg). This example used the same particle and device as Examples 1- 3, with a ratio of dp / D0= 1 / 2109. Various nonporous draft tubes were used with different diameter of DT / Dc= 0.135-0.16, and entrainment height of LH / H0=0.158-0.232. The following Table 5 describes the parameters used in this example. Table 5: Configurations of devices and particles for Example 4 Parameter Value Contactor an le (°) 32

[0080] The result of this example is shown in the Table 6 listed below. Similar to Example 2, this example showed stable spouting using specific nonporous draft tubes, which allows operating with a gas flow of 0.29-5.33 m / s. It can be seen that with the decrease of draft tube diameter and the height of the entrainment zone, the operation range for stable 20 4881-7167-8878.7Atty. Dkt. No.: 114096-6077 (W10344-00) spouting increased significantly. A dimensionless number, which can be calculated as (LT / LH)0.5*((Dc2-DF2) / DT2), was found to have a good correlation with the operation limit as the ratio of UUL / UMS. Thus, it made possible to design nonporous draft tube for specific applications that require high operating gas flow. The correlation and the operation range is shown in FIG.8. Table 6: Operation gas flow range for stable spouting in a 1 meter reactor with fountain confiner and non-porous draft tube. Tube#1 Tube#2 Tube#3 Tube#4 Tube / gas inlet diameter DT=D m 0135 0135 016 016

[0081] The correlation shown in FIG.8, can be written as a linear equation below: UUL / UMS= 0.20*(LT / LH)0.5*((Dc2-DF2) / DT2) -6.17. 21 4881-7167-8878.7Atty. Dkt. No.: 114096-6077 (W10344-00) The correlation above, can be applied to the system using fine particles and a nonporous draft tube in a large scale conical spouted bed reactor. The nonporous draft tube can be designed such that when (LT / LH)0.5*((Dc2-DF2) / DT2) is more than 85, the stable operation for the system in Example 4 can be achieved at a UT(gas) of 0.5-3.5 m / s. If this number is more than 100 in the design, the stable operation can be achieved at a UT (gas) of 0.5-5.3 m / s. It can be further extended to the range 130-200 in the draft tube design, such as DT=0.1-0.12m and LH=0.135- 0.22m for the device used in Example 4, the predicted upper operation limit can be 6-11m / s as the inlet gas velocity.

[0082] In the case of catalytic pyrolysis of biomass and / or plastics using a large scale conical spouted bed reactor and spray dried catalyst particles with average particle size (APS) = of 0.050-0.150 mm, the biomass and / or plastics are fed directly from the top of the fountain confiner into the dilute bed where it is considered as the primary reaction zone for the contact of solid particles (e.g., catalyst particles and / or plastic particles) and gaseous reactants before the solids and liquid fall into the dense bed. A taller fountain confiner will have longer residence time for better heat transfer and contact between the biomass / plastic and catalysts in the dilute bed, higher operation gas rate can compensate the gas residence time and the upgoing hot particles have higher kinetic energy which will benefit the heat and mass transfer involving particle collisions. Thus, large scale reactors are scaled up with higher operation gas rate and longer fountain confiner as illustrated in the Table 7 and FIG.9. The original 1m device in Example 4, is scaled up to a 2m device as the New Design #1 with DC / DF=2 and LF=1.37m, the operation gas rate is up to 7.5 m / s when compared to the 3 m / s in the 1m device. The original 1m device, is scaled up to a 3m device as the New Design #2 with DC / DF=2.61 and LF=2.33m, the operation gas rate is also 7.5 m / s when compared to the New Design #1. For both new designs, the gas residence time in the fountain confiner (4.6 sec.) and the whole reactor (~22 sec.) are similar, to ensure a proper scale-up for similar and / or better results of the catalytic pyrolysis reactions. To limit the secondary reactions in the disengaging zone (free board), the total transport disengaging height (TDH) was calculated based on A. Founrol et al, Can. J. Chem. Eng vol 51, 1973, pp 401, from which the TDH of fine FCC catalyst can be determined as below: TDH (m) = Ug2(m / s)2 / (0.001*g), where g is gravity constant as 9.8 (m / s2). 22 4881-7167-8878.7Atty. Dkt. No.: 114096-6077 (W10344-00)

[0083] In general, for exit gas velocity as 0.1 m / s, the TDH of the fine particles are less than 1.5 m. In the New design #1, the height of the cylindrical section is 0.76 m, lower than the fountain confiner (see FIG.9). In the new design #2, the conical zone is sufficient for disengaging, and the cylinder section can be eliminated to reduce the secondary reactions. Table 7. Design of catalytic pyrolysis reactor using taller fountain confiner and nonporous draft tube at higher operation gas rate Parameter Original New design New design #1 #223 4881-7167-8878.7Atty. Dkt. No.: 114096-6077 (W10344-00) Gas residence time in the whole reactor 22.2 22.5 21.8 (second)

[0084] Example 5: 360mm column diameter device using fountain confiner and open-sided draft tube for higher solid hold-up when compared to the nonporous draft tube.

[0085] This example is directed to a conical spouted bed reactor with a column diameter of 360 mm, using sand with a particle density as 2.4 g / ml and an average particle size as 0.25 mm (dp / D0=1 / 200). Both nonporous draft tube and open sided-draft tube were used in this example. The following Table 8 describes the parameters. Table 8: Configuration of device used in Example 5. Parameter Using open sided Using non-porous24 4881-7167-8878.7Atty. Dkt. No.: 114096-6077 (W10344-00) Open-sided tube length, LT(m) 0.2 Open-sided tube diameter, DT = D0 (m) 0.05

[0086] As indicated in Example 4, for pyrolysis of biomass and / or plastics where the raw material is fed from the top of the fountain confiner into the device, the primary reaction zone is the dilute bed inside the fountain confiner. This example is to illustrate that the hold- up of the solid mass in the diluted bed, can be regulated by using different forms of the draft tubes. For the nonporous draft tube, the operation range of inlet gas rate as U0 / Ums, was determined experimentally to be 1-10 where the Umsis 2.5 m / s (10.5 Nm3 / hr); operating at U0 / Ums=1-8.6 (10.5-90 Nm3 / hr), the solid hold-up in the diluted bed was found as 7-18wt% of the total solid mass. Using the open-sided draft tube, the stable spouting gas flow is 1-6.4 of U0 / Ums, where Ums was found as 3.2 m / s (21 Nm3 / hr); operating at U0 / Ums of 2.6 to 6.4 (55-135 Nm3 / hr), the hold-up of solid mass in the diluted bed was 15-33 wt% of the total mass. The higher solid hold-up using the open-sided draft tube, mainly come as the result of the unexpected expansion of spout to the outside of the draft tube (see FIG.10). If high solid hold-up is desired, larger diameter of the draft tube (D0=DT) would also beneficial as it allows higher gas flow rate without increase the linear velocity of the operating gas.

[0087] In the case to design biomass / plastic pyrolysis reactor with spray dried catalyst particles, we can extend this novel regulating method to dp / D0= 2000-6000 and thus control the catalyst hold-up in the diluted bed. Two new designs are shown in the Table 9 below where Weight Hourly Space Velocity (WHSV) is used to illustrate the effective contact between the catalyst bed and the feed stock. WHSV is calculated as feed rate divided by catalyst weight in the bed (kgs of feedstock / kgs of catalyst per hour), and higher WSHV means less effective contact between the feed and / or product gas with the catalyst. It is well known in fluid catalytic cracking (FCC) that the optimized WHSV for highly active (Y zeolite based) catalyst is 100-200 (1 / h), thus riser is used for maximum yield of gasoline. For 25 4881-7167-8878.7Atty. Dkt. No.: 114096-6077 (W10344-00) catalytic pyrolysis, cracking reactor may need more contact (lower WHSV) between the feed and the catalyst, however too much contact will facilitate unwanted secondary reactions such as dehydrogenation, isomerization, aromatization and hydrogen transfer. The application of open-sided draft tube in the new design #4 will have better gas-solid contact in the dilute bed and better circulation in the annulus zone due to less mass in the dense bed and more gas flow through annulus. As the gas flow circulated out from the diluted bed / fountain confiner would bypass the dense bed and go directly to the disengaging zone (see FIG.1), for a very active catalyst using the new design #3 with a nonporous draft tube, it would reduce the contact between feed and catalyst (WHSV=30-1401 / h) in the dilute bed and thus limit the secondary reactions. Overall, using a tailored draft tube the conical spouted bed reactor can be optimized for catalysts with different activities and / or selectivities in the pyrolysis of biomass and / or plastics. Table 9: New design of catalytic pyrolysis reactors with controlled catalyst hold-up in the diluted bed of fountain confiner. New Design #3 using a non- New Design #4 using an st26 4881-7167-8878.7Atty. Dkt. No.: 114096-6077 (W10344-00)

[0088] While certain embodiments have been illustrated and described, it should be understood that changes and modifications can be made therein in accordance with ordinary skill in the art without departing from the technology in its broader aspects as defined in the following claims.

[0089] The embodiments, illustratively described herein may suitably be practiced in the absence of any element or elements, limitation or limitations, not specifically disclosed herein. Thus, for example, the terms “comprising,” “including,” “containing,” etc. shall be read expansively and without limitation. Additionally, the terms and expressions employed herein have been used as terms of description and not of limitation, and there is no intention in the use of such terms and expressions of excluding any equivalents of the features shown and described or portions thereof, but it is recognized that various modifications are possible within the scope of the claimed technology. Additionally, the phrase “consisting essentially of” will be understood to include those elements specifically recited and those additional elements that do not materially affect the basic and novel characteristics of the claimed technology. The phrase “consisting of” excludes any element not specified.

[0090] The present disclosure is not to be limited in terms of the particular embodiments described in this application. Many modifications and variations can be made without departing from its spirit and scope, as will be apparent to those skilled in the art. Functionally equivalent methods and compositions within the scope of the disclosure, in addition to those enumerated herein, will be apparent to those skilled in the art from the foregoing descriptions. Such modifications and variations are intended to fall within the scope of the appended claims. The present disclosure is to 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 this disclosure is not limited to particular methods, reagents, compounds, or compositions, 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. 27 4881-7167-8878.7Atty. Dkt. No.: 114096-6077 (W10344-00)

[0091] In addition, where features or aspects of the disclosure are described in terms of Markush groups, those skilled in the art will recognize that the disclosure is also thereby described in terms of any individual member or subgroup of members of the Markush group.

[0092] As will be understood by one skilled in the art, for any and all purposes, particularly in terms of providing a written description, all ranges disclosed herein also encompass any and all possible subranges and combinations of subranges thereof. Any listed range can be easily recognized as sufficiently describing and enabling the same range being broken down into at least equal halves, thirds, quarters, fifths, tenths, etc. As a non-limiting example, each range discussed herein can be readily broken down into a lower third, middle third and upper third, etc. As will also be understood by one skilled in the art all language such as “up to,” “at least,” “greater than,” “less than,” and the like, include the number recited and refer to ranges which can be subsequently broken down into subranges as discussed above. Finally, as will be understood by one skilled in the art, a range includes each individual member.

[0093] All publications, patent applications, issued patents, and other documents referred to in this specification are herein incorporated by reference as if each individual publication, patent application, issued patent, or other document was specifically and individually indicated to be incorporated by reference in its entirety. Definitions that are contained in text incorporated by reference are excluded to the extent that they contradict definitions in this disclosure.

[0094] Other embodiments are set forth in the following claims. 28 4881-7167-8878.7

Claims

Atty. Dkt. No.: 114096-6077 (W10344-00) WHAT IS CLAIMED IS:

1. An apparatus comprising a conical spouted bed reactor having a gas inlet opening diameter of D0 comprising a fountain confiner, wherein the conical spouted bed reactor is configured to fluidize and retain particles having a mean particle diameter of dp and a ratio of particle diameter to gas inlet opening diameter (dp / D0) of less than about 1 / 1000.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the dp / D0is less than about 1 / 2000.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the dp / D0 is less than about 1 / 3000.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the dp / D0 is about 1 / 6000 to about 1 / 2000.

5. The apparatus of any one of claims 1-4, wherein the conical spouted bed reactor further comprises a draft tube.

6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the draft tube is a nonporous draft tube.

7. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the draft tube is an open-sided draft tube.

8. The apparatus of any one of claims 1-7, wherein the conical spouted bed reactor has a contactor angle of from about 28° to about 60°.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the contactor angle is about 32°.

10. The apparatus of any one of claims 1-9, wherein the conical spouted bed reactor has an outside cylindrical diameter (Dc) from about 0.36 m to about 3 m and contains a dense bed of solid particles in the conical section comprising from about 5 kgs to about 3000 kgs.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, where the dense bed has a density of from about 350-1000 kgs / m3. 29 4881-7167-8878.7Atty. Dkt. No.: 114096-6077 (W10344-00) 12. The apparatus of any one of claims 10-11, wherein the fountain confiner has internal diameter (DF) and a ratio of internal diameter to the diameter of the outside cylindrical top (DF / Dc) is about 0.30 to about 0.

65.

13. The apparatus of any one of claims 1-12, wherein the conical spouted bed reactor is operated with continuous addition and removal of particles.

14. The apparatus of any one of claims 1-12, wherein the conical spouted bed reactor is operated with continuous addition of a particulate feedstock.

15. The apparatus of any one of claims 1-13, wherein the conical spouted bed reactor is operated with continuous addition of a liquid feedstock.

16. The apparatus of any one of claims 1-13, wherein the conical spouted bed reactor is operated with continuous addition of a gaseous feedstock.

17. The apparatus of any one of claims 1-16, wherein the solid particles are catalyst particles.

18. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the catalyst particles comprise a solid acid.

19. The apparatus of claims 16 or 17, wherein the catalyst particles comprise a zeolite-based catalyst.

20. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the zeolite-based catalyst comprises a pentasil zeolite.

21. The apparatus of any one of claims 1-20, wherein the conical spouted bed reactor is operated at a temperature of about 100 °C to about 800 °C.

22. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the conical spouted bed reactor is operated at a temperature of about 400 °C to about 600 °C.

23. The apparatus of any one of claims 1-22, wherein the conical spouted bed reactor is operated with a feedstock comprising solid plastic waste and / or biomass. 30 4881-7167-8878.7Atty. Dkt. No.: 114096-6077 (W10344-00) 24. The apparatus of any one of claims 1-6 and 8-23 wherein the fountain confiner has a height of LFthat extends above the height of the cylindrical zone of the conical spouted bed reactor.

25. The apparatus of any one of claims 1-24, wherein the conical spouted bed reactor further has a cylindrical shell having a height of no greater than about 2.5 m.

26. The apparatus of any one of claims 1-6 and 8-25, wherein (LT / LH)0.5*((Dc2-DF2) / DT2) is more than about 85, wherein LTis tube length, LHis entrainment height, Dcis column diameter, DF is the fountain confiner diameter, and DT is tube diameter.

27. The apparatus of any one of claims 1-5, and 7-25, wherein the open-sided draft tube has a draft tube diameter that is the same as the gas inlet diameter (DT=D0) and has aperture ratio (AR) of from about 40% to about 80%.

28. The apparatus of any one of claims 1-5, 7-25, and 27, wherein the conical spouted bed reactor has an inlet gas flow rate of U0 / Ums of about 1.5 to about 6.4 and has a mass in the diluted bed of about 15 to about 30 wt% of the total mass, where U0is operation inlet gas velocity and Ums is minimum spouting inlet air velocity.

29. The apparatus of any one of claims 1-6 and 8-26, wherein the conical spouted bed reactor has an inlet gas flow rate of U0 / Ums of about 2 to about 10 and has a mass in the diluted bed is about 7 to about 18 wt% of the total mass, where U0is operation inlet gas velocity and Ums is minimum spouting inlet air velocity. 31 4881-7167-8878.7

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