Thermally self-sustained system and method of continuous combustion and gasification for transforming pieces of waste without pre-crushing

Abstract

The present invention relates to a thermally self-sustained system of continuous combustion and gasification (1), capable of converting different-sized solid waste, ranging from small particles to large volumes having a diameter even larger than 4 metres, into reusable energy resources. The system comprises a gasification multi-chamber (10) to simultaneously process more than one unit of waste (A), said multi-chamber integrally and consecutively comprising a drying and preheating antechamber (11) to reduce the moisture content of the unit of waste (A), a gasifying chamber (12) for gasifying the preheated unit of waste (A), and a cooling chamber (13) for cooling a gasified unit of waste (A). The chambers can be hermetically sealed by a set of airtight gates (161, 162, 163, 164) that operate in coordination with each other. The gasifying chamber (12) comprises, at the bottom of side walls, at least one section with gasifying agent insufflation openings, which can be axially coupled, inside the gasifying chamber (12), to distributing chambers (21) for distributing the gasifying agent, said distributing chambers being comprised in movable conveying grids (20) on a circuit of rails (50) to transfer the units of waste (A). The invention further comprises a derived gas combustion subsystem (30), which comprises a continuous combustion chamber (31), and an ejector component (32) which extracts the derived gas from the gasifying chamber (12) and injects it into said continuous combustion chamber (31) under controlled flow conditions.

Description

[0001] THERMALLY SELF-SUSTAINED SYSTEM AND METHOD OF GASIFICATION AND CONTINUOUS COMBUSTION FOR THE TRANSFORMATION OF WASTE PARTS WITHOUT PREVIOUS CRUSHING.

[0002] DESCRIPTIVE MEMORANDUM

[0003] The present invention falls within the technical field of thermochemical systems for the volumetric reduction of waste. Specifically, it relates to a multi-chamber system and a thermally self-sustaining, continuous gasification and combustion method capable of converting solid waste of varying dimensions, from small particles to large volumes with diameters exceeding 4 meters, into reusable energy resources.

[0004] DESCRIPTION OF PREVIOUS ART

[0005] Waste management has become a major global problem. Each year, over 2 billion tons of household waste and more than 350 million tons of plastic waste are produced worldwide. Much of this waste simply accumulates in the environment without being reused or processed, either because it is abandoned or buried. Only a small fraction is legally incinerated, and an even smaller portion is recycled. This is due to several reasons, the main ones being the economic unfeasibility of many mechanical recycling processes, the high cost of separating each type of waste, and, in the case of limited energy recovery, the high cost of the few available technologies.

[0006] A particularly difficult issue in waste management is how to treat certain wastes that release enormous quantities of highly toxic pollutants, such as dioxins and furans, when subjected to incineration processes, as is the case with chlorinated plastics like PVC. In the case of many other plastic wastes abandoned in the environment, such as used tires, if they are simply left exposed to the elements or disposed of in a landfill, they take decades or more to fully degrade. However, their micro-fracture, caused by erosive factors like sunlight, leads to the production of microplastics that are destroying various ecosystems. Given the enormous global demand for motor vehicles, the quantity of discarded rubber tires is truly staggering.This problem is exacerbated in regions or countries where the mining industry is relevant, since the mining industry is one of the main producers of this type of waste and is also one of the main consumers of energy resources.

[0007] While many mining countries have enacted environmental laws that require producers to manage the final disposal of waste, many of these laws fail to address the problem of accumulated waste—the so-called environmental liability of these mining companies. The lack of economically and environmentally viable methodologies has led to the accumulation of this waste in yards near mining operations in some cases, and in others, millions of tons have been deposited in landfills, most of them unsustainable, over the past few decades. This waste, almost always stored in the open air and mostly consisting of highly combustible materials, poses a significant risk to the environment and local communities without any mitigation measures in place.Throughout the world there have been numerous episodes of deliberate fires of these massive clusters, with records of pollutant generation that can remain in the air for months, not to mention that, in the case of subsequent rains, they can cause dangerous pollutants to flow into the subsoil and contaminate the land, as well as the water or groundwater.

[0008] Among the existing technologies for the thermal processing of solid waste, incineration, or the direct burning of waste, is being questioned throughout the Western world, especially in the US and European countries, where it was implemented a few decades ago to quickly address the collapse of landfills and dumpsites. Today it is common practice in these countries, but it is not well-received by communities and scientists who warn about the problem of contamination with hazardous substances, such as dioxins and furans, generated during incineration. Furthermore, these incineration plants require enormous financial resources to implement and only partially solve the problem, since the filtration systems for the pollutants produce new toxic waste with uncertain final disposal methods.Another problem with mega power plants is that they require enormous volumes of waste which, in most cases, must travel hundreds of kilometers to get from the producer to the processing plant, with the consequent pollution and cost of transporting the waste.

[0009] On the other hand, gasification is also known as a thermal process for waste that has proven to be a cleaner alternative technology, as it avoids the generation of many of the hazardous pollutants produced by direct incineration. Gasification processes are extremely adaptable in terms of waste, facilities, and products obtained, making them ideal for integration into diverse industrial contexts. They are attractive to various stakeholders, from resource managers seeking markets for their byproducts to industries looking for alternatives to fossil fuels in high-temperature processes. In addition to reducing emissions of pollutants and greenhouse gases, this thermochemical degradation of raw materials opens the door to new applications such as the production of hydrogen and synthetic gas.

[0010] Gasification is a conversion technology that transforms any material containing carbon and hydrogen, such as plastics, into a derivative gas using high temperatures (above 600 °C) and a controlled amount of oxygen to allow the material to react without complete combustion. The temperatures used and the composition of the gas produced, as well as its applications, will depend on the material / waste introduced and the gasifying agent used, which can be air or steam. The main products of the gas derived from gasification depend on the waste being gasified, although they are usually composed primarily of CO, H₂, N₂, and traces of CO₂. Hydrocarbons (CH₄, C₂H₄, C₂H₆, etc.) and small amounts of H₂S and NH₃ are also formed. The resulting gas derived from gasification, or synthesis gas, is a combination of the components mentioned above. Another product obtained from some waste materials is carbon.During the gasification process of used tires, for example, up to 80% of the polymer material's weight can be lost due to the emission of volatiles that form the byproduct gas, leaving only high-purity carbon in the gasification chamber. This is why it is also called the carbonization process.

[0011] Gasification can produce valuable products from waste, thus reducing dependence on natural resources. Furthermore, energy recovery from waste helps diversify the energy mix and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Gasification is recognized as a fundamental tool for ending the life cycle of materials, producing renewable energy, and fostering environmental sustainability in our transition to a low-carbon, circular economy. However, despite being an environmentally friendly alternative, gasification has been scarcely implemented due to its high costs in a few wealthy countries. Therefore, the difficulty of introducing gasification in an economically viable way in less resource-poor countries, such as those in Latin America, is evident, especially due to the high cost of equipment.

[0012] Furthermore, there are other limitations for many complex industrial wastes, which are difficult to manage due to their volume and dimensions and are currently piled up and accumulated in the environment, posing a risk to surrounding communities and workers' camps near these environmental liabilities. Some of these wastes are tires, especially those from giant mining trucks, also known as ELTs (End-of-Life Tires), which can weigh up to 4 tons and have an external diameter of more than 4 meters. These tires are composed of 30% steel wire and the remainder of rubber and other additives.

[0013] Other problematic waste products, due to their size and weight, that remain in the environment near mining operations include, for example, mill liners. These are plates composed of steel beams with rubber coatings, which can weigh more than two tons and contain approximately 20% rubber and resins for adhesion to the steel. They cannot be removed without burning the rubber, which is currently the only option available to the manufacturers when a unit comes off the production line with a defect. Currently, the steel and rubber from these plates are not recycled; instead, they are sent to foundries as scrap metal. The same occurs with conveyor belts for materials in mining operations, which are increasingly used due to the greater implementation of underground mines.

[0014] Other large waste items include end-of-life cars, currently mostly sent to steel mills, sometimes compacted, without prior removal of the plastics contained in the car, many of which are difficult to separate, are not recyclable, or there is no economic interest in recycling them, causing them to be burned in steel furnaces with the consequent emission of high volumes of hazardous pollutants.

[0015] In the case of industrial mining waste, one of the significant costs of final disposal is handling, often due to the considerable weight and size of these materials. Transporting even a single giant tire is a major problem and requires specialized machinery. To be partially reused, at least in systems that shred the rubber, these tires must first be taken to the city where they undergo dimensional reduction. This is complex due to the scarcity of specialized machinery, which is also very expensive. Adding to this is the risk of removing thousands of these tires and transporting them to the city, given that they must be inefficiently handled by special trucks that can only carry four tires at a time.It is for these and several other reasons that mining companies continue to leave these waste materials in their yards; tires, conveyor belts, mining mill liners, among others, are accumulated and no decision is made to give them another destination mainly due to a lack of technologies that make their valorization viable not only from an economic point of view but also from an environmental one.

[0016] Numerous solutions are known for the processing of small tires, whether in their whole state or previously shredded, which are generally easy to implement because the size and weight of normal tires allows their handling and processing prior to their thermochemical decomposition, either by means of incineration, pyrolysis or gasification.

[0017] Examples of the above can be seen in patent application WO2008144381A2, referring to an apparatus for tire pyrolysis, which shows a long pre-processing of crushing and pelletizing waste tires before they are subjected to a pyrolysis process.

[0018] Another known example in the prior art for processing small tires also refers to pyrolysis processes, but with the use of whole tires, without prior shredding; an example of this can be seen in US5852062A which refers to an apparatus for liquefying tires by means of pyrolysis that includes a first large preheating tank for processing several whole tires hung from a frame and a second tank for arranging the tires stacked together and liquefying them by pyrolysis.

[0019] A known prior art solution for processing whole giant tires without prior shredding or reduction is described in US patent 2014311886 A1, which discloses a batch pyrolysis reactor for recovering products from waste material. The reactor includes a heating chamber and a removable retort for insertion and removal from the heating chamber. This retort is a sealed vessel in which substances are heated for a chemical reaction that produces vapor products, which are collected in a collection vessel for further processing. The document indicates that, to allow for 24-hour operation, the reactor has means for loading and unloading the retort from the heating chamber.

[0020] The difficulty with the aforementioned solution is that, on the one hand, more than one refillable retort would be needed to continuously place them in the heating chamber; on the other hand, the dimensions and weight of mining tires are very high, and the use of enormous cranes to remove and replace the retort with the tires inside would involve a large expenditure of resources, making it economically unfeasible.

[0021] Another known solution is of the type described in W02023178400A1, a document with an equivalent application filed in Chile under number CL202303306. This document describes a process and apparatus for treating fine, powdery, pasty, iodized, and liquid wastes that cannot be processed using conventional grate gasification processes. It continuously integrates the pyrolysis process in a rotating drum at average temperatures of 300 to 500°C and the gasification process in a gasifier at average temperatures of 500 to 800°C. After this process, the waste-derived gas mixture is returned countercurrently through the rotating pyrolysis drum, then passed through a Venturi system or an exhaust system, and can be directed to a combustion system or a system for treating and separating the combustible fractions for subsequent energy recovery.Inside the gasifier, the movement of materials is achieved using fixed and moving grates, arranged as inclined, stepped ramps. These grates, with a back-and-forth motion generated by hydraulic actuators, cause the material to advance and fall from one grate to the next, while simultaneously decomposing. The combustion system, with its refractory walls, incorporates a Venturi and positions it to direct the exhaust gas into the combustion chamber.

[0022] The drawback of the aforementioned document is that it is designed to process fine, chopped materials. Therefore, it uses a hopper loading system and involves successive material feeds via a rotating drum and then through stepped grids that move back and forth to advance the material. This would be inapplicable for processing large, whole waste materials, such as mining tires. Another drawback is that the method includes several processes, each performed in a separate piece of equipment with its own sophisticated mechanisms: one for rotating the pyrolysis drum, another for shaking the stepped grids, and yet another for combusting the residual gases. This implies a potentially high implementation cost, which, when considered on a larger scale for processing large tires, is economically unfeasible.

[0023] One of the drawbacks of systems using conventional pyrolysis methods is that pyrolysis, as a pure process, requires the consumption of heat proportional to the mass of waste and its derivatives for decomposition. For efficient pyrolysis, a rotating drum is needed to provide the necessary rotation and movement of the material. This technology has not been updated for decades and presents several disadvantages, including the fact that the final product is a low-quality diesel or pyrodiesel-type fossil fuel that must be refined and can only be used in certain engines.

[0024] The combustion of this pyrodiesel produces high levels of pollution when burned at low temperatures. The exhaust gases, in particular, will contain dioxins and furans if the fuel is produced from chlorine-containing plastics such as PVC. The process in these rotary pyrolysis kilns also produces a small percentage of gas, but this is partly used to heat the kiln, while the remainder is burned and vented into the air with a conventional burner that combusts at low temperatures and with excess oxygen, thus creating the conditions for the formation of dioxins and furans. The other product of rotary pyrolysis kilns is a low-quality carbon that is difficult to use without prior processing and has a low carbon content.

[0025] Furthermore, the refining process leaves waxes and other unusable residues that become new waste and end up in landfills, with no other final disposal option. Most of these rotary kilns are non-continuous or operate in cycles, as the kiln needs to be cooled after each cycle before the next. Additionally, the production of fuel or pyrodiesel requires a condensation process, which needs a cooling medium; typically, water is used to cool the condensation cycle that forms the liquid fuel production circuit. This water flow for condensation, in turn, requires cooling by means of cooling or evaporative towers, which need constant replenishment of the water consumed in the process.

[0026] Other existing solutions that do not include pyrolysis or incineration of waste, such as those described in US2001006036A1, are apparatus for the gasification of used tires in a negative ambient pressure environment. This apparatus includes a gasification unit, a combustion unit, and a connecting pipe. The gasification unit comprises a gasification chamber with a top lid for inserting a series of stacked tires, at least one vent, at least one gasification igniter, and a fan. The combustion unit comprises a combustion chamber and an exhaust pipe. The connecting pipe connects the outlet of the gasification unit to the combustion unit. In operation, the tires are placed inside the gasification chamber. The tires are ignited using the gasification igniter. Rapid oxidation of the tires is fueled by air entering through at least one vent.The combustion gases generated by the oxidation of the tires are extracted from the gasification chamber through a vacuum tube with a fan. These gases are then introduced into the combustion chamber through a connecting tube. The combustion gases are ignited in the combustion chamber using at least one combustion igniter.

[0027] While these solutions do away with direct incineration or pyrolysis processes, relying instead on gasification or partial oxidation of the waste, and adding a combustion stage of the residual gas to produce a gas without hazardous pollutant emissions such as dioxins and furans, the drawback is that they do not work in practice. The gases derived from gasification, as described in these inventions, are "lean" gases in the sense that they have low calorific value and are at low pressure in the gasification chamber. Therefore, they do not burn easily like gases such as natural gas or petroleum-derived gases (LPG), which, in addition to having high calorific value, are used from containers that keep the gas in a liquefied state and are extracted at high pressure, facilitating continuous combustion.In practice, it is not possible to maintain a continuous combustion flame produced by gases derived from these gasification processes solely with an electric igniter. To generate a flow of hot gases from continuous combustion, and therefore for the generated heat to be usable in other processes, optimal conditions are required, not only in terms of mixture stoichiometry, but also specific pressure and temperature conditions of the gas flow mixture and the flame activation energy itself (also called the "spark"). In other words, to produce a constant flame from a combustible gas, the three components of the fire triangle (fuel, oxidizer, and activation energy or spark) must not only be present, but these three variables must also be present continuously.This is where the complexity of achieving combustion arises, since the gas derived from gasification, as expressed in the aforementioned inventions, can generate combustion upon contact with a spark. However, this instantaneous combustion would extinguish the activation energy itself unless it were a type of energy with high calorific value, such as a hydrogen pilot flame or a plasma arc. The resulting high operating costs would render such systems economically unviable. Gaseous processes in a combustion chamber using electrical ignition are extremely complex (a summary of gas mixture combustion processes with different types of sparks can be found at https: / / www.sciencedirect.com / topics / physics-and-astronomy / electric-spark).

[0028] US2001006036A1 refers only to an electric “spark” (44) of the gas as the activation energy. For such a system to function, this spark must be capable of generating an electric arc like those produced by plasma arc systems, which typically operate at temperatures between 2,000 and 15,000 degrees Celsius. These systems require enormous amounts of electrical energy to fuel the electric arc, making them very expensive both to produce, due to the high cost of materials that must withstand such temperatures, and to operate, as they consume vast amounts of electrical energy.In other words, if we consider a simple, intermittent electric spark plug with low power consumption compared to a plasma-type spark plug, such as the one generated in an internal combustion engine spark plug or a gas stove, these systems are not capable of providing sufficient or permanent activation energy to maintain a continuous flame fueled by a mixture of gases derived from a gasification process. These gases require not only high temperatures but also pressure conditions that prevent the gas ignition from extinguishing the spark plug's energy when subjected to the pressure generated by the combustion and expansion of the combustion gas mixture.On the other hand, it would be possible to provide a flame with ideal temperature and pressure conditions, fueled by the injection of hydrogen gas or another external fuel into the system, which would allow the flame to remain constant, but the high cost of consuming that external fuel gas would make the system economically unviable in most cases.

[0029] The main drawback of energy-efficient plasma gasification systems is that they require enormous energy consumption, but also, by gasifying waste materials at high temperatures using a plasma arc, the degradation of the material occurs between 1500 and 5000 degrees Celsius, resulting in the destruction of minerals in waste such as steel and glass, which, instead of being recovered for recycling, are melted in the process.

[0030] The same problem arises in W02023178400A1, which describes an invention that explicitly aims to consume all the coal produced or recovered in the process. Furthermore, another drawback of this system is that it uses water to remove process waste, such as the ash produced.

[0031] Therefore, both the aforementioned gasification systems and pyrolysis systems are ultimately endothermic systems that require enormous volumes of energy or external resources to operate continuously, whether these resources are electrical energy, thermal energy, or water. Above all, they lack the practical capacity to process large-scale waste without prior shredding. This demonstrates the need for systems to process large-scale polluting waste, such as mining tires, without requiring prior shredding. Such systems should, above all, harness the exothermic gasification process in conjunction with a combustion system that does not require external thermal energy to produce constant activation energy, thus enabling continuous operation and allowing the system to generate heat rather than consume it.By harnessing the calorific value of waste materials and transforming them into usable surplus thermal energy for industrial processes, these systems become economically and environmentally viable. This also allows for the transformation of waste containing large quantities of rubber, such as tires and other industrial waste, into usable heat for these same industrial processes. Furthermore, it enables the recovery of high-quality carbon contained in this waste, which can be used as a high-quality raw material for the production of, for example, graphite for electric vehicle battery anodes, or for the production of high-quality activated carbon, a key input for the mining industry. All these benefits will ultimately contribute to avoiding the pollution associated with the production and transportation chain of fossil fuels, which are currently widely used to generate heat for industrial processes.Instead, harnessing the heat energy contained in millions of tons of waste that currently remain in the environment, polluting it and not being valued due to a lack of viable technologies.

[0032] GENERAL DESCRIPTION

[0033] The present invention relates to an electromechanical industrial system capable of thermally processing large-sized waste without prior dimensional reduction, transforming it into energy resources and other reusable raw materials in a novel and environmentally friendly way.

[0034] The system proposed by the present invention integrates a multi-chamber gasification system together with a continuous combustion system with activation energy capable of self-sustaining.

[0035] The main technical problem addressed by the present invention is the transformation and valorization of large-sized waste or large volumes of waste, in a way that is technically and economically viable, without the need for huge volumes of external energy to the system such as plasma-type gasification systems, but that maintains the advantages of gasification in terms of low environmental emissions and that is also capable of producing thermal energy usable in industrial processes by taking advantage of the calorific power of the waste.

[0036] Therefore, one of the objectives of the present invention is to provide a waste valorization system that uses the thermochemical processing technology of gasification, also called partial oxidation, which differs from technologies such as incineration, pyrolysis or the "dry distillation" process, due to its greater capacity for process control and consequently for its greater control of emissions derived from thermal processes.

[0037] Another objective of the present invention is to provide a gasification-based energy system capable of processing large waste in its entirety, without prior stages of crushing or size reduction. This involves moving large pieces of material one by one or in groups, sliding them along, thus promoting gasification reactions from the bottom of the waste material to the top of the same piece. This allows for continuous, integrated operation without downtime for different stages of the process, enabling the simultaneous treatment of several waste units, each subjected individually to consecutive processing stages where resource use can be controlled and optimized.

[0038] Yet another objective of the present invention is to provide a system that couples a waste gasification stage to a subsequent combustion stage of the gas generated in the previous stage, through an integrated combustion subsystem capable of generating a continuous flame that is self-sustaining by means of self-feeding the activation energy, resulting in perfect and constant combustion of the gases derived from the gasification stage, without the need for a pilot flame or injection of energy or external fuels into the system.

[0039] Finally, another objective of the present invention is to provide a thermal processing and energy recovery system for waste, which allows the installation of small and medium-sized recovery plants, enabling the development of a network of facilities suitable for the distributed treatment of waste, including one or more facilities within the same industrial operation, to supply the resources generated by the system and derived from the waste to the industrial operation itself, locally, without the need for mega-facilities that require enormous volumes of waste to make the necessary investments viable, also avoiding the transport of waste over long distances.

[0040] These large-scale solid wastes can be of the type that contain multiple types of materials, organic or a mixture of organic and mineral materials, with organic materials being based on carbon and hydrogen chains, and residual mineral materials being steel, glass, or ceramics, among others; for example, pieces of residual materials in large-scale mixtures are whole mining truck tires, mining mill plates, also called "liners" or "iron with rubber" in mining jargon, compacted or uncompacted end-of-life vehicles, large rolls of mining conveyor belts, among others.

[0041] In this description, the term "waste unit" is used to refer to the product intended to be processed by this system, which is preferably a large waste item in its entirety or may be a large accumulation of smaller products, such as, for example, large accumulations of smaller tires, among others.

[0042] In this description, the term “gasifying agent” is used to refer to the gaseous agent applicable to the gasifying chamber that provides the oxygen necessary to carry out gasification; this agent can be ambient air, preheated ambient air, water vapor, CO2 gas, or a mixture of other gases produced from the residual gases of the combustion of the same system, in order to increase the hydrogen content in the derived gas or to increase the quality of the carbon produced from the reduction of the residue, in the case of residues with a high content of rubber or elastomer.

[0043] The present invention allows converting large-scale solid waste into reusable energy resources, by means of a gasification and combustion system integrated with the gases derived from the gasification process, which reuses the same gases produced to dry and preheat the waste, as well as to provide a higher temperature oxidizing agent recycled from the same process.

[0044] The system comprises a multi-chamber gasification unit to simultaneously process more than one unit of waste, and a continuous combustion subsystem of the byproduct gas that operates by self-feeding the activation energy required for combustion of the gas produced in the gasification stage.

[0045] The multi-chamber gasification unit comprises, in an integral and sequential manner, a drying antechamber where the waste unit is dried using, when there is moisture in the waste, preferably hot air recycled from the subsequent stages of the same system; a gasifying chamber configured to partially oxidize the waste unit using a gasifying agent, typically atmospheric air or steam; and a cooling chamber to cool the already gasified waste unit, where its residual hot gases can be used both in the drying chamber, when necessary, and subsequently in the combustion subsystem as combustion air at a higher temperature than atmospheric air.

[0046] This multi-chamber configuration allows the continuous flow of waste units sequentially, transporting them from one chamber to another supported on movable conveyor grids in a rail circuit; and to control each chamber of the multi-chamber individually, these are hermetically sealed by a set of airtight gates that operate in coordination with each other.

[0047] To supply gasifying agent from the bottom of the waste units and ensure that it reaches the bottom of the waste units in a directed and optimal manner, the present system comprises, in a lower portion of the gasifying chamber, sectors of gasifying agent insulating openings, axially coupled, inside the gasifying chamber, to gasifying agent distribution chambers included in the conveyor grids.

[0048] These sections of insult openings and the distribution chambers of the conveyor grates are not only at the same height, but also the number of insult opening sections matches the maximum number of conveyor grates that can be simultaneously inside the gasification chamber; in turn, the number of insult openings per section matches the number of distribution chambers within each conveyor grate. Thus, as the conveyor grates advance along the length of the gasification chamber, their distribution chambers connect axially with the insult openings to receive the gasifying agent and distribute it directly from the bottom of the waste units. The gases derived from the gasification chamber are composed mostly of carbon monoxide (CO) and hydrogen (H2), with traces of methane (CJL), hydrocarbons (Cx H y ), tars (C x H y EITHER z Nitrogen (N2) and carbon dioxide (CO2) are therefore considered a mixture of combustible and non-combustible gases, resulting in a lean mixture with low calorific value. This makes sustained combustion difficult without continuous activation energy under specific temperature and pressure conditions. Therefore, another problem addressed by the present invention is the need to constantly extract the gas produced in the gasifier chamber and generate the appropriate conditions for continuous combustion in the combustion subsystem of the byproduct gases. The solution adopted consists of accelerating the flow of the byproduct gas and oxidizer mixture to the combustion chamber, ultimately increasing its pressure upon impact with the wall responsible for providing the activation energy for combustion.

[0049] On the other hand, said continuous combustion subsystem of the derived gas includes a continuous combustion chamber comprising, in an internal cavity, refractory walls; and an ejector component that extracts the derived gas from the gasifier chamber, mixes it with oxidizing gases that may come from the cooling stage and / or from an ambient air inlet, and injects it into said continuous combustion chamber under controlled conditions of flow direction, speed, temperature and pressure.

[0050] The combustion subsystem aims to combust the gas derived from gasification perfectly and consistently, doing so in a substantially self-sustaining manner in terms of the activation energy required to maintain this continuous combustion. The flow of derived gases mixed with the oxidizer impacts the incandescent refractory wall under specific pressure and temperature conditions, generating a constant flame. This process also simultaneously provides the heat necessary to maintain the refractory's incandescence, thus self-feeding and sustaining the flame's activation energy.

[0051] In the present invention, continuous combustion is achieved by generating a permanent activation energy (spark) or permanent incandescence on the refractory walls of the combustion chamber, without having to provide pilot flames with external ignition agents on a permanent basis, as is done with plasma, hydrogen, or other gas that generates high-temperature activation energy. Instead, the permanent spark is achieved through continuous, self-sustaining activation by the same derivative gas which, combusting upon impact with the walls, self-feeds the incandescence of the walls, thus self-sustaining the system. More specifically, this is achieved thanks to the optimal temperature and pressure conditions under which the flow of derivative gas and oxidizer mixture impacts the refractory walls of the combustion chamber.Generating a constant flame of hot, high-temperature combustion gases with a predominantly helical flow allows for both the continuous heat input to the incandescent refractory walls and the axial exit of the combustion gases through the burner duct. The bypass gas is extracted by the ejector component and propelled at a higher effective velocity towards the burner where, thanks to the increased cross-section in the divergent zone of the ejector, its pressure increases before impacting the incandescent walls of the combustion chamber. Therefore, by regulating the flow velocity of the fuel-bypass gas-oxidizer mixture, the pressure of the mixture entering the chamber can be controlled. This pressure, when it impacts the incandescent walls under specific conditions, maintains the continuous activation energy and incandescence of the refractory walls of the combustion chamber.without needing a permanent supply of fuels or external energy, and thus being an efficient self-sustaining or self-powered system using the energy derived from the waste itself in the exothermic gasification process.

[0052] The system also includes a network of interconnected ducts to allow for the reuse of airflow. In another aspect of the invention, at the outlet of the multi-chamber, specifically at the outlet of the cooling chamber, the system comprises a post-processing station with a material separation section to recover mineral materials, such as steel, present in the waste units using a magnetic separation system or a density differentiation system already known in the art, and a section for depositing the carbon resulting from gasification, in the case of certain types of solid waste, for subsequent packaging.

[0053] Alternatively, the system may include an additional extended cooling station, operating in the absence of air, located downstream of the cooling chamber. This additional cooling station allows for the cooling of residues in which the residual carbon is still at high temperatures, preventing spontaneous combustion of the byproduct due to excess ambient air. The carbon produced in gasification is of high purity in terms of its carbon content, and therefore also retains a high calorific value. For example, according to experimental tests, carbon produced from used tires can have a carbon content exceeding 95%, as determined by analyses performed with specialized elemental carbon analysis equipment.

[0054] The means of generating thrust for the conveyor belts on the rail circuit can be of the type using geared motors with pulleys and steel cables connected to the conveyor belts, which pull them for horizontal movement. This system is ideal both for its cost-effectiveness and its capacity to move heavy loads. The proposed system could also be developed with a system that pulls the belts by means of a sufficient incline to allow movement by their inertia alone. The speed of the belts' movement can be regulated solely by means of specific brakes that control this sliding motion. This would allow for energy savings due to the lower power consumption of the brakes compared to the geared motor.To ignite the system, the combustion chamber for the gas derivative must be preheated using an external, high-calorific-value fuel such as LPG or a similar gas. This initially injected fuel mixes with the air entering from the ejector component, generating a pilot flame that impacts the refractory material of the combustion chamber's inner walls under controlled speed and pressure. This preheats the walls to sufficient temperature and incandescence to generate the minimum activation energy required to ignite the flow of gas derivatives that will subsequently be injected. The pilot flame heats the edges of these refractory inner walls to a temperature of approximately 800°C or higher.

[0055] Once sufficient incandescence is reached at the edges of the combustion chamber's inner walls, the partial oxidation process begins in the multi-chamber gasifier. This process is also initiated by igniting the residual material via pilot lights located at the bottom of the residue. The ignition of the residual material lasts only a few seconds. In the combustion system, the external fuel gas pilot flame must be kept active until the gas produced by the gasification process reaches a specific temperature to sustain continuous combustion and maintain the incandescence of the walls. Once these conditions are met, the external fuel injection is shut off, leaving the entire system in continuous operation without the need for external power.

[0056] The ejector component is also responsible for maintaining the gasifier chamber at all times under negative pressure, thus ensuring completely safe conditions without the risk of positive pressures that could lead to unwanted reactions.

[0057] In this ejector component, the gas derived from gasification is mixed with ambient air as an oxidizer. This air can be preheated from the cooling chamber or by recovering some of the heat generated in the combustion system, and this mixture is sent at high speed to the combustion chamber inlet. Ejector systems or vacuum ejectors are known in the art. Their function is to mix and accelerate fluid or gas flows by injecting a higher-pressure flow, which, in the case of the present invention, is provided by an air blower that creates a vacuum at the outlet of the injection nozzle.This low-pressure area draws in the gas flow resulting from gasification and pushes the mixture with combustion air into the combustion chamber. Initially, the mixture accelerates in the converging zone of the ejector, and then its velocity decreases and its pressure increases sharply upon entering the combustion chamber due to the increased cross-section. According to the laws of flow continuity, the gas mixture's pressure increases as its velocity decreases, and vice versa, under conditions of continuous mass flow. Once continuous operation of the system is achieved and all pilot lights are extinguished, the system is capable of operating continuously without requiring external thermal energy.The flame generated in the incandescent zone of the combustion chamber can reach temperatures even higher than 1600°C even with only air at ambient temperature as the oxidizer; therefore, control of the air flows in both the gasifier chamber and the ejector must be maintained to avoid exceeding this temperature and to allow a useful life of the refractory material that permits the continuous and uninterrupted operation of the entire system.

[0058] Furthermore, to control the combustion stoichiometry and cool the combustion chamber, a source of atmospheric air is needed so that it can be injected into the combustion chamber in the same axial direction as the flow of the combustion gases.

[0059] The present invention also relates to a novel method of continuous, energy-self-sustaining gasification, which allows the conversion of solid waste, even large-sized waste or waste mixtures, into reusable energy resources, such as heat and high-quality coal, achievable through the gasification system just described.

[0060] The path taken by a waste unit will be explained; however, it should be understood that in continuous operation, waste units are continuously supplied and transferred, one after another, so that within each of the chambers of the multi-chamber there will always be at least one waste unit being processed; specifically, as the gasification chamber is sized to accommodate from one to several units simultaneously, there will always be more than one conveyor grid carrying its respective waste unit; preferably, three units simultaneously, but each one passing, consecutively, through three different gasification stages, which are defined by the time of residence of each waste unit in the gasification chamber;Thus, the first stage of gasification occurs when the waste unit has just entered the gasification chamber and receives gasifying agent through the first section of blowing openings; the second stage of gasification occurs as the first waste unit advances along the gasification chamber, and the conveyor grid that carries it is coupled to the second section of blowing openings, becoming the second waste unit; successively, the third stage of gasification occurs when the same conveyor grid is slid forward in the production line and couples to the third section of blowing openings, becoming the third unit inside the gasification chamber and therefore, the one that will have the longest gasification residence time and will become the first to leave the gasification chamber to go to the cooling chamber.

[0061] The procedure then comprises the following steps: a) placing a whole waste unit on a conveyor grid; b) opening the first gate and moving the conveyor grid with the waste unit on it into the antechamber and, once the grid is positioned inside, closing the first gate; c) blowing the resulting hot gases from the cooling chamber into the drying antechamber and carrying out a drying process in case of high humidity and preheating of the incoming waste unit; d) opening the second gate and moving the conveyor grid with the waste unit into the gasifier chamber until it is internally coupled to the conveyor grid's distribution chambers with the first section of blowing openings present in the lower portion of the gasifier chamber and closing the second gate;e) blowing the gasifying agent in controlled quantities through the blowing openings so that it is successively directed by the distribution chambers towards the underside of the first waste unit, newly entered into the gasification chamber, and initiate the first stage of gasification of said waste unit; g) blowing gasifying agent in controlled quantities into the second section of blowing openings to produce, in the second waste unit, now located in the center of the gasification chamber, the second stage of gasification; h) simultaneously with stage e) and stage g), blowing gasifying agent in controlled quantities into the third section of blowing openings to produce, in the third waste unit, now located at the end of the gasification chamber, the third stage of gasification;f) extracting, by means of the ejector component, the byproduct gas from the gasifier chamber to generate a negative pressure environment inside the gasifier chamber; i) mixing, in said ejector component, the byproduct gas already drawn in, with oxidizing gas from the cooling chamber and ambient air as needed; j) injecting the mixture produced in stage i) with controlled pressure and velocity conditions into the inlet of the combustion chamber, by means of the divergent zone of the ejector component, so that it impacts against the incandescent refractory walls generating continuous combustion; k) combusting, within the continuous combustion chamber, the mixture of byproduct gas and oxidizer produced in stage i) and specifically provided in stage j);

[0062] 1) Supplement with atmospheric air directly into the combustion chamber by means of the auxiliary air inlet in axial flow, as needed, to adjust the combustion stoichiometry and maintain the temperature inside the combustion chamber at values ​​around 1.200 °C 1400 m) extract and direct the hot gases derived from combustion in stage k) to various energy recovery processes; n) open the third gate and move the conveyor grid with the third unit of gasified waste in the third stage of gasification in the gasifier chamber, towards the cooling chamber and close the third gate; o) extract the resulting hot gases from the cooling chamber for reuse in stage c) and in stage i); p) open the fourth gate and move the conveyor grid with the cooled waste unit from the cooling chamber towards the waste material separation station and close the fourth gate.

[0063] One of the greatest advantages of this invention is that, after an ignition and preheating phase, the current system generates a large amount of excess thermal energy through the combustion of a byproduct gas during continuous operation. A constant, high-temperature flame is generated, self-sustaining and powered by the energy produced within the system itself. Therefore, ignition pilots fueled by an external fuel (such as LPG or natural gas) are only needed to initiate the system's operation. Once the system is operating at full capacity, this external energy input is unnecessary, both for generating the flame during combustion and for maintaining constant partial oxidation in the gasification chamber.The combustion of the byproduct gas can be described as perfect and thermally self-sustaining, resulting in virtually no unburned fuel and almost imperceptible particulate matter. Furthermore, the system reuses the gases produced at each stage, and this reuse of internally generated energy, along with the constant self-supply of activation energy for gas combustion, makes it a system with a very positive balance. It has marginal energy self-consumption relative to the energy produced from waste and, therefore, a marginal operating cost from an energy perspective, making it highly economically viable.

[0064] The combustion of the byproduct gas carried out by this combustion subsystem takes place at temperatures around 1,200°C to 1,500°C, which allows the production of very hot combust gases that also have a high level of cleanliness, without unburned material and free of persistent super-toxic contaminants such as dioxins and furans, because these compounds disintegrate at temperatures above 1000°C.Furthermore, these resulting combustion gases are usable hot gases at high temperatures (>1000°C) that can not only be reused in the same system to improve the system's energy efficiency, but can also be reused as an energy source for other related industrial processes, such as industrial steam boilers, hot water boilers, various types of ovens, thermal oil exchangers, dryers, among others, thus providing heat to industry as a replacement for the heat generated with traditional fossil fuels currently used.

[0065] The present system is also low carbon emissions, because per unit of thermal power generated, CO2 emissions are comparable to those of natural gas, which is considered by most experts to be the key fuel in the energy transition, because it can be combusted perfectly and produces CO2 emissions far below those produced by burning coal and oil.

[0066] Many of the aforementioned benefits of the present invention are due to the fact that the heat energy required for continuous operation is generated and self-sustained by the system itself. This occurs in its two main processes. The first, the gasification process, is exothermic, meaning it continuously produces heat from the calorific value of the residue itself. The second, the combustion of the gas derived from the preceding process, is self-feeding and thermally self-sustaining through the heat generated by the combustion of that gas.The only external energy required is the thermal energy needed to initiate the gasification and combustion processes, and the electrical energy needed to power the fans, electric blowers, and system control. However, this amount of external energy is negligible compared to the total thermal power the system can generate from the calorific value of the waste itself. This also translates into equipment manufacturing costs, as well as system operation and maintenance costs, significantly lower than the high costs of established gasification systems, such as plasma gasification systems or incineration plants.

[0067] Another advantage of the present invention is its ability to process large and small waste materials in large volumes, thanks to the continuous circuit of conveyor belts on rails and the control of each stage made possible by the airtight condition of each chamber of the multi-chamber system. This optimizes the reuse and application of hot gases and gasifying agents. These combined features allow for the processing of large parts, converting all non-recyclable waste containing carbon and hydrogen into useful thermal energy needed for countless production processes. This can generate a new industry that not only cleans the environment of non-recyclable waste in an environmentally friendly way, but also at a low cost compared to the few, sophisticated, and expensive plasma torch systems that already exist.

[0068] The present invention is environmentally friendly, as it has low pollutant emissions, does not require the use of large volumes of water, and its final products are not only reusable, but also do not require new disposal processes or landfill disposal; thanks to its conveyor grid transfer mechanism, the final products are extracted even on the grid that exits the system, where they are finally separated more easily and stored outside the chambers, without the need to use water in the entire process.

[0069] Another advantage of the present invention is its ability to generate valuable products, such as high-quality activated carbon, reusable scrap metal, and, most importantly, reusable thermal energy. This energy can be used within the system itself to ensure its thermal self-sufficiency, as well as in other related industrial processes requiring heat. In this invention, the carbon produced from the gasification process is preserved because the system can be regulated to ensure that retention times and temperatures are suitable for removing the maximum amount of volatiles from the residue. This results in carbon with a very high carbon content, which is another essential input in production processes. Operational tests of the system have yielded surprising results with carbon derived from tires, achieving a carbon content of up to 96%.

[0070] Yet another benefit of the present invention is that, by allowing the processing of large dimensions of waste pieces, it increases the volume of waste and its derivatives treated per unit of time, considerably reducing the volume of waste that would otherwise go to landfill without being used and valued in industry, making available to the market a process that guarantees that there are no conditions for the formation of persistent pollutants such as dioxins and furans, satisfying the need of waste generators for an environmentally appropriate treatment that complies with environmental legislation, but even more importantly, it generates clean energy recovery from this waste.Reducing the demand for fossil fuels for thermal energy generation, an essential product in industry that current technologies cannot yet replace with low-temperature heat generated by solar panels or other types of non-conventional renewable energy systems. In fact, to date, 95% of industrial heat production systems worldwide rely on burning fossil fuels. This invention offers a viable alternative to replace some of the heat currently generated by fossil fuels with heat generated from plastic waste in general, without the emission of hazardous pollutants and with carbon dioxide emissions comparable to those of natural gas, but free of indirect carbon dioxide emissions, since the waste is already present on the surface and does not require an extraction and refining process like that required for fossil fuels.

[0071] In fact, this system could significantly reduce industrial waste containing at least some carbon and hydrogen-based materials. These materials could then be reused in the same industries' production processes, replacing the use of traditional fossil fuels. Furthermore, it would eliminate the need for the production of these fuels and their transport to industry, thus closing a circular economy cycle without requiring unfeasible investments and while complying with environmental regulations governing these processes. With the application of this invention, industrial waste materials are transformed into raw materials for the industry's production chain, ceasing to be waste and becoming part of the production cycle without being released into the environment as pollutants.Furthermore, by replacing the heat generated so far through conventional fossil fuels, the use of these fuels and their production chain, from extraction through refining and transport, is avoided, with a consequent reduction in the global carbon footprint of the industry.

[0072] Finally, another huge benefit of the present invention, with respect to the high-quality carbon generated, is that from a waste item such as, for example, an end-of-life tire, between 15% and 30% of the tire's weight can be produced with this system as carbon with carbon contents of between 85% and 95%. This very high-quality carbon is a base material for obtaining many industrial materials, including graphite or graphene, used as an anode in batteries to form lithium batteries used in electric vehicles.

[0073] These and other objectives, advantages, features and benefits of the present invention will become clear from the following detailed description with reference to the figures that form an integral part of this presentation.

[0074] BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

[0075] Figure 1 shows a schematic view, of a front cut of the present system including the multi-chamber gasification, combustion subsystem and rail circuit, with the residue units at their different stages.

[0076] Figure 2 shows a schematic front cross-section of the single multi-chamber of the present system without waste units.

[0077] Figure 3 shows a front elevation cross-section of the multi-chamber of the present system with the waste units schematically represented in their different stages of volumetric reduction.

[0078] Figure 4 shows an exterior front elevation of the gasifier chamber of the present system.

[0079] Figure 5 shows a cross-section of the gasification chamber.

[0080] Figure 6 shows a top isometric view of the conveyor grid that is part of this system. Figure 7 shows an elevation view of the conveyor grid that is part of this system.

[0081] Figure 8 shows a schematic top plan view of the gasification chamber with three conveyor grids inside.

[0082] Figure 9 shows a schematic view of the combustion subsystem.

[0083] Figure 10 shows a schematic view, of a front cut of the present system including the multi-chamber and combustion subsystem.

[0084] Figure 11 shows a diagram of flows and connections between the components of the present system.

[0085] Figure 12 shows an overall top view of the complete system, including the rail circuit.

[0086] It should be understood that the accompanying drawings are not necessarily to scale, presenting a simplified representation of various features illustrating the basic principles of the invention. Specific design features, including, for example, the dimensions, orientations, locations, and specific shapes of the various illustrated components, will be determined in part by the particular intended application and environment of use.

[0087] Before any independent embodiment is explained in detail, it should be understood that the description is not limited in its application to the construction details and arrangement of components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the following drawings. The disclosure is subject to other independent embodiments and may be practiced or carried out in various ways. Furthermore, it should be understood that the phraseology and terminology used herein is for descriptive purposes and should not be considered limiting. The use of "including" and "comprising" and variations thereof as used herein is intended to encompass the elements listed below and their equivalents, as well as additional elements. The use of "consisting of" and variations thereof as used herein is intended to encompass only the elements listed below and their equivalents.Unless otherwise specified or limited, the terms "mounted", "connected", "supported", and "coupled" and variations thereof are used broadly and encompass both direct and indirect mountings, connections, supports, and couplings.

[0088] DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0089] The invention will now be described in greater detail, with reference to the accompanying figures, which illustrate different embodiments of the device. These embodiments are provided by way of explanation of the invention; however, the implementation of the invention is not limited to these embodiments alone.

[0090] Those with ordinary knowledge of the subject will be able to appreciate, upon reading the present specification and viewing the present drawings, that various modifications and variations of it can be made, while maintaining the same inventive concept.

[0091] The present invention relates to an integrated, thermally self-sustaining continuous gasification and combustion system capable of converting solid waste of varying dimensions, from small particles to large volumes with diameters even greater than 4 meters, into reusable energy resources.

[0092] As illustrated in FIG.1, the self-supporting gasification and combustion system (1) mainly comprises a multi-chamber gasification chamber (10) where the waste units (A) are processed by passing them consecutively, carried on conveyor grids (20) movable in a rail circuit (50), first through a drying and preheating stage, then through a gasification stage in a negative pressure environment and controlled oxygen quantity, and finally through a cooling stage; and the system also comprises a combustion subsystem (30) of the derived gas, capable of generating self-powered activation energy for continuous combustion of the derived gas from the gasification.

[0093] With reference to FIG.2, the multi-chamber (10) gasification unit allows the simultaneous processing of more than one waste unit, as it integrally and sequentially comprises a drying chamber (11) for drying and preheating a waste unit before it passes to a gasification stage in a gasifying chamber (12) to process at least one waste unit by means of partial oxidation of the waste unit; and a cooling chamber (13) for an already gasified waste unit; said chambers (11, 12, 13) are arranged sequentially between an inlet end (14) to the multi-chamber (10) and an outlet end (15) of the multi-chamber (10), and are hermetically sealed by a set of airtight gates that operate in coordination with each other to allow the processing of the waste units.The set of gates of the multi-chamber gasification consists of a first gate (161) located at the entrance end (14) to the multi-chamber (10); a second gate.

[0094] (162) located between the drying chamber (11) and the gasifying chamber (12) that allows the passage of a unit of residue from the drying chamber (11) to the gasifying chamber (12); a third gate

[0095] (163) located between the gasifier chamber (12) and the cooling chamber (13); and a fourth gate (164) located at the outlet end (15) of the multi-chamber (10).

[0096] The airtight gates operate in a coordinated manner to allow the regulated advancement of the conveyor grids (20) (not illustrated) within each chamber of the multi-chamber system (10). By providing an airtight seal that isolates each chamber, they enable the maintenance of control over the internal environmental conditions of pressure, temperature, and oxygen levels necessary for optimal system operation. Preferably, each airtight gate comprises its own outer casing that houses a mechanism for moving a door-like surface, which can be moved vertically, horizontally, or a combination thereof.

[0097] The first gate (161) operates in coordination with the second gate (162). It only opens if the second gate (162) is closed, preventing large volumes of ambient air from entering the drying chamber (11) or the gasification chamber (12) when the first gate (161) opens to allow a conveyor grid (20) (not shown) to enter the drying chamber (11). This maintains the low oxygen level necessary for the partial oxidation that takes place in the gasification chamber (12). The second gate (162) acts in coordination with the first gate (161) and with the third gate (163), it only opens if the first (161) and third gate (163) are closed, and it does so to allow the passage of a conveyor grid (20) (not illustrated) with the waste unit (A) into the gasifier chamber.

[0098] The third gate (163) operates in coordination with the second gate (162) and the fourth gate (164). It opens only if the second (162) and fourth gates (164) are closed, and it does so to allow the exit of a conveyor grid (20) (not illustrated) with the already gasified residue unit, directing it into the cooling chamber (13). The fourth gate (164) operates in coordination with the third gate (163). It opens only if the third gate (163) is closed, and it does so to allow the exit of the conveyor grid (20) (not illustrated) with the residue unit (A) from the cooling chamber (13) to the outside environment, so that large volumes of ambient air do not enter the gasifying chamber (12) when this fourth gate (164) opens.This coordination allows the flow of waste units (A) (not illustrated) sequentially, passing from one chamber to another continuously, keeping the conditions controlled within each chamber and maintaining the required conditions of partial oxidation in the gasifier chamber.

[0099] With reference to FIG.3, the preheating chamber (11) comprises an inner cavity (110) dimensioned to accommodate at least one conveyor grid (20) with a residue unit (A); said inner cavity (110) is formed by an upper wall (111) and opposing side walls (112) (not illustrated), extending longitudinally between the first airtight gate (161) and the second airtight gate (162).

[0100] The gasification chamber (12) comprises an internal cavity (120) sized to accommodate at least one conveyor grid (20) with one waste unit (A) and is formed by a top wall (126) and opposing side walls (124) (not illustrated) extending longitudinally between the second airtight door (162) and the third airtight door (163). This internal cavity (120) is sized to simultaneously accommodate as many conveyor grids (20) as required in each specific project, allowing the gasification chamber to process multiple waste units at once (depending on how many units need to be processed per unit of time).In a preferred embodiment illustrated herein, said inner cavity (120) is dimensioned to accommodate three conveyor grids (20) simultaneously, aligned one after the other, allowing with this configuration the gasifier chamber to process three units of waste at once, although each of these units is subjected sequentially in the gasifier chamber and therefore, although at some point they are simultaneously in the inner cavity, each waste unit undergoes a different state of gasification depending on the time it spends from entering until leaving the gasifier chamber.

[0101] The cooling chamber (13) comprises an inner cavity (130) formed by an upper wall (131) and opposing side walls (132) (not illustrated) extending longitudinally between the third airtight door (163) and the fourth airtight door (164) and comprises at least one ambient air inlet (133) and at least two air outlets (134', 134"), arranged on any of its walls (131, 132) (illustrated in FIG.12)

[0102] Specifically, as illustrated in FIG. 4, to supply gasifying agent from the bottom of the waste units and ensure that it reaches the waste units in a directed and optimal manner from the underside, the present system comprises, in a lower portion of the gasifying chamber (12), at least one section (122) of gasifying agent insufflation openings (123), located in a lower portion (121) of the side walls (124) of the same gasifying chamber (12). This lower portion (121) is opposite the upper wall (126) that forms part of the gasifying chamber (12) and where a byproduct gas outlet (128) is also located. Each of these sections (122) of insufflation openings (123) can be independently controlled by a set of valves that can be operated in a coordinated manner.

[0103] Adjacent to at least one of these sectors (122) is a line of ignition pilots (60) that generate a pilot flame which initially ignites to oxidize the lower layers of the waste unit, providing abundant gasifying agent that enters through the blow-in openings until the oxidation levels of the lower layers are reached, providing sufficient heat and gases to initiate the partial oxidation process of the immediately superior layers of the waste unit. Once the lower layers of the waste unit reach levels of incandescence and partial oxidation sufficient to be self-sustaining, the ignition pilots can be extinguished, as the gasification process continues self-sustaining, fueled by the embers of the lower layers of the waste. The lower layers then partially oxidize the adjacent upper layers of material.

[0104] Once a level of partial oxidation is reached in at least the first unit of waste (A) entering the gasification chamber (12), and thanks to control of the gasifying agent flow, temperature, and pressure within the gasification chamber (12), conditions are maintained that allow the oxidation process to remain partial and continue to be self-sustaining, with heat and gases generated in the lower layers being transferred to the upper layers. The lower layers will thus be partially oxidized and transformed into charcoal, but will remain incandescent to continue supplying the heat and gases necessary for the ignition of the layers immediately above them in the same waste unit.

[0105] This condition allows not only that incandescence in the lower layers of a waste unit is sufficient for gasification to spread to the upper layers of the same waste unit without additional external ignition, simply by supplying enough gasifying agent for partial oxidation. Furthermore, the incandescence of one waste unit is capable of igniting and initiating the partial oxidation process in the incoming waste unit entering the gasification chamber. In other words, after ignition by the pilot lights, subsequent waste units entering the gasification chamber receive sufficient heat and gases from the preceding waste unit, which is already undergoing gasification, thus initiating the partial oxidation process of the incoming unit without requiring additional energy input from the ignition pilot lights.This is how the thermal energy for gasification feeds itself from one piece of waste to another, making this process thermally self-sustaining thanks only to the exact dosage of oxygen contained in the gasifying agent, since gasification is an exothermic process.

[0106] In another aspect of the invention, as can be seen in FIG. 5, the aforementioned gasifying agent insufflation openings (123) present in the lower portion (121) of the gasifying chamber (12) are axially coupled, inside the gasifying chamber (12), to gasifying agent distribution chambers (21) included in the conveyor grids (20) movable in the rail circuit (50) to move the waste units (A) throughout the system.

[0107] As best illustrated in FIG.6 in conjunction with FIG.7, each of said distribution chambers (21) present in the conveyor grids (20) comprises an elongated housing (211) with an inner cavity (212) having a single lateral opening (213) that communicates with a series of upper outlets (214) of the gasifying agent located on an upper face (215) of each distribution chamber (21); these distribution chambers (21) are arranged parallel and coplanar to each other, with their single lateral openings (213) arranged towards one side of the conveyor grid (20), which in turn are aligned at a height level coinciding with the gasifying agent blowing openings (123) (which are best illustrated in figure 5).

[0108] The conveyor grids (20) further comprise a lower support structure (22) to support the distribution chambers (21); they also comprise an upper open grid (23) for the passage of the gasifying agent and to directly support the residue unit (A); and a set of wheels (24) coupled to said lower support structure (22) to couple to the rail circuit (50) and allow the movement of the conveyor grids (20).

[0109] The advantage of this is that the system allows processing a large-sized waste without having to move, push, or roll the waste within the system on its own until it reaches the gasification grid. Instead, the same grid that participates in the gasification process comes out of the multi-chamber to receive the waste from outside the multi-chamber and introduce it into the process.

[0110] As best illustrated in FIG. 8, the number of sectors (122) of gasifying agent injectors (123) coincides with the number of conveyor grids (20) that can be simultaneously housed within the gasifying chamber (12), and the number of injector openings (123) per sector (122) coincides with the number of distribution chambers (21) that each conveyor grid (20) has. In a preferred embodiment of the invention, as shown in FIG. 9, the number of injector sectors (122) is three, coinciding with the three conveyor grids (20) that can be simultaneously housed in the gasifying chamber (12), while the number of injector openings (123) per sector (122) coincides with the number of distribution chambers (21) that a conveyor grid (20) has.

[0111] This condition allows axial coupling between the distribution chamber (21) and the insufflation openings (123), forcing the gasifying agent to enter the gasification chamber (12) in a directed manner and be injected directly onto the lower face (a) of a waste unit (A). This prevents the gasifying agent from diffusing randomly within the gasification chamber and filling the interior cavity (120). By preventing the random entry of the gasifying agent, the partial oxidation process in waste is optimized, especially in large, single-piece waste. Without the directed delivery of the agent, excess oxygen could accumulate in some portions of the waste unit, leading to complete oxidation (burning) rather than the partial oxidation (gasification) that is the objective of this invention.

[0112] In turn, these coincidences between height and quantity of elements between the conveyor grids (20) and the blowing openings (123), allow that as a first grid advances along the gasifying chamber (12), its distribution chambers (21) coincide with the different sectors (122) of blowing openings (123), so that it is possible to control the amount of gasifying agent that is injected for each conveyor grid during its advance, since it goes through different states of gasification according to the time of residence they carry as they advance inside the gasifying chamber.

[0113] The configuration of the conveyor grids (20) and the rail circuit (50) allows the large-sized waste to be moved or transferred throughout the system; in particular, the conveyor grid (20) allows the directed passage of the gasifying agent and, at the same time, is the one that transfers the large-sized waste; in a certain sense, in the present invention, the conveyor grid (20) is extracted from the multi-chamber (10) to collect the waste unit and then enters together with the material into the thermal processing chambers represented in the multi-chamber (10).

[0114] The above demonstrates that the conveyor grids (20) not only fulfill the objective of transporting the waste units (A) through the different stages of the system, but also actively participate in the direct provision of the gasifying agent below these large waste units to activate the gasification process and enable them to reach a target level of partial oxidation.

[0115] As shown in FIG.9, and as mentioned at the beginning of this detailed description, the present system also comprises the by-gas combustion subsystem (30), which comprises a continuous combustion chamber (31), and an ejector component (32) that extracts the by-gas from the gasifier chamber (12) (not illustrated) and injects it into said continuous combustion chamber (31) under specific mixture flow velocity and pressure conditions.

[0116] This continuous combustion chamber (31) of the combustion subsystem (30) comprises a body formed by a cylindrical outer sleeve (311) and an inner cavity (312) with refractory inner walls (313); a gas inlet (314) associated with the ejector component (32); a main outlet (315) for combusted gases to the outside of the system; and a second additional outlet (316) for combusted gases for potential reuse in the same system of a portion of the combusted gases produced in the system.

[0117] For its part, the ejector component (32) of the combustion subsystem (30) comprises a proximal end (323) with at least one inlet (324) connected to the gasifier chamber (12) to allow the passage of bypass gas; said proximal end (323) comprises additional inlets for the entry of combustion gas from the cooling chamber and ambient air (326), where the ejector component (32) mixes these different gases before injecting them into the continuous combustion chamber (31); an air blower is responsible for introducing the airflow with a certain pressure into the proximal area by means of a nozzle (325) located coaxially to the axis of the ejector at its proximal end.At the outlet of this nozzle, and by means of the Venturi effect, a low-pressure area is created that draws in the exhaust gas and the oxidizing gases, which begin to mix in this proximal zone and then advance through an initial converging section, followed by a straight section before finally entering a diverging section (321) connected to the combustion chamber inlet (314). The ejector includes a second nozzle (322) for supplying external fuel to create an initial pilot flame for preheating the system. In order to precisely regulate the combustion stoichiometry and maintain the temperature inside the combustion chamber at around 1200–1400 °C, the continuous combustion chamber (31) of the combustion subsystem (30) also includes an additional atmospheric air inlet (317) positioned on the wall opposite the main exhaust gas outlet (315).

[0118] This suction effect of the ejector component (32) is responsible for keeping the gasifier chamber (12) always under negative pressure conditions, thus ensuring conditions of complete safety without the risk of positive pressures that could lead to unwanted reactions.

[0119] In this ejector component (32), the gas derived from gasification is mixed with atmospheric air or preheated air as an oxidizer. This mixture is initially sent at high speed in the convergent section and decreases its speed in the divergent section to reach the aforementioned refractory walls of the combustion chamber (31) at a higher and specific pressure. The flow of this mixture, under specific pressure and velocity conditions, impacts the incandescent refractory walls, generating a constant flame that simultaneously provides the thermal energy necessary to maintain a constant activation energy. Therefore, the refractory walls at the point of impact act as a thermally self-sustaining spark, allowing continuous combustion of the derived gas.

[0120] The combustion subsystem (30) aims to perfectly and constantly combust the gas derived from gasification, doing so in a substantially self-sustaining manner in terms of the activation energy needed to maintain this continuous combustion.

[0121] In the present invention, as schematically illustrated in FIG. 10, self-sustaining continuous combustion is achieved by the generation of a continuous activation energy (spark) (33) provided by the high temperature and incandescence achieved on the refractory inner walls (313) of the combustion chamber (31). No additional external activation energy is required for the system; rather, the continuous spark (33) is generated and self-sustained by the combustion flame (34) of the derivative gas (G) itself. More specifically, this is due to the optimal flow direction, temperature, and pressure conditions under which the derivative gas (G), mixed with other oxidizing gases in the ejector component (32), reaches the refractory walls (313) of the combustion chamber (31). In the ejector component (32), the derivative gas (G) is mixed with other oxidizing gases that impact the walls, providing the activation energy for the continuous flame.The regulating of the opening of the combustion gas and atmospheric air inlets (326, 317) controls the stoichiometry, or oxygen level, of the fuel gas mixture to achieve complete combustion, where all gas components are oxidized and no polluting unburned material is produced. These combustion gases can be the residual gas from the cooling stage in the cooling chamber (13) and / or ambient air, or a mixture of both. In another embodiment of the proposed system (not illustrated), some of the heat generated by the combustion of the exhaust gas can be used to preheat the combustion air, thus increasing combustion efficiency.The impact conditions of the fuel mixture on the incandescent zone of the refractory material (33) not only allow the combustion of the byproduct gas, but also maintain the incandescence of the refractory walls in this impact zone thanks to the heat produced by the gas combustion (G). The thermal energy generated by the gas combustion (G) transfers a small portion of its thermal energy to the refractory walls, maintaining their incandescence constantly. Therefore, this incandescent refractory zone remains constantly incandescent, continuously providing the activation energy required for combustion without needing any external activation energy input to the system.

[0122] In another aspect of the invention, and as can be seen more clearly in the connection diagram shown in FIG.11, the drying chamber (11) comprises at least one air inlet (114”) and at least one air outlet (114’) which delivers recycled hot air to the ejector component (32) of the continuous combustion subsystem (30). The gasifying chamber (12) comprises a by-gas outlet (128) and sections (122) with blowing openings (123) through which the gasifying agent enters. The cooling chamber (13) comprises at least one ambient air inlet (134”) and at least one air outlet (134’) which delivers the resulting hot air from the cooling process to the preheating chamber (11).

[0123] Continuing with the same FIG.11, the system (1) also comprises a network of ducts (70) communicating between components, comprising at least a first communicating duct (71) connected between the outlet (134') of the cooling chamber (13) and the inlet (114") of the drying chamber (11); a second communicating duct (72) connected between the outlet (128) of gas derived from the gasifying chamber (12) and the inlet (323) of the ejector component (32) of the combustion subsystem (30); a third communicating duct (73) connected between the outlet of the drying chamber (11) and the ejector component (32) of the combustion subsystem (30); a fourth duct (74) that carries atmospheric air or another gasifying agent to at least one section (122) of gasifying agent blowing openings (123) of the gasifying chamber (12).

[0124] As can be seen, the drying chamber (11) is supplied with hot air from the cooling chamber (13), thus utilizing the residual hot gas from the waste unit during the post-gasification cooling phase. If this heat is insufficient, additional heat from the combustion of the by-gas, which takes place in the combustion subsystem and emerges from the combustion chamber (316), can be injected. The residual heat from the drying chamber is also used to supply hot combustion air to the by-gas mixture in the combustion subsystem.

[0125] Furthermore, regulating the opening of air inlets and outlets from the drying and cooling chambers allows for the regulation of air pressure inside these chambers.

[0126] The foregoing demonstrates that in the present invention, the resulting gases are reused in the operation of the system itself, eliminating the need for continuous external inputs of thermal energy required for the system's continuous and highly efficient operation. Additionally, in the chambers (11, 12, 13) of the multi-chamber (10) and in the combustion subsystem (30), pressure, temperature, gas flow, oxygen content, and other gases can be controlled by adding temperature sensors, pressure sensors, oxygen level sensors, and other gas sensors, as well as by adding controlled valves associated with the various inlets and outlets present in both the multi-chamber chambers and the combustion subsystem components.

[0127] This allows for comprehensive control of the process with consequent control of final emissions at the outlet of the combustion subsystem of the derived gas, as well as allowing for high process control and residence times of the material being processed, which translates into control of the quality of the carbon that can be generated in the gasification process of some types of waste materials such as rubber-rich waste.

[0128] In accordance with the content of FIG. 12, the rail circuit (50) comprises at least one continuous, straight inner section (51) that passes through and along the length of the gasification multi-chamber (10). In one embodiment of the rail circuit (50), it comprises an inner section (51), a loading section (52), a discharging section (53), and a return section (54). The inner section (51) corresponds to the continuous, straight section that passes through and along the entire length of the gasification multi-chamber (10) and has an initial end (511) and an end (512). The loading section (52) is preferably arranged perpendicularly to the initial end (511) of the inner section (51). This section is intended to allow the loading of the waste units (A) onto the conveyor grids (20) and to carry them to the initial end (511), which, in turn, corresponds to the inlet end (14) of the multi-chamber (10).

[0129] The discharge section (53) is preferably arranged perpendicularly to the end (512) of the inner section (51). This section is designed to receive the waste unit (A) at the outlet of the cooling chamber (13) and distribute it to a post-processing station (80), or alternatively, to an additional cooling station (not shown). The return section (54) is preferably arranged parallel to the inner section (51) and connected to both the loading section (52) and the discharge section (53). It is responsible for returning the conveyor belts (20) to the loading section (51) to repeat the process cycle.

[0130] In another aspect of the invention, at the outlet of the multi-chamber, the system comprises a post-processing station (80) having a material separation section for recovering steel or other non-gasified mineral material present in the waste units by means of a magnetic separation system known in the art, and a storage section for the carbon resulting from gasification, for subsequent packaging. Alternatively, the system may comprise an additional cooling station, operating under airless conditions, arranged downstream of the cooling chamber. This additional cooling station allows for the cooling of waste in which the residual activated carbon is still at high temperatures, which could otherwise lead to spontaneous combustion of the byproduct due to excess ambient air.

[0131] The present invention also relates to an energy self-sustaining continuous gasification method, which allows the conversion of solid waste of various dimensions, from small particles to large volumes with diameters greater than 4 meters, into reusable energy resources, achievable through the gasification system just described.

[0132] This method allows for the system's self-sustaining thermal energy supply, both for the gasification phase and the direct combustion phase of the byproduct gas. It involves recirculation and conditioning of gas flows produced in one stage to feed others, eliminating the need for a continuous supply of external ignition agents. Particularly in the byproduct gas combustion stage, this system features an innovative subsystem capable of providing self-sustaining activation energy, ensuring continuous thermal power generation and low emissions. Thanks to the complete oxidation of the gas, there will be no unburned material in the hot gas outlet.

[0133] The detailed description of the method will be carried out assuming a continuous operating regime phase, omitting the actions carried out to start the system, understanding that at some point to start its operation, external ignition energy must be used through pilots powered by combustible gas, such as LPG or similar, but once the system has entered into continuous operating regime, these external contributions are turned off and the system allows to remain self-sustaining with the incandescence of the layers of the same residue in the gasification process.The derived gas is continuously extracted from the gasification chamber with minimal energy expenditure by means of the vacuum created in the ejector and is subsequently sent at high speed to the combustion chamber where it impacts against the incandescent refractory walls with temperature and pressure conditions of contact with the walls such that it allows feeding said incandescence generating a constant and self-fed spark, without the supply of external gas to maintain the flame resulting from the perfect combustion of the derived gas.

[0134] The path taken by a waste unit will be explained; however, it should be understood that in continuous operation, waste units are continuously supplied and transferred, one after another, so that within each of the chambers of the multi-chamber (10) there will always be at least one waste unit being processed; specifically, as the gasifier chamber (12) is sized to accommodate, preferably, three units simultaneously, there will always be more than one conveyor grid carrying its respective waste unit; preferably, three units simultaneously, but each one passing, consecutively, through three different gasification stages, which are defined by the residence time of each waste unit in the gasifier chamber (12);To start the process, the first unit will not receive oxidation ignition by means of the ignition pilot (60), while subsequent units will receive oxidation ignition by means of direct contact with the waste unit already in the gasification phase that precedes it in the process; otherwise, the waste unit already ignited and in the gasification phase will provide sufficient heat and ignition gases to ignite the waste unit that follows it; thus, the first stage of gasification is the one that occurs when the waste unit has just entered the gasifying chamber, and receives gasifying agent through the first sector of blowing openings;The second stage of gasification occurs with the advancement of the first waste unit along the gasification chamber, and the conveyor grid that carries it is coupled to the second section of blowing openings, becoming the second waste unit in the gasification process; successively, the third stage of gasification occurs when the same conveyor grid is slid forward in the production line and coupled to the third section of blowing openings, becoming the third unit inside the gasification chamber and therefore, the one that will take the longest time to gasify and will become the first to leave the gasification chamber to go to the cooling chamber once the complete gasification process of this unit is finished.

[0135] The method then comprises the following steps: a) providing a whole unit of waste (A) on a conveyor grid (20); b) opening the first gate and moving the conveyor grid (20) with the waste unit (A) on it into the drying chamber (11) and closing the first gate; c) blowing the resulting hot gases from the cooling chamber (13) into the drying chamber (11) and carrying out a drying and preheating process of the incoming waste unit (A); d) opening the second gate and moving the conveyor grid (20), with the dried waste unit (A), into the gasifier chamber (12) until it is internally coupled to the distribution chambers (21) of the conveyor grid (20) with the first section of blowing openings (123) present in the lower portion (121) of the gasifier chamber (12) and closing the second gate;e) blowing the gasifying agent in controlled quantities through the blowing openings (123) so that it is successively directed by the distribution chambers (21) towards the lower face of the waste unit (A) newly entered into the gasifying chamber (12) and initiate the first stage of gasification of said waste unit (A); f) extracting, by means of the ejector component (32), the diverted gas from the gasifying chamber (12) to generate a negative pressure environment inside the gasifying chamber (12); g) simultaneously with stage e) blowing gasifying agent in controlled quantities into the second section (122) of blowing openings (123) to produce, in the second waste unit, located now in the center of the gasifying chamber, the second stage of gasification;h) simultaneously with step e) and step g) blow gasifying agent in controlled quantities, in the third sector of blowing openings (123) to produce, in the third residue unit, located at the end of the gasifying chamber, the third stage of gasification; i) draw the derived gas from the gasifying chamber by means of the ejector component (32) and the vacuum created inside by means of injecting a gas flow at higher pressure (325) mixing with oxidizing gas from the result of the drying chamber (13) and a supply of ambient air;j) injecting the mixture produced in stage i) with specific flow conditions into the inlet of the continuous combustion chamber (31), by means of the ejector component (32), to produce combustion upon contact with the incandescent refractory walls and, at the same time, deliver to the refractory walls (33) part of the energy produced in the combustion to self-sustain the incandescence and thus generate continuous and self-sustained activation energy by means of the continuous combustion of the by-gas; k) combusting, within the continuous combustion chamber (31), the by-gas mixture produced in stage i) and specifically provided in stage j), generating hot combust gases resulting from the perfect and continuous combustion of the by-gas;l) supplementing with atmospheric air through the auxiliary inlet (317) of the continuous combustion chamber (31), as necessary, to adjust the combustion stoichiometry and maintain the temperature inside the combustion chamber at around 1200–1400 °C; m) extracting the hot combustion gases produced at the outlets (315, 316) of the continuous combustion chamber (31) for use in various energy recovery processes; n) opening the third gate and transferring the conveyor grid (20) with the third unit of residue (A), fully gasified in the third gasification stage in the gasifier chamber, to the cooling chamber (13) and closing the third gate; o) extracting the resulting hot gases from the cooling chamber (13) for reuse in stage c) and stage i);p) Open the fourth gate and move the conveyor grid (20) with the cooled waste unit (A) from the cooling chamber (13) to the waste material separation station and close the fourth gate.;

[0136] For the gasification process to continue, a precise sequence of gate openings and closings is essential. Thus, step b) involves opening the first airtight gate (161) only while the second airtight gate (162) is closed; similarly, step d) involves opening the second airtight gate (162) only while the first airtight gate (161) and the third airtight gate (163) are closed. Step n) involves opening the third airtight gate (163) only while the second airtight gate (162) and the fourth airtight gate (164) are closed. In turn, step p) involves opening the fourth airtight gate (164) only when the third airtight gate (163) is closed.

Claims

CLAIMS 1. A thermally self-sustaining continuous gasification and combustion system (1), capable of converting solid waste of varying dimensions, from small particles to large volumes with diameters even greater than 4 meters, into reusable energy resources, CHARACTERIZED in that it comprises: - a multi-chamber (10) gasification unit for simultaneously processing more than one waste unit (A), comprising integrally and sequentially, a pre-drying and preheating ante-chamber for reducing the moisture (11) of the waste unit (A), a gasification chamber (12) of the preheated waste unit (A), and a cooling chamber (13) of the gasified waste unit (A), said chambers being hermetically insulated by a set of airtight gates (161, 162, 163, 164) that operate in coordination with each other; where the gasifying chamber (12) comprises, in a lower portion (121) of side walls (124), at least one sector (122) of gasifying agent blowing openings (123), axially connectable, inside the gasifying chamber (12), to gasifying agent distribution chambers (21) comprised in conveyor grids (20) movable in a rail circuit (50) to move the waste units (A); - a combustion subsystem (30) of the byproduct gas, comprising a continuous combustion chamber (31), and an ejector component (32) that extracts the byproduct gas from the gasifier chamber (12) and injects it into said continuous combustion chamber (31) at high speed.

2. Thermally self-supporting continuous gasification and combustion system (1), according to claim 1, CHARACTERIZED in that each of said distribution chambers (21) included in the conveyor grids (20), comprises an elongated housing (211) with an inner cavity (212) communicating with a single lateral opening (213) and with a series of upper outlets (214) of the gasifying agent located on an upper face (215) of each distribution chamber (21).

3. Thermally self-supporting continuous gasification and combustion system (1), according to claim 2, CHARACTERIZED in that the distribution chambers (21) located on the conveyor grids (20) are arranged parallel and coplanar to each other, with their single lateral openings (213) arranged towards one side of the conveyor grid (20) and aligned at a height level coinciding with the gasifying agent insufflation openings (123).

4. Thermally self-supporting continuous gasification and combustion system (1), according to claim 1, CHARACTERIZED in that the conveyor grids (20) further comprise a lower support structure (22) for the distribution chambers (21); an upper open grid (23) for the passage of the gasifying agent and to directly support the residue unit (A); and a set of wheels (24) coupled to said lower support structure (22) to couple to the rail circuit (50) and allow the movement of the conveyor grids (20).

5. Thermally self-supporting continuous gasification and combustion system (1), according to claim 1, CHARACTERIZED in that the number of sectors (122) of gasifying agent insufflation openings (123) coincides with the number of conveyor grids (20) that can be housed simultaneously inside the gasifying chamber (12).

6. Thermally self-supporting continuous gasification and combustion system (1), according to claim 1, CHARACTERIZED in that the number of blowing openings (123) for each sector (122) coincides with the number of distribution chambers (21) that each conveyor grid (20) has.

7. Thermally self-supporting continuous gasification and combustion system (1), according to claim 1, CHARACTERIZED in that the drying chamber (11) comprises an inner cavity (110) formed by an upper wall (111) and opposing side walls (112) extending longitudinally between a first airtight gate (161) and a second airtight gate (162); and comprises at least one air inlet (114”) and at least one air outlet (114’), arranged in any of its walls (111, 112).

8. Thermally self-supporting continuous gasification and combustion system (1), according to claims 1 and 7, CHARACTERIZED in that said air inlet (114”) receives recycled hot air from the cooling chamber (13) and the outlet (114”) delivers residual air heat to the ejector component (32) of the continuous combustion subsystem (30).

9. A thermally self-supporting continuous gasification and combustion system (1) according to claim 1, CHARACTERIZED in that the gasification chamber (12) further comprises an inner cavity (120) formed by the upper wall (126) and the side walls (124) that are extended longitudinally between a second airtight door (162) and a third airtight door (163); wherein at least one of said two side walls (124) comprises the sectors (122) with blowing openings (123) and adjacent to at least one of said sectors (122) comprises a line of ignition pilots (60).

10. Thermally self-supporting continuous gasification and combustion system (1), according to claim 1, CHARACTERIZED in that the cooling chamber (13) comprises an inner cavity (130) formed by an upper wall (131) and opposing side walls (132) extending longitudinally between a third airtight door (163) and a fourth airtight door (164); and comprises at least one ambient air inlet (134”) and at least one air outlet (134'), arranged in any of its walls (131, 132).

11. Thermally self-supporting continuous gasification and combustion system (1), according to claim 10, because at least one of said air outlets (134') delivers hot air resulting from cooling to the drying chamber (11).

12. Thermally self-supporting gasification and continuous combustion system (1), according to claim 1, CHARACTERIZED in that the combustion chamber (31) of the continuous combustion subsystem (30) comprises a cylindrical body formed by an outer jacket (311) and an inner cavity (312) with internal walls (313) of refractory material; two air inlets, a first inlet being radially positioned (314) and associated with the ejector component (32) and the other (317) axially positioned on the wall opposite the outlet of the combust gases in the same direction as the outlet flow of the combust gases; a first main outlet (315) of the combust gases to the outside of the system; and a second outlet (316) of combust gases for potential reuse of part of the combust gases in the same system, when necessary.

13. Thermally self-supporting continuous gasification and combustion system (1), according to claims 1 and 12, CHARACTERIZED in that said ejector component (32) of the combustion subsystem (30), comprises a nozzle (325) through which an ambient air flow is driven by an air blower with pressure higher than atmospheric; an inlet of the derived gas (324); a second air inlet opening in the proximal zone (326); a converging duct zone at the proximal end (323); a diverging zone connected with the gas inlet (314) of the continuous combustion chamber (31); a nozzle (322) with fuel supply to form a pilot flame.

14. Thermally self-supporting continuous gasification and combustion system (1), according to claim 1, CHARACTERIZED in that said rail circuit (50) comprises at least one straight and continuous section (51) that passes through and along the length of the multi-chamber (10) of gasification.

15. Thermally self-sustaining continuous gasification and combustion system (1), according to any of the preceding claims, CHARACTERIZED in that it further comprises a network of ducts (70) communicating between components, comprising at least a first communicating duct (71) connected between the outlet (134') of the cooling chamber (13) and the inlet (114") of the drying chamber (11); a second communicating duct (72) connected between the outlet (114') of the drying chamber (11) and the inlet (323) of the ejector component (32) of the combustion subsystem (30); a third communicating duct (73) connected between the outlet (128) of the gas derived from the gasifying chamber (12) and one of the inlets in the proximal zone (323) of the ejector component (32);a fourth communicating duct (74) connected between an atmospheric air intake or preheated or recovered air from any of the recyclable air flows in the system and at least one section (122) of gasifying agent insufflation openings (123) of the gasifying chamber (12).; 16. A thermally self-sustaining continuous gasification and combustion method (1) that allows the conversion of solid waste of varying dimensions, from small particles to large volumes with diameters greater than 4 meters, into reusable energy resources, achievable through the system of claim 1, CHARACTERIZED in that it comprises the steps of: a) providing a whole waste unit (A) on a conveyor grid (20); b) opening the first gate and moving the conveyor grid (20) with the waste unit (A) on it into the drying chamber (11) and closing the first gate; c) blowing the resulting hot gases from the cooling chamber (13) into the drying chamber (11) and performing a drying and preheating process on the entered waste unit (A);d) open the second gate and move the conveyor grid (20), with the residue unit (A) already preheated, into the gasifier chamber (12) until it is internally coupled to the distribution chambers (21) of the conveyor grid (20) with the first section of blowing openings (123) present in the lower portion (121) of the gasifier chamber (12) and close the second gate; e) blowing the gasifying agent in controlled quantities through the blowing openings (123) so that it is successively directed by the distribution chambers (21) towards the underside of the first waste unit (A), newly entered into the gasifying chamber (12) and initiate the first stage of gasification of said waste unit (A); f) simultaneously with step e) blowing gasifying agent in controlled quantities into the second section (122) of blowing openings (123) to produce, in the second waste unit, now located in the center of the gasifying chamber, the second stage of gasification; g) simultaneously with step e) and step f) blowing gasifying agent in controlled quantities into the third section of blowing openings (123) to produce, in the third waste unit, now located at the end of the gasifying chamber, the third stage of gasification;h) extracting, by means of the ejector component (32) and the vacuum created inside it by means of injecting an air flow with pressure higher than atmospheric through the nozzle (325) of the ejector component (32), the gas diverted from the gasifier chamber (12) and generating a negative pressure environment inside the gasifier chamber (12); i) simultaneously with step h) mixing in said ejector component (32) the diverted gas already drawn in, with ambient air or air from the result of the cooling chamber (13) to produce the fuel / oxidizer mixture to be sent to the combustion system (31);j) injecting the mixture produced in stage i) with specific flow conditions into the inlet of the continuous combustion chamber (31), by means of the ejector component (32), to produce combustion upon contact with the incandescent refractory walls and, at the same time, deliver to the refractory walls (33) part of the energy produced in the combustion to self-sustain the incandescence and thus generate continuous and self-sustained activation energy by means of the continuous combustion of the by-gas; k) combusting, within the continuous combustion chamber (31), the by-gas mixture produced in stage i) and specifically provided in stage j), generating hot combust gases resulting from the perfect and continuous combustion of the by-gas; 1) By means of the auxiliary air inlet (317) of the combustion chamber (31), supplement with atmospheric air, as necessary, to adjust the combustion stoichiometry and maintain the temperature inside the combustion chamber at values ​​around 1.200 C; m) extract the hot combustion gases at the outlets (315, 316) to send them to various energy recovery processes; n) open the third gate and move the conveyor grid (20) with the third unit of waste (A) gasified in the third stage of gasification in the gasifier chamber, towards the cooling chamber (13) and close the third gate; o) extract from the cooling chamber (13) the resulting hot gases for reuse in stage c); p) open the fourth gate and move the conveyor grid (20) with the cooled waste unit (A) from the cooling chamber (13) towards the waste material separation station and close the fourth gate.

17. The method of claim 16, CHARACTERIZED in that step b) includes opening the first airtight gate (161) while the second airtight gate (162) is closed.

18. The method of claim 16, CHARACTERIZED in that step d) includes opening the second airtight gate (162) while the first airtight gate (161) and the third airtight gate (163) are closed.

19. The method of claim 16, CHARACTERIZED in that step n) includes opening the third airtight gate (163) while the second airtight gate (162) and the fourth airtight gate (164) are closed.

20. The method of claim 16, CHARACTERIZED in that step p) includes opening the fourth airtight gate (164) when the third airtight gate (163) is closed.

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