Pyrolysis Reactor Screw With Variable Pitch And Depth
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Solution Overview
Problem
Pyrolysis reactors face inefficiencies in producing low-molecular weight non-condensable fuel gases due to the need for high temperatures, which require expensive materials and constructions, and existing extruder screws do not effectively manage pressure and heat transfer to enhance pyrolysis efficiency.
Innovation Solution
An extruder screw with a shaft and helical flight where the pitch and depth alter along its length, increasing pressure and enhancing heat transfer by reducing volume between turns, combined with a thermally conductive shaft and heater for efficient heat distribution, allowing for more efficient pyrolysis at lower temperatures.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If relatively higher temperatures are used for pyrolysis, then pyrolysis efficiency is improved and greater concentration of desired products is produced, but more expensive materials and constructions are required for the reactor
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the physical parameters of the extruder screw (pitch and depth variations along the length) to optimize pressure and heat transfer conditions, enabling efficient pyrolysis at lower temperatures and thus reducing material cost requirements
Solution Approach 2:
The pitch and depth of the helical flight are varied locally along the length of the extruder screw to create different pressure zones and heat transfer characteristics in different sections, optimizing the overall process efficiency without requiring uniformly high temperatures throughout
2Use of energy by moving object
If the pitch and depth of the helical flight are altered along the shaft, then thermal energy transfer efficiency is enhanced, but the screw design complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
Different sections of the extruder screw have different pitch and depth characteristics optimized for their specific function (feeding, compression, conveying), creating local quality variations that enhance overall energy transfer efficiency
Solution Approach 2:
The extruder screw is divided into distinct sections (feed section, transition section, metering section) with progressively varying pitch and depth, allowing each segment to perform its specific function optimally while maintaining a relatively simple overall design
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This configuration increases the concentration of low-molecular weight fuel gas products, reduces the need for expensive reactor materials, and enhances thermal energy transfer, resulting in a more efficient and cost-effective pyrolysis process.
Implementation Method 1
Altering the depth and pitch of the flight alters the volume between adjacent turns of the flight. Accordingly, the pressure of a substance conveyed along the extruder screw is relatively increased or reduced in proportion to the change in volume.
Implementation Method 2
The screw having a heater extending from the first end to the second end
Implementation Method 3
Pyrolysis entails heating a substance (for example biomass waste residue) in an oxygen free environment (e.g. in a reactor) in order to thermally decompose that substance into relatively lower-molecular weight products.
Data Source
AI summary
A pyrolysis reactor having an inlet for material and an outlet for products is provided. The reactor includes a screw for conveying biomass waste from the inlet to the outlet. The screw includes a shaft with a first end and a second end adjacent the outlet and a helical flight arranged about the shaft and extending between the first and second ends. The pitch of the flight alters between the first and second ends of the shaft. The screw has a heater extending from the first end to the second end.