Patent · US Expired

Method for producing fuel gas from organic material, capable of self-sustaining operation

US4530702A · kind A · utility

100Cited by
3References
11Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateMar 1, 1982
Grant dateJul 23, 1985
Priority date
Expiry dateMar 1, 2002

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC C)Chemistry; Metallurgy
  • CPC primaryC10J2300/1892
  • WIPO fieldBasic materials chemistry
  • WIPO sectorChemistry

Abstract

The apparatus includes a reaction chamber which in operation uses an organic fuel input, typically in the form of substantially uniform-sized pellets, to produce a tar-free fuel gas. Prior to initiating operation, the lower end of the reaction chamber is filled with a charge of charcoal, forming a charcoal bed. A portion of the charcoal bed is then ignited, typically near the top, with air from the atmosphere being drawn substantially uniformly down through the reaction chamber by a pump on the outlet line leading from the reaction chamber, creating a thin pyrolysis zone near the top of the charcoal bed. The substantially uniform-size fuel pellets are added to the top of the charcoal bed, and are pyrolized as they move down through the pyrolysis zone. Since the fuel pellets are substantially uniform in size, and since the air-flow down through the chamber is substantially uniform, the temperature profile over the cross-sectional area of the pyrolysis zone is substantially uniform, and a homogeneous pyrolysis zone is created, without hot spots or channels. Such an arrangement results in self-regulating, self-sustaining operation over a relatively wide demand range, with rapid start-…

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.