System and Methods for Organic Material Conversion and Energy Generation

Abstract

Disclosed herein are systems and methods for thermal conversion of sludge into fuel and other products such as char. The systems and methods disclosed herein, among other benefits, convert sludge into fuel without the creation of reaction water and allow for the independent control of mixing and the movement of sludge through pyrolysis systems. Chars formed during pyrolysis have a number of beneficial uses.

1 . A system to convert sludge into vapor and char comprising a reactor module and one or both of a condenser module or a combustion module wherein said reactor module comprises a reaction chamber, a separation chamber, and one or more control valves; wherein in said reaction chamber said sludge can be heated in an oxygen free state after which said sludge becomes vapor and char and wherein said separation chamber conveys said vapor and char out of said reactor module and said one or more control valves direct said vapor to either a condenser module that can condense said vapors into bio-oil at or above a temperature sufficient to avoid condensation of water vapor; a combustion module that can combust said vapors to generate heat and/or energy; or both.  
   
   
       2 . A system according to  claim 1  wherein said condenser module comprises a direct spray condenser that can use cooled bio-oil as a spray material.  
   
   
       3 . A system according to  claim 1  wherein said temperature sufficient to avoid condensation of water vapor is about 100° C.  
   
   
       4 . A system according to  claim 1  wherein said sludge is conveyed through said reaction chamber via gravity and is selectively admitted to said separation chamber via an adjustable overflow weir device.  
   
   
       5 . A system according to  claim 4  wherein said weir device comprises one or more adjustable gates.  
   
   
       6 . A system according to  claim 1  wherein said sludge is conveyed through said reactor module via an active sludge transport mechanism.  
   
   
       7 . A system according to  claim 1  wherein said reaction chamber comprises mixing elements that mix said sludge without substantially conveying said sludge through said reactor module.  
   
   
       8 . A system according to  claim 7  further comprising an active sludge transport mechanism wherein said mixing elements and said active sludge transport mechanism can be independently controlled.  
   
   
       9 . A system according to  claim 1 , further comprising a helical conveyor for moving said char from said separation chamber to a cooling area.  
   
   
       10 . A system according to  claim 1  wherein said reactor module is configured to receive heat generated by said combustion module or an existing source of waste heat.  
   
   
       11 . A system according to  claim 1 , further comprising a sludge drying module that can dry said sludge before its entrance into said reactor module.  
   
   
       12 . A system according to  claim 1  further comprising baffles through which said vapors must pass before exiting said reaction chamber.  
   
   
       13 . A method comprising: 
 allowing sludge to move through a reactor module comprising a reaction chamber, a separation chamber and one or more control valves;    heating said sludge in an oxygen-free environment in said reaction chamber wherein said heating of said sludge generates vapors and char; and    condensing said vapors in a condensing module at or above a temperature sufficient to avoid condensation of water vapor to produce bio-oil or combusting said vapors in a combustion module to create heat and/or energy.    
   
   
       14 . A method according to  claim 13  wherein said method further comprises mixing said sludge, said vapors and said char in said reaction chamber with mixing elements thereby increasing contact between said sludge, said vapors and said char within said reaction chamber.  
   
   
       15 . A method according to  claim 13  wherein an adjustable weir device comprising one or more gates selectively admits said vapors and said char from said reaction chamber to said separation chamber.  
   
   
       16 . A method according to  claim 14  further comprising actively transporting said sludge and said char through said reactor module with a sludge transport mechanism wherein said sludge transport mechanism and said mixing elements can be independently controlled.  
   
   
       17 . A method according to  claim 13 , further comprising drying said sludge in a sludge drying module before introducing said sludge into said reaction module.  
   
   
       18 . A method according to  claim 13  wherein said reaction chamber can both heat said sludge and promote vapor-phase catalytic reactions in a single zone.  
   
   
       19 . A char generated from a method in accordance with  claim 14 .  
   
   
       20 . A char generated from a method in accordance with  claim 15.