Production of Synthetic Gas From Organic Waste

Abstract

A pyrolysis device has a pyrolyzer (retort) and a thermal oxidizer, each with its own burner, but coupled so that the burner of the pyrolyzer can be down-regulated as heat from the thermal oxidizer is used to hear the pyrolyzer. One or more automatic controllers preferably adjust a burn rate of the extrinsic gas by the first burner as a function of a rate at which heat is transferred from the thermal oxidizer to the pyrolyzer. In preferred embodiments, the burn rate of the extrinsic gas can be adjusted to ≦50%, ≦30% or even lower relative to a base rate that would be required to pyrolyze the waste without the heat thermal oxidizer.

1 . A device for pyrolytically treating a waste, comprising:
 a pyrolyzer and a thermal oxidizer;   a first burner that primarily heats the pyrolyzer to produce a synthetic gas from the waste;   a second burner that primarily assists in combusting the synthetic gas in the thermal oxidizer; and   a heat transfer component that carries heat from the thermal oxidizer to the pyrolyzer.   
   
   
       2 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the first burner receives a supply of extrinsic gas. 
   
   
       3 . The device of  claim 2 , further comprising a controller that automatically adjusts a burn rate of the extrinsic gas by the first burner as a function of a rate at which heat is transferred from the thermal oxidizer to the pyrolyzer. 
   
   
       4 . The device of  claim 2 , further comprising a controller that automatically adjusts a burn rate of the extrinsic gas to below 50% of a base rate that would be required to pyrolyze the waste without the heat thermal oxidizer. 
   
   
       5 . The device of  claim 2 , further comprising a controller that automatically adjusts a burn rate of the extrinsic gas to below 30% of a base rate that would be required to pyrolyze the waste without the heat thermal oxidizer. 
   
   
       6 . The device of  claim 2 , further comprising a controller that automatically adjusts relative amounts of the extrinsic and syn gasses combusted by the first burner as a function of a characteristic of the syn gas. 
   
   
       7 . The device of  claim 1 , further comprising a line that carries a portion of the syn gas to the first burner.