Side feed/centre ash dump system

Abstract

An apparatus for gasifying solid organic fuel includes a refractory-lined oxidation chamber, fuel storage, a transfer connecting the fuel storage with an inlet into the oxidation chamber for transferring in an upwardly inclined direction the solid fuel from the fuel storage into the inlet to form an upwardly mounded fuel bed. An oxidant is supplied into the fuel bed to gasify the organic materials in the fuel to produce a gaseous effluent from the fuel bed, thereby leaving a residue of the fuel. The residue drops through an opening under the oxidation chamber onto a residue removal transfer. The oxidant is supplied through a plurality of perforated air distribution members extending across the fuel bed cavity in the oxidation chamber so as to introduce air into the interior of the fuel bed to thereby promote evenly distributed gasification, evenly distributed through the fuel bed.

1 . An apparatus for gasifying solid fuel including solid organic materials comprising:
 a primary oxidation chamber having an inner surface lined with a refractory material to promote catalytic oxidation of the solid organic materials, said primary oxidation chamber having an open-bottomed bottom portion and an enclosed upper portion, said upper portion for mixing of gaseous material in said chamber, said bottom portion having an inlet opening for infeed of the solid fuel,   means for storing the solid fuel,   transfer means connecting said means for storing with said inlet opening and for transferring in an upwardly inclined direction the solid fuel from said means for storing the solid fuel through said inlet opening into said primary oxidation chamber to form an upwardly mounted fuel bed of the solid fuel including the organic materials in said bottom portion of said primary oxidation chamber,   means for supplying an oxidant into said fuel bed in said bottom portion of said primary oxidation chamber supplies a first oxidant to gasify the solid organic materials to produce gasified organic materials including a first gaseous effluent from the fuel bed, thereby leaving a residue of said fuel,   wherein said means for supplying said oxidant includes a plurality of perforated air distribution members extending across a fuel bed cavity in said bottom portion and through said fuel bed, adjacent to fuel driven upwardly into said fuel bed through said inlet opening, so as to introduce air into said interior of said fuel bed to thereby promote evenly distributed gasification, evenly distributed through said fuel bed,   wherein said open-bottomed bottom portion has mounted thereunder, and is open over, means for the removal of said residue of the fuel, whereby said residue falls from said bottom portion onto said means for removal of said residue,   cooperating with the primary oxidation chamber, a means for removing said first gaseous effluent from said upper portion of said primary oxidation chamber.   
     
     
         2 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein said means for supplying an oxidant into said primary oxidation chamber adds said first oxidant at a predetermined flow rate to maintain a desired flow rate of said first gaseous effluent from said primary oxidation chamber, and wherein said predetermined flow rate of said first oxidant is a relatively low flow rate so as to not suspend particulate matter from said fuel or residue from the gasifying of solid organic materials in said fuel into said first gaseous effluent. 
     
     
         3 . The apparatus of  claim 2  further comprising a secondary oxidation chamber cooperating in fluid communication with said upper portion of said primary oxidation chamber, said secondary oxidation chamber receiving said first gaseous effluent from said primary oxidation chamber, and further comprising a means for supplying a second oxidant to said first gaseous effluent in said secondary oxidation chamber so as to supply a second oxidant into said secondary oxidation chamber to produce a second gaseous effluent, said second gaseous effluent an oxidized product of said first gaseous effluent, to thereby release energy from said first gaseous effluent. 
     
     
         4 . The apparatus of  claim 3  further comprising means for recovering said energy as recoverable heat energy and means for withdrawing said second gaseous effluent from said secondary oxidation chamber. 
     
     
         5 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein said transfer means includes a hydraulic ram feeder. 
     
     
         6 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein said transfer means includes a fuel removal means for removing the fuel from said storage means and for transferring the fuel to said feeder adjacent said inlet opening of said primary oxidation chamber. 
     
     
         7 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein said transfer means includes a feeder for forcefully delivering the fuel through said inlet opening and an upwardly inclined passage cooperating with said feeder and extending into said inlet opening of said primary oxidation chamber, said passage upwardly inclined so that the fuel is forced by the feeder into said bottom portion of said primary oxidation chamber in an upwardly inclined direction so as to drive the fuel upwardly into said fuel bed, toward an upper surface of said bed maintained above said inlet opening. 
     
     
         8 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein said bottom portion is open-bottomed so that said residue as it migrates downwardly below the fuel entering said fuel bed to a bottom of said fuel bed for removal therefrom by said means for the removal of said residue. 
     
     
         9 . The apparatus of  claim 8  wherein said means for the removal of said residue includes a walking-floor feeder wherein a reciprocating rack having upstanding rigid members slides reciprocally relative to a fixed floor so as to urge said residue at said bottom of said fuel bed out from underneath said bottom portion. 
     
     
         10 . The apparatus of  claim 5  wherein said fuel removal means includes a walking-floor feeder wherein a reciprocating rack having upstanding rigid members slides reciprocally relative to a fixed floor under the fuel being stored. 
     
     
         11 . A method for gasifying solid fuel including solid organic materials comprising the steps of
 a) providing a primary oxidation chamber having an inner surface lined with a refractory material to promote catalytic oxidation of the solid organic materials, said primary oxidation chamber having a bottom portion and an upper portion, said upper portion for mixing of gaseous material in said chamber, said bottom portion having an inlet opening for infeed of the solid fuel,   b) providing a means for storing the solid fuel,   c) providing a transfer means connecting said means for storing the solid fuel with said inlet opening,   d) providing a means for supplying oxidant into said bottom portion which includes a plurality of air distribution members extending across said bottom portion and adjacent to fuel driven into said bed through said inlet opening so as to introduce air into said interior of a fuel bed formed in said bottom portion to thereby promote evenly distributed gasification, evenly distributed through said fuel bed, wherein said plurality of air distribution members include perforated members extending across a cavity of said bottom portion so as to promote infiltration of the oxidant throughout the fuel bed,   e) transferring the solid fuel from said means for storing the solid fuel through said inlet opening into said primary oxidation chamber to form said fuel bed of the solid fuel including the organic materials in said bottom portion of said primary oxidation chamber,   f) supplying a first oxidant into said bottom portion of said primary oxidation chamber to gasify the solid organic materials to produce gasified organic materials including a first gaseous effluent from the fuel bed, thereby leaving a residue of said fuel,   g) removing residue of the fuel from under said bottom portion by means for the removal of said residue of the fuel,   h) removing said first gaseous effluent from said upper portion by a means for removing said first gaseous effluent from said upper portion cooperating with said primary oxidation chamber.