Three Stage Combustor For Low Quality Fuels

Abstract

A combustor for low quality fuels has a devolatilization chamber receiving the fuel and separating the fuel into char and gases. Char from the devolatilization chamber exits through a first port connected to a char chamber. The char chamber reduced the char to gases and ash. Gases generated in both the devolatilization chamber and char chamber are sent to gas and particulate combustion chamber, such as a fluidized bed. The various stages are operated at the optimum temperatures for the contituents provided to that stage. The resulting process has reduced emissions.

1 . A combustor, comprising:
 a devolatilization chamber receiving a fuel source, the devolatilization chamber removing volatile gases from the fuel source to create char;   a char chamber receiving the char from the devolatilization chamber and creating gases and ash; and   a gas and particulate combustion chamber receiving the volatile gases from the devolatilization chamber and the gases from the char chamber.   
     
     
         2 . The combustor of  claim 1 , wherein the char chamber is a cyclone combustor. 
     
     
         3 . The combustor of  claim 1 , wherein the char chamber melts the ash into slag. 
     
     
         4 . The combustor of  claim 1  wherein the gas and particulate combustion chamber is a fluidized bed. 
     
     
         5 . The combustor of  claim 1 , further comprising a microwave antennae in the char chamber to apply microwave energy to the contents of the char chamber. 
     
     
         6 . The combustor of  claim 1 , further comprising at least one sonic driver in the char chamber to apply sonic energy to the contents of the char chamber. 
     
     
         7 . The combustor of  claim 1 , further comprising a plurality of devolatilization chambers connected to the char chamber. 
     
     
         8 . A devolatilization chamber comprising:
 a first end, a second end and a side wall extending between the first end and second end;   an inlet in the first end for receiving a fuel source;   a first section forming a quarl and recirculation zone;   a second section forming a char extraction/volatile generation zone;   a side port formed in the side wall; and   an end port formed in the second end.   
     
     
         9 . The devolatilization chamber of  claim 8 , further comprising
 a restriction between the first section and second section, the restriction having a smaller cross sectional area than the first and second sections.   
     
     
         10 . A method for managing combustion, comprising:
 introducing a fuel-air mixture into a devolatilization chamber and causing combustion of the fuel air mixture;   producing char and volatile gases from the combustion;   sending the char to a char chamber, the char chamber producing gases and ash from the char; and   sending the gases from both the devolatilization chamber and char chamber to a gas and particulate combustion chamber.   
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10 , further comprising applying microwave or sonic energy to the char chamber. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 10 , further comprising melting the ash into slag. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12 , further comprising extruding the slag through a port in the char chamber and quenching the slag. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13 , further comprising sending steam produced from quenching to a vapor trap.