Patent US3852048A successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
US3852048A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Process for producing industrial fuel from waste woody materials
Assignee: Kingsford Co
•
Filing: 1972-07-14
•
Granted: 1974-12-03
•
Expires: 1992-07-14
Abstract
Abstract A continuous process is described whereby waste woody materials such as bark, twigs, sawdust, plantation waste, and peanut shells, containing around fifty percent moisture are initially predried, and subsequently carbonized, to produce a high yield of relatively pollution-free industrial fuels. By utilizing a twostep process an optimum flow rate of gas may be achieved during both the drying and carbonization steps to maximize the formation of solid and gaseous fuels and to minimize the formation of condensable liquids during pyrolysis. The products of the process of this invention may be a solid industrial fuel, charcoal having more than approximately 23 percent volatile combustible matter, and a fuel gas having fuel value of from approximately 150-185 B.t.u. per standard cubic foot or more. The solid fuel is enriched by allowing the condensible combustible matter in the fuel gas to adsorb thereon. In the alternative, charcoal formed may be pulverized and suspended in a major portion of the gas to produce an enriched fuel gas having a fuel value of from about 400 to 625 B.t.u. per standard cubic foot. The fuel gas may be produced in quantities sufficient to allow use of the sensible heat from a portion thereof for the initial drying step, if desired.
Inventors
- 👤 O Pyle
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-25 15:21
CPC Classifications
C; C10; C10J; C10J3/00; C10J3/02; C10J3/06; C10B; C10B53/00; C10B53/02; C10J3/46; C10J3/48; C10J3/50; C10J3/503; C10J3/72; C10J3/723; C10J3/82; C10J3/84; C10L; C10L5/00; C10L5/40; C10L5/44; C10J2300/00; C10J2300/09; C10J2300/0903; C10J2300/0906; C10J2300/0909; C10J2300/0913; C10J2300/0916; C10J2300/092; C10J2300/0953; C10J2300/0956; Y; Y02; Y02E; Y02E50/00; Y02E50/10; Y02E50/30
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 25
Claim 1
Independent Claim
158 words
A PROCESS FOR MAKING SUBSTANTIALLY POLLUTION FREE SOLID AND GASEOUS FUELS FROM WOODY MATERIALS COMPRISING THE STEPS OF: CONTINUOUSLY SUPPLYING SAID MATERIALS TO A DRIER; DRYING SAID MATERIALS UNTIL THE MOISTURE CONTENT THEREOF IS LESS THAN ABOUT 15 PERCENT; ADMITTING SAID DRIED MATERIALS TO A CARBONIZER; PYROLYZING SAID MATERIALS IN SAID CARBONIZER TO FORM CHARCOAL HAVING AT LEAST ABOUT 23 PERCENT VOLATILE COMBUSTIBLE MATTER THEREIN AND FUEL GAS HAVING A FUEL VALUE OF AT LEAST ABOUT 150 B.T.U. PER STANDARD CUBIC FOOT; COLLECTING SAID CHARCOAL, AND COOLING SAID CHARCOAL TO A TEMPEATURE OF NOT MORE THE AN ABOUT 150*F; COLLECTING AT LEAST A MAJOR PORTION OF SAID FUEL GAS AND ALLOWING SAID COLLECTED GAS TO COOL TO A TEMPERATURE OF NOT LESS THAN ABOUT 220*F; ADMITTING SAID GAS AND SAID CHARCOAL TO AN ADSORBER; COOLING SAID GAS IN SAID ABSORBER AND ALLOWING THE CONDENSABLE COMBUSTIBLE MATTER THEREIN TO ADSORB ON SAID CHARCOAL TO FORM AN ENRICHED SOLID FUEL.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
158 words
A PROCESS FOR MAKING SUBSTANTIALLY POLLUTION FREE SOLID AND GASEOUS FUELS FROM WOODY MATERIALS COMPRISING THE STEPS OF: CONTINUOUSLY SUPPLYING SAID MATERIALS TO A DRIER; DRYING SAID MATERIALS UNTIL THE MOISTURE CONTENT THEREOF IS LESS THAN ABOUT 15 PERCENT; ADMITTING SAID DRIED MATERIALS TO A CARBONIZER; PYROLYZING SAID MATERIALS IN SAID CARBONIZER TO FORM CHARCOAL HAVING AT LEAST ABOUT 23 PERCENT VOLATILE COMBUSTIBLE MATTER THEREIN AND FUEL GAS HAVING A FUEL VALUE OF AT LEAST ABOUT 150 B.T.U. PER STANDARD CUBIC FOOT; COLLECTING SAID CHARCOAL, AND COOLING SAID CHARCOAL TO A TEMPEATURE OF NOT MORE THE AN ABOUT 150*F; COLLECTING AT LEAST A MAJOR PORTION OF SAID FUEL GAS AND ALLOWING SAID COLLECTED GAS TO COOL TO A TEMPERATURE OF NOT LESS THAN ABOUT 220*F; ADMITTING SAID GAS AND SAID CHARCOAL TO AN ADSORBER; COOLING SAID GAS IN SAID ABSORBER AND ALLOWING THE CONDENSABLE COMBUSTIBLE MATTER THEREIN TO ADSORB ON SAID CHARCOAL TO FORM AN ENRICHED SOLID FUEL.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
36 words
The process of claim 1 further comprising: collecting said gas after the condensable matter therein has been adsorbed on said charcoal; removing substantially all of the particulate matter from said gas to form a gaseous fuel.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
40 words
The process of claim 1 further comprising the step of: collecting said charcoal after the condensable matter in said gas has been adsorbed thereon; pulverizing said collected charcoal until at least about 60 percent passes through a 200 mesh screen.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
26 words
The process of claim 3 wherein the step of pulverizing said charcoal comprises pulverizing said charcoal until about 75 percent passes through a 200 mesh screen.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
30 words
The process of claim 2 wherein the step of removing the particulate matter from said gas comprises removing at least 99 percent, by weight, of the particulate matter suspended therein.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
36 words
The process of claim 1 further comprising: returning at least a portion of said fuel gas to said drier; utilizing the sensible heat of said portion of said gas in said drier to dry said material.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
54 words
The process of claim 6 wherein said drying step comprises: heating said materials in a rotary drier, having a feed inlet at one end and an outlet at an opposite end, to from about 175*-225*F. until the moisture content thereof is less than approximately 15 percent, by circulating a stream of hot gas therethrough.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
16 words
The process of claim 7 wherein said materials are heated to about 200*F. in said drier.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
46 words
The process of claim 6 wherein a burner is disposed at one end of said drier and said drying step further comprises: burning the portion of said fuel gas returned to said drier in said burner, and circulating the products of combustion thereof through said drier.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
74 words
The process of claim 1 wherein said carbonizer is a multiple hearth furnace and said pyrolysis step comprises heating said dry materials in said furnace to a temperature of from about 600*F. to less than about 1,000*F. to form charcoal having at least about twenty three percent volatile combustible matter and hot fuel gAs having a fuel value of about 150-185 B.t.u. per standard cubic foot and having a temperature of from about 800*-1,000*F.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
20 words
The process of claim 10 wherein said pyrolysis step comprises heating said materials to from about 600*F. to about 900*F.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
19 words
The process of claim 1 wherein said woody materials have a moisture content of less than about 60 percent.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
16 words
The process of claim 12 wherein the water content of said materials is about 50 percent.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
176 words
A continuous process for making substantially pollution-free solid and gaseous fuels from woody materials comprising the steps of: supplying said materials to a drier; drying said materials until the moisture content thereof is less than about 15 percent; admitting said dried materials to a multiple hearth furnace carbonizer; pyrolyzing said materials in said carbonizer to form charcoal having at least about 23 percent volatile combustible matter therein and a fuel gas having a fuel value of at least about 150 B.t.u. per standard cubic foot; collecting said charcoal for use as a solid industrial fuel; collecting said gas for use as a gaseous industrial fuel; cooling said charcoal to a temperature of not more than about 150*F.; collecting at least a major portion of said fuel gas and allowing said collected gas to cool to a temperature of not less than about 220*F.; admitting said gas and said charcoal to an adsorber; cooling said gas in said adsorber and allowing the condensible combustible matter therein to adsorb on said charcoal to form an enriched solid fuel.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
176 words
A continuous process for making substantially pollution-free solid and gaseous fuels from woody materials comprising the steps of: supplying said materials to a drier; drying said materials until the moisture content thereof is less than about 15 percent; admitting said dried materials to a multiple hearth furnace carbonizer; pyrolyzing said materials in said carbonizer to form charcoal having at least about 23 percent volatile combustible matter therein and a fuel gas having a fuel value of at least about 150 B.t.u. per standard cubic foot; collecting said charcoal for use as a solid industrial fuel; collecting said gas for use as a gaseous industrial fuel; cooling said charcoal to a temperature of not more than about 150*F.; collecting at least a major portion of said fuel gas and allowing said collected gas to cool to a temperature of not less than about 220*F.; admitting said gas and said charcoal to an adsorber; cooling said gas in said adsorber and allowing the condensible combustible matter therein to adsorb on said charcoal to form an enriched solid fuel.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
26 words
The process of claim 14 further comprising the step of: pulverizing said collected charcoal until at least about 60 percent passes through a 200 mesh screen.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
26 words
The process of claim 15 wherein the step of pulverizing said charcoal comprises pulverizing said charcoal until about 75 percent passes through a 200 mesh screen.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
36 words
The process of claim 14 further comprising: returning at least a portion of said fuel gas to said drier; utilizing the sensible heat of said portion of said gas in said drier to dry said material.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
54 words
The process of claim 17 wherein said drying step comprises: heating said materials in a rotary drier, having a feed inlet at one end and an outlet at an opposite end, to from about 175*-225*F. until the moisture content thereof is less than approximately 15 percent, by circulating a stream of hot gas therethrough.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
16 words
The process of claim 18 wherein said materials are heated to about 200*F. in said drier.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
46 words
The process of claim 17 wherein a burner is disposed at one end of said drier and said drying step further comprises: burning the portion of said fuel gas returned to said drier in said burner, and circulating the products of combustion thereof through said drier.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
20 words
The process of claim 14 wherein said pyrolysis step comprises heating said materials to from about 600*F. to about 900*F.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
18 words
The process of claim 14 wherein said woody materials have moisture content of less than about 60 percent.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
16 words
The process of claim 22 wherein the water content of said materials is about 50 percent.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1977-12-02 | 1978-06-03 | 1978-12-03 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1981-12-02 | 1982-06-03 | 1982-12-03 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1985-12-02 | 1986-06-03 | 1986-12-03 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |