Loop pyrolysis process for organic solid wastes

Claim 1

A loop process for pyrolysis of organic solid waste which comprises continuously: a. pyrolyzing particulate organic solid waste having a maximum particle dimension less than 1 inch by combining and passing the particulate organic solid waste and a hot particulate source of heat selected from the group consisting of a carbon containing solid residue of pyrolysis, an inorganic heat source formed from decarbonization of the carbon containing solid residue of pyrolysis and mixtures thereof, with a fluidizing transport carrier gas which is nondeleteriously reactive with respect to the products of pyrolysis through a transport flash pyrolysis zone under turbulent flow conditions for a time sufficient to pyrolyze the organic solid waste to the carbon containing solid residue of pyrolysis, pyrolytic oils and gases, said flash pyrolysis zone being maintained at an operating pressure above atmospheric and at an operating temperature between about 600° F and the introduction temperature of the particulate heat source to said pyrolysis zone; b. withdrawing a fluidized mixture of the carrier gas, particulate source of heat, the carbon containing solid residue of pyrolysis, pyrolytic oils and gas from the flash pyrolysis zone; c. separating the particulate source of heat and the carbon containing solid residue of pyrolysis from the fluidized mixture and collecting the separated particulate source of heat and carbon containing solid residue of pyrolysis in a first particles collection zone wherein the particles are maintained in a dense fluidized state; d. withdrawing from the first particles collection zone a dense fluidized mixture of the particulate source of heat and carbon containing solid residue of pyrolysis through a first vertically oriented fluidized leg coupled to a first solids transport conduit connected to a fluidized solids transport burner, the particles in said first fluidized leg providing at the base thereof, a static pressure greater than the operating pressure of the fluidized solids transport burner; e. transporting the withdrawn particulate mixture through said first solids transport conduit to said fluidized solids transport burner; f. decarbonizing at least a portion of the carbon containing solid residue of pyrolysis in said fluidizing char transport burner to form the particulate source of heat at a temperature at least sufficient for feed to said pyrolysis zone; g. removing the formed particulate source of heat from the fluidized solids transport burner and collecting a portion of the formed particulate source of heat in a second particles collection zone; and h. withdrawing from the second particles collection zone particulate source of heat to a second vertically oriented fluidized leg coupled to a second solids transport conduit connected to said transport flash pyrolysis zone and transporting under fluidized conditions the withdrawn particulate source of heat to said transport flash pyrolysis zone, the height of the particulate static source in said second fluidized leg being sufficient to maintain a static pressure at the base of said second fluidized leg greater than the operating pressure of the flash pyrolysis zone.