Apparatus for retorting particulate solids having recoverable volatile constituents

Claim 2

Apparatus for retorting a feedstock of particulate solids having a recoverable volatile constituent comprising a rotatable elongated chamber for rotation about a substantially horizontal axis, said chamber having a retorting section at an upstream end with an inlet for receiving said feedstock solids and a separate combustion section at a downstream end with an outlet for hot spent feedstock solids, said sections in horizontal series with one another and separated by a solid intercompartmental divider extending across the entire cross-sectional area of said chamber for retorting and combusting said feedstock solids, means for rotating said chamber about its horizontal axis, means for introducing said feedstock solids into said chamber retorting section to provide retorted solids and a volatilized constituent, means for recovering said volatilized constituent, means for transferring said retorted feedstock solids into said separate combustion section for combustion therein, said combustion section having lifting means for lifting and cascading said retorted solids through a moving stream of combustion supporting gas to form said spent solids, and means for recycling hot spent feedstock solids from said combustion section to said retorting section for mixing said spent solids with said feedstock solids to volatilize said constituent.

Claim 3

The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising means for introducing a stream of air into said combustion section whereby there is achieved a mechanical fluidization of said feedstock solids in said air in said combustion section.

Claim 4

The apparatus of claim 2 wherein said lifting means for lifting and cascading retorted solids comprises a plurality of lifters attached to the interior of said combustion section.

Claim 5

The apparatus of claim 2 further comprising a combined solids cooler/air preheater section in said series after said combustion section for heating ambient combustion air to provide said air for introduction into said combustion section and to cool solids simultaneously passing through said preheater section.

Claim 6

The apparatus of claim 4 further comprising a lifting means on the inside of said combined preheater section for lifting and cascading solid materials through said preheated air in said section during rotation.

Claim 7

The apparatus of claim 5 wherein both said lifting means for said combustion section and said combined preheater section consist of a plurality of lifters attached to the interior of said sections and extending into said sections a distance up to about 1/40 to 1/10 the diameter of said sections.

Claim 8

The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a duct for removing flue gases from said combustion section.

Claim 9

The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising means on the inside of said retorting section for mixing said feedstock solids with recycled spent solids during rotation.

Claim 10

The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said recycling means comprises an open-ended, closed helical duct formed about an outer wall of said chamber in a direction counter to its direction of rotation for picking up a portion of said solids from a point close to the outlet of said combustion section and returning said solids to a point close to the inlet of said retorting section.

Claim 11

The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising said transfer means for transportation of said solids without transporting any significant quantity of gas in the form of an open-ended, closed helical duct formed about an outer wall of said chamber in the same direction as its direction of rotation, said transfer means being positioned to pick up solids from a point close to the end of said retort section and transfer same to a front end of said combustion section.

Claim 12

The apparatus of claim 10 further comprising a combined solids cooler/air preheater section in said series after said combustion section for heating ambient combustion air to provide said preheated air for introduction into said combustion section and to cool solids simultaneously passing through said preheater section, and a transfer means in the form of an open-ended, closed helical duct formed about the outside wall of said chamber in the same direction as its direction of rotation, where said transfer means is positioned to pick up solid materials from an end of the combustion section and transfer same to the front end of said preheater section.

Claim 13

The apparatus of claim 4 further including means in the form of a duct which interconnects the front end of said combined preheater section with the front end of said combustion section for transferring heated combustion air from said preheater section to said combustion section.

Claim 14

The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising means for introducing combustion air through said downstream end of said chamber.

Claim 15

Apparatus for retorting a feedstock of hydrocarbon-containing particulate solids having a recoverable volatile hydrocarbon constituent comprising a rotatable elongated chamber for rotation about a substantially horizontal axis, said chamber having a retorting section at an upstream end with an inlet for receiving said feedstock solids and a separate combustion section at a downstream end with an outlet for hot spent feedstock solids, said sections in horizontal series with one another and separated by a solid intercompartmental divider extending across the entire cross-sectional area of said chamber for retorting and combusting said feedstock solids, transfer means for transportation of said solids without transporting any significant quantity of gas in the form of an open-ended, closed helical duct formed about an outer wall of said chamber in the same direction at its direction of rotation, said transfer means being positioned to pick up retorted solids from a point close to the end of said retort section and transfer same to a front end of said combustion section, means for rotating said chamber about its horizontal axis, means for recovering said volatilized hydrocarbon constituent, means for recycling hot spent feedstock solids from said combustion section to said retorting section for mixing said spent solids with said feedstock solids to volatilize said constituent, said recycling means comprises an open-ended, closed helical duct formed about the outer wall of said chamber in a direction counter to its direction of rotation for picking up a portion of said solids from a point close to the outlet of said combustion section and returning said solids to a point close to the inlet of said retorting section, a plurality of lifters attached to the interior combustion section wall for lifting and cascading said devolatilized feedstock solids mixed with spent solids in said combustion section, and means for introducing a stream of preheated air into said combustion section whereby there is achieved a mechanical fluidization of said feedstock solids in said air in said combustion section.

Claim 16

Apparatus for retorting a feedstock of hydrocarbon-containing particulate solids having a recoverable volatile hydrocarbon constituent comprising a rotatable elongated chamber for rotation about a substantially horizontal axis, said chamber having a retorting section at an upstream end with an inlet for receiving said feedstock solids and a separate combustion section at a downstream end with an outlet for hot spent feedstock solids, said sections in horizontal series with one another and separated by a solid intercompartmental divider extending across the entire cross-sectional area of said chamber for retorting and combusting said feedstock solids, transfer means for transportation of said solids without transporting any significant quantity of gas in the form of an open-ended, closed helical duct formed about an outer wall of said chamber in the same direction at its direction of rotation, said transfer means being positioned to pick up retorted solids from a point close to the end of said retort section and transfer same to a front end of said combustion section, means for rotating said chamber about its horizontal axis, means for recovering said volatilized hydrocarbon constituent, means for recycling hot spent feedstock solids from said combustion section to said retorting section for mixing said spent solids with said feedstock solids to volatilize said constituent, said recycling means comprises an open-ended, closed helical duct formed about the outer wall of said chamber in a direction counter to its direction of rotation for picking up a portion of said solids from a point close to the outlet of said combustion section and returning said solids to a point close to the inlet of said retorting section, a plurality of lifters attached to the interior combustion section wall for lifting and cascading said devolatilized feedstock solids mixed with spent solids in said combustion section, and means for introducing a stream of preheated air into said combustion section whereby there is achieved a mechanical fluidization of said feedstock solids in said air in said combustion section.

Claim 17

The apparatus of claim 14 further comprising a combined solids cooler/air preheater section in said series after said combustion section for heating ambient combustion air to provide said preheated air for introduction into said combustion section and to cool solids simultaneously passing through said preheater section, and a transfer means for transportation of said solids from said combustion section to said preheater section without transporting any significant quantity of gas in the form of an open-ended, closed helical duct formed about the outside wall of said chamber in the same direction as its direction of rotation.

Claim 18

The apparatus of claim 15 further including a duct which interconnects said combined preheater section with said combustion section for transferring heated combustion air from said preheater section to said combustion section.