Modular five-stage cascade reactor process converts a mixture of organic and inorganic residues into gas for use as fuel in fuel cell or gas engine

摘要

A modular five-stage cascade reactor process converts a mixture of organic and inorganic residues into gas for use as fuel. A modular five-stage cascade reactor process converts a mixture of organic and inorganic residues into gas for use as fuel. The mixture of organic and inorganic residues has a defined stoichiometric water content which feeds into a heated ceramic cascade reactor. Water evaporates as process steam at 150 degrees C by indirect heat in the first cascade stage. In a second stage hydrocarbon content is broken down by heat at 500 degrees C. The material cascades to a third reactor where it is indirectly heated to coke at 800 degrees C and gasified in an endothermic reaction with steam. The resulting process gases are exhausted with the solids to a fourth reaction zone with the addition of heat (greater than 1000 degrees C) with commensurate cracking of hydrocarbons to CO and H2. The products are combined with a near-stoichiometric admixture of oxygen in a fifth cascade zone, thereby gasifying residual carbon compounds in the ash.