Allis-chalmers Corporation

John N Lees, Jr

Donald L Murray

Frank W Toman, Jr

George T Lee

Paul M Pukita

Method for gasifying cellulosic material comprises feeding cellulosic material into the uphill end of an inclined rotary kiln; transporting a bed of cellulosic material through the kiln and continuously tumbling the bed; withdrawing fuel gas from the uphill end of the kiln so it flows countercurrent to the bed and removes moisture in the drying zone and thermally decompose volatiles in the devolatilization zone; admitting air overbed in the devolatilization zone and only underbed in the gasifying zone; and controlling the mass flow rate of air into the devolatilization and gasifying zones respectively as predetermined percentages of that rate of which is stoichiometric to the cellulosic material fed into the kiln to thereby limit temperature rise, prevent agglomeration and minimize entrainment of solid particles. Air is admitted into the gasifying zone underbed through axially spaced sets of shell ports, and the mass flow rates of air therethrough are regulated as a function of the percentages of carbon in the bed in the portions of the kiln in which the sets of shell ports are disposed to thereby efficiently utilize the air in converting carbon into CO.sub.2, assure that a high percentage of CO.sub.2 is converted into chemical energy in the form of CO, and permit shortening of the kiln.

Method for gasifying cellulosic material

An apparatus and operation is disclosed in which light solid material such as shredded paper passes from an upper end of a column and heavier material such as glass and metal particles drop from a lower end of the column. The column includes an air locked feed chute having a downwardly inclined material feeding surface, that opens intermediate the column ends into a stream of air moving upwardly in the column, for admitting mixed light and heavy solid particles of refuse material to the air stream. The column beneath the discharge end of the chute has vertical walls defining a rectangular air intake zone. The vertical wall opposite to and facing the chute is pivotally hung from an inclined member which is in turn pivotally supported by the column so this pivotally hung wall can move toward and away from the chute while remaining vertical. Adjustable support means are connected to the movable wall and position the wall and inclined member so the inner surface of the inclined member faces both downwardly and toward the chute. Movement of the movable wall toward or away from the chute therefore adjusts the angle of the inclined member and the angle at which upwardly moving air is turned toward the chute. The movable wall comprises an upper and a lower section that in part overlap and with the lower section having a lower horizontal edge defining a lip of an entrance to the air intake zone. Means are provided to clamp the two sections of the movable wall together with the lip in a selected vertically disposed position relative to the other vertical walls that cooperate with the movable wall to define the air intake zone.

Pneumatic classifier for refuse material with adjustable air intake

An apparatus and operation is disclosed in which light solids material such as shredded paper passes from an upper end of a column and heavier material such as glass and metal particles drop from a lower end of the column. The column includes an air locked feed chute having a downwardly inclined material feeding surface, that opens intermediate the column ends into a stream of air moving upwardly in the column, for admitting mixed light and heavy particles of refuse material to the air stream. A zone of expanded volume is provided at the level where the column and the chute come together and this zone extends upwardly from the material feeding surface and terminates at a level below the upper end of the column where column cross section area is less than beneath the expanded zone. Air drawn upwardly through the column from the lower end and reaching the expanded zone, turns toward the material feeding chute and forms a recirculation zone, herein called a first vortex, within the zone about an axis parallel to and above the intersection of the material feeding surface of the chute with wall structure of the column, before resuming upward flow. A baffle is pivotally journalled in the lower end of the column to pivot about an axis beneath and parallel to the horizontal intersection of the chute with a flat wall structure of the column. The baffle is supported to be pivotable within a range of angularly disposed positions transverse to both a horizontal and a vertical plane through the pivotal axis. Within such range of positions air passing upwardly and over the baffle will be turned to form a second recirculation zone, herein called a second vortex, about and parallel to and beneath the first vortex and pivoting the baffle provides a control of the air flow characteristics created and the separation characteristics of material introduced through the chute.

Growing community of inventors

Wauwatosa, WI, United States of America

John N Lees, Jr