Southern Company Services, Inc.

The Southern Company

Wan Wang Peng

Guohai Liu

Pannalal Vimalchand

A coal feed system to feed pulverized low rank coals containing up to 25 wt % moisture to gasifiers operating up to 1000 psig pressure is described. The system includes gas distributor and collector gas permeable pipes imbedded in the lock vessel. Different methods of operation of the feed system are disclosed to minimize feed problems associated with bridging and packing of the pulverized coal. The method of maintaining the feed system and feeder device exit pressures using gas addition or extraction with the pressure control device is also described.

High pressure feeder and method of operating to feed granular or fine materials

The improvements proposed in this invention provide a reliable apparatus and method to gasify low rank coals in a class of pressurized circulating fluidized bed reactors termed 'transport gasifier.' The embodiments overcome a number of operability and reliability problems with existing gasifiers. The systems and methods address issues related to distribution of gasification agent without the use of internals, management of heat release to avoid any agglomeration and clinker formation, specific design of bends to withstand the highly erosive environment due to high solid particles circulation rates, design of a standpipe cyclone to withstand high temperature gasification environment, compact design of seal-leg that can handle high mass solids flux, design of nozzles that eliminate plugging, uniform aeration of large diameter Standpipe, oxidant injection at the cyclone exits to effectively modulate gasifier exit temperature and reduction in overall height of the gasifier with a modified non-mechanical valve.

Apparatus, components and operating methods for circulating fluidized bed transport gasifiers and reactors

A system for depressurizing and cooling a high pressure, high temperature dense phase solids stream having coarse solid particles with entrained gas therein. In one aspect, the system has an apparatus for at least partially depressurizing and cooling the high pressure, high temperature dense phase solids stream having gas entrained therein and a pressure letdown device for further depressurization and separating cooled coarse solid particles from a portion of the entrained gas, resulting in a lower temperature, lower pressure outlet of solid particles for downstream processing or discharge to a storage silo for future use and/or disposal. There are no moving parts in the flow path of the solids stream in the system.

Continuous coarse ash depressurization system

Disclosed are apparatus and method to treat large amounts of flue gas from a pulverized coal combustion power plant. The flue gas is contacted with solid sorbents to selectively absorb CO, which is then released as a nearly pure COgas stream upon regeneration at higher temperature. The method is capable of handling the necessary sorbent circulation rates of tens of millions of lbs/hr to separate COfrom a power plant's flue gas stream. Because pressurizing large amounts of flue gas is cost prohibitive, the method of this invention minimizes the overall pressure drop in the absorption section to less than 25 inches of water column. The internal circulation of sorbent within the absorber assembly in the proposed method not only minimizes temperature increases in the absorber to less than 25&#xb0; F., but also increases the COconcentration in the sorbent to near saturation levels. Saturating the sorbent with COin the absorber section minimizes the heat energy needed for sorbent regeneration. The commercial embodiments of the proposed method can be optimized for sorbents with slower or faster absorption kinetics, low or high heat release rates, low or high saturation capacities and slower or faster regeneration kinetics.

Carbon dioxide absorber and regeneration assemblies useful for power plant flue gas

A system for depressurizing and cooling a high pressure, high temperature fine solid particles stream having entrained gas therein. In one aspect, the system has an apparatus for cooling the high pressure, high temperature fine solid particles stream having entrained gas therein and a pressure letdown device for depressurization by separating the cooled fine solid particles from a portion of the fine solid particles stream having entrained gas therein, resulting in a lower temperature, lower pressure outlet of solid particles for disposal or handling by downstream equipment.

Growing community of inventors

Birmingham, AL, United States of America

Wan Wang Peng