Apparatus for the production of methane containing gas by

Abstract

An improved system for producing methane-containing product gas by the hydrogasification process. With the system, solid municipal waste is comminuted and dried following which it is introduced to the lock hopper receivers for transference to an elongate hydrogasification reactor. Synthesis gas is introduced to a lower region of the reactor and the comminuted waste, including inorganic materials, is dried and converted to methane-containing product gas and char. The char is removed from the system by a variety of separation systems including cyclone separators or aspirators and the inorganic fractured waste materials pass through the reactor but are undamaged and in a sterile condition ideally suited for recovery. A gasification reactor is incorporated with the system which receives char from the process as well as oxygen to produce the synthesis gas utilized in the hydrogasification reactor. Where no inorganic materials are present, the organic materials may be introduced both to the gasification reactor to produce synthesis gas as well as to the hydrogasification reactor to produce char end product gas. The char is removed from the product gas and returned to the synthesis gas producing gasification reactor. Drying may be carried out utilizing a fluidized sand bed drying technique.