Flow rate of gas in fluidized bed during conversion of carbon based material to natural gas and activated carbon

1 ) A method of processing carbonacious material into volatiles and activated carbon, comprising the steps of:

placing feedstock onto a fluidized bed;

directing superheated non-oxygenated gas through the fluidized bed;

adjusting a velocity of the superheated gas such that the gas is slow enough to leave the feedstock on the fluidized bed and fast enough to remove activated carbon and volatiles;

allowing cleaning of the volatiles using the activated carbon to form clean volatiles and activated carbon;

separating the volatiles and the activated carbon;

recycling a portion of the volatiles back to the fluidized bed;

collecting a non-recycled portion of the volatiles; and

collecting the activated carbon.

2 ) The method of claim 1 wherein the feedstock comprises at least one member selected from the group consisting of: coal, municipal solid waste, sewage, wood waste, biomass, paper, plastics, hazardous waste, tar, pitch, activated sludge, rubber tires and oil-based residue.

3 ) The method of claim 1 wherein the superheated gas is heated to a temperature between 1000 degrees F. and 1500 degrees F.

4 ) The method of claim 3 wherein the superheated gas is heated to a temperature between 1000 degrees F. and 1200 degrees F.

5 ) The method of claim 1 wherein the superheated gas is natural gas.

6 ) The method of claim 5 wherein the natural gas is clean natural gas.

7 ) The method of claim 6 wherein the clean natural gas is recycled.

8 ) The method of claim 1 wherein the natural gas is medium BTU natural gas.

9 ) The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of vaporizing the volatiles sufficiently fast to activate the carbon.

10 ) The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of:

floating the feedstock in the superheated gas.

11 ) The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of:

co-mingling the activated carbon and volatiles.

12 ) The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of:

cooling the non-recycled portion of the volatiles.

13 ) The method of claim 12 further comprising the step of:

compressing the cooled volatiles.

14 ) The method of claim 1 wherein the velocity is between 10 cubic feet per minute and 20,000 cubic feet per minute.

15 ) The method of claim 14 wherein the velocity is approximately 6000 cubic feet per minute.

16 ) The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of recycling a portion of the volatiles to a burner, the burner indirectly superheating the volatiles of the fluidized bed.

17 ) The method of claim 1 wherein the step of directing superheated gas through the fluidized bed converts the feedstock into volatiles and activated carbon;

18 ) The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of:

separating the feedstock from volatiles and activated carbon as the feedstock converts to volatiles and activated carbon.

19 ) The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of:

separating the volatiles and activated carbon from the feedstock using the superheated gas to effectuate the separation.

20 ) The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of:

allowing cleaning of the volatiles using the activated carbon to form clean natural gas and activated carbon, such cleaning starting at least as early as when the volatiles and activated carbon are leaving the fluidized bed and continuing through completion.

21 ) A method of processing carbonacious material into gas and activated carbon, comprising the steps of:

placing feedstock onto a fluidized bed;

directing non-oxygenated gas through the fluidized bed;

adjusting a velocity of the gas such that the gas is slow enough to leave the feedstock on the fluidized bed and fast enough to remove activated carbon and volatiles.