Apparatuses for controlling heat for rapid thermal processing of carbonaceous material and methods for the same
View Patent ↗A rapid thermal processing system includes an inorganic heat carrier particles reheater coupled to an inorganic particle cooler. For example. inorganic heat carrier particles may be cooled in a shell and tube inorganic particle cooler by indirect heat exchange with a cooling medium. The cooled inorganic heat carrier particles may then be supplied to a reactor to transfer heat to carbonaceous material.
1. A method for controlling heat for rapid thermal processing of carbonaceous material, comprising:
i) combusting char with an oxygen-containing gas in the presence of inorganic particles to form heated inorganic particles;
ii) contacting a first portion of the heated inorganic particles with an exterior of at least one of a plurality of cooling tubes, wherein the at least one of the plurality of cooling tubes comprises:
a) an outer tube comprising the exterior;
b) an inner tube concentrically disposed within the outer tube; and
c) an outer channel defined by the outer surface of the inner tube and the interior of said outer tube;
iii) supplying cooling medium to the outer channel;
iv) heating the cooling medium in the outer channel to partially cool the first portion of heated inorganic particles; and
v) removing the heated cooling medium from an end of the inner tube.
2. The method of claim 1 , whereby the first portion of heated inorganic particles are partially-cooled to a temperature of from about 500 to about 680° C.
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the cooling medium comprises water.
4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the heating cooling medium comprises steam.
5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising: combining the partially-cooled first portion of the heated inorganic particles with a second portion of the heated inorganic particles to form second partially-cooled heated inorganic particles.
6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the heated inorganic particles are formed at a temperature of from about 600 to about 780° C.
7. The method of claim 5 , wherein the second partially-cooled heated inorganic particles are formed at a temperature of from about 600 to about 780° C.
8. The method of claim 5 , further comprising: contacting the carbonaceous material with the second partially-cooled heated inorganic particles under rapid thermal processing conditions.
9. The method of claim 1 , wherein said first portion of the heated inorganic particles are advanced in a generally downward flow.
10. The method of claim 1 , wherein said plurality of cooling tubes are generally horizontal.
11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the heated cooling medium flows counter to the cooling medium.
12. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first portion of the heated inorganic particles contacts the exterior of the plurality of cooling tubes in a cross-flow configuration.
13. A method for controlling heat for rapid thermal processing of carbonaceous material, comprising:
i) combusting char with an oxygen-containing gas in the presence of inorganic particles in a reheater to form heated inorganic particles;
ii) advancing a generally downward flow of a first portion of the heated inorganic particles through a shell portion of an inorganic particle cooler into contact with an exterior of at least one of a plurality of generally horizontal cooling tubes disposed therein, wherein the at least one of the plurality of cooling tubes comprises:
a) an outer tube comprising the exterior;
b) an inner tube concentrically disposed within the outer tube; and
c) an outer channel defined by the outer surface of the inner tube and the interior of said outer tube;
iii) supplying cooling medium to the outer channel;
iv) heating the cooling medium in the outer channel to partially cool the first portion of heated inorganic particles;
v) removing the heated cooling medium from an end of the inner tube;
vi) directing the partially-cooled first portion of heated inorganic particles with an air stream through a lift riser to a sand-air distributor positioned in the reheater above a gas distributor; and
vii) distributing the air stream and the partially-cooled first portion of heated inorganic particles in the reheater, whereby a second portion of the heated inorganic particles present in the reheater is partially cooled.
14. The method of claim 13 , wherein the flow of said first portion of the heated inorganic particles is continuous.
15. The method of claim 13 , wherein the flow of said first portion of the heated inorganic particles is fluidized by a further air stream introduced in the inorganic particle cooler below the plurality of cooling tubes.
16. The method of claim 15 , wherein the flow of said first portion of the heated inorganic particles are introduced to the shell portion of the inorganic particle cooler through a cooler inlet pipe in fluid communication with the reheater, said cooler inlet pipe comprising a plurality of bubble breaking gratings.
17. The method of claim 13 , further comprising:
viii) combining the partially-cooled first portion of the heated inorganic particles with the second portion of the heated inorganic particles to form second partially-cooled heated inorganic particles; and
ix) contacting a carbonaceous material with the second partially-cooled heated inorganic particles to rapidly thermally process the carbonaceous material.
18. The method of claim 17 , wherein the cooling medium comprises water and the inorganic particles comprise sand.
19. The method of claim 17 , wherein the heating cooling medium comprises steam.
20. The method of claim 17 , wherein the second partially-cooled heated inorganic particles are formed at a temperature of from about 600 to about 780° C.