Device and method for gasification and/or pyrolysis, or vaporization of combustible materials
View Patent ↗The device comprises: an inner chamber ( 56 ) which has an upper aperture or mouth ( 36 ) and is delimited by a lateral wall ( 20 ) and by a base wall ( 19 ), and which is intended to contain a primary fuel to be subjected to gasification and/or pyrolysis or vaporization to generate combustible gases; an outer chamber ( 58 ) delimited by an outer lateral wall ( 22 ) positioned coaxially with the outside of the lateral wall ( 20 ) of the inner chamber ( 56 ), by a base wall ( 14 ) which is located under the base wall ( 19 ) of the combustion chamber ( 56 ) and which has at least one aperture ( 28 ) communicating with the external environment, and by a top wall which unites the outer ( 22 ) and inner ( 20 ) lateral walls, in such a way that the outer chamber ( 58 ) comprises a lower portion positioned under the inner chamber ( 56 ) and an upper annular portion ( 59 ) which surrounds the inner chamber ( 56 ); a plurality of circumferentially staggered lower passages ( 50 ) through which the base of the inner chamber ( 56 ) communicates with the surrounding annular portion ( 59 ) of the outer chamber ( 58 ); and a plurality of circumferentially staggered upper passages ( 39 ) through which the top of the annular portion ( 59 ) of the outer chamber ( 58 ) communicates with the top of the inner chamber ( 56 ).
1. A device comprising:
(a) an inner chamber formed by an inner tubular wall, a top plate, and a dividing plate, said top plate having a mouth communicating with the external environment, said inner chamber adapted to receive fuel through said mouth;
(b) an outer chamber formed by an outer tubular wall coaxial with said inner tubular wall, said top plate, and a base plate, said base plate having at least one aperture communicating with the external environment and being spaced from said dividing plate, said outer chamber comprised of a lower cylindrical portion under said inner chamber and an upper annular portion between said inner tubular wall and said outer tubular wall;
(c) a plurality of circumferentially staggered lower passages through which said inner chamber communicates with said annular portion at said dividing plate; and
(d) a plurality of circumferentially staggered upper passages through which said annular portion communicates with said inner chamber at said top plate;
(e) whereby gases evolved in said inner chamber flow through said lower passages, rise through said annular portion, and flow through said upper passages into said inner chamber where they produce localized combustion primarily in said mouth, forming a flamecap.
2. The device of claim 1 wherein said top plate has a peripheral circumferential groove and wherein said upper passages are curved grooves, each of which extends from said peripheral circumferential groove to said mouth, adjacent pairs of said curved grooves having correspondingly curved projections formed therebetween, the upper edge of said outer tubular wall being engaged in said peripheral circumferential groove.
3. The device of claim 2 wherein said top plate has an inner circumferential groove coaxial with said peripheral circumferential groove and which intersects said curved grooves, the depth of said inner circumferential groove being less than that of said curved grooves, the upper edge of said inner tubular wall being engaged in said inner circumferential groove.
4. The device of claim 3 wherein said top plate has an intermediate circumferential groove coaxial with said peripheral circumferential groove and said inner circumferential groove and which intersects said curved grooves, the depth of said intermediate circumferential groove being less than that of said curved grooves.
5. The device of claim 3 wherein radially inner ends of said curved grooves are orientated such that jets of gas leaving said curved grooves create a downwardly pointing, conical vortex substantially coaxial with said mouth.
6. The device of claim 3 wherein the radially inner ends of said curved projections have corresponding bevels lying essentially on a cone that is coaxial with said mouth and converging in an upward direction.
7. The device of claim 3 wherein each curved groove has a substantially rectilinear outer portion which is inclined with respect to the radial direction and which communicates with the external environment, an approximately radial inner portion, and a curved intermediate portion connecting said outer portion and said inner portion.
8. The device of claim 1 wherein said bottom passages are transverse grooves in said bottom plate and wherein said bottom plate has a circumferential groove that is shallower than said transverse grooves, the lower edge of the said inner tubular wall being engaged in said circumferential groove, said bottom passages being sized to draw air through said mouth and said flamecap at a rate that causes almost all of the oxygen in said air to be consumed, thereby leaving said inner chamber charged substantially with heated nitrogen.
9. The device of claim 1 wherein said base plate has an outer circumferential groove, the surface of said base plate inside said outer circumferential groove curving downwardly from said outer circumferential groove, the lower edge of said outer tubular wall being engaged in said outer circumferential groove.
10. The device of claim 9 wherein said base plate has an inner circumferential groove coaxial with said outer circumferential groove.
11. The device of claim 1 wherein said base plate is spaced from said dividing plate by a support block.