Method and device for treating solid-fluid mixtures

Abstract

A laminar stream reactor for the production of hydrochar of a solid-fluid mixture of water and a carbon-containing component, wherein the solid-fluid mixture is treated at a temperature of 100-300° C. and a pressure of 5-70 bar, consists of tubular reactor units of largely vertical holding sections (1,3) and direction-changing diverters (2,4). The holding sections are thereby flown through slower by the solid-fluid mixture than the remaining tube distances, as they have larger diameters.

Claims

1. A device for treating a solid-fluid mixture of water and a carbon-containing component at a temperature of 100-300 ° C. and a pressure of 5-70 bar, said device comprising: a reactor system charged with said pressure with at least one reactor unit consisting of a lower diverter tube section operably connects between at least two different tube sections comprising a downwardly-directed flow tube section and an upwardly-directed flow tube section, a pump positioned upstream of said at least one reactor unit, and a counter pressure pump positioned downstream of each of said at least one reactor unit to maintain said pressure in an interior of each of said at least one reactor unit, said reactor system being configured to increase a dwell period of the solid components compared to a liquid phase in said downwardly-directed flow tube section, said dwell period is proportional to an inverse of a difference between an average flow velocity vni and a maximum demixing velocity, whereby said maximum demixing velocity is less than said average flow velocity v.sub.n1, wherein a. said lower diverter tube section moving an average flow velocity v.sub.n2 of the solid-fluid mixture in a range of about 1.5-1,000, 5-300 or 20-100 m/min larger than in an average flow velocity v.sub.n1 of said downwardly-directed flow tube section that precedes it directly, wherein said downwardly-directed flow tube section and said upwardly-directed flow tube section of said at least one reactor unit have a tube center axis inclined to a horizontal plane; and b. a diameter of said downwardly-directed flow tube section is at least 50% larger than a diameter of said lower diverter tube.

2. A device for treating a solid-fluid mixture of water and a carbon-containing component at a temperature of 100-300° C. and a pressure of 5-70 bar, said device comprising: a reactor system charged with said pressure with at least two reactor units, said at least two reactor units comprising a first reactor unit operably connected to a second reactor unit, each of said at least two reactor units consisting of at least three different tube sections comprising a downwardly-directed flow tube section, a lower diverter tube section, and an upwardly-directed flow tube section, a counter pressure pump positioned downstream of each of said at least two reactor units to maintain said pressure in an interior of each of said at least two reactor units, and a plurality of feeding devices for starting materials with a solid content in a range of about 1-50 weight percentage (%) or 15-99 weight percentage (%) respectively different to each other assigned to each of said at least two reactor units, wherein a. said lower diverter tube section is configured to move an average flow velocity v.sub.n2 at a rate in a range of about 1.5-1000 m/min larger than an average flow velocity v.sub.ni of said downwardly-directed flow tube section that precedes it directly of said solid-fluid mixture upwards into said upwardly-directed flow tube section, said lower diverter tube section is operably connected directly to said downwardly-directed flow tube section and said upwardly-directed flow tube section, wherein said downwardly-directed flow tube section and said upwardly-directed flow tube section of said at least one reactor unit are inclined to the horizontal and/or are vertical; b. an upper diverter tube section configured to move an average flow velocity v.sub.n4 therein, said average flow velocity v.sub.n2 in said lower diverter tube section wherein said velocity v.sub.n2 is about 1.1-2, 2-5 or 4-40 times greater than said average flow velocity v.sub.n4 in said upper diverter tube section; and/or an average flow velocity v.sub.n3 in said upwardly-directed flow tube section that follows directly said average flow velocity v.sub.n2 is in a ratio of about 1.1-40 or 2-5 times greater than said average flow velocity v.sub.n1 in said downwardly-directed flow tube section directly preceding said lower diverter tube section.

3. The device according to claim 2, wherein solid fluid mixture from said upwardly-directed flow tube section flows upward into said upper diverter tube section, said upper diverter tube section is configured to move the sold-fluid mixture flow to a second downwardly-directed flow tube section, said solid-fluid mixture in said upper diverter tube section has an average flow velocity v.sub.n4 and in said upwardly-directed flow tube section has an average flow velocity v.sub.n3.

4. The device according to claim 3, comprising said at least two reactor units being arranged in series.

5. The device according to claim 4, wherein said first reactor unit in the arranged series of said at least two reactor units comprises a hydraulic diameter d.sub.n2 of said lower diverter tube section, and a diameter d.sub.n4 of said upper diverter tube section.

6. The device according to claim 5, wherein a hydraulic diameter d.sub.n1 of said downwardly-directed flow tube section and/or a hydraulic diameter d.sub.n3 of said upwardly-directed flow tube section for a following said second reactor unit is larger than said hydraulic diameter d.sub.n1 of said downwardly-directed flow tube section and/or said hydraulic diameter d.sub.n3 of said upwardly-directed flow tube section of the preceding said first reactor unit.

7. The device according to claim 6, wherein at least one heat exchanger is arranged on an inlet side and/or on an outlet side of one or more of said at least two reactor units.

8. The device according to claim 7, wherein a ratio of a length of said downwardly-directed flow tube section and/or said upwardly-directed flow tube section to the one of said lower diverter tube section and/or said upper diverter tube section is at least 10:1.

9. The device according to claim 7, wherein the ratio of said length of said downwardly-directed flow tube section and/or said upwardly-directed flow tube section to its hydraulic diameter is 2:1 to 800:1, 5:1 to 400:1 or 10:1 to 160:1.

10. A device for treating a solid-fluid mixture of water and a carbon-containing component at a temperature of 100-300° C., and a pressure of 5-70 bar, said device comprising: a reactor system charged with said pressure with one one or more reactor units, a first reactor unit of said one or more reactor units comprises at least two different tube sections consisting of a downwardly-directed flow tube section with a diameter d.sub.n1 and an upwardly-directed flow tube section with a diameter d.sub.n3, a counter pressure pump positioned downstream of said first reactor unit in order to maintain said pressure in an interior of said first reactor unit, wherein a. a lower diverter tube section operably connecting said downwardly-directed flow tube section to said upwardly-directed tube section, said lower diverter tube diverts a flow of the solid-liquid mixture at an average flow velocity v.sub.n2 in a range of about 10-500 or 30-200 m/min, wherein said downwardly-directed flow tube section and said upwardly-directed flow tube section have a tube center axis inclined to the horizontal or from the vertical; and b. a cross section of said downwardly-directed flow tube section is dimensioned at least 50% larger than said lower diverter tube section directly connected thereto, and a cross section of a second downwardly-directed flow tube section of a following second reactor unit of said one or more reactor units configured in a range of at least 10% larger than a corresponding downwardly-directed flow tube section of a preceding reactor unit such as said first reactor unit of said one or more reactor units characterized by said average flow velocity v.sub.n2 being configured to be greater than said maximum demixing velocity of said lower diverter tube section in a ratio of said average flow velocity v.sub.n2 to an average flow velocity v.sub.n1 of about 1.1-2, 2-5 or 4-40 times.

11. The device according to claim 10, further comprising an upper diverter tube section operably connected to said upwardly-directed flow tube section configured to receive flows of the solid-fluid mixture moving upwardly into said upper diverter tube section and to move the solid-fluid mixture flows to said second downwardly-directed flow tube section.

12. The device according to claim 11, wherein hydraulic diameters of said downwardly-directed flow tube section, said lower diverter tube section, said upwardly-directed flow tube section, and said upper diverter tube section moves said sold-fluid mixture flow through in a directly consecutive manner so as to fulfill of one or more of d.sub.n1>d.sub.n3≥d.sub.n4≥d.sub.n2, wherein n is a running number of said reactor unit, and an indices number gives the running number of said downwardly-directed flow tube section, upwardly-directed flow tube section, said upper diverter tube section, and said lower diverter tube section.

13. The device according to claim 12, comprising several of said one or more reactor units arranged in series.

14. The device according to claim 13, wherein said one or more reactor units are arranged in series comprising said first reactor unit and said second reactor unit, wherein said second reactor unit is configured with said second downwardly-directed flow tube section having a diameter d.sub.n3 that is larger than said diameter d.sub.n1 of a preceding downwardly-directed flow tube section of said first reactor unit.

15. The device according to claim 14, wherein at least one heat exchanger is arranged on an inlet side of said one or more reactor units and/or said at least one heat exchanger is arranged on an outlet side of said reactor units.

16. The device according to claim 10, wherein a ratio of a length I.sub.1 of said downwardly-directed flow tube section and/or a length I.sub.3 of said upwardly-directed flow tube section to a length I.sub.2 of said lower diverter tube section and/or a length I.sub.4 of said upper diverter tube section, respectively, is at least 10:1.

17. The device according to claim 10, wherein a ratio of said length I.sub.1 of said downwardly-directed flow tube section and/or a length I.sub.3 of said upwardly-directed flow tube section to said diameter d.sub.n1 of said lower diverter tube section and/or a diameter d.sub.n4 of said upper diverter tube section, respectively, is about 2:1 to 800:1, 5:1 to 400:1 or 10:1 to 160:1.

18. A device for treating a solid-fluid mixture of water and a carbon-containing component at a temperature of 100-300° C. and a pressure of 5-70 bar, said device comprising: at least two reactor units, said at least two reactor units being arranged as a first reactor unit operably connected to a second reactor unit, each of said first and second reactor units consisting of at least three different tube sections comprising a downwardly-directed flow tube section for downwardly-directed flow of the solid-fluid mixture, an upwardly-directed flow tube section for upwardly-directed flow of the solid-fluid mixture, and a lower diverter tube section operably connected between said downwardly-directed flow tube section and said upwardly-directed flow tube section, and a device connected to a last half, third, fourth or fifth part of said second reactor configured to discharge a suspension containing solid particles with a diameter of up to 2 mm, said lower diverter tube section diverting an average flow velocity v.sub.n2 of the solid-fluid mixture, said average flow velocity v.sub.n2 of the solid-fluid mixture in said lower diverter tube section is 1 to 1000 times greater than in said downwardly-directed flow tube section abutting said lower diverter tube section, said lower diverter tube section diverting said solid-fluid mixture upwards into said upwardly-directed flow tube section, said lower diverter tube section is operably connected directly to said downwardly-directed flow tube section and said upwardly-directed flow tube section, wherein said downwardly-directed flow tube section and said upwardly-directed flow tube section have a tube center axis inclined to a horizontal plane thereof or from vertical.

Description

DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

(1) FIG. 1 shows a schematic depiction of a tube reactor unit n with the tube sections m in an exemplary manner.

(2) FIG. 2 shows a schematic depiction of a plant for the continuous production of materials or fuels of a solid-fluid mixture in an exemplary manner.

(3) FIG. 3 shows a schematic depiction of the heat exchanger units and the transition to the tube reactor units as well as strands I and II combining dry and wet biomass.

(4) FIG. 1 shows a schematic depiction of a tube reactor unit n tube sections m (1-4) with the diameters d.sub.nm of a stream, reactor in an exemplary manner. The solid-fluid enters the tube section 1 with the diameter d.sub.n,1 via a reversed reducing piece. As the diameter of the tube section 1 increases compared to the previous tube section, the flow velocity v.sub.n,1 in the tube section 1 slows down (indicated by the single arrow). The solid-fluid mixture exits the tube section 1 with the diameter d.sub.n,1 via a reducing piece 5 into the tube section 2 with the diameter d.sub.n,2 . The solid-fluid mixture from the tube section 2 with the diameter d.sub.n,2 enters the tube section 3 with the diameter d.sub.n,3 via a further, reversed reducing piece 6. The solid-fluid mixture exits the tube section 3 with the diameter d.sub.n,3 via a further reducing piece onto the tube section 4 with the diameter d.sub.n,4. The solid-fluid mixture flows from the tube section 4 into the following reactor unit n+l (without depiction) via reversed reducing piece 7 and reducing piece 8. This sequence is repeated periodically. The flow velocity and lengths of the tube pieces (measured along their respective center line) are indicated with v.sub.nm or l.sub.nm. Additionally, two (tube section m=3) to four (tube section m=2) arrows are correspondingly shown for demonstration.

(5) FIG. 2 shows a schematic depiction of a plant for the continuous production of materials or fuels of a solid-fluid mixture of water and a carbon-containing component in an exemplary manner, wherein the solid-fluid mixture is treated at a temperature of over 100° C. and a pressure of over 5 bar. The plant comprises a double-strand feeding device, which consists of the conveying strands I and II. The strand I serves for conveying “dry” biomass of feedstock that cannot be pumped or can only be pumped with difficulty, for example with a high solid content of 15 to 99 weight %. For this, the “dry” biomass is stored in a silo 11 and brought to a container 12 therefrom, preferably a sliding floor container. The feedstocks are brought into a comminution device 13 via a conveying device, which can for example be a screw conveyor or a conveyor belt. The comminution device is for example designed as a wet or dry mill or as another suitable mechanical comminution device. From there the treated feedstock is conveyed into a mixing vessel 16. In the mixing container 16, the dry biomass is mixed with water which can contain process water or concentrated process water from the reservoir 14 and a catalyst or a catalyst mixture from at least one container or dosing device 15 by means of an agitating device. The mixture is supplied to the incubation vessel 18 via the conveying device 17. The incubation vessel 18 enables a residence time of the catalyst on the material at a lower pressure. The containers 16 and 18 are designed with a double wall and have a heating water connection to enable a preheating of the material to about for example 20-99 or 50-70° C. The incubated material of the “dry” feedstock or starting materials is brought from the first conveyor strand I into a reactor unit n as for example 29, 30, 31, 32 or 33, 34 under pressure above the vapor pressure of the reaction mixture by means of the conveyor devices 19 and 20, which are for example designed as screw or bucket chain conveyors.

(6) Via the conveying strand II, “wet” biomass consisting of feedstocks that can be pumped or biomass pulp, which can also consist of mixtures of biomass or feedstock, for example with a solid content of 1 to 50 weight % is conveyed from a storage vessel 22 to a mixing device 24 by means of a conveying device 23 and is mixed in the mixing unit 24 with water or process water from the reservoir 14 and catalyst of at least one container or dosing device 25, is incubated in an incubation container 26, and is supplied to the reactor 29-38 by means of a suitable conveying device 27, which can for example be designed as a piston, displacement or eccentric screw pump. The material is heated to at least 160-180, 200-220, or 220-250° C. by means of at least one heat exchanger unit 28 and, for example, also shown as heat exchanger unit 39 in FIG. 2. The “wet” feedstocks or starting materials from the conveying strand II preheated in such a manner are combined with the “dry” starting materials from the conveying strand I by means of the described or other suitable conveying devices. The point of the introduction of “dry” starting materials can be varied and can take place in a reactor or tubular reactor unit n as for example in 29, 30, 31, 32 or 33, 34, but also in 35, 36 or 37, 38 etc. “Dry” starting materials or feedstocks, in particular those with a largest particle diameter of below 6 mm, below 4 mm, or below 2 mm, and a dry substance content of over 30%, over 40%, or over 50% are conveniently supplied in the center third of the piping or reactor distance. The supply can for example take place in the region of an upper diverter 4 or at the changeover 8 between it and the following descender 1. The “wet” starting substances were introduced or provided previously under pressure above the vapor pressure of the reaction mixture. The ratio of the mass flow rate from the conveying strand Ito the conveying strand II or from the provided to the added starting substances is for example 1:20, 1:5, 1:1 or 10:1. Within the (largely) laminar flow of the laminar stream reactor, an even mixing of the reaction mixture takes place via the different reactor units. The heating and the discharge of exothermic generation takes place by means of tempering devices as for example a heat exchanger device and/or a double wall of the reactor or a reactor unit. Tempering devices can for example be formed as spiral, tubular, batch or spiral heat exchangers. The necessary flow-through or dwell period is achieved by the sequential connection of reactor units. In order to enable a longer dwell period, the reaction mixture in individual reactor units is kept moving by means of a circulation pump. Caking or blockages are thereby avoided. Conveying means for the acceleration of fluids including fluid jet mixers or nozzles can additionally be used.

(7) By the withdrawal of process water, smaller reactor volumes or smaller reaction spaces are needed during the further course of the process. The pressure relaxation 40 after the completed flow-through is controlled by a rearwardly-directed relaxation pump, which is formed for example as an eccentric screw pump, spiral displacement pump or piston membrane pump. The reaction mixture is cooled and buffered further in a buffer or relaxation vessel 41 and reaches from there or also directly from the relaxation pump to the dewatering and/or drying 42. The reaction product is intermediately stored in a storage container or silo 43 as slurry or dried bulk material, before it is transported 44 or supplied to another process.

(8) FIG. 3 shows a schematic depiction of the heat exchanger units and the transition to the tube reactor units as well as strands I and II combining dry and wet biomass. The “dry” feedstock is brought from the first conveyor strand I by means of the conveyor devices 19 and 20 into the heat exchanger 28 consisting of several heat exchanger units 50, 51, 52 and 53 and/or into reactor units as for example 29, 31 or 33, 34 under pressure above the vapor pressure of the reaction mixture. The “dry” feedstock is preheated before entering the introduction device 91-97 to 20-40, 40-70 or 70-99° C. Following the device the feedstock is further heated to 100-130, 130-170 or 170-200° C. by heat exchanger 101, 102, 103, 104, 105, 106 and/or 107. The introduction device 91-97 consists of a shuttle valve, rotary lock or swivel flap, a forced conveyor, which is for example an injector, a double screw extruder, an eccentric spiral pump, a piston pump, a spiral displacement pump, which are respectively equipped with or without compactor screws, or a double screw compactor. The introduction device can additionally be provided with a locking device or valve. The introduction device ensures that the incubated material from the strand I with a pressure level above the internal reactor pressure is introduced into the respective reactor unit and prevents backlashes into the supply device. The swivel flap feeder is for example filled in a controlled manner by a rotary feeder.

(9) Via the conveying strand II, “wet” biomass consisting of feedstocks that can be pumped or biomass pulp, which can also consist of mixtures of biomass or feedstock, for example with a solid content of 1 to 50 weight %. The “wet” biomass is conveyed and brought to increasing levels of pressure in increments using conveying devices 27, 45, 46 and/or 47. The conveying devices can for example be designed as a piston, displacement or eccentric screw pump. In a first increment the pressure can be brought up to 2-20, 4-16 or 8-14 bar, in a following increment following another conveying device 45 the pressure is further increased to an additional 2-4 or up to 6, 8, 12 or 20 bar. Each subsequent conveying device increases the pressure in a similar fashion.

(10) In between those conveying devices solid-fluid separation devices 60, 61, 62, 63, 64, 65 and/or 66 are positioned. The solid-fluid separation devices can for example be filters. More solid-fluid separation devices such as, for example, 68, 69, 70, 71, 72, 73 and/or 74 as shown in FIG. 3, are positioned throughout the length of the heat exchanger and reactor units. Comminution devices 81, 82, 83 and 84 which are for example wet mills or baffles are positioned following a introduction device 61, 46 and/or 47 or before or behind comminution devices or before heat exchanger units or a reactor unit as for example 31. Following reactor unit 33 the solid-fluid mixture is guided through the following reactor units 34-38 as depicted in FIG. 2.