Separator system and tar reformer system

Abstract

A separator system for treating a gas from a biomass gasification system, including: first and second cyclones, where the first cyclone includes an inlet for receiving a gas from a biomass gasification unit, the first cyclone being arranged for removing particulate matter from the gas from the biomass gasification unit in order to provide a first cleaner gas, piping arranged to lead the first cleaner gas to the second cyclone, where the second cyclone is arranged to remove particulate matter from the first cleaner gas in order to provide a second cleaner gas, a pipe arranged to lead the second cleaner gas to a special piping element, the latter including a burner, thereby providing a third cleaned gas, and a gas distribution unit arranged to lead the third cleaned gas to one or more tar reformer units. Also, a method of treating a gas from a biomass gasification system.

Claims

1. A separator system for treating a gas from a biomass gasification system, said separator system comprising a first cyclone and a second cyclone, where said first cyclone comprises an inlet for receiving a gas from a biomass gasification unit, said first cyclone being arranged for removing particulate matter from the gas from the biomass gasification unit in order to provide a first cleaner gas, piping arranged to lead said first cleaner gas from said first cyclone to said second cyclone, where said second cyclone is arranged to remove particulate matter from said first cleaner gas in order to provide a second cleaner gas, a pipe arranged to lead said second cleaner gas to a special piping element, said special piping element comprising a burner for heating the second cleaner gas and burning off particulate matter in the second cleaner gas, thereby providing a third cleaned gas, and a gas distribution unit arranged to lead said third cleaned gas to one or more tar reformer units.

2. The separator system according to claim 1, wherein the overall gas flow through the special piping element from an inlet from the second cyclone unit to an outlet to the gas distribution unit is vertical.

3. The separator system according to claim 1, wherein the first cyclone, the second cyclone, the special piping element and the gas distribution unit is positioned along a vertical axis.

4. The separator system according to claim 1, where a characteristic inner dimension d.sub.SPE of said special piping element is dimensioned in relation to the diameter of the second cyclone and/or in relation to said pipe between the special piping element and the second cyclone so as to allow agglomerates formed within the special piping element to be led down to the second cyclone.

5. The separator system according to claim 4, wherein the second cyclone has an inner diameter, d.sub.C2, and the special piping element has a characteristic inner dimension d.sub.SPE, where d.sub.SPE is between ¾d.sub.C2 and d.sub.C2, and wherein the inner diameter of the piping between the special piping element and the second cyclone is between ½d.sub.SPE and d.sub.SPE.

6. A tar reformer system comprising the separator system according to claim 1, wherein the one or more tar reformer units are arranged downstream of the separator system.

7. The tar reformer system according to claim 6, said tar reformer system comprising two or more tar reformer units, wherein the gas distribution system of the separator system is arranged to distribute the heated third cleaned gas exiting the gas distribution system evenly to the two or more tar reformer units.

8. A method for treating a gas from a biomass gasification system, said method comprising the steps of: inletting the gas from the biomass gasification system to a first cyclone and operating said first cyclone to remove particulate matter from the gas from the biomass gasification unit and to provide a first cleaner gas, leading the first cleaner gas from said first cyclone to a second cyclone and operating said second cyclone to remove particulate matter from said first cleaner gas in order to provide a second cleaner gas, leading said second cleaner gas to a special piping element comprising a burner and operating said burner for heating the second cleaner gas and burning off particulate matter in the second cleaner gas, thereby providing a third cleaned gas, and via a gas distribution unit, distributing said third cleaned gas to one or more tar reformer units.

9. The method according to claim 8, further comprising the step of: carrying out tar reforming over a tar reforming catalyst in one or more tar reformer units, each having one or more beds of tar reformer catalyst.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) Embodiments of the present invention are explained, by way of example, and with reference to the accompanying drawings. It is to be noted that the appended drawings illustrate only examples of embodiments of this invention and are therefore not to be considered limiting of its scope, for the invention may admit to other equally effective embodiments.

(2) FIG. 1 illustrates a biomass gasification and tar reforming system 100; and

(3) FIG. 2 illustrates a separator system 10 according to the invention for use in a biomass gasification and tar reforming system.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(4) FIG. 1 illustrates a biomass gasification and tar reforming system 100. The biomass gasification and tar reforming system 100 comprises a biomass gasification unit 2 arranged to being fed with biomass 1 via a biomass feeding system. The gas 11 from the biomass gasification system is led to the separator system 10 in order to provide a cleaned and heated gas, which is then led to one or more tar reformer system(s) 30. An oxidant gas 23, such as air, oxygen or steam, is also led to the tar reformer system(s) 30. The tar reformer system(s) 30 produces a syngas 24, which is optionally led to a syngas clean-up system 40.

(5) FIG. 2 illustrates a separator system 10 according to the invention for use in a biomass gasification and tar reforming system.

(6) The separator system 10 comprises a first cyclone 12 and a second cyclone 15. Gas 11 from a biomass gasification unit 2 (see FIG. 1) enters the first cyclone 12 via an inlet (not shown).

(7) The first cyclone 12 is arranged for separating and removing particulate matters from a gas through vortex separation. The first cyclone 12 has an outlet at or close to the bottom thereof in order to let solid matter separated from gas exit. This is indicated by the arrow 13.

(8) The gas resulting from the separating off of particulate matter from the gas 11 from the biomass gasification unit is denoted “first cleaner gas” and is led to the second cyclone unit 15 via piping 14 arranged to lead the first cleaner gas from said first cyclone to the second cyclone 15.

(9) The second cyclone 15 is arranged to remove further particulate matter from the first cleaner gas in order to provide a second cleaner gas, which is lead to a special piping element 19 via a pipe 17.

(10) The special piping element 19 comprises an air blown burner. Air 20 is inlet to the air blown burner via piping 20. In the special piping element 19 the second cleaner gas is heated and any remaining particulate matter is burned off in order to provide a heated third cleaned gas. This heated, third cleaned gas enters a gas distribution unit 21 arranged for distributing the heated third cleaned gas to one or more tar reformer units 30 via piping 22.

(11) In FIG. 2, the special piping element 19 and the gas distribution unit 21 are shown as built together into one unit. Alternatively, the special piping element 19 and the gas distribution unit 21 could be separate units connected by one or more pipes.

(12) While the invention has been illustrated by a description of various embodiments and while these embodiments have been described in considerable detail, it is not the intention of the applicant to restrict or in any way limit the scope of the appended claims to such detail. Additional advantages and modifications will readily appear to those skilled in the art. The invention in its broader aspects is therefore not limited to the specific details, representative methods, and illustrative examples shown and described. Accordingly, departures may be made from such details without departing from the spirit or scope of applicant's general inventive concept.