Char separator

Abstract

The present invention relates to an apparatus that is part of a reusable fuel processing unit that allows the absorption of char contained within vapor that is leaving the reactor including a gear box, gearbox housing, support flange and seal, exhaust housing, exhaust port, connecting flange, screw top split housing, vertical steal housing, three augers with drive shafts on each auger contained within the steel housing, discharge flange, support ring, expansion cart, and cam followers.

Claims

1. A method of producing fuel comprising: vaporizing a carbon-based material in a reactor into hydrocarbon chain vapors and handling the hydrocarbon chain vapors within a generally vertical arrangement, wherein handling the hydrocarbon chain vapors includes vertically processing and capturing the hydrocarbon chain vapors and condensing the same into high carbon chain fuel in a generally vertical direction of the generally vertical arrangement; reheating the high carbon chain fuel until it vaporizes to break high carbon chains into lower carbon chains to produce low carbon vapor; manipulating the hydrocarbon chain vapors within two controlled heating zones of the reactor; vertically processing and capturing the low carbon vapor in a generally vertical direction of the generally vertical arrangement; and collecting the low carbon vapor.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the carbon-based material is plastic.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the carbon-based material is heated at a prescribed temperature until the carbon-based material is vaporized.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the carbon-based material is pressurized at a prescribed pressure until the carbon based material is vaporized.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the vertical arrangement comprises a vertical tube.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the vertical tube comprises a plurality of augers disposed vertically therein for manipulating the hydrocarbon chain vapors and the low carbon vapor in a generally vertical direction within the vertical tube.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the heat is controlled to manipulate the hydrocarbon chain vapors by adjusting the RPM of the plurality of augers and an outside insulation of the vertical tube.

8. The method of claim 5, further comprising: expelling discharge gases at over 500 degrees Fahrenheit from the reactor.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein discharge gases are expelled from an air gap of a gearbox of the reactor.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) The accompanying drawing illustrates the preferred embodiments of the present invention according to the best mode presently devised for making and using the instant invention, and in which:

(2) FIG. 1 depicts the Char Separator.

DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EXEMPLAR EMBODIMENTS

(3) The Char separator eliminates the problems discussed above with the prior art. The Char Separator depicted in FIG. 1 consists of three screw conveyor augers FIG. 1 at 76 running in a vertical split tube FIG. 1 at 75 that are placed so that their flights intersect with each other. The augers FIG. 1 at 76 provide for a downward rotation, cleaning each other from buildup as their flights intersect. As the hot vapors leave the reactor and enter the vertical tube FIG. 1 at 76, they travel upward in the auger tubes FIG. 1 at 75. The vapors lose heat as they rise up the vertical tube. The temperature in the column is controlled so that the favored hydrocarbon chain vapors pass through the vertical tube and leave the vertical tube at the discharge FIG. 1 at 73 where the vapors are collected. As the vapors rise and the temperature of the vapors is reduced to the value at where a high carbon chain fuel will condense, it will collect on the augers FIG. 1 at 76 where the augers FIG. 1 at 76 will push the condensed fuel back to the reactor. The condensed hydrocarbon fuel is a sticky substance. The vapors flowing up the vertical tube FIG. 1 at 75 will travel across the sticky fuel condensed on the augers FIG. 1 at 76 where the sticky substance will catch the carbon ash that is traveling with the vapors as the carbon ash is constantly looking for a substance to which to make contact. The collected mass on the augers FIG. 1 at 76 is then forced down into the lower reactor where it returns to the reactor's heat returns to a heat zones through the discharge flange FIG. 1 at 77. The collected mass is then reheated in the lower reactor of the re-useable fuel apparatus in which it vaporizes, breaking high carbon chains into lower carbon chains. The lower carbon chains will then travel back through the vertical tube FIG. 1 at 75 and any carbon ash that travels with it will stick again to the augers FIG. 1 at 76 and be returned and any lower carbon vapors will pass through the vertical tube FIG. 1 at 75 and be discharged from the exhaust port FIG. 1 at 73 to the fuel cooling system. The amount of heat rise in the columns can be controlled by both the RPM of the augers and the outside insulation of the column. The auger gear drive FIG. 1 at 69 uses spur gears to control the rotation and timing of the augers FIG. 1 at 76. By controlling the heat in the vertical tube FIG. 1 at 75 the carbon-chain hydrocarbon fuel selected by the heat value chosen will be allowed to pass through. The construction of this vertical tube is unique in itself. It consists of three split tubes FIG. 1 at 75 encircling the augers in a clover shape. The shape is weld together and supported with outer bands FIG. 1 at 78 to keep the shape intact due to heat warping. The discharge gases are expected to be over 500 degrees Fahrenheit and may overheat the gear box FIG. 1 at 69. To prevent the gearbox oil from overheating an air gap FIG. 1 at 70 is designed in the unit. The vertical tube is attached to the lower reactor and travels with the reactors expansion, so it itself is supported with a rolling cart FIG. 1 at 79 located at its top. Where the column attaches to the reactor, that section of the reactor is smaller in diameter and uses a ribbon type flight to allow for faster removal of solids while allowing vapors to pass back through the ribbon flights 18. This section has a reverse rotation to the main auger located within the reactor where the main auger is pushing any dry char or heavy fuel deposits towards the char discharge. This section of the main reactor has two controlled heated zones that will re-heat and help in thermal cracking the high carbon chains that are pushed back into the main reactor by the Char Separator.