| abstract |
A method for processing various organic materials such as lignocellulosics or biomass into more useful states, such as charcoal, carbon black, and coke, and other processed products while producing useful off-gases, includes feeding aggregate pieces of the material to a vertically extending heating chamber (17) and, preferably, closing the chamber (17) to air to control oxygen therein. The pieces are conveyed upwardly through the chamber (17) in a predetermined time by spiral vibratory conveyor (87). The chamber (17) is heated to a preselected temperature sufficient for gaseous conversion of volatile hydrocarbon constituents of the material. Resultant off-gases are removed from the chamber (17) for further use such as burning thereof for heating the chamber or condensing volatiles etc. Apparatus for carrying out the method includes preferably first (17) and second (21) such chambers, there being continuous spiral vibrator tray (90) in each chamber carried by a central, vertical support column (26) (27). Vibration generators (26) (27) secured to the support column (26) (27) impart vibratory forces to the tray for conveying the material by vibratory action. Heating of the material is carried out in the first chamber (17) preferably by burning off-gases generated therein. After heating, material is transferred to the second chamber (21), also closed to air, for cooling as pieces are carried by vibration along a spiral conveyor (177) therein. If drying of material is desired to reduce moisture content prior to carbonization the material may first be conveyed through another chamber (196) heated with combustion gases from heating of the first chamber (17) by vibratory action. |