The Process

The process requires *approved materials to be in a shredded state or such materials reduced in size no larger than 1 ½ inch pieces. The processor includes a entry hopper where customer’s front-end loader or metered conveyor belt feed supplies material to the hopper or directly into the gate valves. The hopper/elevator feeds the material to a double gate valve assembly that actuates to move the material to an intermediate position whereby a vacuum line provision removes the oxygen air from the material in-feed chamber of the assembly. The lower gate then actuates to position the material dump entry of the main processor. The internal processor environment is held constant at 508 torr (mm of Hg) (20 inches of Mercury vacuum throughout). The material passes into the microwave processor chamber onto the internal belt conveyor which moves the material at variable speed through the process while bombarding the material with hydrocarbon-specific microwaves. This microwave bombardment is absorbed into the material and hydrocarbons contained in the material are gasified while the process vacuum system piping/pump acts to extract the expanding gas from the processor chamber and is then piped to a gas pressure tank vessel or other processes. Or in the case of applications creating combination gas and condensable gas liquids, a condenser will direct the condensable gases to its proper tank vessel or other processes. The remaining residual materials are conveyed out of the processor chamber through a reverse process of that of the in-feed whereby the vacuum is released and the char particulate is discharged onto a takeaway belt conveyor. The microwave processor is closed-looped throughout the entire microwave process and no emissions of gases are introduced into the atmosphere at anytime.

 

* Approved materials are those as per samples submitted to GRC, processed reported/recorded and held in retention at GRC laboratories. Any new product introduced into the Prototype Processor must be tested with GRC personnel to establish a rate of process to ensure that the gases created do not overcome the vacuum or condenser and create a pressure situation within the process.