WO2005083041A1

WO2005083041A1 - Reactor for thermal processing of waste

Info

Publication number: WO2005083041A1
Application number: PCT/EP2005/001886
Authority: WO
Inventors: Frank Wuchert
Original assignee: Kbi International Ltd.
Priority date: 2004-03-01
Filing date: 2005-02-23
Publication date: 2005-09-09
Also published as: DE102004010407B4; DE102004010407A1

Abstract

The invention relates to a reactor for thermal processing of waste from additional materials (6), comprising a closed container (36) for gasifying, pyrolyzing or thermolyzing the additional materials, an essentially gasproof device (4) which is used to guide the additional materials into the container, gas guiding means (32, 34, 38, 40, 42) for the controlled withdrawal of gas from the container, such that pressure in the container can be adjusted to above the atmospheric pressure.

Description

Thermal waste treatment reactor

Description

The present invention relates to a reactor for thermal waste treatment and a method for thermal waste treatment of feedstocks.

Gasification, pyrolysis or thermolysis are known processes for thermal waste treatment. Corresponding reactors are known from the prior art.

A shaft reactor is known from DE 10007115C2, from which the present invention is based as the closest prior art and the disclosure content of which is part of the disclosure of the present patent application otherwise usual recycle gas is dispensed with. By avoiding recycle gas, the condensation of pyrolysis products and the formation of undesirable deposits should be avoided. Gas is drawn off from the reactor vessel with a gas suction device, the atmospheric pressure being established in the vessel, since pressure equalization takes place due to the supply of waste materials via a non-gas-tight lock unit.

A similar shaft reactor is known from DE 101 45 460 C1, which is operated at a negative pressure due to the gas extraction. This makes it necessary to take measures to avoid an uncontrolled intrusion of false air.

DE 4332865A1 and DE 4327633A1 also disclose pyrolysis reactors with a transport device for the waste. The transport device has a feed device which is connected laterally to a transport channel. A stuffing screw, which can be driven by a motor, lies in the longitudinal direction of the transport channel. The transport channel opens into a smoldering drum, which is operated using a smoldering process.

In contrast, the invention has for its object to provide an improved reactor for thermal waste treatment and an improved method for thermal waste treatment.

The objects on which the invention is based are each achieved with the features of the independent claims. Preferred embodiments of the invention are specified in the dependent claims.

According to the invention, a reactor for the thermal treatment of waste materials is created, which has a container that is gas-tight with respect to the environment for gasification, pyrolysis or thermolysis of the feed materials. The feed materials are fed to the container via an essentially gas-tight device.

In contrast to conventional shaft reactors, the reactor according to the invention is closed at the top. Since the feed materials are fed through a gas-tight device takes place and the removal of gas from the reactor vessel is regulated, a gas pressure can build up in the vessel that is above atmospheric pressure. Because of this, gasification, pyrolysis or thermolysis is more complete, faster and with increased efficiency.

Furthermore, the closed design of the reactor makes the gas pressure in the reactor independent of the atmospheric pressure and can be regulated by various options for influencing the local gas pressures in the reactor which are explained in more detail below. The essentially gas-tight insulation of the container from the environment thus has the advantage, on the one hand, of better environmental compatibility since no or little gases can escape from the reactor container into the environment. On the other hand, this has the advantage that the gas pressure which arises in the reactor can be regulated by influencing the various local, partial and dynamic gas pressures in the reactor. In particular, the efficiency of a reactor can be increased in this way, since the thermal treatment of the starting materials can be carried out more intensively and thus more completely under increased pressure.

It is particularly advantageous that the gas concentration and the residence time of the gaseous intermediate products in the reactor increase due to the increased gas pressure in the reactor. In particular, the pores of the feed materials are better penetrated by the gases in the reactor vessel due to the increased gas pressure, so that the corresponding reactions proceed more intensively and completely. Furthermore, the residence time increases, i.e. the average throughput time of a feed particle through the reactor vessel, which also leads to a more complete material conversion.

According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, the reactor is a shaft reactor, the shaft being closed at the top. Feed materials are therefore not supplied to the tank of the shaft reactor by tipping the feed materials into a shaft opening, as is customary in the prior art, but via the gas-tight device. The gas-tight device can, for example, be arranged laterally at the upper end of the shaft in order to introduce the feed materials into the shaft. According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, the gas-tight device for feeding the feed materials is designed for a discontinuous feed of the feed materials. For example, the device has a lock system for this. To load a batch of feedstock, an outer lock door is opened to introduce the batch of feedstock into a lock room. Then the outer lock door is closed and an inner lock door is opened so that the batch of feed materials can fall from the lock room into the shaft. The inner and outer lock doors are essentially gas-tight, so that the increased gas pressure in the container can be essentially maintained when a batch of feed material is supplied.

According to a further preferred embodiment of the invention, the device for supplying feed materials is designed for the continuous feed of the feed materials. For this purpose, for example, the device has a stuffing device, in particular a stuffing screw.

According to a further preferred embodiment of the invention, the device for supplying feed materials is designed as a hydraulically or pneumatically driven tappet. In this case, the feed materials are conveyed into the shaft of the reactor by a hydraulic or pneumatic cylinder.

According to a further preferred embodiment of the invention, a pressure relief flap, a pressure relief valve or another safety device is arranged on the top of the reactor shaft in order to release pressure from the reactor vessel if the pressure exceeds a safety threshold value.

According to a further preferred embodiment of the invention, one or more gas pressure sensors are arranged on or in the container of the reactor. At least one gas pressure sensor is preferably arranged in the shaft area of the reactor. The gas pressure sensor measures the gas pressure that builds up there in the container. The corresponding gas pressure measured value is entered into a control device in order to regulate the gas pressure within an allowed working range. According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, the reactor has gas supply means. For example, the gas supply means are arranged on a heating area of the reactor. To start pyrolysis, for example, hot gases can be supplied via the gas supply means. To regulate the gas pressure, the regulating device can emit an actuating signal for the gas supply means. For example, if the gas pressure rises too much, the gas supply means are regulated so that the supply of the hot gases is reduced. The partial combustion of the input materials is also throttled accordingly, so that the gas pressure can remain in the permitted working range.

According to a further preferred embodiment of the invention, the reactor has injection means via which oxygen or oxygen-containing gases can be introduced into a melting and superheating section of the reactor. As an alternative or in addition to the control via the gas supply means, the control device can emit a control signal for the injection means. If, for example, the gas pressure in the container rises too much, the supply of oxygen or oxygen-containing gases via the injection means is reduced.

According to a further preferred embodiment of the invention, upper injection means and lower injection means are arranged on the reactor. The upper injection means are located above a reduction section, while the lower injection agents are arranged above the melts and below the reduction section. For example, if the gas pressure in the container rises too much, the supply of oxygen or oxygen-containing gases via the upper and / or lower injection means is reduced.

According to a further preferred embodiment of the invention, gas extraction means are arranged in a lower region of the reactor in order to extract the gases obtained from the gasification, pyrolysis or thermolysis, if appropriate after reduction. As an alternative or in addition to regulating the pressure via the gas supply means and / or the injection means, the regulating device is designed to emit an actuating signal to the gas suction means. If, for example, the gas pressure in the container rises too much, the control device sends a control signal to the gas extraction means, so that more gas is drawn off in order to increase the pressure reduce. In the opposite case, the gas extraction rate is reduced accordingly so that the pressure can increase.

According to a further preferred embodiment of the invention, the control device is alternatively or additionally for emitting an actuating signal to the

Device for supplying feed materials. For example, if the

Gas pressure in the container increases too much, the control device indicates

Device for supplying the input materials from a control signal to the

Reduce the feed rate of the feedstocks per unit of time or stop the feed for a certain time.

A particular advantage of regulating the gas pressure, for example via the gas supply means and / or the injection means and / or the gas suction means and / or the device for supplying the feed materials, is that in normal operation a response, for example, to the pressure flap at the upper end of the shaft can be avoided , This has the particular advantage that no valuable reaction products can escape into the atmosphere via the pressure flap or otherwise e.g. must be destroyed by flaring. Another important advantage is that it also reduces environmental pollution.

Another aspect of the invention relates to a process for the thermal treatment of feedstocks by means of gasification, pyrolysis or thermolysis. The gasification, pyrolysis or thermolysis is carried out at a gas pressure which is above atmospheric pressure, for example between 0.05 percent and 20 percent above atmospheric pressure, in particular between 0.1 and 10 percent above atmospheric pressure.

Preferred exemplary embodiments of the invention are explained in more detail below with reference to the drawings. Show it:

FIG. 1 shows a simplified sectional view of an embodiment of a reactor according to the invention, Figure 2 is a block diagram of an embodiment of the control system for the reactor.

FIG. 1 shows an embodiment of a reactor according to the invention, which is a shaft reactor with a shaft 1. The shaft 1 is closed at the top. However, there may be an overpressure flap 3 on the closure 2 of the shaft 1, which opens when the gas pressure in the shaft 1 is above a permitted threshold value.

Feed materials are fed into the shaft 1 via a device 4 which is arranged on the side of the shaft 1. Alternatively, the device 4 can also be arranged vertically above the closure 2 of the shaft 1.

The device 4 is connected to the shaft 1 in an essentially gas-tight manner in order to introduce feed materials into the shaft 1 without a significant loss of pressure in the shaft 1.

In the preferred embodiment considered here, the device 4 is designed for the continuous supply of starting materials. The device 4 has a funnel 5 for supplying feed materials 6. The feed materials 6 are conveyed to the shaft 1 via a stuffing screw 7 of the device 4, so that they fall into the shaft 1 and form a pouring column 8. In the case of the lateral arrangement of the device 4 on the shaft 1 considered here, the pouring column 8 is slightly asymmetrical.

The proportion of organic constituents preferably predominates in the starting materials 6, so that the reactor and the process described are particularly suitable for the treatment of normal household waste, commercial waste similar to household waste, as well as industrial waste and special waste with increased proportions of hydrocarbon compounds. If the combustible constituents are not high enough for certain feed material compositions to carry out the combustion and gasification processes, 6 energy sources can be added to the feed material. It is possible in the conventional manner Add a certain amount of coke or increase the total calorific value by adding wood or other high-calorie feedstocks.

The pouring column 8 is generally porous and gas-permeable. However, the closure 2 of the shaft 1 and the gas-tight feed of feed materials 6 into the shaft 1 prevent the penetration of ambient air into the reactor and the escape of gases from the reactor into the ambient air.

At the bottom of the shaft 1 there is a preheating section 9, which in the example shown serves to dry out the starting materials. The shaft 1 and the pre-tempering section 9 are advantageously cylindrical or conical with a slight increase in cross-section downwards. The pre-tempering section 9 has a double wall, wherein a wall cavity 10 is formed, in which a heat transfer medium is guided.

With the help of the heat transfer medium, the bulkhead 8 can be supplied with heat in the region of the double-walled pre-tempering section 9, so that the feed material is preheated or pre-dried. If necessary, the wall cavity can be omitted and the heat can be supplied directly from the hotter zones of the reactor, for example by conduction.

The heat supply is dimensioned in such a way that adherence of certain raw material components to the wall is largely excluded. In addition, water components can be removed by the pre-drying, so that they do not put an additional burden on the further gasification process. In the pre-tempering section 9, the pouring column can be tempered to over 100 ° C.

The pre-tempering section may be omitted entirely if predrying is not necessary due to the composition of the feed material 6 or the pre-tempering section is used in special cases to cool the feed materials 6.

A pyrolysis section 11 follows below the pre-tempering section 9. Alternatively, this can also be a gasification section or one Act thermolysis section. At the transition between the pre-temperature section 9 or the feed section, if the pre-temperature section is omitted, and the pyrolysis section 11, the cross section is widened.

The free shaft cross section in this transition area preferably increases by at least twice, which on the one hand reduces the sinking speed of the feed materials 6 and on the other hand forms a pouring cone 12. The pouring cone 12 is fed centrally from the pouring column 8 in the predrying section 9.

The pouring cone 12 flattens at the edge regions, so that a free space is created there. In this upper edge region of the pyrolysis section 11 there are gas supply means which, in the embodiment considered here, are designed as an annular gas supply chamber 13 which is opened approximately in the plane of the cross-sectional expansion in the pyrolysis section. The purpose of the gas supply space 13 is to bring hot gases and / or oxygen-containing gases to the bulk cone 12, so that feedstocks 6 are partially burned in an edge region of the bulk cone 12.

The gas supply means can also be designed as nozzles, wall openings or other devices which enable the supply of gas to the truncated cone 12.

For this purpose, in the exemplary embodiment considered here, at least one combustion chamber 14, which is equipped with at least one burner 15, opens into the gas supply space 13.

The burner 15 generates hot gas, which is preferably brought tangentially through the combustion chambers 14 and the gas supply space 13 to the cone 12. In converted embodiments, several Brennkam mern or burner can be used if this is desirable for the most uniform heating of the pouring cone. The combustion in the burner 15 expediently takes place with a lack of oxygen, so that an almost non-reactive combustion gas is provided by an almost stoichiometric combustion. By introducing the combustion gas, which for example largely consists of carbon dioxide and water vapor, the feed material 6 located on the cone of fill 12 is heated.

Partial burning of these feedstocks prevents sticking and sticking to the wall. The pyrolysis process is started in this heating region of the pyrolysis section 11. This is done by raising the temperature of the feed materials 6, for example by completely or partially burning the feed materials 6 located near the wall or by supplying hot gases from the wall. A pyrolysis zone is formed in the pyrolysis section 11 for drying and degassing the starting materials 6 by heating and supplying hot gases in the absence of oxygen or in the absence of oxygen.

A melting and superheating section 16 follows below the pyrolysis section 11. This has a cross-sectional constriction, due to which the sinking rate of the feed material changes. In addition, in the melting and superheating section 16 there are upper injection means 17, which in the exemplary embodiment considered here are formed by a plurality of oxygen lances 18 distributed around the circumference. In order to protect the oxygen lances 18 from overheating, they are water-cooled, for example. In other designs, nozzles, burners or the like are used as the upper injection means, via which various fuel gases or gas compositions can be supplied in a controlled manner. If the supply of oxygen is not sufficient (for example if there are no feedstocks with a sufficiently high energy value available at this position for a short time), foreign combustion gases or excess gases obtained from the reactor can also be supplied via the injection means. In the exemplary embodiment considered here, the targeted and metered addition of oxygen takes place directly below the level of the cross-sectional constriction with the aid of the upper injection means 17. As a result, a hot zone 19 is formed in the region of the melting and overheating section 16. The combustion gases supplied via the gas feed chamber 13 and the pyrolysis gases formed in the pyrolysis section 11 are sucked through this hot zone 17. The supply of oxygen in the hot zone is controlled in such a way that combustion takes place in the absence of oxygen, which ultimately leads to a further increase in temperature and to the extensive coking of the residues of the feedstock. The temperature in the hot zone 19 is set in such a way that mineral components and metallic components forming slag are melted in this zone, a certain proportion of pollutants contained in the feed material (for example heavy metals) being dissolved in these melts. The molten metal and the slag melt then drip down. The largely coked residues also sink further downwards.

A reduction section 20 is formed below the melting and overheating section 16, in which the coked residues sink further down with a sufficient dwell time. The reduction section 20 comprises a gas extraction space 21, via which excess gases are extracted. All extracted gases must therefore flow through both the hot zone 19 and a reduction zone 22 formed below it by the coked residues. The gases are reduced in the reduction zone 22 with the aid of the carbon present there. In particular, there is the conversion of carbon dioxide into carbon monoxide, the carbon still contained in the bed being used up in particular and thus being further gasified. When passing through the reduction zone 22, the gases are also cooled, so that they can be extracted at a technically manageable temperature. For this purpose, gas extraction means (not shown in FIG. 1) are connected to the gas extraction space 21.

The extracted excess gases are fed to subsequent (not shown) cooling and / or cleaning stages and a suitable conveying device (compressor or blower). The conveying device serves to extract the excess gases from the gas extraction space 21.

A refractory-lined stove 25 connects below the gas extraction chamber 21. The metal melts and the slag melts are collected in the hearth 25. So that these melts remain liquid, immediately above the melts and Provided below the gas extraction chamber 21 are lower injection means 26, which in turn have a plurality of oxygen lances 18 in the example shown. The lower injection means can be designed and operated as explained above for the upper injection means 17. Via the injection, for example a suitable amount of oxygen, gas, fuel gas or the like, a temperature for the melts is set which is sufficiently high to keep the melts liquid and, after appropriate collection, is discharged from the reactor via a tap 27 can.

If liquids are also to be converted in the reactor, these can advantageously be supplied via a liquid injection 30 which opens into the gas supply space 13 or is combined with other gas supply means. Water, steam or other liquids intended for disposal can be introduced via the liquid injection 30, whereby in addition to the desired disposal, it is also possible to regulate the temperature of the combustion gases, the pyrolysis process and / or the composition and the temperature of the excess gases.

The reactor also has a regulator 32 for regulating the gas pressure in the reactor vessel. A pressure sensor 34 is arranged at the upper end of the shaft 1. The gas pressure in the interior of the reactor vessel is measured by the pressure sensor 34. The pressure sensor 34 outputs a corresponding pressure signal to the controller 32. Further pressure sensors 34 are preferably arranged at different locations within the reactor vessel.

The controller 32 controls the reactor so that the gas pressure measured by the pressure sensor 34 remains in the reactor vessel within a predetermined working range. This working range is preferably between 0.05 and 20 percent above atmospheric pressure, preferably between 0.1 and 10 percent above atmospheric pressure.

The pressure sensor 34 measures the gas pressure, that is to say the resulting gas pressure which results from the individual partial pressures of the supplied gases or the gases produced during the thermal treatment. An increased pressure in the The consequence of the reactor container is that the thermal waste treatment, in the exemplary embodiment considered here, the pyrolysis, proceeds faster, more completely and thus more efficiently. This increase in pressure in the reactor vessel is achieved in that the shaft 1 is closed at the top by the closure 2 in an essentially gas-tight manner, in that the feed 6 is supplied in a pressure-tight manner via the device 4 and / or in the liquid injection 30, and in that the gas is removed by the gas extraction means is regulated by the controller 32.

Another particular advantage is that gases cannot escape into the environment through the porous pouring column 8, since the shaft 1 is closed at the top by the closure 2. In normal operation, the gas pressure is regulated by the controller 32 so that the pressure flap 3 does not open. The pressure flap 3 thus serves only as a safety device for a possible malfunction during the operation of the reactor. In normal operation, the overpressure flap 3 remains closed, so that no gases can escape from the shaft 1 into the atmosphere. Since the reactor vessel is otherwise essentially gas-tight, gases cannot escape from the reactor interior into the environment in an uncontrolled manner. This ensures a particularly high level of environmental compatibility.

The regulation of the reactor operation by the controller 32, so that the gas pressure remains within an allowable working range, can take place in different ways. For example, the controller 32 controls the burner 15 as an actuator, so that more or less hot gases are brought to the pouring column 12. Correspondingly, the controller 32 can also control the oxygen lances 18 as actuators for regulating the gas pressure and also the conveying device for the suction of the gases. Another embodiment is the regulation of the gas pressure via the quantity of feed material 6 supplied per unit of time. In this case, the controller 32 controls the device 4 and / or the liquid injection 30 as an actuator for regulating the gas pressure. The regulation of the gas pressure by the controller 32 can take place via one or more of the actuators mentioned.

FIG. 2 shows a block diagram of a corresponding control system. Elements in FIG. 2 which correspond to elements in FIG. 1 are identified by the same reference numerals. FIG. 2 schematically shows the reactor vessel 36 which is gas-tight on all sides with respect to the environment, from which, in particular, no gas can escape from the reactor into the environment in normal operation. One or more of the pressure sensors 34, which are used to measure the internal gas pressure in the reactor vessel 36, are arranged in the interior of the reactor vessel. The pressure sensor or sensors 34 are connected to the controller 32. The controller 32 is, for example, a so-called programmable logic controller (PLC). The controller 32 has a processor 38 for executing a control program 40.

The controller 32 uses, for example, the stuffing screw 7, the liquid injection 30, the burner 15, the upper injection means 17, the lower injection means 26 and / or the conveyor device 42, which serves to extract the excess gases, as actuators for regulating the gas pressure in the reactor vessel 36 within a desired work area. The connection between the pressure sensor or sensors 34, the controller 32 and the stuffing screw 7, liquid injection 30, the burner 15, the upper injection means 17, the lower injection means 26 and the conveying device 42 is preferably carried out via a so-called field bus.

The controller 32 regulates, for example, the conveying speed of the stuffing screw 7, the amount of liquid feed material dispensed per unit of time via the liquid injection 30, the amount of gas burned by the burner 15 per unit of time, the gas volume emitted per unit of time from the upper injection means 17 or the lower injection means 26 and / or the excess gas volume drawn off from the conveying device 42 per unit of time. For this purpose, the control program 40 can implement suitable proportional, proportional-differential and / or proportional-differential-integral controller algorithms.

A gas pressure value for the purposes of regulation is preferably determined from the gas pressure measurement signals which are emitted by the gas pressure sensors which are arranged differently in the reactor vessel. This can be done by low-pass filtering of the gas pressure measurement signals, forming a weighted average from the gas pressure measurement signals or another suitable type of filtering the Gas pressure measurement signals take place so that an effective pressure value for the resulting pressure in the reactor vessel is obtained.

The individual gas pressure sensors are preferably arranged in the areas of influence of the various manipulated variables. The value emitted by the pressure sensor 34 arranged in the shaft 1 (cf. FIG. 1) can be used as the reference value for the control.

In addition to the pressures, other control variables can be recorded. With regard to the actuation of the stuffing screw, this is the fill level of the feed materials in the reactor shaft. With regard to the injection means, the feed of feed materials, in particular the liquid injection, and the injection means, this is the gas composition and the temperatures, which can also be measured in different areas of the reactor.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMBERS

shaft

shutter

Overpressure valve

contraption

funnel

feedstock

fabric screw

discharge column

Vortemperierungsabschnitt

conversion cavity

pyrolysis section

angle of repose

Gaszuführraum

combustion chamber

burner

Melting and overheating section upper injection

Oxygen lance hot zone

reduction section

Gasabsaugraum

reduction zone

Hearth lower injection

racking

Liquid injection

regulator

pressure sensor

reactor vessel Processor control program conveyor

Claims

Patent claims

1. Reactor for the thermal treatment of waste materials (6) with:

a gas-tight container (36) closed to the environment for gasification, pyrolysis or thermolysis of the starting materials,

- an essentially gas-tight device (4) for feeding feed materials into the container,

Gas discharge means (32, 34, 38, 40, 42) for the controlled removal of gas from the container, so that a pressure in the container can be set above atmospheric pressure.

2. Reactor according to claim 1, wherein the container has a shaft (1) closed at the top, and the device for supplying feed materials is arranged on the shaft, and the regulation (32) of the gas discharge means is designed such that the pressure is between 0 , 05 and 20 percent above atmospheric pressure, preferably 0.1 to 10 percent above atmospheric pressure.

3. Reactor according to claim 2, wherein the device for supplying feed materials is arranged laterally on the shaft of the container.

4. Reactor according to claim 1, 2 or 3, wherein the device for supplying feed materials is designed for discontinuous feed of the feed materials.

5. The reactor of claim 4, wherein the device for supplying feed materials has a lock for supplying the feed materials into the container.

6. Reactor according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the device for supplying feed materials is designed for the continuous feed of the feed materials into the container.

7. Reactor according to claim 6, wherein the device for supplying feed materials has a stuffing device.

8. Reactor according to claim 7, wherein the stuffing device has a stuffing screw (7).

9. Reactor according to one of the preceding claims, with means (3) for releasing an excess pressure, the means for releasing the excess pressure being arranged on an upper region of the container.

10. Reactor according to claim 9, wherein the means for releasing the excess pressure are arranged at an upper region of an upwardly closed shaft (1) of the container.

11. Reactor according to claim 9 or 10, wherein the means for releasing the excess pressure comprise an excess pressure flap and / or an excess pressure valve.

12. Reactor according to one of the preceding claims, with at least one pressure sensor (34) for measuring a gas pressure in the container and a control device (32) for controlling the gas pressure within a working range.

13. Reactor according to claim 12, with gas supply means (13, 14, 15) for the partial combustion of the starting materials in a heating area of the reactor, the control device being designed to emit an actuating signal for the gas supply means.

14. Reactor according to claim 12 or 13, with injection means (17, 26) via which oxygen or oxygen-containing gases can be fed into the container, the Control device for emitting an actuating signal for the injection means is formed.

15. The reactor of claim 14, wherein the injection means have one or more oxygen lances (18).

16. Reactor according to one of the preceding claims 12 to 15, with gas extraction means (21, 42) for extracting gases from the container, the control device being designed to emit a control signal for the gas extraction means.

17. The reactor of claim 16, wherein the control device is designed to emit an actuating signal to the device for supplying feed materials.

18. Process for the thermal treatment of waste materials, the thermal treatment being carried out by gasification, pyrolysis or thermolysis at a gas pressure which is above atmospheric pressure.

19. The method according to claim 18, comprising the following steps:

Feeding of feed materials into a container via an essentially gas-tight device, the container being gas-tight at the top, gasification, pyrolysis or thermolysis of the feed materials in the container,

- controlled removal of gas from the container so that the gas pressure in the container is above atmospheric pressure.

20. The method according to claim 18 or 19, wherein the feed of the feedstocks via the gas-tight device is carried out continuously or discontinuously.

21. The method according to claim 18 or 19, wherein the gas-tight device has a lock, and the feed materials are fed discontinuously via the lock.

22. The method according to claim 18, 19 or 20, wherein the gas-tight device has a tamping device, and the feed materials are fed into the container via the tamping device.

23. The method according to any one of the preceding claims 18 to 22, wherein a gas pressure in the container is between 0.05 and 20 percent above atmospheric pressure, preferably 0.1 to 10 percent above atmospheric pressure.

24. The method according to any one of the preceding claims 18 to 23, wherein a gas pressure in the container is regulated in a working area.

25. The method according to claim 24, wherein the regulation takes place via gas supply means and / or injection means and / or gas suction means and / or the gas-tight device.

26. The method according to claim 24 or 25, wherein as a basis for the control of the gas pressure, measurement signals from gas pressure sensors distributed in the container are detected and filtered.