A feedstock delivery system transfers a carbonaceous material, such as municipal solid waste, into a product gas generation system. The feedstock delivery system includes a splitter for splitting bulk carbonaceous material into a plurality of carbonaceous material streams. Each stream is processed using a weighing system for gauging the quantity of carbonaceous material, a densification system for forming plugs of carbonaceous material, a de-densification system for breaking up the plugs of carbonaceous material, and a gas and carbonaceous material mixing system for forming a carbonaceous material and gas mixture. A pressure of the mixing gas is reduced prior to mixing with the carbonaceous material, and the carbonaceous material to gas weight ratio is monitored. A transport assembly conveys the carbonaceous material and gas mixture to a first reactor where at least the carbonaceous material within the mixture is subject to thermochemical reactions to form the product gas.

The process includes activating a char in an oven by heating the char with steam to generate activated carbon and syngas. The process also includes monitoring parameters of the syngas produced and controlling the oven in response to the parameter. The process converts a feedstock, typically organic waste, into useable products.

Gasifiers, gasification systems, and methods for producing synthesis gas are disclosed. A gasifier can include a gasifier body. A feeder can be positioned to feed an organic material into the gasifier body. A pulse detonation burner can be located under or above the gasifier body and connected to the gasifier body to direct supersonic shockwaves upward into the gasifier body to heat the organic material and to form a jet spouted bed of the organic material or to operate as an entrained flow reactor. An outlet can be located at the gasifier body to allow removal of synthesis gas, residual ash, and other reaction products.

Torrefied textiles can be gasified to produce a syngas suitable for making chemicals. Gasifying torrefied textile can generate a consistent quality of syngas and a hydrogen/carbon monoxide ratio closer to that of coal relative to gasifying textiles. A variety of chemical compounds, reactants, polymers, fibers, and textiles can now be made utilizing syngas made by gasifying torrefied textiles.

An organic material gasification system is configured such that a carbonization furnace provided with a first air supply mechanism that radiates high-temperature combustion air and high-temperature steam to an organic material combustion region and with a second air supply mechanism that supplies combustion air to an exhaust gas combustion region, to discharge high-temperature exhaust gas is connected to a gasification furnace including a heating unit penetrating through a reactor. A carbide from the carbonization furnace is supplied to the reactor, and the high-temperature exhaust gas from the carbonization furnace is supplied to the heating unit, so that the carbonization efficiency and the carbonization quality are improved and the gasification efficiency is improved.

A two-stage syngas production method to produce a final product gas from a carbonaceous material includes producing a first product gas in a first reactor, separating char from the first product gas to produce separated char and char-depleted product gas, and separately reacting the separated char and the char-depleted product gas with an oxygen-containing gas in a second reactor to produce a final product gas. The separated char is introduced into the second reactor above the char-depleted product gas. The solids separation device may include serially connected cyclones, and the separated char may be entrained in a motive fluid in an eductor to produce a char and motive fluid mixture prior to being transferred to the second reactor. A biorefinery method produces a purified product from the final product gas.

A gasification process may include (a) introducing a liquid hydrocarbon feedstock and at least one of a dry feedstock or a first slurried feedstock into a reactor lower section, wherein the at least one dry feedstock or first slurried feedstock is introduced through two primary feed nozzles while the liquid hydrocarbon feedstock is introduced through at least two secondary feed nozzles; (b) partially combusting the feedstocks in the reactor lower section with a gas stream comprising an oxygen-containing gas or steam to evolve heat and form products comprising hot synthesis gas; (c) passing said hot synthesis gas from step (b) upward into a reactor upper section; (d) and introducing a second slurried feedstock into said reactor upper section, whereby heat from said hot synthesis gas supports reaction of the second slurried feedstock by pyrolysis and gasification reactions.

Some variations provide a composition for reducing a metal ore, the composition comprising a carbon-metal ore particulate, wherein the carbon-metal ore particulate comprises at least about 0.1 wt % to at most about 50 wt % fixed carbon on a moisture-free and ash-free basis, and wherein the carbon is at least 50% renewable carbon as determined from a measurement of the .sup.14C/.sup.12C isotopic ratio. Some variations provide a process for reducing a metal ore, comprising: providing a biomass feedstock; pyrolyzing the feedstock to generate a biogenic reagent comprising carbon and a pyrolysis off-gas comprising hydrogen or carbon monoxide; obtaining a metal ore comprising a metal oxide; combining the carbon with the metal ore, to generate a carbon-metal ore particulate; optionally pelletizing the carbon-metal ore particulate; and utilizing the pyrolysis off-gas to chemically reduce the metal oxide to elemental metal, such as iron. The disclosed technologies are environmentally superior to conventional processes based on coal.

Some variations provide a process for producing biocarbon pellets, comprising: pyrolyzing a biomass-containing feedstock in a first pyrolysis reactor to generate a first biogenic reagent and a pyrolysis vapor; introducing the pyrolysis vapor to a separation unit, to generate a pyrolysis precipitate in liquid or solid form; contacting the first biogenic reagent with the pyrolysis precipitate, thereby generating an intermediate material; pelletizing the intermediate material, to generate intermediate pellets; optionally, drying the intermediate pellets; separately pyrolyzing the intermediate pellets in a second pyrolysis reactor to generate a second biogenic reagent and a pyrolysis off-gas; and recovering the second biogenic reagent as biocarbon pellets. Some variations provide a similar process that utilizes a carbon-containing condensed-matter material, which is not necessarily a pyrolysis precipitate. The disclosure provides improved processes for producing biocarbon compositions, especially with respect to carbon yield and biocarbon properties, such as reactivity.

A feedstock delivery system transfers a carbonaceous material, such as municipal solid waste, into a product gas generation system. The feedstock delivery system includes a splitter for splitting bulk carbonaceous material into a plurality of carbonaceous material streams. Each stream is processed using a weighing system for gauging the quantity of carbonaceous material, a densification system for forming plugs of carbonaceous material, a de-densification system for breaking up the plugs of carbonaceous material, and a gas and carbonaceous material mixing system for forming a carbonaceous material and gas mixture. A pressure of the mixing gas is reduced prior to mixing with the carbonaceous material, and the carbonaceous material to gas weight ratio is monitored. A transport assembly conveys the carbonaceous material and gas mixture to a first reactor where at least the carbonaceous material within the mixture is subject to thermochemical reactions to form the product gas.