The present disclosure relates to a microwave reforming apparatus for gas reforming, and provides a new technology of converting carbon dioxide which is a main greenhouse gas generated during combustion, pyrolysis/gasification, and operation of fossil fuels, methane, and dispersions thereof into high-quality fuels. A microwave reforming apparatus according to the present disclosure uses a carbon receptor and thus can solve the conventional problem of price of catalyst and also enables compactification of a device, rapid startup and response time in several seconds, and application of various kinds of product gases including polymer hydrocarbon. Also, the microwave reforming apparatus according to the present disclosure uses its own internal reaction heat at the time of reforming and thus can maintain the optimum operating conditions for a wide range of flow rate and gas properties. Therefore, it is possible to solve the conventional problem with the time required for normal operation and the efficiency of a reforming apparatus.

The present invention relates generally to processes for hydromethanating a carbonaceous feedstock in a hydromethanation reactor to a methane-enriched raw product stream, and more specifically to processing of solid char by-product removed from the hydromethanation reactor to improve the carbon utilization and thermal efficiency and economics of the overall process by co-producing electric power and steam from the by-product char in addition to the end-product pipeline quality substitute natural gas.

Reactive diluent fluid (22) is introduced into a stream of synthesis gas (or syngas) produced in a heat-generating unit such as a partial oxidation (POX) reactor (12) to cool the syngas and form a mixture of cooled syngas and reactive diluent fluid. Carbon dioxide and/or carbon components and/or hydrogen in the mixture of cooled syngas and reactive diluent fluid is reacted (26) with at least a portion of the reactive diluent fluid in the mixture to produce carbon monoxide-enriched and/or solid carbon depleted syngas which is fed into a secondary reformer unit (30) such as an enhanced heat transfer reformer in a heat exchange reformer process. An advantage of the invention is that problems with the mechanical integrity of the secondary unit arising from the high temperature of the syngas from the heat-generating unit are avoided.

A system for gasification of a carbonaceous material and recycling char or solids from a gasifier is disclosed. The recycling system may include a standpipe that receives a solids stream from a separator, the standpipe generating a pressure differential across a bed of accumulated char, thereby producing a bottoms stream having a greater pressure than the inlet solids stream. The recycling system may also include a holding vessel that receives the bottoms stream and a fluidized-bed distribution vessel that receives char from the holding vessel and is configured to provide a continuous and precise flow of recycled char to the gasification reactor.

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.

Embodiments of the invention are directed toward a coaxial gasifier for enhanced hydrogen production, comprising: downdraft gasifier comprising a hot zone for converting biomass to synthesis gas; and a coaxial gas converter disposed within the downdraft gasifier, the coaxial gas converter comprising a biochar inlet valve, a coaxial char tube, and a biochar and ash outlet valve.

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.

A multi-stage product gas generation system converts a carbonaceous material, such as municipal solid waste, into a product gas which may subsequently be converted into a liquid fuel or other material. One or more reactors containing bed material may be used to conduct reactions to effect the conversions. Unreacted inert feedstock contaminants present in the carbonaceous material may be separated from bed material using a portion of the product gas. A heat transfer medium collecting heat from a reaction in one stage may be applied as a reactant input in another, earlier stage.

The invention is directed to a process to prepare ethylene and propylene from a biomass feedstock wherein the process comprises the following steps: (a) a mild gasification of a torrefied biomass feedstock thereby obtaining a char and a gaseous fraction comprising hydrogen, carbon monoxide and a mixture of gaseous organic compounds; (b) a severe gasification of the gaseous fraction in the absence of the char to obtain a substantially tar-free syngas; (c) a Fischer-Tropsch reaction of the substantially tar-free syngas to obtain a first product mixture comprising of methane and C2+ aliphatic hydrocarbons, and (d) a steam cracking reaction of all or part of the C2+ aliphatic hydrocarbons obtained in step (c) to obtain a second product mixture. Methane as isolated from the first and/or the second product mixture may be combusted to generate heat for the endothermal steam cracking reaction in step (d).

A multi-stage product gas generation system converts a carbonaceous material, such as municipal solid waste, into a product gas which may subsequently be converted into a liquid fuel or other material. One or more reactors containing bed material may be used to conduct reactions to effect the conversions. Unreacted inert feedstock contaminants present in the carbonaceous material may be separated from bed material using a portion of the product gas. A heat transfer medium collecting heat from a reaction in one stage may be applied as a reactant input in another, earlier stage.