The present invention provides a process for obtaining solid recovered fuel and synthesis gas from a waste-based feedstock, comprising the steps of: I. converting the feedstock into a solid recovered fuel by means of a number of parameters pertaining to waste sorting, selection, comminution and/or screening; II. gasifying under suitable reaction conditions at least a portion of the solid recovered fuel to produce synthesis gas and by-product(s); and III. optionally cleaning at least a portion of the synthesis gas to produce clean synthesis gas and wastewater, wherein one or more of the solid recovered fuel, synthesis gas, and by-product(s) of the gasification are analysed during operation of the process, and wherein data from said analysis is used to control one or more parameters of step I) in order to influence reaction conditions in step II, and optionally step III).

A system for processing solid waste including a segmented gasifier having a first segment detachably connected to a second segment, and a burner positioned downstream of the segmented gasifier and coupled to the segmented gasifier. A process for treating solid waste including introducing the solid waste into a first end of a segmented gasifier having a first segment detachably connected to a second segment. Gasifying the solid waste as it traverses from the first end of the gasifier to a second end of the segmented gasifier, and producing a gaseous output and a solid output at the second end of the segmented gasifier. Separating the gaseous output and the solid output, and introducing a portion of the gaseous output to a burner and recycling a portion of the gaseous output to the segmented gasifier as an energy source.

Methods and pyrolysis plants are described, comprising reactors for producing pyrolysis gas from biomass. The reactors comprise one or more reaction channels linked thermally with at least one heating circuit, which is configured to heat the reaction channels to a temperature that is high enough to gasify the biomass. The reactors comprise a feed section configured for feeding the biomass into the reaction channels. The pyrolysis plants comprise a gas accelerator configured for recirculating the gas that is present in the at least one reaction channel and for providing a gas flow velocity that is able to distribute the biomass in the reaction channel.

Carbonaceous-containing material including biomass, municipal solid waste, and/or coal and/or contaminated soil, and/or other carbonaceous materials may be gasified at low temperatures utilizing a reactor designed to generate shockwaves in a supersonic gaseous vortex. Preprocessed waste may be introduced into the reactor. A gas stream may be introduced substantially tangentially to an inner surface of a chamber of the reactor to generate a gaseous vortex rotating about a longitudinal axis within the chamber. The gas stream may be introduced using a nozzle that accelerates the gas stream to a supersonic velocity, and may impinge on an impactor positioned within the reactor chamber. A frequency of shockwaves emitted from the nozzle into the gaseous vortex may be controlled. The processed waste discharged from the reactor, which may include a gas component and at least a solid component, can be subjected to separation, and at least some of the gas component and at least one solid component (i.e., tars) may be fed back to the feeding device so that the solids from the processed waste condense on preprocessed waste contained in the feeding device and are reprocessed within the reactor. The gas component from the feeding device may be cleaned after the solids have been condensed out in the feeding device.

The invention present provides a method (and suitable apparatus) to convert biomass to ethanol, comprising gasifying the biomass to produce raw syngas; feeding the raw syngas to an acid-gas removal unit to remove at least some CO.sub.2 and produce a conditioned syngas stream; feeding the conditioned syngas stream to a fermentor to biologically convert the syngas to ethanol; capturing a tail gas from an exit of the fermentor, wherein the tail gas comprises at least CO.sub.2 and unconverted CO or H.sub.2; and recycling a first portion of the tail gas to the fermentor and/or a second portion of the tail gas to the acid-gas removal unit. This invention allows for increased syngas conversion to ethanol, improved process efficiency, and better overall biorefinery economics for conversion of biomass to ethanol.

A syngas generator has at least pyrolysis unit and a cracking unit which recycles treated input therein. The pyrolysis unit may recycle treated char to provide input heat for feedstock. The cracking unit may recycle syngas to assist in treating input gas/vapor mixture.

A reactor configuration is proposed for selectively converting gaseous, liquid or solid fuels to a syngas specification which is flexible in terms of H.sub.2/CO ratio. This reactor and system configuration can be used with a specific oxygen carrier to hydro-carbon fuel molar ratio, a specific range of operating temperatures and pressures, and a co-current downward moving bed system. The concept of a CO.sub.2 stream injected in-conjunction with the specified operating parameters for a moving bed reducer is claimed, wherein the injection location in the reactor system is flexible for both steam and CO.sub.2 such that, carbon efficiency of the system is maximized.

A method of producing liquid fuel and/or chemicals from a carbonaceous material entails combusting a conditioned syngas in pulse combustion heat exchangers of a steam reformer to help convert carbonaceous material into first reactor product gas which includes carbon monoxide, hydrogen, carbon dioxide and other gases. A portion of the first reactor product gas is transferred to a hydrogen reformer into which additional conditioned syngas is added and a reaction carried out to produce an improved syngas. The improved syngas is then subject to one or more gas clean-up steps to form a new conditioned syngas. A portion of the new conditioned syngas is recycled to be used as the conditioned syngas in the pulse combustion heat exchangers and in the hydrocarbon reformer. A system for carrying out the method include, a steam reformer, a hydrocarbon reformer, first and second gas-cleanup systems, a synthesis system and an upgrading system.

An ASG system for polygeneration with CC includes a devolatilizer that pyrolyzes solid fuel to produce char and gases. A burner adds exothermic heat by high-pressure sub-stoichiometric combustion, a mixing pot causes turbulent flow of the gases to heat received solid fuel, and a riser micronizes resulting friable char. A devolatilizer cyclone separates the micronized char by weight providing micronized char, steam and gases to a gasifier feed and oversized char to the mixing pot. An indirect fluid bed gasifier combustion loop includes a gasifier coupled to the gasifier feed, a steam input to provide oxygen for gasification and to facilitate sand-char separation, and an output for providing syngas. A burner provides POC to a mixing pot which provides hot sand with POC to a POC cyclone via a riser, where the POC cyclone separates sand and POC by weight and provides POC and sand for steam-carbon reaction.

The present application provides a method for controlling soot make in a process for the gasification of a liquid carbonaceous feedstock. The gasification process comprises: partially oxidizing the carbonaceous feedstock in a gasifier to produce syngas; guiding the syngas from an outlet of the gasifier to a quench section; cooling the syngas in the quench section to provide cooled syngas; providing the cooled syngas to a soot removal unit; using the soot removal unit to remove solids from the cooled syngas, the soot removal unit providing a cleaned syngas stream and a waste slurry stream comprising the solids removed from the syngas; continuously monitoring a concentration of total suspended solids (TSS) in the waste slurry stream; providing the concentration of total suspended solids (TSS) to a control system. The control system continuously optimizes the gasification process to changes in concentration of total suspended solids, carbon-to-ash ratio, and optional additional parameters.