A method is provided for thermally processing waste to produce steam and generate energy while minimizing air pollutants in a staged thermal reactor. The method includes gasifying the waste to convert the waste to a fuel gas and a substantially carbon free, inert, granulated, sintered mineral ash and reforming the fuel gas auto-thermally to minimize creation of nitrogen oxide when the fuel gas is combusted. The method further includes burning the reformed fuel gas to minimize creation of nitrogen oxide in a flame region of a fuel gas burner and recirculating cooled flue gas to control oxygen content and temperature during the reforming operation and the burning operation. In one example, reforming the fuel gas converts non-molecular nitrogen species into molecular nitrogen in an auto-thermal non-catalytic reformer unit by decomposition reactions promoted by a prevailing reducing gas atmosphere.

The present invention provides a biomass gasification device that optimizes the pyrolysis temperature of biomass, the reforming temperature of pyrolysis gas, and the atmosphere thereof to generate a reformed gas containing a large amount of valuable gas. The present invention related to a biomass gasification device that is provided with a biomass pyrolyzer, a pyrolysis gas reformer, and a pyrolysis gas introduction pipe, wherein: the biomass pyrolyzer is further provided with a heat carrier inlet and outlet ports, and performs pyrolysis on the biomass by heat of the heat carrier; the pyrolysis gas reformer performs steam-reforming on pyrolysis gas generated by the pyrolysis of biomass; the pyrolysis gas reformer is further provided with an air or oxygen blow-in port; and the pyrolysis gas introduction pipe is provided on the biomass pyrolyzer-side surface below the upper surface of the heat carrier layer formed in the biomass pyrolyzer.

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.

Disclosed is a method for reducing the tar content in pyrolysis gas generated in a pyrolysis reactor (1). The method comprises the steps of: guiding the pyrolysis gas through a filter (2) to remove at least 90% of all the particles in the pyrolysis gas having a particle size down to 7 and preferably down to 4 from the pyrolysis gas, partially oxidizing the pyrolysis gas in a partial oxidation reactor (3) to remove tar from the pyrolysis gas, and guiding the pyrolysis gas through a coke bed (4) to further remove tar from the pyrolysis gas. Furthermore, a two-stage gasifier (6) is disclosed.

The invention is directed to a process to prepare a char product and a syngas mixture comprising hydrogen and carbon monoxide from a solid torrefied biomass feed comprising the following steps: (i) subjecting the solid biomass feed to a pyrolysis reaction thereby obtaining a gaseous fraction comprising hydrogen, carbon monoxide and a mixture of gaseous organic compounds and a solid fraction comprising of char particles; (ii) separating the char particles as the char product from the gaseous fraction; (iii) subjecting the gaseous fraction obtained in step (ii) to a continuously operated partial oxidation to obtain a syngas mixture further comprising water and having an elevated temperature and (iv) contacting the syngas mixture with a carbonaceous compound to chemically quench the syngas mixture. The temperature of the syngas is reduced in step (iv) from between 1000 and 1600 C. to a temperature of between 800 and 1200 C.

The invention is directed to a process to prepare a char product and a syngas mixture comprising hydrogen and carbon monoxide from a solid biomass feed comprising the following steps: (i) performing a continuously operated partial oxidation of the solid biomass feed at a gas temperature of between 700 and 1100 C. and at a solids residence time of less than 5 seconds, (ii) continuously separating the formed char particles as the char product from the formed gaseous fraction and (iii) subjecting the gaseous fraction obtained in step (ii) to a continuously operated partial oxidation and/or to a steam reforming to obtain the syngas mixture. The solid biomass feed has been obtained by torrefaction of a starting material comprising lignocellulose and is a sieve fraction wherein 99 wt % of the solid biomass particles is smaller than 2 mm.

A method and a facility for producing electricity, wherein the following steps are performed: a) supplying a solid recovered fuel, b) producing a raw synthesis gas from the solid recovered fuel, c) purifying the raw synthesis gas in order to generate a synthesis gas in which the reduced concentration of tars determines a dew point of the tars less than or equal to 20 C., d) cleaning the synthesis gas purified in this way in order to obtain a clean synthetic gas, e) lowering the relative humidity of the clean synthesis gas, and f) injecting at least a portion thereof into a gas engine in order to produce electricity.

A process for the manufacture of a useful product from carbonaceous feedstock of fluctuating compositional characteristics, comprising the steps of: continuously providing the carbonaceous feedstock of fluctuating compositional characteristics to a gasification zone; gasifying the carbonaceous feedstock in the gasification zone to obtain raw synthesis gas; recovering at least part of the raw synthesis gas from the gasification zone and supplying at least part of the recovered raw synthesis gas to a partial oxidation zone; equilibrating the H.sub.2:CO ratio of the raw synthesis gas in the partial oxidation zone to obtain equilibrated synthesis gas; recovering at least part of the equilibrated synthesis gas from the partial oxidation zone and treating the gas to remove impurities and generate a fine synthesis gas; and converting the optionally adjusted fine synthesis gas into the useful product in a further chemical reaction requiring a usage ratio.

Syngas is alternatingly introduced by a syngas alternating lead-in system through either of one- and the other-end-side heat storage bodies into flow passages in a primary reforming furnace, and oxidant is alternatingly supplied to the syngas by a primary-oxidant alternating supply system. The syngas derived from the primary reforming furnace by a syngas alternating lead-out system is introduced into a secondary reforming furnace to which connected is a secondary-oxidant supply system for supply of oxidant only at alternation in the syngas alternating lead-in and -out systems.

The present invention provides a process for preparing higher-value products from carbonaceous feedstocks. The process includes converting carbonaceous feedstock in a hydromethanation reactor to a methane-enriched raw product stream, converting the methane-enriched raw product stream to an ammonia synthesis feed gas, then converting the ammonia synthesis feed gas to higher-value products such as ammonia and urea.