The invention relates to a method for the manufacture of a combustible material having a lower heating value of 5.29 MWh/t or more.

According to the invention, such a method comprises continuously introducing of a predetermined volume per minute of wood fragments into a pressurised reactor; exposing the wood fragments to steam at a temperature of between 200 and 220° C. for a time of between 5 and 9 minutes, the value of said exposure time and the value of the temperature of said steam being selected so that the severity factor is between 4.05 and 4.15; continuously extracting from said reactor the same predetermined volume of wood fragments per minute, through a plurality of orifices opening into a conduit at substantially atmospheric pressure; separating said decompressed wood fragments and the residual steam extracted from said reactor, said wood fragments obtained after separation forming said combustible material.

The invention relates to a method for the manufacture of a combustible material having a lower heating value of 5.29 MWh/t or more.

According to the invention, such a method comprises continuously introducing of a predetermined volume per minute of wood fragments into a pressurised reactor; exposing the wood fragments to steam at a temperature of between 200 and 220° C. for a time of between 5 and 9 minutes, the value of said exposure time and the value of the temperature of said steam being selected so that the severity factor is between 4.05 and 4.15; continuously extracting from said reactor the same predetermined volume of wood fragments per minute, through a plurality of orifices opening into a conduit at substantially atmospheric pressure; separating said decompressed wood fragments and the residual steam extracted from said reactor, said wood fragments obtained after separation forming said combustible material.

Systems and methods for rendering cannabis-related waste materials are provided. The method may include inserting a plurality of cannabis-related waste materials into, for example, a mobile rendering vehicle. The method may further include physically altering the cannabis-related waste materials such that the cannabis-related waste materials are unrecognizable and unusable. The insertion of the cannabis-related waste materials into the mobile rendering vehicle may be recorded and/or the physical alteration (e.g., pulverization) of the cannabis-related waste materials may be recorded via one or more cameras disposed on the mobile rendering vehicle to verify proper insertion and/or alteration of the cannabis-related waste materials.

A method is disclosed for producing a mechanically stable, energy dense and water-resistant biomass product. By utilizing a unique two-step heating process in combination with mechanical compression, the resulting biomass product retains its physical shape and strength after immersion in ambient water for many hours. The treatment is effective for a variety of cellulosic biomass materials including forest slash wood.

A method is disclosed for producing a mechanically stable, energy dense and water-resistant biomass product. By utilizing a unique two-step heating process in combination with mechanical compression, the resulting biomass product retains its physical shape and strength after immersion in ambient water for many hours. The treatment is effective for a variety of cellulosic biomass materials including forest slash wood.

A fuel production system includes a first modular unit and a second modular unit. The first modular unit includes a first housing, a process vessel, an agitator rotor assembly, a first drivetrain, an extrusion screw, a second drivetrain, a first separation vessel, and a product shaping system. The second modular unit includes a second housing, a thermal fluid heater system, a condenser, a second separation vessel, and a vacuum pump. The second modular unit is configured to be coupled to the first modular unit. At least a portion of each of the process vessel, the agitator rotor assembly, the first drivetrain, the extrusion screw, the second drivetrain, the first separation vessel, and the product shaping system are contained in the first housing. At least a portion of each of the thermal fluid heater system, the condenser, the second separation vessel, and the vacuum pump are contained in the second housing.

A fuel production system includes a first modular unit and a second modular unit. The first modular unit includes a first housing, a process vessel, an agitator rotor assembly, a first drivetrain, an extrusion screw, a second drivetrain, a first separation vessel, and a product shaping system. The second modular unit includes a second housing, a thermal fluid heater system, a condenser, a second separation vessel, and a vacuum pump. The second modular unit is configured to be coupled to the first modular unit. At least a portion of each of the process vessel, the agitator rotor assembly, the first drivetrain, the extrusion screw, the second drivetrain, the first separation vessel, and the product shaping system are contained in the first housing. At least a portion of each of the thermal fluid heater system, the condenser, the second separation vessel, and the vacuum pump are contained in the second housing.

A method is provided for producing a solid fuel to be used as fuel for a pulverized coal boiler from wood biomass as a source material at a high mass yield and calorie yield by performing a grinding treatment in a mixture with coal. A solid fuel is produced by adjusting the moisture of a ground powder of wood biomass to between 8 and 50%; densifying the ground powder of wood biomass to a bulk density of 0.55 g/cm.sup.3 or higher (measured according to JIS K 2151-6 Bulk density test method); and then subjecting the ground powder of wood biomass to torrefaction under conditions of an oxygen concentration of 10% or less and a temperature between 170 and 350 C. Since the bulk density of a source material is high, a trouble in conveyance such as clogging of a rotary valve at an inlet of a carbonization furnace, or clogging of a cyclone after a drier due to excessive reject can be prevented.

A method is provided for producing a solid fuel to be used as fuel for a pulverized coal boiler from wood biomass as a source material at a high mass yield and calorie yield by performing a grinding treatment in a mixture with coal. A solid fuel is produced by adjusting the moisture of a ground powder of wood biomass to between 8 and 50%; densifying the ground powder of wood biomass to a bulk density of 0.55 g/cm.sup.3 or higher (measured according to JIS K 2151-6 Bulk density test method); and then subjecting the ground powder of wood biomass to torrefaction under conditions of an oxygen concentration of 10% or less and a temperature between 170 and 350 C. Since the bulk density of a source material is high, a trouble in conveyance such as clogging of a rotary valve at an inlet of a carbonization furnace, or clogging of a cyclone after a drier due to excessive reject can be prevented.

The presently disclosed subject matter relates to torrefied biomass briquettes and methods for producing the same that make use of a mixture of lightly torrefied material (LTM) and highly torrefied material (HTM) and/or make use of torrefied materials that are subjected to a hydrolysis pretreatment prior to being torrefied.