The invention is directed to a process to prepare a char product by pyrolysis or mild gasification of a solid biomass feed thereby obtaining a gaseous fraction comprising hydrogen, carbon monoxide and a mixture of gaseous organic compounds and a solid fraction comprising of char particles having a reduced atomic hydrogen over carbon ratio and a reduced oxygen over carbon ratio relative to the solid biomass feed. The solid biomass feed are pellets of a solid torrefied biomass feed. The pyrolysis or mild gasification is performed at a temperature of between 500 and 800° C. and at a solid residence time of between 10 and 60 minutes.

This invention relates to a method and a reactor for gasifying a carbonaceous feedstock material. The method includes the steps of choke-feeding a carbonaceous feedstock material into a pyrolysis zone of the reactor to form a discharge bed; heating the discharge bed to initiate pyrolysis of the feedstock material to form a pyrolysis product; providing a lower lying upper oxidation zone; gasifying the pyrolysis product to form a bed of char; converting thermal energy into chemical energy in an upper reduction zone; providing a lower lying lower oxidation zone; collecting any metal slag and/or slag melts in the lower oxidation zone; and discharging hot reducing gases having a temperature of at least 1300° C. and a CO/CO.sub.2 ratio of ≥5, more preferably ≥15.

This invention relates to a method and a reactor for gasifying a carbonaceous feedstock material. The method includes the steps of choke-feeding a carbonaceous feedstock material into a pyrolysis zone of the reactor to form a discharge bed; heating the discharge bed to initiate pyrolysis of the feedstock material to form a pyrolysis product; providing a lower lying upper oxidation zone; gasifying the pyrolysis product to form a bed of char; converting thermal energy into chemical energy in an upper reduction zone; providing a lower lying lower oxidation zone; collecting any metal slag and/or slag melts in the lower oxidation zone; and discharging hot reducing gases having a temperature of at least 1300° C. and a CO/CO.sub.2 ratio of ≥5, more preferably ≥15.

A biomass thermal conversion system including a fixed bed drying zone; a fixed bed pyrolysis zone fluidly connected to the drying zone; a combustion zone fluidly connected to the pyrolysis zone by a material path; and a comminution mechanism arranged across the material path between the pyrolysis zone and the combustion zone, configured to grind char off a pyrolyzed surface of solid biomass and reduce a dimension of the solid biomass below a threshold size.

A biomass thermal conversion system including a fixed bed drying zone; a fixed bed pyrolysis zone fluidly connected to the drying zone; a combustion zone fluidly connected to the pyrolysis zone by a material path; and a comminution mechanism arranged across the material path between the pyrolysis zone and the combustion zone, configured to grind char off a pyrolyzed surface of solid biomass and reduce a dimension of the solid biomass below a threshold size.

The invention is directed to a process to prepare an activated carbon 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 solids fraction 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) activating the char particles as obtained in step (ii) to obtain the activated carbon product.

The invention is directed to a process to prepare an activated carbon 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 solids fraction 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) activating the char particles as obtained in step (ii) to obtain the activated carbon product.

A system for the pyrolysis of a pyrolysis feedstock utilizes a pyrolysis reactor for producing pyrolysis products from the pyrolysis feedstock to be pyrolyzed. An eductor condenser unit in fluid communication with the pyrolysis reactor is used to condense pyrolysis gases. The eductor condenser unit has an eductor assembly having an eductor body that defines a first flow path with a venturi restriction disposed therein for receiving a pressurized coolant fluid and a second flow path for receiving pyrolysis gases from the pyrolysis reactor The second flow path intersects the first flow path so that the received pyrolysis gases are combined with the coolant fluid. The eductor body has a discharge to allow the combined coolant fluid and pyrolysis gases to be discharged together from the eductor. A mixing chamber in fluid communication with the discharge of the eductor to facilitates mixing of the combined coolant fluid and pyrolysis gases, wherein at least a portion of the pyrolysis gases are condensed within the mixing chamber.

A system for the pyrolysis of a pyrolysis feedstock utilizes a pyrolysis reactor for producing pyrolysis products from the pyrolysis feedstock to be pyrolyzed. An eductor condenser unit in fluid communication with the pyrolysis reactor is used to condense pyrolysis gases. The eductor condenser unit has an eductor assembly having an eductor body that defines a first flow path with a venturi restriction disposed therein for receiving a pressurized coolant fluid and a second flow path for receiving pyrolysis gases from the pyrolysis reactor The second flow path intersects the first flow path so that the received pyrolysis gases are combined with the coolant fluid. The eductor body has a discharge to allow the combined coolant fluid and pyrolysis gases to be discharged together from the eductor. A mixing chamber in fluid communication with the discharge of the eductor to facilitates mixing of the combined coolant fluid and pyrolysis gases, wherein at least a portion of the pyrolysis gases are condensed within the mixing chamber.

The invention concern methods for converting carbonaceous feedstock slurry into synthetic fuel gas comprising: (a) introducing a carbonaceous feed stock slurry into a first reaction vessel via a continuous feed; (b) converting said carbonaceous feed stock slurry to a carbon char slurry comprising carbon char, and water by allowing said carbonaceous feed stock slurry to have a residency time of between 5 and 30 minutes in said first reaction vessel, said carbonaceous feed stock slurry being heated to a temperature of between about 260 to about 320° C. at a pressure such that water does not flash to steam.