An industrial system for refining plant fibers by steam explosion includes: a pre-chamber; a loader for loading the pre-chamber with sheaves of a fibrous plant, a spark gap arranged under the pre-chamber, a valve upstream of the pre-chamber, a valve separating the pre-chamber from the spark gap when in the closed state and opening a passage with a diameter of at least the smallest of the diameters of the pre-chamber and the spark gap when in the open state; a washing system arranged inside the spark gap for washing the spark gap and dragging the fibers downwards; a mobile basket for receiving fibers with a position under the spark gap for receiving fibers; a liquid-recovery device, arranged under the basket and under the spark gap, a receiving chamber receiving the basket loaded with fibers; and a drying chamber.

An industrial system for refining plant fibers by steam explosion includes: a pre-chamber; a loader for loading the pre-chamber with sheaves of a fibrous plant, a spark gap arranged under the pre-chamber, a valve upstream of the pre-chamber, a valve separating the pre-chamber from the spark gap when in the closed state and opening a passage with a diameter of at least the smallest of the diameters of the pre-chamber and the spark gap when in the open state; a washing system arranged inside the spark gap for washing the spark gap and dragging the fibers downwards; a mobile basket for receiving fibers with a position under the spark gap for receiving fibers; a liquid-recovery device, arranged under the basket and under the spark gap, a receiving chamber receiving the basket loaded with fibers; and a drying chamber.

A method for continuous steam explosion discharge of a pressurised reactor for thermal treatment of lignocellulose biomasses. The steam explosion discharge is complete decoupled from the thermal treatment step and the loss of steam from the process is fully controlled without jeopardizing the mechanical disintegration of the lignocellulose material from the process.

A method for continuous steam explosion discharge of a pressurised reactor for thermal treatment of lignocellulose biomasses. The steam explosion discharge is complete decoupled from the thermal treatment step and the loss of steam from the process is fully controlled without jeopardizing the mechanical disintegration of the lignocellulose material from the process.

The present invention regards a refiner plate segment (1) for a disc-type refiner apparatus (30), adapted to grind a saturated cellulosic material (M) in a refining gap (17) defined by opposed discs (20) during use of the apparatus (30), the material being moved from a refiner inlet opening (21) towards an outer edge (7) of the segment (1). The outer edge (7) of the segment (1) comprises a barrier arrangement (15) to increase the pressure in the refining gap (17) for retaining the liquid phase out to said outer edge (7). The present invention also regards a method of refining a saturated cellulosic material (M) in a refining gap (17) defined by two opposed discs (20) of a disc arrangement.

The present invention regards a refiner plate segment (1) for a disc-type refiner apparatus (30), adapted to grind a saturated cellulosic material (M) in a refining gap (17) defined by opposed discs (20) during use of the apparatus (30), the material being moved from a refiner inlet opening (21) towards an outer edge (7) of the segment (1). The outer edge (7) of the segment (1) comprises a barrier arrangement (15) to increase the pressure in the refining gap (17) for retaining the liquid phase out to said outer edge (7). The present invention also regards a method of refining a saturated cellulosic material (M) in a refining gap (17) defined by two opposed discs (20) of a disc arrangement.

A system for treatment of a biomass material, said system comprising: a first vessel (3) in which said biomass material is treated under a first pressure; a second vessel (5) in which said biomass material is received and held at a second pressure which is lower than the first pressure; a transporting pipe (7) connecting an outlet (9) of the first vessel (3) with an inlet (11) of the second vessel (5) for transporting the biomass material from the first vessel to the second vessel; and a valve (15; 15′; 15) arranged in said transporting pipe (7), said valve being configured for controlling the flow of biomass material and fluid in the transporting pipe (7), wherein said transporting pipe (7) is asymmetrically connected to an outlet (33′; 33) of said valve (15; 15′; 15) such that a generated jet stream of biomass material delivered out from the outlet (33′; 33) of the valve (15; 15′; 15) is received closer to a transporting pipe longitudinal central axis (A1) than if the outlet (33′; 33) of the valve (15; 15′; 15) and the transporting pipe (7) would have been connected symmetrically.

The invention relates to a method for treating biomass (2). Biomass (2) is fed to a pressurized prehydrolysis reactor unit (8) by means of a feeding system (5, 7), wherein by means of the feeding system (5, 7) the biomass (2) is compressed. A filtrate is squeezed out of the biomass (2) by means of the feeding system (5, 7), in particular by a first plug screw (5) or a second plug screw (7) of the feeding system (5, 7). The biomass (2) is then thermally treated in the pressurized prehydrolysis reactor unit (8), discharged from the pressurized prehydrolysis reactor unit (8) afterwards, diluted with the filtrate before or after the discharge, and treated with an enzyme subsequently.

The invention relates to a method for treating biomass (2). Biomass (2) is fed to a pressurized prehydrolysis reactor unit (8) by means of a feeding system (5, 7), wherein by means of the feeding system (5, 7) the biomass (2) is compressed. A filtrate is squeezed out of the biomass (2) by means of the feeding system (5, 7), in particular by a first plug screw (5) or a second plug screw (7) of the feeding system (5, 7). The biomass (2) is then thermally treated in the pressurized prehydrolysis reactor unit (8), discharged from the pressurized prehydrolysis reactor unit (8) afterwards, diluted with the filtrate before or after the discharge, and treated with an enzyme subsequently.

A system for treatment of a biomass material and a method for transporting biomass material, said system comprising: —a first vessel (3) in which said biomass material is treated at a first pressure;—a second vessel (5) in which said biomass material is collected at a second pressure which is lower than the first pressure; and—a transporting pipe (7) connecting an outlet (9) of the first vessel (3) with an inlet (11) of the second vessel (5) for transporting the biomass material from the first vessel to the second vessel, wherein said transporting pipe (7) comprises at least one restriction (13) for control of the flow in the transporting pipe and hereby providing a pressure drop to the transported biomass material, wherein at least one of said at least one restriction (13) is provided somewhere in the second half of the length of the transporting pipe (7) starting from the first vessel (3) and ending at the second vessel (5).