Internal combustion engines, including engines producing power from solid or slow burning fuel(s), such as biological-based or petroleum-based fuels, wood, corn, biomass, coal, and waste products, and/or possibly other liquid or gaseous fluids, as well as methods for operating or implementing such engines, are disclosed herein. In an example embodiment, the engine includes a crankshaft, a piston, a cylinder having an internal cavity and several ports, and an assembly having a chamber having a first region within which solid fuel can be situated and combusted. The assembly further includes a diverter valve so that, depending upon a setting of the valve and during engine operation, first and second amounts of compressed air respectively proceed to the first region and to bypass the first region, and a combination of combustion products and the second amount proceeds via one of the ports to the part of the internal cavity.

A hydraulic fracturing system for fracturing a subterranean formation is disclosed. In an embodiment, the system can include a plurality of electric pumps fluidly connected to a well associated with the subterranean formation and powered by at least one electric motor, and configured to pump fluid into a wellbore associated with the well at a high pressure; at least one generator electrically coupled to the plurality of electric pumps so as to generate electricity for use by the plurality of electric pumps; a gas compression system fluidly coupled to the at least one generator so as to provide fuel for use by the at least one generator; and a combustible fuel vaporization system gaseously coupled to the gas compression system so as to provide at least one of vaporized fuel or gasified fuel, or a combination thereof, to the gas compression system.

A hydraulic fracturing system for fracturing a subterranean formation is disclosed. In an embodiment, the system can include a plurality of electric pumps fluidly connected to a well associated with the subterranean formation and powered by at least one electric motor, and configured to pump fluid into a wellbore associated with the well at a high pressure; at least one generator electrically coupled to the plurality of electric pumps so as to generate electricity for use by the plurality of electric pumps; a gas compression system fluidly coupled to the at least one generator so as to provide fuel for use by the at least one generator; and a combustible fuel vaporization system gaseously coupled to the gas compression system so as to provide at least one of vaporized fuel or gasified fuel, or a combination thereof, to the gas compression system.

Internal combustion engines, including engines producing power from solid or slow burning fuel(s), such as biological-based or petroleum-based fuels, wood, corn, biomass, coal, and waste products, and/or possibly other liquid or gaseous fluids, as well as methods for operating or implementing such engines, are disclosed herein. In an example embodiment, the engine includes a crankshaft, a piston, a cylinder having an internal cavity and several ports, and an assembly having a chamber having a first region within which solid fuel can be situated and combusted. The assembly further includes a diverter valve so that, depending upon a setting of the valve and during engine operation, first and second amounts of compressed air respectively proceed to the first region and to bypass the first region, and a combination of combustion products and the second amount proceeds via one of the ports to the part of the internal cavity.

An integrated biomass conversion system and a method of starting and shutting down the system are disclosed. The integrated biomass conversion system comprises a syngas generator, such as a gasifier, a cleanup engine and a syngas utilization system, which could be a power producing engine or a chemical reactor for chemical or fuel synthesis. The cleanup engine operates rich and at high temperatures so that the tars exhausted by the syngas generators are destroyed and not allowed to foul other components. An orderly sequence to start and shut down the integrated biomass conversion system is disclosed.

An integrated biomass conversion system and a method of starting and shutting down the system are disclosed. The integrated biomass conversion system comprises a syngas generator, such as a gasifier, a cleanup engine and a syngas utilization system, which could be a power producing engine or a chemical reactor for chemical or fuel synthesis. The cleanup engine operates rich and at high temperatures so that the tars exhausted by the syngas generators are destroyed and not allowed to foul other components. An orderly sequence to start and shut down the integrated biomass conversion system is disclosed.

Internal combustion engines, including engines producing power from solid or slow burning fuel(s), such as biological-based or petroleum-based fuels, wood, corn, biomass, coal, and waste products, and/or possibly other liquid or gaseous fluids, as well as methods for operating or implementing such engines, are disclosed herein. In an example embodiment, the engine includes a crankshaft, a piston, a cylinder having an internal cavity and several ports, and an assembly having a chamber having a first region within which solid fuel can be situated and combusted. The assembly further includes a diverter valve so that, depending upon a setting of the valve and during engine operation, first and second amounts of compressed air respectively proceed to the first region and to bypass the first region, and a combination of combustion products and the second amount proceeds via one of the ports to the part of the internal cavity.

A feedstock delivery system transfers a carbonaceous material, such as municipal solid waste, into a product gas generation system. The feedstock delivery system includes a splitter for splitting bulk carbonaceous material into a plurality of carbonaceous material streams. Each stream is processed using a weighing system for gauging the quantity of carbonaceous material, a densification system for forming plugs of carbonaceous material, a de-densification system for breaking up the plugs of carbonaceous material, and a gas and carbonaceous material mixing system for forming a carbonaceous material and gas mixture. A pressure of the mixing gas is reduced prior to mixing with the carbonaceous material, and the carbonaceous material to gas weight ratio is monitored. A transport assembly conveys the carbonaceous material and gas mixture to a first reactor where at least the carbonaceous material within the mixture is subject to thermochemical reactions to form the product gas.

A feedstock delivery system transfers a carbonaceous material, such as municipal solid waste, into a product gas generation system. The feedstock delivery system includes a splitter for splitting bulk carbonaceous material into a plurality of carbonaceous material streams. Each stream is processed using a weighing system for gauging the quantity of carbonaceous material, a densification system for forming plugs of carbonaceous material, a de-densification system for breaking up the plugs of carbonaceous material, and a gas and carbonaceous material mixing system for forming a carbonaceous material and gas mixture. A pressure of the mixing gas is reduced prior to mixing with the carbonaceous material, and the carbonaceous material to gas weight ratio is monitored. A transport assembly conveys the carbonaceous material and gas mixture to a first reactor where at least the carbonaceous material within the mixture is subject to thermochemical reactions to form the product gas.

A micro-combustion device generating electrical power raises global performance of the system, is compact, and reduces losses by utilizing an induced helical path. The device includes: injection ducts inserting a combustion agent, a fuel and/or a mixture thereof wherein the injection of the combustion agent takes place tangentially to the internal cylindrical wall, inducing a helical combustion path, the internal cylindrical walls of the chamber having a deposition of catalytic material to accelerate the combustion reaction; a turbo compressor group, including a compressor, feeding under pressure the combustion chamber through the injection ducts, and a turbine, receiving the flue gases from the discharge duct, compressor and turbine being keyed on the same axis, whereon a generator of electrical power, in turn, is keyed; and a fuel cell, fed by the flue gases through the turbine and by an oxidizing agent, implementing an electrochemical process generating additional electrical power.