A carbonaceous feed pyrolysis apparatus is provided including two or more hot particle fluidised beds, one of which contains a combustion zone, and one or more positive displacement apparatus for the transfer of hot particles beds. Also provided is a bio-oil production process including two or more fluidised beds, a first combustion zone carried out in one or more combustion fluidised beds in which a particulate material is fluidised and heated, and a second pyrolysis zone carried out in one or more pyrolysis fluidised beds in which hot particles heated in the combustion zone are used for pyrolysis of bio-mass, the combustion zone being operated at or about atmospheric pressure at a temperature of from 400 C. to 1100 C., and the pyrolysis zone being operated at a pressure of from atmospheric to 100 Barg at a temperature of from 400 C. to 900 C.

Provided are: a useful bed medium for a fluidized bed with good fluidity, the bed medium being usable in a fluidized bed furnace using biomass material and coal material as fuel; and a useful bed medium for a fluidized bed with good durability, the bed medium not easily forming an agglomerate of its particles, and being resistant to collapsing. The bed medium for a fluidized bed in a fluidized bed furnace for combusting or gasifying the fuel is formed of artificially-produced spherical refractory particles containing not less than 40% by weight of Al2O3 and not more than 60% by weight of SiO2 and having an apparent porosity of not more than 5%, and a ratio by weight of agglomerated particles in the bed medium is not more than 20% after three heat treatment tests on the bed medium at 900 C. for 2 hours under coexistence with the fuel.

Provided are: a useful bed medium for a fluidized bed with good fluidity, the bed medium being usable in a fluidized bed furnace using biomass material and coal material as fuel; and a useful bed medium for a fluidized bed with good durability, the bed medium not easily forming an agglomerate of its particles, and being resistant to collapsing. The bed medium for a fluidized bed in a fluidized bed furnace for combusting or gasifying the fuel is formed of artificially-produced spherical refractory particles containing not less than 40% by weight of Al2O3 and not more than 60% by weight of SiO2 and having an apparent porosity of not more than 5%, and a ratio by weight of agglomerated particles in the bed medium is not more than 20% after three heat treatment tests on the bed medium at 900 C. for 2 hours under coexistence with the fuel.

Disclosed is a method for enhanced fuel combustion to maximize the capture of by-product carbon dioxide. According to various embodiments of the invention, a method for combusting fuel in a two-stage process is provided, which includes in-situ oxygen generation. In-situ oxygen generation allows for the operation of a second oxidation stage to further combust fuel, thus maximizing fuel conversion efficiency. The integrated oxygen generation also provides an increased secondary reactor temperature, thereby improving the overall thermal efficiency of the process. The means of in-situ oxygen is not restricted to one particular embodiment, and can occur using an oxygen generation reactor, an ion transport membrane, or both. A system configured to the second stage combustion method is also disclosed.

Disclosed is a method for enhanced fuel combustion to maximize the capture of by-product carbon dioxide. According to various embodiments of the invention, a method for combusting fuel in a two-stage process is provided, which includes in-situ oxygen generation. In-situ oxygen generation allows for the operation of a second oxidation stage to further combust fuel, thus maximizing fuel conversion efficiency. The integrated oxygen generation also provides an increased secondary reactor temperature, thereby improving the overall thermal efficiency of the process. The means of in-situ oxygen is not restricted to one particular embodiment, and can occur using an oxygen generation reactor, an ion transport membrane, or both. A system configured to the second stage combustion method is also disclosed.

The invention concerns a CLC process, and its installation, producing high purity dinitrogen, comprising: (a) the combustion of a hydrocarbon feed by reduction of a redox active mass brought into contact with the feed, (b) a first step for oxidation of the reduced active mass (25) obtained from step (a) in contact with a fraction of a depleted air stream (21b), in order to produce a high purity stream of dinitrogen (28) and a stream of partially re-oxidized active mass (26); (c) a second step for oxidation of the stream of active mass (26) in contact with air (20) in order to produce a stream of depleted air and a stream of re-oxidized active mass (24) for use in step (a); (d) dividing the stream of depleted air obtained at the end of step (c) in order to form the fraction of depleted air used in step (b) and a fraction complementary to the depleted air extracted from the CLC.

The invention concerns a CLC process, and its installation, producing high purity dinitrogen, comprising: (a) the combustion of a hydrocarbon feed by reduction of a redox active mass brought into contact with the feed, (b) a first step for oxidation of the reduced active mass (25) obtained from step (a) in contact with a fraction of a depleted air stream (21b), in order to produce a high purity stream of dinitrogen (28) and a stream of partially re-oxidized active mass (26); (c) a second step for oxidation of the stream of active mass (26) in contact with air (20) in order to produce a stream of depleted air and a stream of re-oxidized active mass (24) for use in step (a); (d) dividing the stream of depleted air obtained at the end of step (c) in order to form the fraction of depleted air used in step (b) and a fraction complementary to the depleted air extracted from the CLC.

Systems and methods for coupling a chemical looping arrangement and a supercritical CO.sub.2 cycle are provided. The system includes a fuel reactor, an air reactor, a compressor, first and second heat exchangers, and a turbine. The fuel reactor is configured to heat fuel and oxygen carriers resulting in reformed or combusted fuel and reduced oxygen carriers. The air reactor is configured to re-oxidize the reduced oxygen carriers via an air stream. The air stream, fuel, and oxygen carriers are heated via a series of preheaters prior to their entry into the air and fuel reactors. The compressor is configured to increase the pressure of a CO.sub.2 stream to create a supercritical CO.sub.2 stream. The first and second heat exchangers are configured to heat the supercritical CO.sub.2 stream, and the turbine is configured to expand the heated supercritical CO.sub.2 stream to generate power.

Systems and methods for coupling a chemical looping arrangement and a supercritical CO.sub.2 cycle are provided. The system includes a fuel reactor, an air reactor, a compressor, first and second heat exchangers, and a turbine. The fuel reactor is configured to heat fuel and oxygen carriers resulting in reformed or combusted fuel and reduced oxygen carriers. The air reactor is configured to re-oxidize the reduced oxygen carriers via an air stream. The air stream, fuel, and oxygen carriers are heated via a series of preheaters prior to their entry into the air and fuel reactors. The compressor is configured to increase the pressure of a CO.sub.2 stream to create a supercritical CO.sub.2 stream. The first and second heat exchangers are configured to heat the supercritical CO.sub.2 stream, and the turbine is configured to expand the heated supercritical CO.sub.2 stream to generate power.

A chemical looping combustion (CLC) based power generation, particularly using liquid fuel, ensures substantially complete fuel combustion and provides electrical efficiency without exposing metal oxide based oxygen carrier to high temperature redox process. An integrated fuel gasification (reforming)-CLC-followed by power generation model is provided involving (i) a gasification island, (ii) CLC island, (iii) heat recovery unit, and (iv) power generation system. To improve electrical efficiency, a fraction of the gasified fuel may be directly fed, or bypass the CLC, to a combustor upstream of one or more gas turbines. This splitting approach ensures higher temperature (efficiency) in the gas turbine inlet. The inert mass ratio, air flow rate to the oxidation reactor, and pressure of the system may be tailored to affect the performance of the integrated CLC system and process.