Disclosed herein are systems, apparatuses, and methods for using a sensed combustion zone temperature to continuously control combustion of a first (main) gas within an enclosed combustor. The combustor is in fluid communication with a first gas line carrying the first gas, a second gas line independent of the first gas line carrying a second (assist) gas having a higher heating value than the first gas, and air dampers providing draft or assist air. The first gas may be vapors from a production source or tank. A computer control system monitors the combustion zone temperature of the enclosed combustor as sensed by a sensor in electronic communication with the computer control system and controls the combustion zone temperature by changing a condition of a first gas line valve of the first gas line, a second gas line valve of the second gas line, and the air dampers.

An organic-waste-processing apparatus reducing a moisture of, and conducting a thermal operation process to, an organic waste, includes: a moisture-reducing unit; a combustion unit; a combustion-energy-supply unit; an energy-supply-operation controller; an organic-waste-energy-estimating unit; a total-energy-consumption measuring unit; a relation-maintaining unit; a quantitative-relationship-grasping unit; and a moisture reduction controller. The moisture reduction controller controls an operation of the moisture-reducing unit so that the estimated value of the organic waste energy to be estimated by the organic-waste-energy-estimating unit is directed in a direction reducing a quantitative difference from the optimum value of the organic waste energy based on the quantitative relationship grasped by the quantitative-relationship-grasping unit between the optimum value of the organic waste energy and the latest estimated value of the organic waste energy.

A cylindrical furnace having a vertical axis controls combustion. Solid fuel, particulates, and gases inside the furnace rotate around the axis, inducing radial stratification using centrifugal forces. Fuel and particulates drag on the wall of the cylinder, slipping in and out of suspension, thereby increasing particle residence times. The solid particles comprise combustible fuel particles, and non-combustible ash and contaminants. Control of the temperature of non-combustible particles and the wall surface prevents these non-combustible particles from adhering to, and building up on, the furnace wall. It is also advantageous to control the gas temperature leaving the furnace to minimize temperature-driven corrosion of downstream heat-exchange surfaces. Method and apparatuses are described to control the gas, non-combustible particle, and wall temperatures. The furnace can be integrated into a stand-alone boiler or as a combustor in which a portion of the pyrolysis gas from the combusting fuel is burned in a separate vessel.

An industrial high temperature reformer and the reforming method in which a temperature of the reforming furnace is maintained at 1000 C. or higher by burning the coke, and a temperature of at least an upper half of the reforming furnace is maintained at 1200 C. or higher by burning the syngas, thereby producing syngas at a capacity of 500 m.sup.3/hour or more by reforming all carbonaceous feedstock which is supplied to the reforming furnace.

The burner preferably exclusively burns substantially explosible solid fuels and preferably has instant ON-OFF thermostat control, wastes no energy preheating the enclosure or external air supply, achieves stable combustion the moment the powder-air mix is ignited in our burner, is used in the upward vertical mode except for oil burner retrofits, burns a solid fuel in a single-phase regime as if it were a vaporized liquid or gas, is designed to complete combustion within the burner housing itself rather than in a large, high temperature furnace enclosure which it feeds, has an ultra-short residence time requirement, is a recycle consuming burner with self-contained management of initially unburned particles, is much smaller, simpler and lower cost, has a wider dynamic range/turndown ratio, is more efficient in combustion completeness and thermal efficiency, and operates with air-fuel mix approximately at the flame speed.

A fossil-fuel power generation system assisted by waste incineration includes a waste incineration subsystem and a fossil-fuel power generation subsystem; wherein: the waste incineration subsystem includes a waste incinerator and the fossil-fuel power generation subsystem includes a main boiler; a flue gas channel is provided between a furnace of the waste incinerator and the main boiler; flue gas generated by waste incineration of the waste incinerator enters the main boiler through the flue gas channel; and the flue gas channel is located in a low part of the main boiler. Based on a high-temperature combustion environment of the main boiler, thermal energy of combustible waste is fully released and a thermal efficiency is increased; moreover, the flue gas discharged by the waste incinerator contains harmful substances which are mostly burned down by a high-temperature incineration of the main boiler. A secondary incineration greatly reduces the harmful substances and protects environment.

A method and system for the conversion of waste into energy in a sealed system where combustion does not take place and the operating pressure prior to the inlet of the steam or power generating equipment is maintained below atmospheric pressure. Destruction of the RDF (refuse derived fuel) is accomplished by subjecting the RDF to a high temperature environment under controlled conditions in a purpose designed and built reactor. The high temperature environment, <5000 C., is achieved through the use of one or more non-transferred plasma torches for generation of plasma gas. The plasma gas exiting the torch and provides the thermal energy for the continual gasification of metallurgic coke configured as a carbon bed in the lower part of the reactor, which acts as a thermal catalyst and this provides the thermal energy for the gasification process.

A waste-to-energy conversion apparatus comprising a primary combustion chamber capable of holding a load of waste, and the primary combustion chamber further comprises a heat source to heat the waste and generate a syn gas stream, grates, within the primary chamber, capable of supporting the load of waste during heating, a mixing chamber wherein the syn gas is mixed with additional combustion gas, a multi-chambered secondary combustion chamber for combusting the mixture of syn gas and additional combustion gas, and an energy extraction system for extracting the heat energy generated by the combustion of the mixture of syn gas and additional combustion gas.

The gasifier operates to mix a start up heat source with crude syngas combustion for driving gasification of waste. Combustion flue gas can be maintained above 650 C. until reaching a quench to prevent formation of dioxins. Excess heat is liberated through a heat recovery unit. The gasifier can operate in a batch mode to process small batches of waste efficiently for small installations, such as ships, apartment buildings, hospitals and residences.

A thermal reactor for producing usable heat energy by destroying waste including a vessel wherein organic waste upon entering said vessel gasifies as it falls onto a carbon bed and is transformed into a synthesis gas with high heat and kinetic energy that can be harnessed to produce electricity. Inorganic waste upon entering melts as it falls onto the carbon bed and exits via slag ports to form an inert slag. Because there is no oxygen present in the gasification zone, the waste is not combusted and neither furan or dioxin are formed. The waste includes either prepared refuse derived fuel (RDF) or unprepared raw waste or a combination thereof.