A system for digesting biodigestible feed that preferably includes the steps of comminuting the feed, introducing feed, an oxygen-containing gas, an accelerant, and bacteria into a digestion zone, the bacteria being suitable for digesting the feed under aerobic, anaerobic, and anoxic conditions. The contents of the digestion zone can be changed from aerobic operation to either anoxic or anaerobic operation, or vice versa, without changing the bacteria in the digestion zone.

The invention provides a process for the conversion of biomass into a biomass product which is suitable for use as a fuel. The biomass is of plant origin and comprises microorganisms naturally occurring in the biomass. The process comprisespreparing a slurry by dispersing the biomass comprising the naturally occurring microorganisms in an aqueous liquid, maintaining the slurry at conditions suitable for aerobic digestion by the microorganisms to obtain a slurry comprising the biomass product as a dispersed solid phase, andrecovering the biomass product. The recovering comprises washing and drying the biomass product. The invention also provides a combustion process.

A power-generation system having a combined heat and power plant and a fermentation plant has an electrolysis plant, which is connected by lines to both the combined heat and power plant and to the fermentation plant. This arrangement enables a method in which heat from a combined heat and power plant can be used for a fermentation plant and additionally heat from an electrolysis plant can be used for the fermentation plant, whilst the oxygen from the electrolysis plant is used for the combined heat and power plant.

The invention provides a process for the conversion of biomass into a biomass product which is suitable for use as a fuel. The biomass is of plant origin and comprises microorganisms naturally occurring in the biomass. The process comprisespreparing a slurry by dispersing the biomass comprising the naturally occurring microorganisms in an aqueous liquid, maintaining the slurry at conditions suitable for aerobic digestion by the microorganisms to obtain a slurry comprising the biomass product as a dispersed solid phase, andrecovering the biomass product. The recovering comprises washing and drying the biomass product. The invention also provides a combustion process.

A method of evaporation comprises cooling a prime mover using a coolant. The cooling comprising pumping the coolant from the prime mover through a heat exchanger and back to the prime mover in a cooling circuit. A process fluid is circulated in an evaporator loop comprising the heat exchanger and a flash tank, the process fluid being circulated from the flash tank, through the heat exchanger and to a flash nozzle positioned in the flash tank. A pressure of the process fluid is reduced across the flash nozzle from a first pressure upstream of the flash nozzle to a second pressure in the flash tank, wherein heat from the coolant provides sufficient thermal energy to the process fluid in the heat exchanger so that a percentage of the process fluid changes phase from liquid to steam when the pressure of the process fluid is reduced across the flash nozzle. Steam is ejected from the flash tank to separate the steam from the process fluid.

A system for digesting biodigestible feed that preferably includes the steps of comminuting the feed, introducing feed, an oxygen-containing gas, an accelerant, and bacteria into a digestion zone, the bacteria being suitable for digesting the feed under aerobic, anaerobic, and anoxic conditions. The contents of the digestion zone can be changed from aerobic operation to either anoxic or anaerobic operation, or vice versa, without changing the bacteria in the digestion zone.

A system for the combustion of high solids liquid to produce steam for the production of ethanol is disclosed. The system comprises a method for combusting high solids liquid. The method comprises supplying a stream of high solids liquid to a furnace; atomizing the stream of high solids liquid into the furnace; and distributing biomass fuel into the furnace. The stream of high solids liquid are combusted with the biomass fuel in the furnace.

A synergetic system for waste treatment is provided. The synergetic system includes a waste treatment system configured to perform biological treatment of waste. Additionally, the synergetic system includes a gas purification system configured to purify exhaust gas generated during the biological treatment of the waste. The synergetic system further includes a feeding system configured to feed excess heat from the gas purification system back to the waste treatment system. The waste treatment system is further configured to use the fed back excess heat for the biological treatment of the waste.