The present invention is directed to additives for coal-fired furnaces, particularly furnaces using a layer of slag to capture coal particles for combustion. The additive(s) include iron, mineralizer(s), handling aid(s), flow aid(s), and/or abrasive material(s). The iron and mineralizers can lower the melting temperature of ash in low-iron, high alkali coals, leading to improved furnace performance.

A method and device for drying wood chips to be used as raw material for a gas-generating reactor, the device being disposed between the storage for wood chips and the reactor. Product gas of the reactor is at least partially used in a block-type thermal power station (BHKW), and hot air from the housing of the block-type thermal power station is used to heat and dry wood chips in a drying hopper which has at least one outlet for the cooled humidified air. The wood chips enter the drying hopper through a first air-tight lock and exit the drying hopper through a second air-tight lock.

At least one aspect of the technology provides a self-contained processing facility configured to convert organic, high water-content waste, such as fecal sludge and garbage, into electricity while also generating and collecting potable water.

In a method for physical and thermochemical treatment of biomass, the biomass moisture content is reduced in a dryer and ammonia (NH.sub.3) is also released from the biomass during drying. The dried biomass is then either pyrolyzed in a pyrolysis reactor and the pyrolysis gas is forwarded to and combusted in a combustion device to form flue gas, or is combusted in a combustion facility unit to form flue gas. In either case the flue gas is fed to a mixer. Oxygen (O.sub.2) is metered to the flue gas in the mixer and is fed directly to the dryer as drying gas. As the drying gas passes through the dryer, the sulfur dioxide (SO.sub.2) contained in the drying gas and/or the sulfur trioxide (SO.sub.3) chemically reacts with the ammonia (NH.sub.3) to form ammonium sulfite ((NH.sub.4).sub.2SO.sub.3) and/or ammonium sulfate ((NH.sub.4).sub.2SO.sub.4). Also a treatment facility physically and thermochemically treats the biomass.

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.

A method is provided for inputting thermal energy into fluidic medium in a steel manufacturing process by at least one rotary apparatus comprising: a casing with at least one inlet and at least one exit, a rotor comprising at least one row of rotor blades arranged over a circumference of a rotor hub mounted onto a rotor shaft, and a stator configured as an assembly of stationary vanes arranged at least upstream of the at least one row of rotor blades. In the method, an amount of thermal energy is imparted to a stream of fluidic medium directed along a flow path formed inside the casing between the inlet and the exit by virtue of a series of energy transformations occurring when said stream of fluidic medium passes through the stationary vanes and the at least one row of rotor blades, respectively. The method further comprises: integration of said at least one rotary apparatus into a steel production facility configured to carry out steel production processes, such as reacting iron oxide and carbon or production of raw materials, at temperatures essentially equal to or exceeding 500 degrees Celsius (° C.), and conducting an amount of input energy into the at least one rotary apparatus integrated into the heat-consuming process facility, the input energy comprises electrical energy. A rotary apparatus and related uses are further provided.

The present disclosure relates to apparatuses and methods that are useful for one or more aspects of a power production plant. More particularly, the disclosure relates to combustor apparatuses and methods for a combustor adapted to utilize different fuel mixtures derived from gasification of a solid fuel. Combustion of the different fuel mixtures within the combustor can be facilitated by arranging elements of the combustor controlled so that a defined set of combustion characteristics remains substantially constant across a range of different fuel mixtures.

At least one aspect of the technology provides a self-contained processing facility configured to convert organic, high water-content waste, such as fecal sludge and garbage, into electricity while also generating and collecting potable water.

Systems and processes provide for a thermal process to transform sludge (and a variety of other natural waste materials) into electricity. Dewatered sludge and other materials containing a high amount of latent energy are dried into a powdered biofuel using a drying gas produced in the system. The drying gas is recirculated and is heated by the biofuel produced in the system, waste heat (from turbines or internal combustion engines), gas (including natural gas or digester gas) and/or oil. The biofuel is combusted in a boiler system that utilizes a burner operable to burn biofuel and produce heat utilized in a series of heat exchangers that heat the recirculating drying air and steam that powers the turbines for electricity production.

A method is provided for inputting thermal energy into fluidic medium in a high-temperature material production process by at least one rotary apparatus comprising a casing with at least one inlet and at least one exit, a rotor comprising at least one row of rotor blades arranged over a circumference of a rotor hub mounted onto a rotor shaft, and a stator configured as an assembly of stationary vanes arranged at least upstream of the at least one row of rotor blades. In the method, an amount of thermal energy is imparted to a stream of fluidic medium directed along a flow path formed inside the casing between the inlet and the exit by virtue of a series of energy transformations occurring when said stream of fluidic medium passes through the stationary vanes and the at least one row of rotor blades, respectively. The method further comprises: integration of said at least one rotary apparatus into a high-temperature material production facility configured to carry out high-temperature material production, such as the production of glass, glass wool, carbon fibers, carbon nanotubes, and clay-based materials at temperatures essentially equal to or exceeding 500 degrees Celsius (° C.), and conducting an amount of input energy into the at least one rotary apparatus integrated into the heat-consuming process facility, the input energy comprises electrical energy. A rotary apparatus and related uses are further provided.