The invention present provides a method (and suitable apparatus) to convert biomass to ethanol, comprising gasifying the biomass to produce raw syngas; feeding the raw syngas to an acid-gas removal unit to remove at least some CO.sub.2 and produce a conditioned syngas stream; feeding the conditioned syngas stream to a fermentor to biologically convert the syngas to ethanol; capturing a tail gas from an exit of the fermentor, wherein the tail gas comprises at least CO.sub.2 and unconverted CO or H.sub.2; and recycling a first portion of the tail gas to the fermentor and/or a second portion of the tail gas to the acid-gas removal unit. This invention allows for increased syngas conversion to ethanol, improved process efficiency, and better overall biorefinery economics for conversion of biomass to ethanol.

A sorbent composition such as for the removal of a contaminant species from a fluid stream, a method for manufacturing a sorbent composition and a method for the treatment of a flue gas stream to remove heavy metals such as mercury (Hg) therefrom. The sorbent composition includes a porous carbonaceous sorbent such as powdered activated carbon (PAC) and a solid particulate additive that functions as a flow-aid to enhance the pneumatic conveyance properties of the sorbent composition. The solid particulate additive may be a flake-like material, for example a phyllosilicate mineral or graphite.

A device and a method produces fertilizer from the exhaust gases of a production system, for example a system for producing cement. The exhaust gases are completely converted such that the exhaust gases are not released into the environment. For this purpose, the exhaust gases are introduced directly into the device from the production system. Exhaust gases such as NO.sub.x and/or SO.sub.2 are first oxidized in the device and then reprocessed into NH.sub.4NO.sub.3 or (NH.sub.4).sub.2SO.sub.4. CO.sub.2 is reprocessed into NH.sub.4HCO.sub.3 in the device while nitrogen is converted into ammonia, and the ammonium, among others, is used to produce NH.sub.4HCO.sub.3 from CO.sub.2.

A fertilizer product is produced by a method of removing sulfur from flue gas. The method includes: introducing a flue gas stream to a wet scrubber; contacting the flue gas stream with a liquid nitrogen reagent in the wet scrubber that deposits in a bottom portion of the wet scrubber as a liquid fraction and possibly contacting the liquid fraction from the wet scrubber with an oxidizing gas; discharging reacted liquid nitrogen product from the wet scrubber that contains sulfur removed from the flue gas stream and that comprises a nitrogen and sulfur enriched fertilizer solution; and discharging flue gas exhaust from the wet scrubber.

An air purifier includes: a case having an air inlet and an air outlet; a tank that stores a liquid, the tank disposed in the case; a plasma generator that generates a plasma which is to be in contact with the liquid, the plasma generator including a pair of electrodes and a power supply which applies a voltage between the pair of electrodes; a fan that generates an air flow from the air inlet to the air outlet; a filter through which the air flow comes into contact with the liquid, the filter disposed in the case; and a controller that causes the power supply to start application of the voltage, and causes the fan to start generation of the air flow after elapse of a predetermined time period since the start of the application of the voltage.

An air purifier includes a case that includes an air inlet and an air outlet, a tank that is arranged in the case and stores liquid, a fan that causes an air flow from the air inlet to the air outlet to be produced, a partition that is arranged in the case and includes a filter that causes the air flow and the liquid to come into contact with each other while allowing the air flow to pass through the filter, and a plasma generator that includes a pair of electrodes arranged in a first space between the air inlet and the partition and a power supply and generates plasma so that the plasma comes into contact with the liquid.

The method comprises a flue gas desulfurizing step using an ammonia-based desulfurizing scrubber to remove sulfur oxides from the flue gas A further step comprises processing the desulfurized flue gas through an ammonia-utilizing carbon dioxide capture unit, to remove carbon dioxide therefrom. The desulfurizing step comprises recycling desulfurized flue gas as an oxidant towards the desulfurizing scrubber. Also disclosed herein is a system for flue gas desulfurization and carbon dioxide removal.

An apparatus for trapping an exhaust material from a substrate-processing process includes: a cyclone configured to provide the exhaust material with a swirling flow, wherein the exhaust material is discharged from the substrate-processing process using a reaction gas; an atomization module for providing the cyclone with a mist to convert the exhaust material into a powder through a wet oxidation reaction; and a collector configured to collect the powder.

A method and a filter device for the dry filtration of a gas flow carrying foreign objects in a filter device for purifying waste gas produced in additive manufacturing technologies, conducting a raw gas flow containing foreign objects into a raw gas space of a filter unit having at least one filter surface separating a raw gas side from a clean gas side, feeding oxidant to a reaction region located on the raw gas side of the filter surface downstream of the filter surface, such that foreign objects contained in material cleaned off from the filter surface and/or in the raw gas flow react with the oxidant in the reaction region to form foreign objects containing oxides.

The present invention relates to a vehicle air conditioner, and more particularly, to a vehicle air conditioner having a photocatalyst module, which provides an optimal design location or a mounting structure in which the photocatalyst module is mounted on an upper surface of a duct, the upper surface of the duct has a predetermined inclination with respect to a floor surface, and the photocatalyst module is mounted on a left/right independent air conditioner.