A sparge for use in a high-pressure vessel operated at elevated temperatures and having high energy agitators for suspending mineral containing particles in a slurry. The sparge injects reagent fluids into the slurry to reduce reaction times and for controlling process parameters for extracting valuable minerals from the particles. The sparge has a vapor lock to inhibit the flow of particulate material and detritus material under low or no fluid flow situations which occur commonly in the operation of high pressure autoclaves. The sparge has a fluid flow path that increases in cross-sectional area in the direction of flow of reagent fluids so as to keep reagent fluids flowing at a velocity below a critical impingement velocity that can cause metal materials of the sparge to either wear rapidly, combust and in the worst case lead to loss of containment and violent and rapid depressurization of the high pressure vessel.

The invention discloses a method for producing bio-fuel (BF) from a high-viscosity biomass using thermo-chemical conversion of the biomass in a production line (10) with pumping means (PM), heating means (HM) and cooling means (CM). The method has the steps of 1) operating the pumping means, the heating means and the cooling means so that the production line is under supercritical fluid conditions (SCF) to induce biomass conversion in a conversion zone (CZ) within the production line, and 2) operating the pumping means so that at least part of the production line is in an oscillatory flow (OF) mode. The invention is advantageous for providing an improved method for producing biofuel from a high-viscosity biomass. This is performed by an advantageous combination of two operating modes: supercritical fluid (SCF) conditions and oscillatory flow (OF).

The invention discloses a method for producing bio-fuel (BF) from a high-viscosity biomass using thermo-chemical conversion of the biomass in a production line (10) with pumping means (PM), heating means (HM) and cooling means (CM). The method has the steps of 1) operating the pumping means, the heating means and the cooling means so that the production line is under supercritical fluid conditions (SCF) to induce biomass conversion in a conversion zone (CZ) within the production line, and 2) operating the pumping means so that at least part of the production line is in an oscillatory flow (OF) mode. The invention is advantageous for providing an improved method for producing biofuel from a high-viscosity biomass. This is performed by an advantageous combination of two operating modes: supercritical fluid (SCF) conditions and oscillatory flow (OF).

The invention relates to a reactor 1 for supercritical hydrothermal gasification of aqueous multicomponent mixtures in the absence of oxygen. It is also an object of the invention to provide a system for operating the reactor 1, a method for operating the reactor 1, and the use of the reactor 1. The reactor 1 according to the invention is compatible with many existing systems, is compact, can be provided on a turnkey basis, and can be manufactured and operated at low cost. The reactor 1 according to the invention thus enables, for the first time, a diverse commercial use of hydrothermal gasification of biomass, sewage sludge and other organic wastes in supercritical water.

The invention relates to a reactor 1 for supercritical hydrothermal gasification of aqueous multicomponent mixtures in the absence of oxygen. It is also an object of the invention to provide a system for operating the reactor 1, a method for operating the reactor 1, and the use of the reactor 1. The reactor 1 according to the invention is compatible with many existing systems, is compact, can be provided on a turnkey basis, and can be manufactured and operated at low cost. The reactor 1 according to the invention thus enables, for the first time, a diverse commercial use of hydrothermal gasification of biomass, sewage sludge and other organic wastes in supercritical water.

The object of the present invention relates to a rotating drum for infeeding material by gravity to its interior, which can be used both inside a vessel that could be subjected to pressure or not, such as for example for the treatment of solid waste with water vapour, and externally for all types of equipment that require infeeding material to a rotating drum for the transportation and tumbling thereof, wherein due to the special configuration thereof it does not require an independent device for infeeding material to the rotating drum.

A pulsed compression reactor may include a reactor housing, a spring piston, and a driver piston. The reactor housing may define an interior volume, and may include a first passage and a second passage which lead to the interior volume. The spring piston may be positioned within the interior volume, wherein the spring piston and the reactor housing at least partially define a perimeter of a gas spring buffer chamber within the interior volume. The driver piston may be positioned within the interior volume, wherein the spring piston, the driver piston, and the reactor housing at least partially define a perimeter of a reaction chamber within the interior volume.

A pulsed compression reactor may include a reactor housing, a spring piston, and a driver piston. The reactor housing may define an interior volume, and may include a first passage and a second passage which lead to the interior volume. The spring piston may be positioned within the interior volume, wherein the spring piston and the reactor housing at least partially define a perimeter of a gas spring buffer chamber within the interior volume. The driver piston may be positioned within the interior volume, wherein the spring piston, the driver piston, and the reactor housing at least partially define a perimeter of a reaction chamber within the interior volume.

A gasoline engine exhaust gas purification catalyst for purifying exhaust gas emitted from a gasoline engine includes a precious metal, alumina, and a ceria/zirconia composite oxide supported on a three-dimensional structure, and has pores having a peak 1 at a pore size of not less than 0.001 μm and not greater than 0.05 μm, pores having a peak 2 at a pore size of not less than 2.5 μm and not greater than 5.0 μm, and pores having a peak 3 at a different pore size than the above pore sizes in a pore size distribution measured by mercury intrusion method, wherein the pore volume of the pores having the peak 3 is greater than 1.4% of the total pore volume. A production method for the catalyst, and an exhaust gas purification method using the catalyst are also described.

The disclosure pertains to an urea production plant and process using a thermal stripper, wherein the reaction mixture is separated in two parts, wherein the first part is supplied at least in part to the thermal stripper and the second part at least in part bypasses the thermal stripper and is supplied to a medium pressure recovery section.