System and methods for plasma treatment of a fluidized bed of particles are disclosed. The systems include an energy coupling zone configured to generate a plasma from microwave radiation and an interface element configured to propagate the plasma from the energy coupling zone to a reaction zone. The reaction zone is configured to receive the plasma, receive a plurality of reactant particles in a fluidization plane direction from a fluidization assembly positioned below the reaction zone, and form a product in presence of the plasma. The fluidization plane is substantially perpendicular to the propagated plasma.

To provide an apparatus and a method of producing fine particles capable of increasing evaporation efficiency of a material, increasing the production of fine particles and reducing costs by heating the inputted material by a gas heated by thermal plasma. A fine particle production apparatus includes a vacuum chamber, a material feeding device connected to the vacuum chamber and feeding material particles from a material feeding port into the vacuum chamber, electrodes arranged in the vacuum chamber for generating plasma and a collection device connected to the vacuum chamber and collecting fine particles, which produces the fine particles from the material by generating electric discharge inside the vacuum chamber, in which the collection device and the material feeding device are connected by piping, and a material heating and circulation device which heats the material by heat of a gas inside the chamber heated by the plasma through the piping is provided.

Biomass (e.g., plant biomass, animal biomass, and municipal waste biomass) is processed to produce useful intermediates and products, such as energy, fuels, foods or materials. Systems, methods and equipment are described for upgrading process streams using electrodialysis or electrodialysis reversal.

A system for processing hydrocarbon materials, comprising a hydrocarbon feedstock source; a process gas source; a waveguide; and a reaction tube structure. The process gas source comprises one or more sources of gases selected from the group consisting of helium, argon, krypton, neon, xenon, methane, propane, butane, ethane, acetylene, propylene, butylene, ethylene, carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, water vapor, hydrogen, and nitrogen. The waveguide comprises a lateral portion comprising housing having a first end portion configured to be connected to a microwave generator, a closed opposite end portion, a primary axis extending from the first end portion to the second end portion, and a central portion having an opening, wherein the central portion has a depth that is smaller than a corresponding depth of the first end portion and the second end portion, and a coaxial portion having a first end portion connected to the opening and a lateral dimension that is perpendicular to the primary axis. The reaction tube structure comprises an outer wall made of a dielectric material, and is configured such that when hydrocarbon feedstock from the feedstock source and process gas from the process gas source are fed into the reaction tube structure and microwaves are received in the waveguide, one or more surface waves are propagated in the reaction tube structure to form a plasma within the reaction tube structure and cause the feedstock and process gas to react and form into a product stream, and wherein the reaction tube structure has a lateral dimension that is perpendicular to the lateral portion and parallel to the coaxial portion, and the reaction tube structure is connected to a second end of the coaxial portion.

Biomass (e.g., plant biomass, animal biomass, and municipal waste biomass) is processed to produce useful intermediates and products, such as energy, fuels, foods or materials. For example, equipment, systems and methods are described that can be used to treat feedstock materials, such as cellulosic and/or lignocellulosic materials, in a vault in which hazardous gases are removed, destroyed and/or converted. The treatments are efficient and can reduce the recalcitrance of the lignocellulosic material so that it is easier to produce an intermediate or product, e.g., sugars, alcohols, sugar alcohols and energy, from the lignocellulosic material.

Inside a furnace body with a vacuum environment or under the inert gas protection, the raw silicon material used to produce silicon carbide is melted or vaporized in a high temperature environment over 1300 C., and then the melted or vaporized raw silicon material will react with the carbonaceous gas or liquid to form silicon carbide. The present invention uses the carbonaceous gas with no metallic impurities, to replace petroleum coke, resin, asphalt, graphite, carbon fiber, coal, charcoal and some other carbon sources used in current production processes. When the carburizing reaction is in progress, the raw silicon material is melted or vaporized and the reaction takes place in the air. No container is required, so impurity contamination is lessened, and the produced silicon carbide has a fairly high purity.

The invention relates to a method for producing syngas by means of solar radiation, in which the reactor of a receiver-reactor is periodically heated via an aperture provided in the same for solar radiation by means of the solar radiation to an upper reduction temperature for a reduction process and subsequently cooled to a lower oxidation temperature for an oxidation process in the presence of an oxidation gas, wherein the sunlight is guided through an absorption chamber onto an absorber configured as a reactor, which includes a reducible/oxidizable material, and wherein a gas that absorbs the black-body radiation of the absorber is guided through the absorption chamber and the absorption chamber is configured so that the back radiation of the absorber through the aperture is essentially absorbed by the gas. Radiation losses caused by back radiation of the black-body radiation exiting the optical aperture are thus avoided in accordance with the invention. The heat of the back radiation, however, can be utilized directly in the heat-transporting fluid and is available for a flexible usage. The receiver-reactor has a simple design and is suitable as a low-cost receiver-reactor.

Materials (e.g., plant biomass, animal biomass, and municipal waste biomass) are processed to produce useful intermediates and products, such as energy, fuels, foods or materials. For example, systems equipment, and methods are described that can be used to treat feedstock materials, such as cellulosic and/or lignocellulosic materials, using an array of vaults.

Biomass (e.g., plant biomass, animal biomass, and municipal waste biomass) or other materials are processed to produce useful intermediates and products, such as energy, fuels, foods or materials. For example, systems and methods are described that can be used to treat feedstock materials, such as cellulosic and/or lignocellulosic materials, in a vault in which the walls and optionally the ceiling include discrete units. Such vaults are re-configurable.

Biomass feedstocks (e.g., plant biomass, animal biomass, and municipal waste biomass) are processed to produce useful products, such as fuels. For example, novel systems, methods and equipment for conveying and/or cooling treated biomass are described.