An apparatus for supplying additives into a coker drum includes an inlet for supplying a hydrocarbon feed stream into the coker drum and conduits along the circumference of walls of the coker drum. Each conduit has an injection nozzle to supply additives inside the coker drum. An injection control system controls the operation of the injection nozzles such that 1) one or more of the injection nozzles placed within a first distance above a vapour liquid interphase of the hydrocarbon feed stream are configured to supply the additives; and 2) supply of the additive discontinues from a particular injection nozzle when a distance between the injection nozzle and the vapour liquid interphase is less than or equal to a second distance. The apparatus optionally includes a mechanical drive system moving at least one of the conduits based on the level of the vapour liquid interphase in the coker drum.

A process for converting biomass to products is described. Biomass is contacted with hydrogen in the presence of a fluidized bed of hydropyrolysis catalyst in a reactor vessel under hydropyrolysis conditions; and products and char are removed from the reactor vessel. The products leave the fluidized bed at an exit bed velocity, the char has a settling velocity that is less than the exit bed velocity and hydropyrolysis catalyst has a settling velocity that is greater than the exit bed velocity.

A reactor comprises an outer sidewall and a bottom wall enclosing a hollow chamber comprising a lower fluidized bed zone and an upper freeboard zone. A plurality of inlets is provided for injecting at least one fluidizing medium into the fluidized bed zone and creating a swirling flow. At least one feed inlet communicates with the fluidized bed zone; and at least one product outlet is provided for removing a product from the chamber, the outlet(s) communicating with either the fluidized bed zone or the freeboard zone. The reactor has at least one internal barrier located inside the hollow chamber, and at least partly located in the fluidized bed zone. The internal barrier(s) have at least one opening within the fluidized bed zone, such as an underflow opening, to permit internal recirculation of material from the product zone to the feed zone, thereby simplifying reactor structure.

A reactor comprises an outer sidewall and a bottom wall enclosing a hollow chamber comprising a lower fluidized bed zone and an upper freeboard zone. A plurality of inlets is provided for injecting at least one fluidizing medium into the fluidized bed zone and creating a swirling flow. At least one feed inlet communicates with the fluidized bed zone; and at least one product outlet is provided for removing a product from the chamber, the outlet(s) communicating with either the fluidized bed zone or the freeboard zone. The reactor has at least one internal barrier located inside the hollow chamber, and at least partly located in the fluidized bed zone. The internal barrier(s) have at least one opening within the fluidized bed zone, such as an underflow opening, to permit internal recirculation of material from the product zone to the feed zone, thereby simplifying reactor structure.

Processes are provided including quenching a hot vapor stream to improve rapid thermal conversion processes for efficiently converting wood, other biomass materials, and other carbonaceous feedstock (including hydrocarbons) into high yields of valuable liquid product, e.g., bio-oil, on a large scale production.

Systems, methods and apparatus for the thermal conversion of carbonaceous feedstock material into biochar. The carbonaceous feedstock material may be harvested, preprocessed and pyrolyzed. An amount of carbonaceous feedstock material is received. An amount of a catalyst is applied to the carbonaceous feedstock material. The carbonaceous feedstock material and the applied catalyst is heated in an anaerobic environment to a temperature of at least 300 C. The biochar material is then generated.

Systems, methods and apparatus for the thermal conversion of carbonaceous feedstock material into biochar. The carbonaceous feedstock material may be harvested, preprocessed and pyrolyzed. An amount of carbonaceous feedstock material is received. An amount of a catalyst is applied to the carbonaceous feedstock material. The carbonaceous feedstock material and the applied catalyst is heated in an anaerobic environment to a temperature of at least 300 C. The biochar material is then generated.

Methods for defoaming in hydrocarbon processes include the steps of providing a defoaming agent, and introducing the agent into a hydrocarbon process to inhibit or control foaming in the hydrocarbon process. These methods may be particularly useful in coking processes, especially as to foaming in coke drums. In certain embodiments, defoaming agents may comprise a plurality of carbon nanoparticles. In some embodiments, drag reducing agents may comprise high-molecular weight alkanes. Advantages include, but are not limited to, more efficient and effective foam inhibition, reduced or eliminated product contamination, reduced or eliminated catalyst poisoning, increased refinery production rate, debottlenecking the coker, and reduced cost and consequences of applying too much antifoam.

Methods for defoaming in hydrocarbon processes include the steps of providing a defoaming agent, and introducing the agent into a hydrocarbon process to inhibit or control foaming in the hydrocarbon process. These methods may be particularly useful in coking processes, especially as to foaming in coke drums. In certain embodiments, defoaming agents may comprise a plurality of carbon nanoparticles. In some embodiments, drag reducing agents may comprise high-molecular weight alkanes. Advantages include, but are not limited to, more efficient and effective foam inhibition, reduced or eliminated product contamination, reduced or eliminated catalyst poisoning, increased refinery production rate, debottlenecking the coker, and reduced cost and consequences of applying too much antifoam.

Processes for controlling afterburn in a reheater and loss of entrained solid particles in reheater flue gas are provided. Carbonaceous biomass feedstock is pyrolyzed using a heat transfer medium forming pyrolysis products and a spent heat transfer medium comprising combustible solid particles. The spent heat transfer medium is introduced into a fluidizing dense bed. The combustible solid particles of the spent heat transfer medium are combusted forming combustion product flue gas in a dilute phase above the fluidizing dense bed. The combustion product flue gas comprises flue gas and solid particles entrained therein. The solid particles are separated from the combustion product flue gas to form separated solid particles. At least a portion of the separated solid particles are returned to the fluidizing dense bed.