This invention relates to a method and apparatus for gasifying or liquifying coal. In particular, the method comprises reacting a coal with a molten aluminum or aluminum alloy bath. The apparatus includes a reaction vessel for carrying out the reaction, as well as other equipment necessary for capturing and removing the reaction products. Further, the process can be used to cogenerate electricity using the excess heat generated by the process.

A rotating heat regenerator is used to recover heat from the syngas at it exits the reactor vessel of a waste or biomass gasifier. In some embodiments, three or more streams are passed through the heat exchanger. One stream is the dirty syngas, which heats the rotating material. A second stream is a cold stream that is heated as it passes through the material. A third stream is a cleaning stream, which serves to remove particulates that are collected on the rotating material as the dirty syngas passes through it. This apparatus can also be used as an auto-heat exchanger, or it can exchange heat between separate flows in the gasifier process. The apparatus can also be used to reduce the heating requirement for the thermal residence chamber (TRC) used downstream from the gasification system.

A rotating heat regenerator is used to recover heat from the syngas at it exits the reactor vessel of a waste or biomass gasifier. In some embodiments, three or more streams are passed through the heat exchanger. One stream is the dirty syngas, which heats the rotating material. A second stream is a cold stream that is heated as it passes through the material. A third stream is a cleaning stream, which serves to remove particulates that are collected on the rotating material as the dirty syngas passes through it. This apparatus can also be used as an auto-heat exchanger, or it can exchange heat between separate flows in the gasifier process. The apparatus can also be used to reduce the heating requirement for the thermal residence chamber (TRC) used downstream from the gasification system.

Methods and systems are described for the synthesis of graphene, synthetic graphite, and other carbon allotropes. Thus, the method describes a method to synthesize carbon nanostructures and synthetic graphite by using unrecyclable materials, such as plastic wastes (i.e., Polypropylene, Styrene, Polyethylene, Poly Vinyl Chloride, PVDF, tires, etc.), Liquid wastes (i.e. tank bottoms, PVDF liquid foams, contaminated oils, etc.) (unrecyclable carbons) regardless of its state, cleanliness, or whether it is contaminated with other byproducts.

Methods and systems are described for the synthesis of graphene, synthetic graphite, and other carbon allotropes. Thus, the method describes a method to synthesize carbon nanostructures and synthetic graphite by using unrecyclable materials, such as plastic wastes (i.e., Polypropylene, Styrene, Polyethylene, Poly Vinyl Chloride, PVDF, tires, etc.), Liquid wastes (i.e. tank bottoms, PVDF liquid foams, contaminated oils, etc.) (unrecyclable carbons) regardless of its state, cleanliness, or whether it is contaminated with other byproducts.

A reactor configuration is proposed for selectively converting gaseous, liquid or solid fuels to a syngas specification which is flexible in terms of H.sub.2/CO ratio. This reactor and system configuration can be used with a specific oxygen carrier to hydro-carbon fuel molar ratio, a specific range of operating temperatures and pressures, and a co-current downward moving bed system. The concept of a CO.sub.2 stream injected in-conjunction with the specified operating parameters for a moving bed reducer is claimed, wherein the injection location in the reactor system is flexible for both steam and CO.sub.2 such that, carbon efficiency of the system is maximized.

A reactor configuration is proposed for selectively converting gaseous, liquid or solid fuels to a syngas specification which is flexible in terms of H.sub.2/CO ratio. This reactor and system configuration can be used with a specific oxygen carrier to hydro-carbon fuel molar ratio, a specific range of operating temperatures and pressures, and a co-current downward moving bed system. The concept of a CO.sub.2 stream injected in-conjunction with the specified operating parameters for a moving bed reducer is claimed, wherein the injection location in the reactor system is flexible for both steam and CO.sub.2 such that, carbon efficiency of the system is maximized.

A two-step gasification process and apparatus for the conversion of solid or liquid organic waste into clean fuel, suitable for use in a gas engine or a gas burner, is described. The waste is fed initially into a primary gasifier, which is a graphite arc furnace. Within the primary gasifier, the organic components of the waste are mixed with a predetermined amount of air, oxygen or steam, and converted into volatiles and soot. The volatiles consist mainly of carbon monoxide and hydrogen, and may include a variety of other hydrocarbons and some fly ash. The gas exiting the primary gasifier first passes through a hot cyclone, where some of the soot and most of the fly ash is collected and returned to the primary gasifier. The remaining soot along with the volatile organic compounds is further treated in a secondary gasifier where the soot and the volatile compounds mix with a high temperature plasma jet and a metered amount of air, oxygen or steam, and are converted into a synthesis gas consisting primarily of carbon monoxide and hydrogen. The synthesis gas is then quenched and cleaned to form a clean fuel gas suitable for use in a gas engine or a gas burner. This offers higher thermal efficiency than conventional technology and produces a cleaner fuel than other known alternatives.

A two-step gasification process and apparatus for the conversion of solid or liquid organic waste into clean fuel, suitable for use in a gas engine or a gas burner, is described. The waste is fed initially into a primary gasifier, which is a graphite arc furnace. Within the primary gasifier, the organic components of the waste are mixed with a predetermined amount of air, oxygen or steam, and converted into volatiles and soot. The volatiles consist mainly of carbon monoxide and hydrogen, and may include a variety of other hydrocarbons and some fly ash. The gas exiting the primary gasifier first passes through a hot cyclone, where some of the soot and most of the fly ash is collected and returned to the primary gasifier. The remaining soot along with the volatile organic compounds is further treated in a secondary gasifier where the soot and the volatile compounds mix with a high temperature plasma jet and a metered amount of air, oxygen or steam, and are converted into a synthesis gas consisting primarily of carbon monoxide and hydrogen. The synthesis gas is then quenched and cleaned to form a clean fuel gas suitable for use in a gas engine or a gas burner. This offers higher thermal efficiency than conventional technology and produces a cleaner fuel than other known alternatives.

In one embodiment described herein, fuel may be converted into syngas by a method comprising feeding the fuel and composite metal oxides into a reduction reactor in a co-current flow pattern relative to one another, reducing the composite metal oxides with the fuel to form syngas and reduced composite metal oxides, transporting the reduced composite metal oxides to an oxidation reactor, regenerating the composite metal oxides by oxidizing the reduced composite metal oxides with an oxidizing reactant in the oxidation reactor, and recycling the regenerated composite metal oxides to the reduction reactor for subsequent reduction reactions to produce syngas. The composite metal oxides may be solid particles comprising a primary metal oxide and a secondary metal oxide.