An anaerobic digester is fed a feedstock, for example sludge from a municipal wastewater treatment plant, and produces a digestate. The digestate is dewatered into a cake. The cake may be dried further, for example in a thermal drier. The cake is treated in a pyrolysis system to produce a synthesis gas and biochar. The gas is sent to the same or another digester to increase its methane production. The char may be used as a soil enhancer.

The invention relates to a process and an apparatus for producing an olefin-containing feed stream for a steam reforming plant. According to certain embodiments of the invention, the olefin-containing hydrocarbon starting material is for this purpose vaporized and catalytically hydrogenated. The hydrogenation product stream obtained is separated into a gaseous reforming feed stream, which is fed to a steam reforming plant, and a gaseous recycle stream. As a result of the cooling according to the invention of the gaseous recycle stream down to at least partial condensation thereof and the separate recirculation of the gaseous partial recycle stream and of the liquid partial recycle stream, the procurement of a large and complicated circulation compressor is avoided and electric energy for operating this compressor is saved.

The invention relates to a process and an apparatus for producing an olefin-containing feed stream for a steam reforming plant. According to certain embodiments of the invention, the olefin-containing hydrocarbon starting material is for this purpose vaporized and catalytically hydrogenated. The hydrogenation product stream obtained is separated into a gaseous reforming feed stream, which is fed to a steam reforming plant, and a gaseous recycle stream. As a result of the cooling according to the invention of the gaseous recycle stream down to at least partial condensation thereof and the separate recirculation of the gaseous partial recycle stream and of the liquid partial recycle stream, the procurement of a large and complicated circulation compressor is avoided and electric energy for operating this compressor is saved.

The present disclosure relates to cogeneration of power and one or more chemical entities through operation of a power production cycle and treatment of a stream comprising carbon monoxide and hydrogen. A cogeneration process can include carrying out a power production cycle, providing a heated stream comprising carbon monoxide and hydrogen, cooling the heated stream comprising carbon monoxide and hydrogen against at least one stream in the power production cycle so as to provide heating to the power production cycle, and carrying out at least one purification step so as to provide a purified stream comprising predominately hydrogen. A system for cogeneration of power and one or more chemical products can include a power production unit, a syngas production unit, one or more heat exchange elements configured for exchanging heat from a syngas stream from the syngas production unit to a stream from the power production unit, and at least one purifier element configured to separate the syngas stream into a first stream comprising predominately hydrogen and a second stream.

Apparatus and process for producing hydrocarbons from biomass having a pyrolysis reactor (2) in which dry biomass (Bd) is heated in an environment substantially free from oxygen and halogens, a pyrolysis product (PP) and char (C) is produced, a gasification reactor (3) in which separated char (C) is heated in an environment containing steam (Wst) to reduce the char (C) to produce a synthesis gas (Sh), a gas cooler (4) in which the produced synthesis gas (Sh) is cooled to a cooled synthesis gas (Srt); a conditioning and pressure system (5) in which cooled synthesis gas (Srt) is refined to produce a purified synthesis gas (Sp), and a separation device (6) in which hydrogen gas (H2) is separated from purified synthesis gas (Sp). A hydrogenation device (7) into which pyrolysis oil (PO) retrieved from the pyrolysis product (PP) and separated hydrogen gas (H2) recuperated from the separation device (6) are introduced for hydrogenation in which pyrolysis oil (PO) is hydrogenated by the presence of hydrogen gas (H2), and hydrocarbons (BO) that are substantially free from oxygen are produced.

Apparatus and process for producing hydrocarbons from biomass having a pyrolysis reactor (2) in which dry biomass (Bd) is heated in an environment substantially free from oxygen and halogens, a pyrolysis product (PP) and char (C) is produced, a gasification reactor (3) in which separated char (C) is heated in an environment containing steam (Wst) to reduce the char (C) to produce a synthesis gas (Sh), a gas cooler (4) in which the produced synthesis gas (Sh) is cooled to a cooled synthesis gas (Srt); a conditioning and pressure system (5) in which cooled synthesis gas (Srt) is refined to produce a purified synthesis gas (Sp), and a separation device (6) in which hydrogen gas (H2) is separated from purified synthesis gas (Sp). A hydrogenation device (7) into which pyrolysis oil (PO) retrieved from the pyrolysis product (PP) and separated hydrogen gas (H2) recuperated from the separation device (6) are introduced for hydrogenation in which pyrolysis oil (PO) is hydrogenated by the presence of hydrogen gas (H2), and hydrocarbons (BO) that are substantially free from oxygen are produced.

A method for converting a feedstock comprising solid hydrocarbons to a sweet synthesis gas, involving the steps a. gasifying said feedstock in the presence of steam, an oxygen rich gas and an amount of sour process gas to form a raw synthesis gas optionally comprising tar, b. optionally conditioning said raw synthesis gas to a sour shift feed gas, c. contacting said sour shift feed gas with a sulfided material catalytically active in the water gas shift process for providing a sour hydrogen enriched synthesis gas, d. separating H.sub.2S and CO.sub.2 from said sour hydrogen enriched synthesis gas, for providing said sour recycle gas and a sweet hydrogen enriched synthesis gas.

There is described a process for the recovering of inorganic chemicals of pulp and paper making processes (IC) and the production of biochemicals from black liquor (BL) using microwaves (MW) comprising: (a) filtration of BL to produce filtered BL, in a media, (b) drying of said filtered BL with MW in said media to produce dried BL, (c) pyrolysis of said dried BL with MW in said media to produce bio-oil, biogas, and solid residue, (d) recovering of said bio-oil, and (e) recovering of IC and biocarbon from said solid residue. The disclosed process does not require chemical additives compared to processes rely on precipitation of lignin to recover said IC. The disclosed process supports efficient, direct, and long-lasting reductions in greenhouse gas emissions and local air pollutants resulting from the current processes rely on burning BL in recovery boilers to recover said IC.

There is described a process for the recovering of inorganic chemicals of pulp and paper making processes (IC) and the production of biochemicals from black liquor (BL) using microwaves (MW) comprising: (a) filtration of BL to produce filtered BL, in a media, (b) drying of said filtered BL with MW in said media to produce dried BL, (c) pyrolysis of said dried BL with MW in said media to produce bio-oil, biogas, and solid residue, (d) recovering of said bio-oil, and (e) recovering of IC and biocarbon from said solid residue. The disclosed process does not require chemical additives compared to processes rely on precipitation of lignin to recover said IC. The disclosed process supports efficient, direct, and long-lasting reductions in greenhouse gas emissions and local air pollutants resulting from the current processes rely on burning BL in recovery boilers to recover said IC.

Electric-powered, closed-loop, continuous-feed, endothermic energy-conversion systems and methods are disclosed. In one embodiment, the presently disclosed energy-conversion system includes a shaftless auger. In another embodiment, the presently disclosed energy-conversion system includes a drag conveyor. In yet another embodiment, the presently disclosed energy-conversion system includes a distillation and/or fractionating stage. The endothermic energy-conversion systems and methods feature mechanisms for natural resource recovery, refining, and recycling, such as secondary recovery of metals, minerals, nutrients, and/or carbon char.