Catalysts useful in transforming biomass to bio-oil are disclosed, as are methods for making such catalysts, and methods of transforming biomass to bio-oil. The catalysts are especially useful for, but are not limited to, microwave- and induction-heating based pyrolysis of biomass, solid waste, and other carbon containing materials into bio-oil. The catalysts can also be used for upgrading the bio-oil to enhance fuel quality.

The present disclosure provides a Fischer-Tropsch tail gas recycling system, including: a Fischer-Tropsch reactor providing a source of tail gas; a first preheater for preheating the tail gas to between about 200 and 300 degrees C.; a hydrogenator for hydrogenating the tail gas; an expansion device for reducing the pressure of the tail gas to between about 2.5 and 5 bar; a second preheater for preheating a feed gas comprising the tail gas and steam to between about 500 and 600 degrees C.; and a catalytic reformer for reforming the feed gas in the presence of a catalyst, wherein the catalytic reformer operates at about 2 bar and about 1000 degrees C., for example. Optionally, CO2 and/or natural gas are also added to the tail gas and/or steam to form the feed gas.

A device and method for cleaning producer gas includes a filter bed housing and a microwave chamber. The filter bed housing comprises an inlet for carbon-based material and a spent carbon outlet. The microwave chamber comprises a permeable top and wave guides around the perimeter through which microwaves can be introduced into the device using magnetrons. The method comprises using the device by filling the filter bed housing with carbon-based material, introducing microwaves into the microwave chamber using the magnetrons and wave guides, passing the gas through carbon-based material in the filter bed chamber, the microwave chamber, the gas permeable top and the gas outlet.

The invention relates to a process for producing synthesis gas, in which carbon and hydrogen are obtained from hydrocarbon by thermal decomposition. At least a portion of the carbon obtained by the thermal decomposition is reacted, and at least a portion of the hydrogen obtained is reacted with carbon dioxide by a reverse water-gas shift reaction to give carbon monoxide and water. Carbon obtained by the thermal hydrocarbon decomposition is used as fuel in a power plant operation wherein the carbon is combusted to produce electrical power, and carbon dioxide formed in the combustion of the carbon is used in the reverse water-gas shift reaction.

Disclosed herein are processes, systems, and catalysts for improving pyrolysis technology. The disclosed processes and systems utilize a catalyst to increase pyrolysis gas (py-gas) and decrease bio-oil yields in pyrolysis reactions. The disclosed catalysts may include biochar derived from pyrolysis of industrial residuals, such as pyrolysis of wastewater biosolids (WB) and paper mill sludge (PMS). The disclosed catalysts also may include ash derived from incineration of wastewater biosolids (biosolids incineration ash (BIA)).

Disclosed herein are processes, systems, and catalysts for improving pyrolysis technology. The disclosed processes and systems utilize a catalyst to increase pyrolysis gas (py-gas) and decrease bio-oil yields in pyrolysis reactions. The disclosed catalysts may include biochar derived from pyrolysis of industrial residuals, such as pyrolysis of wastewater biosolids (WB) and paper mill sludge (PMS). The disclosed catalysts also may include ash derived from incineration of wastewater biosolids (biosolids incineration ash (BIA)).

A continuous multi-stage vertically sequenced gasification process for conversion of solid carbonaceous fuel material into clean (low tar) syngas. The process involves forming a pyrolysis residue bed having a uniform depth and width to pass raw syngas there through for an endothermic reaction, while controlling the reduction zone pressure drop, resident time and syngas flow space velocity during the endothermic reaction to form substantially tar free syngas, to reduce carbon content in the pyrolysis residue, and to reduce the temperature of raw syngas as compared to the temperature of the partial oxidation zone.

The present disclosure relates to a power production system that is adapted to achieve high efficiency power production using partial oxidation of a solid or liquid fuel to form a partially oxidized stream that comprises a fuel gas. This fuel gas stream can be one or more of quenched, filtered, and cooled before being directed to a combustor of a power production system as the combustion fuel. The partially oxidized stream is combined with a compressed recycle CO.sub.2 stream and oxygen. The combustion stream is expanded across a turbine to produce power and passed through a recuperator heat exchanger. The expanded and cooled exhaust stream can be further processed to provide the recycle CO.sub.2 stream, which is compressed and passed through one or more recuperator heat exchangers in a manner useful to provide increased efficiency to the combined systems.

A method for forming catalytically treated pyrolytic vapor product from pyrolyzable material, the method comprising burning fuel in a fluidized bed boiler, thereby heating some particulate material; transferring at least some of the heated particulate material or some other heated particulate material to a pyrolysis reactor to pyrolyze some pyrolyzable material in the pyrolysis reactor; and conveying at least some pyrolytic vapor through a catalyst bed comprising catalyst material; and conveying at least part of the formed side products upstream back to the process; thereby producing the catalytically treated pyrolytic vapor product in an resource efficient manner. In addition, a system configured to produce catalytically treated pyrolytic vapor product from pyrolyzable material. The system comprises a fluidized bed boiler; a pyrolysis reactor; a catalytic reactor; means for conveying some heated particulate material to the pyrolysis reactor; a pipeline for conveying at least some pyrolytic vapor from the pyrolysis reactor into the catalytic reactor and means for conveying at least part of the formed side products upstream back to the process for recovering heat and chemical energy bound to the side products.

The invention relates to a catalyst regeneration process for a tar reforming catalyst within a catalyst bed in a tar reformer. The process comprises the steps of:Admitting a main gas stream with controlled temperature and oxygen content to an inlet into the tar reformer;Passing the main gas stream through the catalyst bed to form an oxygen depleted gas stream;Exiting the oxygen depleted gas stream from the tar reformer; andRecycling at least a part of the oxygen depleted gas stream exiting from the tar reformer back into said main gas stream upstream said tar reformer. The temperature of said main gas stream at the inlet is controlled to be within the range from about 500 C. to about 1000 C.