A feedstock delivery system transfers a carbonaceous material, such as municipal solid waste, into a product gas generation system. The feedstock delivery system includes a splitter for splitting bulk carbonaceous material into a plurality of carbonaceous material streams. Each stream is processed using a weighing system for gauging the quantity of carbonaceous material, a densification system for forming plugs of carbonaceous material, a de-densification system for breaking up the plugs of carbonaceous material, and a gas and carbonaceous material mixing system for forming a carbonaceous material and gas mixture. A pressure of the mixing gas is reduced prior to mixing with the carbonaceous material, and the carbonaceous material to gas weight ratio is monitored. A transport assembly conveys the carbonaceous material and gas mixture to a first reactor where at least the carbonaceous material within the mixture is subject to thermochemical reactions to form the product gas.

A biogas plant includes a fermenter, a biogas processing unit and a thermal engine. The biogas processing unit includes a gas separation unit and a compression unit for the separation of raw biogas from the fermenter into two gas streams, whereby the first gas stream includes a product gas that is enriched in biomethane with respect to the composition of the raw biogas and the second gas stream includes a residual gas that is enriched with carbon dioxide with respect to the composition of the raw biogas and has a biomethane concentration of less than 20%. The thermal engine produces energy that is used for operation of the compression unit.

In one embodiment, a method for processing carbonaceous materials that includes introducing a first source of carbonaceous material as a first feedstock into a mixer. Then, a second source of carbonaceous material is introduced as a second feedstock into the mixer. The second feedstock is one of the outputs of the processing of the carbonaceous materials. These carbonaceous materials are mixed into a single feedstock of carbonaceous materials that is customized into a predetermined material composition, and this predetermined mixture is then pyrolyzed in a pyrolyzer to produce a custom carbonaceous output. Other embodiments are also disclosed.

Processes and systems for converting biomass into high-carbon biogenic reagents that are suitable for a variety of commercial applications. Pyrolysis in the presence of an inert gas is employed to generate hot pyrolyzed solids, condensable vapors, and non-condensable gases, followed by separation of vapors and gases, and cooling of the hot pyrolyzed solids in the presence of the inert gas. Additives may be introduced during processing or combined with the reagent, or both. The biogenic reagent may include at least 70 wt %, 80 wt %, 90 wt %, 95 wt %, or more total carbon on a dry basis. The biogenic reagent may have an energy content of at least 12,000 Btu/lb, 13,000 Btu/lb, 14,000 Btu/lb, or 14,500 Btu/lb on a dry basis. The biogenic reagent may be formed into fine powders, or structural objects. The structural objects may have a structure and/or strength that derive from the feedstock, heat rate, and additives.

A method and an apparatus for manufacturing, with thermal treatment, biocoal which is non-energent, such as functional as a heat sink, by using a conveyor arrangement housed in an essentially Thompson Converter type process space. A to-be-processed feedstock is conveyed in the process space with the conveyor arrangement, which is closed relative thereto, in a longitudinal direction of the process space. A pyrolysis gas, generated from the to-be-processed feedstock present inside the conveyor arrangement as a result of heat transferring from the process space thereto, is conducted into a combustion chamber included in the process space for burning the gas, a thereby generated flue gas being removed from the process space by a discharge arrangement and a resulting non-energent biocoal being removed from the conveyor arrangement for further processing.

A process for activating a hydrogenation catalyst comprising nickel to produce a selective hydrogenation catalyst, comprising contacting the hydrogenation catalyst with a mixed gas comprising and hydrogen sulfide and periodically increasing the temperature of the mixed gas in increments until the mixed gas reaches a temperature that facilities the efficient catalytic hydrogenation of both acetylene and butadiene by the modified catalyst, while the modified catalyst is simultaneously characterized by low selectivity for the hydrogenation of ethylene. The disclosure further claims a process that utilizes the modified catalyst to selectively hydrogenate acetylene and butadiene contaminants in a raw light olefin stream produced by thermal cracking, thereby extending the useful catalytic lifespan of a downstream oligomerization catalyst that converts the light olefins stream to a liquid transportation fuel, or a blend stock thereof.

A system and method for torrefying a combination of biomass and biochar colloidal dispersion is provided.

Systems and methods associated with biomass decomposition are generally described. Certain embodiments are related to adjusting a flow rate of a fluid comprising oxygen into a reactor in which biomass is decomposed. The adjustment may be made, at least in part, based upon a measurement of a characteristic of the reactor and/or a characteristic of the biomass. Certain embodiments are related to cooling at least partially decomposed biomass. The biomass may be cooled by flowing a gas over an outlet conduit in which the biomass is cooled, and then directing the gas to a reactor after it has flowed over the outlet conduit. Certain embodiments are related to systems comprising a reactor and an outlet conduit configured such that greater than or equal to 75% of its axially projected cross-sectional area is occupied by a conveyor. Certain embodiments are related to systems comprising a reactor comprising an elongated compartment having a longitudinal axis arranged substantially vertically and an outlet conduit comprising a conveyor.

An embodiment provides a method for recycling tires, including: injecting, using a pump, a rubber material into a dissociating system, wherein the pump exerts a mechanical force upon the rubber material to reduce a size of the rubber material; within the dissociating system, creating a rubber material mixture, by: injecting a supercritical fluid to be mixed with the rubber material; heating, using a heat source, the rubber material mixture; and atomizing the rubber material mixture; and sending the resulting atomized rubber material mixture to a separating system to separate the rubber material mixture into different components. Other aspects are described and claimed.

Processes, systems, and associated control methodologies are disclosed that control the flow of biogas during the biogas cleanup process to create a more consistent flow of biogas through the digester, while also optimizing the output and efficiency of the overall renewable natural gas facility. In representative embodiments, a biogas buffer storage system may be used during the cleanup process to control the pressure and flow rate of biogas. The biogas buffer storage system may monitor and control the biogas flow rate to either bring down or increase the digester pressure, thereby maintaining a normalized biogas flow rate.