Traditional residential and industrial furnace systems convert the chemical energy of liquid and gas fuels into thermal energy and, in some earlier applications, also into electric energy. This process is driven by a burner specifically designed and built. Often these systems operate at high temperatures, high pressures and relatively lower efficiency levels. The field of present invention generally relates to furnaces that combine the fuel production to the both thermal either electrical energy production. More particularly, the present invention produces a combustible gas that, within the internal workings of the present invention, and can efficiently be burned without the production of high levels of pollutants, at relatively lower temperatures and pressures. The foregoing characteristics, along with the limited size of the elements needed to practice the present invention, make it conducive for use as and in connection with, among other things, residential furnaces and other heating systems, including, for example, heat exchangers and residential hot water tanks. In short, the present invention involves the production of a combustible fuel gas, thermal and electric energy. This production is accomplished through the interconnected use of water electrolysis, catalysts, storage means, regulation, and mean of reusing materials to increase production efficiencies.

The invention relates to a method for producing a biofuel from an aqueous mixture of carbonized biomass obtained by means of a method for the hydrothermal carbonization of biomass, characterized in that it comprises: (a) grinding the aqueous mixture of carbonized biomass until a maximum size of less than 500 micrometers of the particles contained in the mixture is obtained; (b) applying a method for the physical separation of inorganic substances; and (c) reducing the moisture content until a water content of between 25 and 55 wt. % is reached. The invention also relates to the biofuel obtained by said method, and to the use thereof in various applications.

A three step method for the conversion of ethanol into fuels that can be utilized as full-performance military jet or diesel fuels. Embodiments of the invention further describe methods for the selective conversion of ethanol to full performance saturated hydrocarbon fuels that are suitable for both jet and diesel propulsion.

This invention relates to a method and apparatus for thermochemically processing material, and in particular relates to the torrefaction of organic material such as biomass, in particular to improve the energy content of the material, the method involving enclosing the material in a reactor which is then evacuated by means of a fluid driven vacuum pump to establish an oxygen free environment within the reactor, heating the material to above 200° C. to liberate process by-products such as volatile gases and/or oils, extracting the liberated volatile gases and/or oils from the enclosure and entraining same within the fluid driving the vacuum pump.

A method for operating an adsorption-based system for removing water and potentially other components from a feed stream. The system includes at least two dehydration units each comprising an adsorption bed. The method includes the steps of: i) obtaining process data from one or more sensors at a predetermined time resolution, the sensors at least comprising at least one moisture sensor at a specified location in each of the dehydration units; ii) dehydrating the feed stream by operating the adsorption-based system in regenerative mode, wherein at least one active unit of the at least two dehydration units is in an adsorption cycle, and wherein at least another one of the at least two dehydration units is being regenerated; iii) estimating an adsorption bed water adsorption capacity during every adsorption cycle; and iv) using the process data to update the estimated adsorption bed water adsorption capacity.

The present invention describes a process for the production of biofuel, said process comprising, pretreating a feedstock, mixing a catalyst with said feedstock, transferring the mixture of catalyst and feedstock into a reactor, and subjecting said mixture to a heating sequence by applying microwave energy thereto, wherein the catalyst comprises an aluminosillicate mineral, the percentage of aluminosillicate mineral in the catalyst-feedstock mixture is less than 10% (w/w), and the temperature of the mixture of catalyst and feedstock is no higher than 450° C. during the process.

This invention provides processes and systems for converting biomass into high carbon biogenic reagents that are suitable for a variety of commercial applications. Some embodiments employ pyrolysis in the presence of an inert gas 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 system and method for torrefying a combination of biomass and biochar colloidal dispersion is provided.

Refining assemblies and methods for refining rich natural gas containing a first methane gas and other hydrocarbons that are heavier than methane gas are disclosed. In some embodiments, the assemblies may include a methane-producing assembly configured to receive at least one liquid-containing feed stream that includes water and rich natural gas and to produce an output stream therefrom by (a) converting at least a substantial portion of the other hydrocarbons of the rich natural gas with the water to a second methane gas, a lesser portion of the water, and other gases, and (b) allowing at least a substantial portion of the first methane gas from the rich natural gas to pass through the methane-producing assembly unconverted. The assemblies may additionally include a purification assembly configured to receive the output stream and to produce a methane-rich stream therefrom having a greater methane concentration than the output stream.

To provide a method for producing a solid fuel that can efficiently evaporate moisture contained in a slurry by enhancing heat exchange efficiency.

The method for producing a solid fuel of the present invention includes the steps of: preparing a slurry by mixing powdery low-grade coal and oil; evaporating moisture contained in the slurry by heating; and separating the slurry obtained after the evaporation step into solid and liquid, wherein the evaporation step includes the steps of: preheating the slurry in a first circulation route; and heating the preheated slurry in a second circulation route that is different from the first circulation route. Preferably, in the preheating step and the heating step, a multitubular heat exchanger is used, the heating medium is supplied to the shell side, and the slurry is supplied to the tube side. Preferably, the process steam generated in the evaporation step is used as the heating medium for anyone of the preheating step and the heating step, and externally introduced steam is used as the heat medium for the other.