The present invention relates to a combination of components suitable to break down liquid fuels into short chain molecules and gaseous states of matter by heating and pressurizing the combustible/flammable liquids to the point where they phase change into a supercritical fluid, then releasing some fluid as needed into a vapor accumulation tank that has a lower pressure. This subsequent drop in pressure phase changes the fluid from a supercritical state into a consistent and safe gaseous state. From there, the fuel can be delivered to the engine via direct injectors, gaseous fuel carburetors, or a regulating valve such as a needle valve. Because gaseous fuels readily homogenize with intake air and oxidizers, the present invention allows any engine to cleanly, reliably, and consistent use any fuel without adjustment. This allows any engine to run off any combustible liquid, in effect creating the ultimate multifuel system.

A method and apparatus for producing a solid biofuel from hydrocarbonaceous feedstock is described. The process includes loading a hydrocarbonaceous feedstock into a reactor vessel, adding an aqueous catalyst solution into the reactor vessel, wherein the catalyst solution resides at the bottom of the reactor vessel under the hydrocarbonaceous feedstock position, heating the reactor vessel at or above 170° C. to catalyze a reaction of hydrocarbonaceous feedstock under saturated steam conditions for a time sufficient to yield a polymeric biofuel, and isolating the polymeric biofuel from the reactor vessel.

In some variations, the invention provides a biocarbon composition comprising a low fixed carbon material with a fixed carbon concentration from 20 wt % to 55 wt %; a high fixed carbon material with a fixed carbon concentration from 50 wt % to 100 wt % (and higher than the fixed carbon concentration of the low fixed carbon material; from 0 to 30 wt % moisture; from 0 to 15 wt % ash; and from 0 to 20 wt % of one or more additives (such as a binder). Some variations provide a process for producing a biocarbon composition, the process comprising: pyrolyzing a first biomass-containing feedstock to generate a low fixed carbon material; separately pyrolyzing a second biomass-containing feedstock to generate a high fixed carbon material; blending the low fixed carbon material with the high fixed carbon material, thereby generating an intermediate material; optionally, blending one or more additives into the intermediate material; optionally, drying the intermediate material; and recovering a biocarbon composition containing the intermediate material or a thermally treated form thereof.

A method of processing coal includes placing coal having a heat content between about 3,000 BTU/lb and about 9,000 BTU/lb and a moisture content between about 20 wt % and about 60 wt % in a vessel. The coal is heated by conduction. A pressure in the vessel is reduced to below atmospheric pressure, thereby reducing the coal, such that an average primary particle size of the coal is less than 1 millimeter. The reduced coal is shaped to yield a fuel composition.

Some variations provide a process for producing biocarbon pellets, comprising: pyrolyzing a biomass-containing feedstock in a first pyrolysis reactor to generate a first biogenic reagent and a pyrolysis vapor; introducing the pyrolysis vapor to a separation unit, to generate a pyrolysis precipitate in liquid or solid form; contacting the first biogenic reagent with the pyrolysis precipitate, thereby generating an intermediate material; pelletizing the intermediate material, to generate intermediate pellets; optionally, drying the intermediate pellets; separately pyrolyzing the intermediate pellets in a second pyrolysis reactor to generate a second biogenic reagent and a pyrolysis off-gas; and recovering the second biogenic reagent as biocarbon pellets. Some variations provide a similar process that utilizes a carbon-containing condensed-matter material, which is not necessarily a pyrolysis precipitate. The disclosure provides improved processes for producing biocarbon compositions, especially with respect to carbon yield and biocarbon properties, such as reactivity.

The present invention relates to the field of renewable energy. More specifically, the present invention relates to the production of biofuel from biomass including, for example, polymeric materials.

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.

Clean, safe and efficient methods, systems, and processes for utilizing thermolysis methods to processes to convert various e-waste sources into Clean Fuel Gas and Char source are disclosed. The invention processes e-waste sources, such as for example whole circuit boards, to effectively shred and/or grind the waste source, and then process using thermolysis methods to destroy and/or separate halogen and other dangerous components to provide a Clean Fuel Gas and Char source, along with the ability to recover precious metals and other valuable components from the Char.

The present invention is directed towards a process for upgrading lignite comprising: prior to production pre-assess the calorific value of the coal, by selecting a relational expression between a calorific value of lignite and a degree of metamorphism, a moisture content and an ash content thereof based on a ratio of the ash content to the moisture content, pre-assess the calorific value of the coal; combining a relational expression between a production cost and the ash content and moisture content to make a cost budget; determining degrees of deashing and drying; selecting and implementing a lignite ash reduction pretreatment process; and implementing dry sorting first and then drying. The upgrading process has high sorting efficiency, high drying efficiency and low production cost, and meets the requirement for the surface moisture of the raw coal in the dry sorting operation.

This document describes methods for pretreating coal to create either a dried coal or a char product that is stable in the outdoor environment and is more efficient as a feedstock for gasification or other processes than the original coal. Embodiments of the methods include pulverizing and pelletizing the coal, and pretreating the coal pellets to obtain a stable pellet of either dried coal or a stable pellet of chared coal (coal char). The pellets created by the described methods have undergone deoxygenation and carbonization improving their handling and storage properties and, in some cases, energy density. Pore structures within the pellets are stabilized physically and chemically so that the uptake of moisture into dry coal, that leads to internal heat generation, is greatly reduced. Chars are also, therefore, stable against transitions from a dry state to a wet state and less prone to self-ignition.