Sono-chemical reactors and methods of using the same are provided. The sono-chemical reactors may include a plurality of sections that are sequentially connected along a longitudinal direction of the sono-chemical reactor. The plurality of sections may include a sono-reactor section that includes a reactant inlet through which reactants are supplied into the sono-reactor section and a static mixer section that is configured to receive a first reactant/product mixture from the sono-reactor section and is configured mix the first reactant/product mixture therein for reaction between unreacted reactants. An inner space of the sono-reactor section may taper along the longitudinal direction of the chemical reactor away from the reactant inlet. The plurality of sections may also include a product separation section that is configured to receive a second reactant/product mixture from the static mixer section and is configured to separate a product from the second reactant/product mixture.

Biomass (e.g., plant biomass, animal biomass, and municipal waste biomass) is processed to produce useful products, such as fuels. For example, systems are described that can use feedstock materials, such as cellulosic and/or lignocellulosic materials, to produce ethanol and/or butanol, e.g., by fermentation.

A fuel refinery system comprising a particulate filter adapted to remove particulates from fuel flowing through the fuel conduction system, a water filter adapted to remove water from fuel flowing through the fuel conduction system following its passage through the particulate filter, a magnetic field of sufficient strength to further refine the fuel flowing through the fuel conduction system following its passage through the water filter, a catalyst injector configured to inject the catalyst from a catalyst tank into the fuel flowing through the fuel conduction system following its passage through the magnetic field, a dispensing conduit configured to conduct the fuel from the fuel refinement apparatus following injection of the catalyst.

Biomass (e.g., plant biomass, animal biomass, and municipal waste biomass) is processed to produce useful products, such as fuels. For example, systems can use feedstock materials, such as cellulosic and/or lignocellulosic materials and/or starchy materials, to produce ethanol and/or butanol, e.g., by fermentation.

In a method of producing a hydrocarbon-based synthetic fuel by adding water to a base oil, it is intended to increase a ratio of the synthetic fuel to a hydrocarbon-based fuel as the base oil, more significantly than ever before. Specifically, provided is a method of producing a hydrocarbon-based synthetic fuel oil having a volume greater than that of a hydrocarbon-based base fuel oil, by adding water to the hydrocarbon-based base fuel oil, wherein a first-order hydrocarbon-based synthetic fuel oil produced by the production method is used as a base fuel oil for producing a second-order hydrocarbon-based synthetic fuel oil, or this process is repeated plural times in sequence, thereby producing a hydrocarbon-based synthetic fuel having a high water addition rate.

The present invention relates to a method for purifying a flow (1) of natural gas, comprising the following steps: a) a step (5) of processing at least a portion (3) of the flow (1) by pyrolysis at a temperature in the range from 1000? C. to 2000? C. so as to decompose the hydrocarbons which comprise at least two carbon atoms into elemental carbon and dihydrogen H.sub.2 and to thereby obtain a processed flow (6), then b) a step (7) of eliminating the elemental carbon which is present in the processed flow (6) from step a) so as to obtain a processed flow without any elemental carbon (8); then c) when steps a) and b) have been carried out on only a portion of the flow (I) of natural gas, a step (IO) of mixing the processed flow without any elemental carbon (8) from step b) with the portion (4) of the non-processed flow; then d) obtaining a flow of purified natural gas (11) which consists of either the mixture (10) from step c) or the processed flow without any elemental carbon (8) from step b). The invention also relates to preparing a fuel from the natural gas purified in this manner.

Sono-chemical reactors and methods of using the same are provided. The sono-chemical reactors may include a plurality of sections that are sequentially connected along a longitudinal direction of the sono-chemical reactor. The plurality of sections may include a sono-reactor section that includes a reactant inlet through which reactants are supplied into the sono-reactor section and a static mixer section that is configured to receive a first reactant/product mixture from the sono-reactor section and is configured mix the first reactant/product mixture therein for reaction between unreacted reactants. An inner space of the sono-reactor section may taper along the longitudinal direction of the chemical reactor away from the reactant inlet. The plurality of sections may also include a product separation section that is configured to receive a second reactant/product mixture from the static mixer section and is configured to separate a product from the second reactant/product mixture.

A process for cleaning and dewatering hydrophobic particulate materials is presented. The process is performed in in two steps: 1) agglomeration of the hydrophobic particles in a first hydrophobic liquid/aqueous mixture; followed by 2) dispersion of the agglomerates in a second hydrophobic liquid to release the water trapped within the agglomerates along with the entrained hydrophilic particles.

A process for cleaning and dewatering hydrophobic particulate materials is presented. The process is performed in in two steps: 1) agglomeration of the hydrophobic particles in a first hydrophobic liquid/aqueous mixture; followed by 2) dispersion of the agglomerates in a second hydrophobic liquid to release the water trapped within the agglomerates along with the entrained hydrophilic particles.

A method of removing impurities from formation fluids includes introducing a formation fluid into a first end of a first tubular, directing the formation fluid along a first flow path toward a second end of the first tubular, redirecting the formation fluid along a second flow path defined by a second tubular arranged radially outwardly of the first flow path toward the first end, spraying a treatment fluid along the first flow path into the formation fluid, and directing a treated formation fluid through an outlet fluidically connected to the second flow path.