Herein disclosed are apparatus and associated methods related to producing an enhanced surface area biochar product with a desired activation level based on receiving biochar into a processing vessel configured with multiple independently temperature-controlled chambers and counter-flow steam injection, controlling activation levels of the biochar by moving the biochar through the processing vessel and adjusting the temperature of the biochar by injecting steam into at least one temperature-controlled chamber of the processing vessel, recovering volatiles driven off through dehydration using a thermal oxidizer, cooling the biochar to a desired discharge temperature using steam and retention time, and discharging the activated biochar product. The processing vessel may be a calciner, a rotary calciner, or a kiln. Biochar may be heated or cooled to a desired thermochemical processing temperature depending on the temperature of the received biochar. Counter-flow saturated steam may sweep volatile gases to a thermal oxidizer using a vacuum system.

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.

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.

A method and an apparatus for treating comminuted waste material the method comprising: •a) providing a heating chamber (28) and one or more combustion heating means (40a-f) for heating the contents of the heating chamber (28), the heating chamber (28) having an inlet (21) and an outlet (22), •b) feeding comminuted waste material through the inlet (21) and into the heating chamber (28); •c) heating the comminuted waste material in the heating chamber (28), using the combustion heating means (40a-f), to generate a combustible gas; and •d) supplying at least a portion of the generated combustible gas to the one or more combustion heating means (40a-f) for heating the heating chamber (28).

Herein disclosed are apparatus and associated methods related to producing an enhanced surface area biochar product with a desired activation level based on receiving biochar into a processing vessel configured with multiple independently temperature-controlled chambers and counter-flow steam injection, controlling activation levels of the biochar by moving the biochar through the processing vessel and adjusting the temperature of the biochar by injecting steam into at least one temperature-controlled chamber of the processing vessel, recovering volatiles driven off through dehydration using a thermal oxidizer, cooling the biochar to a desired discharge temperature using steam and retention time, and discharging the activated biochar product. The processing vessel may be a calciner, a rotary calciner, or a kiln. Biochar may be heated or cooled to a desired thermochemical processing temperature depending on the temperature of the received biochar. Counter-flow saturated steam may sweep volatile gases to a thermal oxidizer using a vacuum system.

Herein disclosed are apparatus and associated methods related to producing an enhanced surface area biochar product with a desired activation level based on receiving biochar into a processing vessel configured with multiple independently temperature-controlled chambers and counter-flow steam injection, controlling activation levels of the biochar by moving the biochar through the processing vessel and adjusting the temperature of the biochar by injecting steam into at least one temperature-controlled chamber of the processing vessel, recovering volatiles driven off through dehydration using a thermal oxidizer, cooling the biochar to a desired discharge temperature using steam and retention time, and discharging the activated biochar product. The processing vessel may be a calciner, a rotary calciner, or a kiln. Biochar may be heated or cooled to a desired thermochemical processing temperature depending on the temperature of the received biochar. Counter-flow saturated steam may sweep volatile gases to a thermal oxidizer using a vacuum system.

The invention provides a method of pyrolysis carbonization and catalysis for biomass, which comprises: using waste biomass from agriculture and forestry as raw materials, conducting pyrolysis carbonization reaction at 630˜720° C. under oxygen-limited or oxygen-insulation conditions, obtaining biochar and bio-tar-containing pyrolysis oil-gas mixture after gas-solid separation of the products; treating the bio-tar-containing pyrolysis oil-gas mixture obtained with a biochar catalyst at 690˜850° C., carrying out bio-tar catalytic cracking to obtain small molecular combustible gas and light bio-tar, preserving heat and ageing the biochar obtained at 530˜650° C. then making a kind of biochar catalyst. The invention further provides an integrated device used for the method of pyrolysis carbonization and catalysis for biomass, comprising: a spiral feeder, a pyrolysis carbonization device and a catalysis device. The method of pyrolysis carbonization and catalysis for biomass and the device thereof according to the invention can solve the problems presented in the existing methods such as high energy consumption, high cost, and low utilization ratio of energy.

The invention provides a method of pyrolysis carbonization and catalysis for biomass, which comprises: using waste biomass from agriculture and forestry as raw materials, conducting pyrolysis carbonization reaction at 630˜720° C. under oxygen-limited or oxygen-insulation conditions, obtaining biochar and bio-tar-containing pyrolysis oil-gas mixture after gas-solid separation of the products; treating the bio-tar-containing pyrolysis oil-gas mixture obtained with a biochar catalyst at 690˜850° C., carrying out bio-tar catalytic cracking to obtain small molecular combustible gas and light bio-tar, preserving heat and ageing the biochar obtained at 530˜650° C. then making a kind of biochar catalyst. The invention further provides an integrated device used for the method of pyrolysis carbonization and catalysis for biomass, comprising: a spiral feeder, a pyrolysis carbonization device and a catalysis device. The method of pyrolysis carbonization and catalysis for biomass and the device thereof according to the invention can solve the problems presented in the existing methods such as high energy consumption, high cost, and low utilization ratio of energy.

Herein disclosed are apparatus and associated methods related to producing an enhanced surface area biochar product with a desired activation level based on receiving biochar into a processing vessel configured with multiple independently temperature-controlled chambers and counter-flow steam injection, controlling activation levels of the biochar by moving the biochar through the processing vessel and adjusting the temperature of the biochar by injecting steam into at least one temperature-controlled chamber of the processing vessel, recovering volatiles driven off through dehydration using a thermal oxidizer, cooling the biochar to a desired discharge temperature using steam and retention time, and discharging the activated biochar product. The processing vessel may be a calciner, a rotary calciner, or a kiln. Biochar may be heated or cooled to a desired thermochemical processing temperature depending on the temperature of the received biochar. Counter-flow saturated steam may sweep volatile gases to a thermal oxidizer using a vacuum system.

Herein disclosed are apparatus and associated methods related to producing an enhanced surface area biochar product with a desired activation level based on receiving biochar into a processing vessel configured with multiple independently temperature-controlled chambers and counter-flow steam injection, controlling activation levels of the biochar by moving the biochar through the processing vessel and adjusting the temperature of the biochar by injecting steam into at least one temperature-controlled chamber of the processing vessel, recovering volatiles driven off through dehydration using a thermal oxidizer, cooling the biochar to a desired discharge temperature using steam and retention time, and discharging the activated biochar product. The processing vessel may be a calciner, a rotary calciner, or a kiln. Biochar may be heated or cooled to a desired thermochemical processing temperature depending on the temperature of the received biochar. Counter-flow saturated steam may sweep volatile gases to a thermal oxidizer using a vacuum system.