Carbonaceous-containing material including biomass, municipal solid waste, and/or coal and/or contaminated soil, and/or other carbonaceous materials may be gasified at low temperatures utilizing a reactor designed to generate shockwaves in a supersonic gaseous vortex. Preprocessed waste may be introduced into the reactor. A gas stream may be introduced substantially tangentially to an inner surface of a chamber of the reactor to generate a gaseous vortex rotating about a longitudinal axis within the chamber. The gas stream may be introduced using a nozzle that accelerates the gas stream to a supersonic velocity, and may impinge on an impactor positioned within the reactor chamber. A frequency of shockwaves emitted from the nozzle into the gaseous vortex may be controlled. The processed waste discharged from the reactor, which may include a gas component and at least a solid component, can be subjected to separation, and at least some of the gas component and at least one solid component (i.e., tars) may be fed back to the feeding device so that the solids from the processed waste condense on preprocessed waste contained in the feeding device and are reprocessed within the reactor. The gas component from the feeding device may be cleaned after the solids have been condensed out in the feeding device.

Pre-ground plastics of small particle size not more than 2 mm are co-fed into a solid fossil fuel fed entrained flow partial oxidation gasifier. High solids concentrations in the feedstock stream can be obtained without significant impact on the feedstock stream stability and pumpability. A consistent quality of syngas can be continuously produced, including generation of carbon dioxide and a carbon monoxide/hydrogen ratio while stably operating the gasifier and avoiding the high tar generation of fluidized bed or fixed bed waste gasifiers and without impacting the operations of the gasifier. The subsequent syngas produced from this material can be used to produce a wide range of chemicals.

Pre-ground plastics of small particle size not more than 2 mm are co-fed into a solid fossil fuel fed entrained flow partial oxidation gasifier. High solids concentrations in the feedstock stream can be obtained without significant impact on the feedstock stream stability and pumpability. A consistent quality of syngas can be continuously produced, including generation of carbon dioxide and a carbon monoxide/hydrogen ratio while stably operating the gasifier and avoiding the high tar generation of fluidized bed or fixed bed waste gasifiers and without impacting the operations of the gasifier. The subsequent syngas produced from this material can be used to produce a wide range of chemicals.

The present invention provides a process and apparatus for converting feedstock comprising biomass and/or carbon-containing solid waste material to synthesis gas. The process comprises supplying the feedstock to a gasifier comprising a fluidized bed zone and a post-gasification zone and contacting the feedstock with a gasification agent at a plurality of different operating temperatures based on the ash softening temperature of the feedstock and finally recovering the synthesis gas. The apparatus is configured to perform the process and comprises a plurality of nozzles arranged at an acute angle relative to a horizontal plane of the gasifier.

Pre-ground plastics of small particle size not more than 2 mm are co-fed into a solid fossil fuel fed entrained flow partial oxidation gasifier. High solids concentrations in the feedstock stream can be obtained without significant impact on the feedstock stream stability and pumpability. A consistent quality of syngas can be continuously produced, including generation of carbon dioxide and a carbon monoxide/hydrogen ratio while stably operating the gasifier and avoiding the high tar generation of fluidized bed or fixed bed waste gasifiers and without impacting the operations of the gasifier. The subsequent syngas produced from this material can be used to produce a wide range of chemicals.

Pre-ground plastics of small particle size not more than 2 mm are co-fed into a solid fossil fuel fed entrained flow partial oxidation gasifier. A syngas composition can be made by charging an oxidant and a feedstock composition comprising recycle plastics and a solid fossil fuel to a gasification zone within a gasifier; gasifying the feedstock composition together with the oxidant in said gasification zone to produce said syngas composition; and discharging at least a portion of said syngas composition from said gasifier; wherein the recycled plastics are added to a feed point comprising a solid fossil fuel belt feeding a grinder after the solid fossil fuel is loaded on the belt, a solid fossil fuel belt feeding a grinder before the solid fossil fuel is loaded onto the belt, or a solid fossil fuel slurry storage tank containing a slurry of said solid fossil fuel ground to a size as the size fed to the gasification zone.

A pyrolysis and gasification system produce a synthesis gas and bio-char from a biomass feedstock. The system includes a feed hopper that has a flow measurement device. The system also includes a reactor that is operable in a gasification mode or a pyrolysis mode. The reactor is configured to receive the biomass feedstock from the feed hopper. The reactor is operable to provide heat to the biomass feedstock from the feed hopper to produce the synthesis gas and bio-char. The system also includes a cyclone assembly. The produced synthesis gas including the bio-char is fed to the cyclone assembly. The cyclone assembly removes a portion of the bio-char from the synthesis gas.

The invention present provides a method (and suitable apparatus) to convert biomass to ethanol, comprising gasifying the biomass to produce raw syngas; feeding the raw syngas to an acid-gas removal unit to remove at least some CO.sub.2 and produce a conditioned syngas stream; feeding the conditioned syngas stream to a fermentor to biologically convert the syngas to ethanol; capturing a tail gas from an exit of the fermentor, wherein the tail gas comprises at least CO.sub.2 and unconverted CO or H.sub.2; and recycling a first portion of the tail gas to the fermentor and/or a second portion of the tail gas to the acid-gas removal unit. This invention allows for increased syngas conversion to ethanol, improved process efficiency, and better overall biorefinery economics for conversion of biomass to ethanol.

A universal feeder system that combines with a fluidized bed gasification reactor for the treatment of multiple diverse feedstocks including sewage sludge, municipal solid waste, wood waste, refuse derived fuels, automotive shredder residue and non-recyclable plastics. The invention thereby also illustrates a method of gasification for multiple and diverse feedstocks using a universal feeder system. The feeder system comprises one or more feed vessels and at least one live bottom dual screw feeder. The feed vessel is rectangular shaped having three vertical sides and an angled side of no less than 60 degrees from the horizontal to facilitate proper flow of feedstock material that have different and/or variable flow properties. The feedstocks are transferred through an open bottom chute to a live bottom dual screw feeder and through another open bottom chute to a transfer screw feeder that conveys feedstock to the fuel feed inlets of a gasifier.

Pre-ground plastics of small particle size not more than 2 mm are co-fed into a solid fossil fuel fed entrained flow partial oxidation gasifier. A syngas composition can be made by charging an oxidant and a feedstock composition comprising recycle plastics and a solid fossil fuel to a gasification zone within a gasifier; gasifying the feedstock composition together with the oxidant in said gasification zone to produce said syngas composition; and discharging at least a portion of said syngas composition from said gasifier; wherein the recycled plastics are added to a feed point comprising a solid fossil fuel belt feeding a grinder after the solid fossil fuel is loaded on the belt, a solid fossil fuel belt feeding a grinder before the solid fossil fuel is loaded onto the belt, or a solid fossil fuel slurry storage tank containing a slurry of said solid fossil fuel ground to a size as the size fed to the gasification zone.