This powder transport device comprises: transport pipe (11) that can transport powder by way of gravity by having a prescribed angle of inclination; a porous plate (12) that is disposed along the transport pipe (11) so as to divide a line cross section into a top section and bottom section and form a powder line (11d) in the top section; an inert gas supply line for fluidization (13) that is provided under the porous plate (12) and supplies an assist gas (g) to the powder line (11d) through the porous plate (12); and a deposit status monitoring device (20) that constantly monitors the state of the powder deposited on the top face side of the porous plate (12) in the powder line (11d).

A method for producing synthesis gas for operating an internal combustion engine from an organic solid fuel decomposed into pyrolysis products in a pyrolysis reactor without an oxygen supply, includes feeding the pyrolysis products from a bottom of the pyrolysis reactor to a fluidized bed reactor. A synthesis gas produced in the fluidized bed reactor is withdrawn as product gas. The products gas is directly or indirectly fed to the internal combustion engine. The pyrolysis reactor is operated using at least one pyrolysis auger for conveying the solid fuel. The fluidized bed reactor is fluidized by supplying air at a rate above a minimal loosening rate of the bed material of the fluidized bed of the fluidized bed reactor.

A solid and liquid waste gasifier has a reactor that includes a fixed chamber and an alumina (aluminium oxide) refractory coating, provided with an automatic energy cell feeder and having, inside the fixed chamber, a rotary steel tube which is coupled to one of the ends of the fixed chamber, said rotary tube having a surface containing holes, a screw on its inside surface and a second screw on its outside surface, which rotates juxtaposed to the inside tubular body wall, ensuring the ashes are moved to be released in an automatic device, said gasifier being provided with sensors, the data from which is sent to a programmable logic controller for activation of the mechanical elements.

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.

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.

Electric-powered, closed-loop, continuous-feed, endothermic energy-conversion systems and methods are disclosed. In one embodiment, the presently disclosed energy-conversion system includes a shaftless auger. In another embodiment, the presently disclosed energy-conversion system includes a drag conveyor. In yet another embodiment, the presently disclosed energy-conversion system includes a distillation and/or fractionating stage. The endothermic energy-conversion systems and methods feature mechanisms for natural resource recovery, refining, and recycling, such as secondary recovery of metals, minerals, nutrients, and/or carbon char.

A feedstock delivery system transfers a carbonaceous material, such as municipal solid waste, into a product gas generation system. The feedstock delivery system includes a splitter for splitting bulk carbonaceous material into a plurality of carbonaceous material streams. Each stream is processed using a weighing system for gauging the quantity of carbonaceous material, a densification system for forming plugs of carbonaceous material, a de-densification system for breaking up the plugs of carbonaceous material, and a gas and carbonaceous material mixing system for forming a carbonaceous material and gas mixture. A pressure of the mixing gas is reduced prior to mixing with the carbonaceous material, and the carbonaceous material to gas weight ratio is monitored. A transport assembly conveys the carbonaceous material and gas mixture to a first reactor where at least the carbonaceous material within the mixture is subject to thermochemical reactions to form the product gas.

An integrated chemical looping combustion (CLC) electrical power generation system and method for diesel fuel combining four primary units including: gasification of diesel to ensure complete conversion of fuel, chemical looping combustion with supported nickel-based oxygen carrier on alumina, gas turbine-based power generation and steam turbine-based power generation is described. An external combustion and a heat recovery steam generator (HRSG) are employed to maximize the efficiency of a gas turbine generator and steam turbine generator. The integrated CLC system provides a clean and efficient diesel fueled power generation plant with high CO.sub.2 recovery.

The present invention provides a process for obtaining solid recovered fuel and synthesis gas from a waste-based feedstock, comprising the steps of: I. converting the feedstock into a solid recovered fuel by means of a number of parameters pertaining to waste sorting, selection, comminution and/or screening; II. gasifying under suitable reaction conditions at least a portion of the solid recovered fuel to produce synthesis gas and by-product(s); and III. optionally cleaning at least a portion of the synthesis gas to produce clean synthesis gas and wastewater, wherein one or more of the solid recovered fuel, synthesis gas, and by-product(s) of the gasification are analysed during operation of the process, and wherein data from said analysis is used to control one or more parameters of step I) in order to influence reaction conditions in step II, and optionally step III).

Exemplary apparatus or method implementations for a universal feeder system configured with a transfer screw feeder within a multi-section clamshell pipe permitting access to the feed screw and pipe interior for inspection, maintenance and/or cleaning during production, without disassembly or screw removal. The clamshell screw feeder pipe provides access to the screw by opening or removing the multi-section top portion of the clamshell pipe. The top pipe section is bolted and or hinges to the bottom portion of the clamshell pipe. The number of segmented multiple clamshell top sections depends on the length of the screw. One or more clamshell top sections may be configured with an inspection port. The universal feeder system configured with a transfer screw feeder within a multi-section clamshell pipe transfers feedstock feed from one or more feed vessels to one or more reactor vessel.