Materials, methods to prepare, and methods of use for producing an H.sub.2 rich synthesis gas stream from coal free of nitrogen is described. One embodiment of the method comprises. The method includes an oxygen carrier at least partially reduced using a fuel in a reactor forming a reduced metal oxide comprised of first series3d block-transition metals or mixture thereof. The reduced metal oxide is reacted with the solid fuel/steam to produce H.sub.2 and CO.sub.2/CO in the reactor; and the reduced metal oxide is added separately or simultaneously with a solid fuel while not impregnating the solid fuel with the reduced metal oxide.

A system used for converting multiple fuel feedstocks may include three reactors. The reactor system combination can be so chosen that one of the reactors completely or partially converts the fuel while the other generates the gaseous product required by utilizing the gaseous product from the second reactor. The metal-oxide composition and the reactor flow-patterns can be manipulated to provide the desired product. A method for optimizing the system efficiency where a pressurized gaseous fuel or a pressurized utility is used for applications downstream can be used to any system processing fuels and metal-oxide.

A method and apparatus for treatment of unburnts utilizing oxygen carrier particles, which may be CLOU particles, oxidized in an air reactor and transmitted to a post oxidation reactor as shown in FIG. 2. A flue gas stream containing unburnts is injected into post oxidation reactor wherein unburnts are oxidized by oxygen supplied by oxygen carriers. Reduced oxygen carriers are separated from post oxidation reactor and transmitted back to air reactor for re-oxidation. An embodiment may include a post oxidation chamber, which may be catalytic, receiving a portion of flue gas stream and oxygen from a flue gas stream of post oxidation reactor.

An optimized gasification/vitrification processing system having a gasification unit which converts organic materials to a hydrogen rich gas and ash in communication with a joule heated vitrification unit which converts the ash formed in the gasification unit into glass, and a plasma which converts elemental carbon and products of incomplete combustion formed in the gasification unit into a hydrogen rich gas.

A chemical-looping system utilizes oxygen-carrier particles to produce syngas from carbonaceous fuels. The system provides a circuitous flow path for the oxygen-carrier particles, which are used to partially oxidize the fuel to produce syngas. The circuitous flow path can proceed through a plurality of unit operations, including a reducer, a conversion reactor, an oxidizer, and a combustor. The conversion reactor is designed to partially oxidize carbonaceous fuel in co-current flow with the oxygen-carrier particles to produce syngas. In embodiments including an oxidizer, the oxidizer is designed to at partially re-oxidize the carrier particles, yielding hydrogen that can be mixed with partially oxidized products from the conversion reactor to adjust syngas quality. The combustor can be used to fully oxidize the carrier particles traveling in a closed loop. Reactions carried out in the combustor are highly exothermic and yield thermal energy that is absorbed by the carrier particles. The absorbed energy is used at other parts of the process, including the conversion reactor, to drive endothermic reactions. In this manner the system can be operated autothermally or nearly so. Methods of producing syngas are also disclosed.

The object of the invention is a combustion method for a solid feed using a chemical loop wherein an oxygen-carrying material circulates, said method comprising at least: contacting the solid feed particles in the presence of metallic oxide particles in a first reaction zone (R1) operating in dense fluidized bed mode, carrying out combustion of the gaseous effluents from first reaction zone (R1) in the presence of metallic oxide particles in a second reaction zone (R2), separating in a separation zone (S3) the unburnt particles and the metallic oxide particles within a mixture coming from second reaction zone (R2), re-oxidizing the metallic oxide particles in an oxidation zone (R4) prior to sending them back to first zone (R1).

This invention is directed to novel mixed transition metal iron (II/III) catalysts for the extraction of oxygen from CO.sub.2 and the selective reaction with organic compounds.

A system used for converting multiple fuel feedstocks may include three reactors. The reactor system combination can be so chosen that one of the reactors completely or partially converts the fuel while the other generates the gaseous product required by utilizing the gaseous product from the second reactor. The metal-oxide composition and the reactor flow-patterns can be manipulated to provide the desired product. A method for optimizing the system efficiency where a pressurized gaseous fuel or a pressurized utility is used for applications downstream can be used to any system processing fuels and metal-oxide.

A system for converting fuel may include a first moving bed reactor, a second reactor, and a non-mechanical valve. The first moving bed reactor may include at least one tapered section and multiple injection gas ports. The multiple injection gas ports may be configured to deliver a fuel to the first moving bed reactor. The first moving bed reactor may be configured to reduce an oxygen carrying material with a fuel by defining a countercurrent flowpath for the fuel relative to the oxygen carrying material. The second reactor may communicate with the first moving bed reactor and may be operable to receive an oxygen source. The second reactor may be configured to regenerate the reduced oxygen carrying material by oxidation.

A chemical-looping system utilizes oxygen-carrier particles to produce syngas from carbonaceous fuels. The system provides a circuitous flow path for the oxygen-carrier particles, which are used to partially oxidize the fuel to produce syngas. The circuitous flow path can proceed through a plurality of unit operations, including a reducer, a conversion reactor, an oxidizer, and a combustor. The conversion reactor is designed to partially oxidize carbonaceous fuel in co-current flow with the oxygen-carrier particles to produce syngas. In embodiments including an oxidizer, the oxidizer is designed to at partially re-oxidize the carrier particles, yielding hydrogen that can be mixed with partially oxidized products from the conversion reactor to adjust syngas quality. The combustor can be used to fully oxidize the carrier particles traveling in a closed loop. Reactions carried out in the combustor are highly exothermic and yield thermal energy that is absorbed by the carrier particles. The absorbed energy is used at other parts of the process, including the conversion reactor, to drive endothermic reactions. In this manner the system can be operated autothermally or nearly so. Methods of producing syngas are also disclosed.