A method for converting carbonaceous raw materials and in particular biomass into hydrogen, includes the steps of: gasification of the carbon-containing raw materials in a gasifier, wherein heated water vapour is introduced into the gasifier and used for gasification; and cleaning of the hydrogen-containing synthesis gas produced in the gasification, wherein the gasification is an allothermal gasification and the heated water vapour is used both as gasification agent and as heat carrier for the gasification, wherein energy not used for H2 production is at least partially reused for the production and/or superheating of water vapour.

A process for processing carbonaceous material, the process comprising delivering a carbonaceous material to a first reactor zone; delivering a catalyst to the first reactor zone; processing the carbonaceous material within the first reactor to decompose and/or devolatilise at least a portion of the carbonaceous material; delivering an output from the first reactor to a secondary reactor; the secondary reactor having a higher temperature than the first reactor.

A carbonaceous feed pyrolysis apparatus is provided including two or more hot particle fluidised beds, one of which contains a combustion zone, and one or more positive displacement apparatus for the transfer of hot particles beds. Also provided is a bio-oil production process including two or more fluidised beds, a first combustion zone carried out in one or more combustion fluidised beds in which a particulate material is fluidised and heated, and a second pyrolysis zone carried out in one or more pyrolysis fluidised beds in which hot particles heated in the combustion zone are used for pyrolysis of bio-mass, the combustion zone being operated at or about atmospheric pressure at a temperature of from 400 C. to 1100 C., and the pyrolysis zone being operated at a pressure of from atmospheric to 100 Barg at a temperature of from 400 C. to 900 C.

The invention provides an apparatus which consists of two fluidized beds 1 and 2 separated by a vertical divides' 5. A positive displacement device such as an auger 3 moves the bed material from the reduction side to the combustion side of the device below the fluidization zone. The height of the two fluidized beds is equalized by movement of the bed material through a hole 4 In the vertical divider, from the high temperature side 1 (zone 1) to the tow temperature side 2 (zone 2). The bed material that moves through the hole 4 provides energy to drive reactions that may occur on the reduction side. Energy may also be provided to zone 2 by means of conductive and radiative heat transfer through the dividing wall 5. Energy is provided to zone 1 by means of an exothermic reaction, typically combustion of a fuel 13 using air 12.

A mixing apparatus for producing a feedstock for a reformer, the mixing apparatus including at least one mixing vessel comprising a cylindrical vessel with a conical bottom; a steam inlet configured for introducing steam into the conical bottom; a carbonaceous material inlet configured for introducing a carbonaceous feed into the cylindrical vessel; and an outlet for a reformer feedstock comprising at least 0.3 pounds of steam per pound of carbonaceous material, with the at least one mixing vessel configured for operation at a pressure of greater than about 10 psig.

A process for the manufacture of one or more useful products comprises: gasifying a carbonaceous feedstock comprising waste materials and/or biomass in a gasification zone to generate a raw synthesis gas; supplying at least a portion of the raw synthesis gas to a clean-up zone to remove contaminants and provide a clean synthesis gas; supplying the clean synthesis gas to a first further reaction train to generate at least one first useful product and a tailgas; and diverting selectively on demand a portion of at least one of the carbonaceous feedstock, the clean synthesis gas, the tailgas and the light gas fraction to heat or power generation within the process, in response to external factors to control the carbon intensity of the overall process and enable GHG emission savings.

A carbonaceous fuel gasification system for a supercritical CO.sub.2 power cycle system includes a micronized char preparation system comprising a devolatilizer that receives solid carbonaceous fuel, hydrogen, oxygen, and fluidizing steam and produces micronized char, steam, hydrogen, and volatiles. An indirect gasifier includes a vessel comprising a gasification chamber that receives the micronized char, a conveying gas, and steam where the gasification chamber provides syngas, ash, and steam. A combustion chamber receives syngas and an oxidant and burns the mixture of syngas with the oxidant to provide heat for gasification and for heating incoming flows, thereby generating steam and CO.sub.2. The heat for gasification is transferred from the combustion chamber to the gasification chamber by circulating refractory sand. A syngas cooler cools the syngas and generates steam and provides to a supercritical CO.sub.2 power cycle system that performs a supercritical CO.sub.2 power cycle for generating power.

Solid fuel in the form of particles is supplied to a pyrolyzer, and pyrolysis conditions are maintained in the pyrolyzer for separating condensable gaseous substances from the fuel. Heat required by the pyrolysis conditions is supplied at least partly with solid fluidized bed material which passes through the pyrolyzer simultaneously as it is fluidized by fluidizing gas in the pyrolyzer. Condensable gaseous substances separated from the fuel are conveyed from the pyrolyzer to a condenser, in which they are separated as so-called pyrolysis oil in liquid form, and solid fluidized bed material taken from the pyrolyzer and containing combustible pyrolysis residue originating from the fuel is circulated through a gasifier, in which product gas, which is burnt in a boiler or a kiln, is formed from the pyrolysis residue.

A solids circulation system receives a gas stream containing char or other reacting solids from a first reactor. The solids circulation system includes a cyclone configured to receive the gas stream from the first reactor, a dipleg from the cyclone to a second reactor, and a riser from the second reactor which merges with the gas stream received by the cyclone. The second reactor has a dense fluid bed and converts the received materials to gaseous products. A conveying fluid transports a portion of the bed media from the second reactor through the riser to mix with the gas stream prior to cyclone entry. The bed media helps manipulate the solids that is received by the cyclone to facilitate flow of solids down the dipleg into the second reactor. The second reactor provides additional residence time, mixing and gas-solid contact for efficient conversion of char or reacting solids.

A system including a mixing apparatus configured to produce a reformer feedstock and comprising one or more cylindrical vessel having a conical bottom section, an inlet for superheated steam within the conical bottom section and an inlet for at least one carbonaceous material at or near the top of the cylindrical vessel, wherein the one or more cylindrical vessel is a pressure vessel configured for operation at a pressure in the range of from about 5 psig (34.5 kPa) to about 50 psig (344.7 kPa); a reformer configured to produce, from the reformer feedstock, a reformer product comprising synthesis gas, and also producing a hot flue gas; a synthesis gas conversion apparatus configured to catalytically convert at least a portion of the synthesis gas in the reformer product into synthesis gas conversion product, and to separate, from the synthesis gas conversion product, a spent catalyst stream and a tailgas.