A fluidized bed biogasifier is provided for gasifying biosolids. The biogasifier includes a reactor vessel and a feeder for feeding biosolids into the reactor vessel at a desired feed rate during steady-state operation of the biogasifier. A fluidized bed in the base of the reactor vessel has a cross-sectional area that is proportional to at least the fuel feed rate such that the superficial velocity of gas is in the range of 0.1 m/s (0.33 ft/s) to 3 m/s (9.84 ft/s). In a method for gasifying biosolids, biosolids are fed into a fluidized bed reactor. Oxidant gases are applied to the fluidized bed reactor to produce a superficial velocity of producer gas in the range of 0.1 m/s (0.33 ft/s) to 3 m/s (9.84 ft/s). The biosolids are heated inside the fluidized bed reactor to a temperature range between 900 F. (482.2 C.) and 1700 F. (926.7 C.) in an oxygen-starved environment having a sub-stoichiometric oxygen level, whereby the biosolids are gasified.

A shear retort mill for slow ablative pyrolysis features friction heating between shearing surfaces on a rotating disk and a static or rotating cylindrical drum enclosing the disk. A feed enters the workspace between the rotating disk and the bottom of the drum through a hollow feed shaft coupled to the rotating disk. Preferably, an auger compacts and moves the feed downward, and a shredder reduces the feed's particle size. The feed is increasingly ground and pyrolyzed as it is forced between the drum and disk shearing surface. As the dense processed material extrudes at the edge of the workspace, the gases and liquid products are forced inward by the barrier of dense solids. A static exhaust pipe at the center of the rotating feed shaft allows for the exit of these gases, which preferably go to a heat exchanger to recover any condensable fractions.

A pyrolysis plant for the treatment of solid and liquid waste materials is described, comprising: a first section (100), suitable for carrying out a pyrolysis of this solid and liquid waste materials, this pyrolysis producing synthesis gas, syngas, and residual ash; a second section (200) adapted to carry out a separation of the lighter fraction of this ash, coal dust or carbon black, from the syngas, the lighter fraction being transported by the syngas; a third section (300), suitable for carrying out a fractional distillation of the syngas, obtaining the separation of the volatile fraction of the syngas from a bituminous residue, tar; a fourth section (400), adapted to carry out a recycling of the bituminous residue of the fractional distillation, for a further treatment; and a fifth final emergency section, including, in addition to safety pumps which will automatically intervene in the event of a system failure, all safety systems.

A char recycling system capable of easily determining whether or not a char exhausting pipe is blocked by char. The char recycling system comprises: a stand pipe (31) forming a vertically-downwards flowpath (33) through which char is conveyed; and a differential pressure gauge (41) that measures the pressure difference between the pressure in a downstream area (45) in the vertically-downwards flowpath (33) and the pressure in an upstream area (46) in the vertically-downwards flowpath (33). The pressure difference fluctuates when char accumulates between the downstream area (45) and the upstream area (46) in the vertically-downwards flowpath (33). As a result, this kind of char recovery system is capable of easily determining whether or not the vertically-downwards flowpath (33) is blocked by char, on the basis of the measured pressure difference.

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.

A solids discharge system (SDS) is configured to separate solids from product gas. The system includes a solids separation device and at least one solids transfer conduit configured to receive solids from the solids separation device. The solids transfer conduit is selectively partitioned into a plurality of compartments (or sections) along its length by isolation valves. A gas supply conduit and a gas discharge conduits are connected to one of the sections to facilitate removal of solids. A filter in fluid communication with that section is configured to prevent solids from passing through the gas discharge conduit so that the solids can be removed from one of the sections of the solids transfer conduit. A product gas generation system incorporates first and second reactors, the latter of which receives products created by the second reactor.

The invention relates to chemical technology and equipment, in particular to apparatuses of processing of solid household and industrial waste, as well as other carbon-containing feedstock into combustible gasification gas and methods for pyrolysis and downdraft gasification process.

A device for processing scrap rubber has a reactor with a screw conveyor disposed inside a heating chamber, a thermal decomposition unit, burners, a condenser, a cyclone filter, and devices for discharging solid residue and removing a gas-vapor mixture. The reactor has two sections connected in parallel. The thermal decomposition unit has screw conveyors in each section, the conveyors have axial heating pipes with a coil. Along the length of the conveyors plates are arranged at the corners of an equilateral triangle in contact with and perpendicular to the side surface of the heating tube. A cylinder furnace with an evaporator and a burner is connected to the ends of the pipes. An outlet of the condenser is connected to a liquid fraction separator, inlets of the coils are connected to an outlet of the evaporator, and an inlet of the evaporator is connected to an outlet from the separator.

A method is provided for thermally processing waste to produce steam and generate energy while minimizing air pollutants in a staged thermal reactor. The method includes gasifying the waste to convert the waste to a fuel gas and a substantially carbon free, inert, granulated, sintered mineral ash and reforming the fuel gas auto-thermally to minimize creation of nitrogen oxide when the fuel gas is combusted. The method further includes burning the reformed fuel gas to minimize creation of nitrogen oxide in a flame region of a fuel gas burner and recirculating cooled flue gas to control oxygen content and temperature during the reforming operation and the burning operation. In one example, reforming the fuel gas converts non-molecular nitrogen species into molecular nitrogen in an auto-thermal non-catalytic reformer unit by decomposition reactions promoted by a prevailing reducing gas atmosphere.

A device for processing scrap rubber has a reactor with a screw conveyor disposed inside a heating chamber, a thermal decomposition unit, burners, a condenser, a cyclone filter, and devices for discharging solid residue and removing a gas-vapor mixture. The reactor has two sections connected in parallel. The thermal decomposition unit has screw conveyors in each section, the conveyors have axial heating pipes with a coil. Along the length of the conveyors plates are arranged at the corners of an equilateral triangle in contact with and perpendicular to the side surface of the heating tube. A cylinder furnace with an evaporator and a burner is connected to the ends of the pipes. An outlet of the condenser is connected to a liquid fraction separator, inlets of the coils are connected to an outlet of the evaporator, and an inlet of the evaporator is connected to an outlet from the separator.