A process for converting waste fibers to solid fuel is provided, including providing a supply of animal waste including the waste fibers in a predetermined quantity; washing the supply of animal waste for a predetermined washing period; dewatering the supply of animal waste by separating water from the waste fibers for a predetermined dewatering period; shedding the waste fibers for separating liquids from solids; compressing the dewatered and shed waste fibers to generate a plurality of briquettes; torrefying at least one of the plurality of briquettes in a torrefaction reactor using a heat source at a predetermined torrefying temperature for a predetermined torrefying period; removing the at least one of the plurality of briquettes from the reactor; and cooling the torrefaction reactor to reach a predetermined cooling temperature.

Pelletized carbonized biomass-based fuel products, methods, and apparatuses are provided. Methods include applying a binder and a first amount of water to at least partially carbonized biomass, applying a second amount of water to the at least partially carbonized biomass, and pelletizing the at least partially carbonized biomass in an inert atmosphere. Apparatuses include a feeder of at least partially carbonized biomass, a binder source and a first water source configured to provide a binder and water to the at least partially carbonized biomass, a second water source downstream of the binder and first water sources, a pelletizer configured to receive and pelletize the at least partially carbonized biomass, and an inert gas source configured to provide inert gas to the pelletizer.

The present invention relates to a method and facility for preparing lignocellulosic biomass, in particular by means of water extraction and optionally particle-size refinement, for subsequent use particularly in a process of torrefaction, carbonization, pellet production, such as fuel pellets or soil enhancement pellets, or the manufacturing of building materials, or even the preparation of agri-food products, comprising centrifugation (100) of the biomass followed by attrition milling and drying (200).

A reactor for grinding and roasting biomass, including: a chamber interiorly delimited with internal walls; a grinder laid out inside the chamber, including a central rotary shaft rotatably mounted in the chamber and grinding elements present on the central rotary shaft for grinding against internal walls and of biomass, or lingo-cellulosic biomass, present inside the chamber; a heater for heating and maintaining by thermal conduction via the grinder the biomass present inside the chamber, at a predetermined called roasting temperature between 200 C. and 350 C., to simultaneously achieve grinding and roasting of the biomass in the chamber.

A process for torrefaction of biomass is provided in which biomass are passed into a fluidized bed or a non-fluidized bed reactor and heated to a predetermined temperature in an oxidizing environment. The dried biomass is then fed to a cooler where the temperature of the product is reduced to approximately 100 degrees Fahrenheit.

A process for torrefaction of biomass is provided in which biomass are passed into a fluidized bed reactor and heated to a predetermined temperature in an oxidizing environment. The dried biomass is then fed to a cooler where the temperature of the product is reduced to approximately 100 degrees Fahrenheit.

An apparatus for pyrolyzing a carbonaceous material and producing char and volatiles includes a vessel having an inlet for the carbonaceous material, an outlet for the char and the volatiles, and a first pathway therebetween. The vessel has wall portions with interior surfaces that define the first pathway. Further, the vessel has a heat exchange medium inlet, outlet and a second pathway therebetween. The first and second pathways are in heat exchange proximity to each other and the second pathway is defined by interior surfaces of the, or other, wall interior portions of the vessel. At least some of the interior wall portions of the vessel project into an interior space of the vessel such that at least one of the first and second pathways is non-linear.

There is described a method of producing ()-levoglucosenone, said method comprising, heating lignin to a temperature in excess of 150 C. for a time sufficient to convert a proportion of the lignin to ()-evoglucosenone.

A pellet stove, having a pellet hopper, a combustion chamber, a heat exchanger and a pellet movement assembly, adapted to move the pellets from the hopper into the combustion chamber. The pellet movement assembly is located and configured so as to be heated by exhaust gases from the combustion chamber and the pellets spend a sufficient amount of time in the pellet movement assembly, where oxygen is prevented from freely flowing in, so that the pellets are torrefied during transit to the combustion chamber.

The invention relates to a method and an arrangement for precise monitoring and control of torrefaction temperature, which enables accurate control of the quality and properties of the torrefied material. The method includes determining the surface temperature of the biomass in the torrefaction arrangement is using an IR-thermometer and hot nitrogen gas a purge gas.