Methods and systems for treatment of organic waste by means of hydrothermal carbonization include a mixing tank for receiving organic waste. A first batch of mixed wet waste is fed from the mixing tank to a first thermal reactor to undergo thermal hydrolysis. A second batch of mixed wet waste is fed from the mixing tank to a second thermal reactor to undergo thermal hydrolysis. Bio-char sludge is fed in an alternating manner from the first and second thermal reactors to a bio-char cooler. To save energy, hot and pressurized water from the first thermal reactor is subsequently supplied to the second thermal reactor or from the second thermal reactor to the first thermal reactor in an alternating manner for the respective hydrolysis processes.

A liquid fuel derived from processed biomass having extremely low water content and suitable for use in diesel engines or as an additive to petroleum based fuels, or which can be used as a petroleum or coal slurry substitute in those uses where a lower cost fuel have reduced emission is desired, is described.

Provided is a conversion process for an organic oil, relating to the field of biomass utilization, energy and chemical industry. The conversion process is carried out in presence of an aqueous slurry and a catalyst selected from the group consisting of an iron oxide compound, a waste agent resulting from use of an iron oxide compound as desulfurizer, and a regeneration product of the waste agent, under a controlled molar ratio of iron element to sulfur element. It is found that free radical condensation polymerization of organic oil during cracking process can be blocked effectively by using carbonylation, and hydrogenation is achieved with active hydrogen produced from the conversion of CO and water. In the conversion process, organic material, especially biomass solid, can be directly converted without dehydration, and water can be additionally added to the biomass liquid or the mineral oil.

A hydrothermal liquefaction (HTL) system can comprise a biomass slurry source, a first pump in fluid communication with the slurry source and configured to pressurize a biomass slurry stream from the slurry source to a first pressure, a first heat exchanger in fluid communication with the first pump and configured to heat a slurry stream received from the first pump to a first temperature, a second pump in fluid communication with the first heat exchanger and configured to pressurize a slurry stream received from the first heat exchanger to a second pressure higher than the first pressure, a second heat exchanger in fluid communication with the second pump and configured to heat a slurry stream received from the second pump to a second temperature higher than the first temperature, and a HTL reactor configured to produce biocrude from a slurry stream received from the second heat exchanger.

The presently disclosed subject matter relates to torrefied biomass briquettes and methods for producing the same that make use of a mixture of lightly torrefied material (LTM) and highly torrefied material (HTM) and/or make use of torrefied materials that are subjected to a hydrolysis pretreatment prior to being torrefied.

The present invention concerns an improved process for the wet torrefaction (Torwash) of biomass, wherein the liquid phase comprises vinasse which is typically considered a waste stream. The process according the invention comprises: (a) heating a mixture comprising biomass and vinasse at a temperature in the range of 100-400° C., to obtain torrefied biomass and a liquor; and (b) washing the torrefied biomass with water, to obtain a washed material and an effluent. The inventors found that by applying a washing step after the wet torrefaction, the results are equally good as when fresh water would be used in combination with a conventional pre-washing step.

A system and method for torrefying a combination of biomass and biochar colloidal dispersion is provided.

A method for producing an agglomerated solid bio-material comprises providing a particulate torrefied wood mass or a comminuted wood mass and blending with a particulate melt-flowable extract (MFE) recovered from an organosolv pulping process. The particulate torrefied biomass or the comminuted biomass is blended with the MFE to form a blended mixture wherein the particulate torrefied bio-mass or the comminuted wood mass is the primary component. The blend is agglomerated under pressure at a temperature of at least approximately 38° C. (100° F.) to form the agglomerated solid material which exhibits hydrophobic characteristics.

An embodiment provides a method for recycling tires, including: injecting, using a pump, a rubber material into a dissociating system, wherein the pump exerts a mechanical force upon the rubber material to reduce a size of the rubber material; within the dissociating system, creating a rubber material mixture, by: injecting a supercritical fluid to be mixed with the rubber material; heating, using a heat source, the rubber material mixture; and atomizing the rubber material mixture; and sending the resulting atomized rubber material mixture to a separating system to separate the rubber material mixture into different components. Other aspects are described and claimed.

There is provided a method of hydrothermal carbonization of a sludge from a wastewater treatment plant, comprising the steps of: preheating the sludge with at least one first steam fraction to obtain a preheated sludge; further heating the preheated sludge with a second steam fraction to obtain a heated sludge; subjecting the heated sludge to hydrothermal carbonization (HTC) in a reactor to obtain a HTC-treated slurry; mixing the HTC-treated slurry with an oxidizing agent, such as oxygen gas, to obtain a wet-oxidized slurry; subjecting the wet-oxidized slurry to flashing to obtain the second steam fraction and a pre-cooled slurry; subjecting the pre-cooled slurry to flashing in at least one step to obtain the at least one first steam fraction and a cooled slurry; separating the cooled slurry into a liquid fraction and a solids fraction; and routing the liquid fraction to the wastewater treatment plant for further treatment, wherein the second steam fraction is used for heating preheated sludge to the temperature of the HTC reaction. A corresponding system is also provided.