Method and apparatus for preparation of fuel from biomass wherein the biomass is subjected to a heat treatment in a temperature range from 150 to 300 C, in a reactor pressurized with steam and air, wherein the pressure at completed treatment is released. The volume increase of steam and other gases from the pressure release is temporarily accumulated in a container of a flexible volume while steam and other gases are subjected to heat exchange in at least one heat exchanger so that condensable gases are condensed and release their heat of condensation in the at least one heat exchanger.

The present invention concerns an improved process for a process for the treatment of biomass, comprising (a) subjecting biomass to hydrothermal treatment in a hydrothermal reactor by immersing the biomass in a treatment liquid, wherein an effluent drained from step (b) or (c) is used as treatment liquid; (b) draining the liquid from the reactor via a liquid outlet to obtain a liquor and simultaneously or subsequently introducing another washing liquid into the reactor, wherein the washing liquid is pre-heated to a temperature 30? C. below operational temperature of step (a) or higher before being introduced into the reactor, (c) draining the reactor to obtain washed hydrothermally treated biomass and an effluent, wherein at least one of step (a) and (b) is performed at a temperature in the range of 100-250? C. The invention further concerns a solid fuel and a liquor obtained by the process according to the invention, as well as a hydrothermal treatment facility to operate the process according to the invention.

A device for producing energy from waste including a power generator, a digester, and .a generator utilizing biodiesel, active coal, tar, and ashes. The latter includes a purification chamber, a gas generator, a radiator, a compressor, and a reactor. The device includes an HMF producer comprising a primary treatment tank, a pump, a reactor, an extractor and a purification tank. The power generator may be at least one of a diesel motor, a gas turbine and steam cycle. The digester is structured to produce biogas.

A volume of natural gas including a volume of methane and a volume of other alkanes may be cleaned of the other alkanes using a steam reformer system to create synthesis gas.

Operating a natural gas (NG) processing plant, including receiving feed natural gas and processing the feed natural gas to give product natural gas. The processing includes removing acid gas, water, and non-methane hydrocarbons from the feed natural gas. In the NG processing plant, fuel is provided to a furnace and combusted in the furnace to heat a boiler and an HRSG to generate HP steam that drives a turbine to generate electricity and convert the HP steam to LP steam. Excess LP steam in the NG processing plant is subjected to electrolysis, thereby generating hydrogen gas, and the hydrogen gas combined with the fuel for combustion in the furnace.

Disclosed is a reactor for treating, particularly by hydrothermal carbonization, sludge containing organic matter, including, with: a vessel (100) including an inner chamber arranged to receive the sludge and to form a path of travel for the sludge adapted to allow for circulation of the sludge, a sludge inlet (1) arranged to introduce the sludge into a sludge introduction area of the inner chamber, a sludge outlet (11) arranged to discharge at least part of the sludge contained in the inner chamber, and a steam inlet (3) arranged to inject steam in a steam injection zone of the inner chamber along a steam injection direction, the steam injection direction being different from a sludge circulation direction in the steam injection zone along the circulation path, the steam injection zone being separated from the sludge introduction zone.

The present invention provides a carbon-enriched biomass material, a method of producing the carbon-enriched biomass material, and a method for using the carbons-enriched biomass material. A lignocellulosic material is used as a starting material and is treated at elevated temperatures under partially oxidizing conditions in a reaction vessel which is isolated from the environment. The carbon enriched biomass can be used in domestic or industrial combustion processes.

A method for producing a biofuel by continuous or discontinuous steam cracking of lignocellulosic biomass, comprises: recording a digital model of the optimal steam cracking parameters as a function of the typology of the plant constituents of the biomass; supplying the steam cracking reactor with heterogeneous biomass; measuring at least once during the treatment the typology of the plant constituents of the biomass; and controlling the adjustment of the steam cracking parameters as a function of the typology of the plant constituents of the measured biomass and of the digital model.

During hydrothermal carbonization, biomass is converted to biocoal. The reaction yield depends on the reaction conditions, including duration of the carbonization reaction or time period within which the slurry composed of water and biomass remains in the reaction tank and is exposed to pressure and temperature. These conditions should be selected so that the greatest possible dry residue of carbonized material remains in the slurry. It has been shown that the dry residue amount changes during the carbonization reaction with a curve that is similar, to a great extent, to that of the slurry pH value. Because determining the dry residue is difficult during the ongoing reaction, but determining the pH value can be easy during the entire reaction period, the reaction is terminated at a maximum of the pH value corresponding to a maximum of the biocoal dry residue, to the greatest possible extent.

A process is described for treating a natural gas stream containing methane and one or more higher hydrocarbons including the steps of mixing at least a portion of the natural gas stream with steam; passing the mixture adiabatically over a supported precious metal reforming catalyst to generate a reformed gas mixture comprising methane, steam, carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide and hydrogen; cooling the reformed gas mixture to below the dew point to condense water and removing the condensate to provide a de-watered reformed gas mixture, and passing the de-watered reformed gas mixture through an acid gas recovery unit to remove carbon dioxide and at least a portion of the hydrogen and carbon monoxide, thereby generating a methane stream. The methane stream may be used to adjust the composition of a natural gas stream, including a vaporized LNG stream, to meet pipeline specifications.