Hydrothermal conversion is performed on organic feedstocks that include solids, by forming a slurry of the feedstock in water and subjecting the slurry to hydrothermal conversion conditions. The hydrothermal conversion conditions may be sufficient to product a carbonized solid and/or liquefaction products. The size of solids (either or both of feedstock or carbonized solids produced in the process) is reduced by conducting a series of bubble-forming and bubble-collapsing cycles on the slurry.

The invention provides a method for generating a solid wood-based material and a hemicellulose-derived material from a wood raw material, said method comprising; i) treating the wood raw material under aqueous conditions at elevated temperature and pressure whereby to generate a hemicellulose-containing fluid component and a solid component; ii) separating said fluid component from said solid component; iii) processing at least a part of said solid component into a solid wood-based material; and iv) processing said liquid component into a hemicellulose-derived material. The invention also provides for a wood-derived fuel with a low ash content.

The method for the manufacture of bio-methane and eco-methane as well as electric and thermal energy according to the present invention consists in hydrogasification of a mixture of bio-carbon and fossil carbon in a carbon hydrogasification reactor using bio-hydrogen obtained in a bio-hydrogen production reactor from a mixture of bio-methane and steam in the presence of a catalyst and with a CO.sub.2 acceptor being a mixture of magnesium and calcium oxides. The raw gas formed, after purification, is subjected to separation into hydrogen and methane sent to a hydrogen production process and to feed a power generation unit. Spent CO.sub.2 acceptor is subjected to calcination and the CO.sub.2 produced in the calcination process is directed to a CO.sub.2 sequestration process. The system for the manufacture of methane and energy consists of a first reactor (1) for the hydrogasification of a mixture of bio-carbon and carbon prepared by a carbon feed preparation unit (25) connected to a biomass pyrolysis apparatus (22) and a carbon conveyor (24) and fed by a carbon mixture conveyor (26) to the first reactor (1) connected to a vapour and gas separator (15), said separator having a hydrogen outlet connected to the first reactor (1) and a methane outlet connected to a third reactor (3) and the power generation unit (5). Additionally, the third reactor (3) has a CO.sub.2 acceptor inlet connected to a second reactor (2) for the calcination of the spent CO.sub.2 acceptor and a spent CO.sub.2 outlet at the third reactor (3) connected via a conveyor (14) to the second reactor (2). A CO.sub.2 pipeline (10c) is connected to a CO.sub.2 sequestration system, whereas another CO.sub.2 pipeline (10d) for the regenerating CO.sub.2 stream exiting the second reactor (2) is connected via a heat exchanger (8) and a preheater (9) of that stream, connected via a pipeline (10) to the second reactor (2).

A feedstock delivery system transfers a carbonaceous material, such as municipal solid waste, into a product gas generation system. The feedstock delivery system includes a splitter for splitting bulk carbonaceous material into a plurality of carbonaceous material streams. Each stream is processed using a weighing system for gauging the quantity of carbonaceous material, a densification system for forming plugs of carbonaceous material, a de-densification system for breaking up the plugs of carbonaceous material, and a gas and carbonaceous material mixing system for forming a carbonaceous material and gas mixture. A pressure of the mixing gas is reduced prior to mixing with the carbonaceous material, and the carbonaceous material to gas weight ratio is monitored. A transport assembly conveys the carbonaceous material and gas mixture to a first reactor where at least the carbonaceous material within the mixture is subject to thermochemical reactions to form the product gas.

A feedstock delivery system transfers a carbonaceous material, such as municipal solid waste, into a product gas generation system. The feedstock delivery system includes a splitter for splitting bulk carbonaceous material into a plurality of carbonaceous material streams. Each stream is processed using a weighing system for gauging the quantity of carbonaceous material, a densification system for forming plugs of carbonaceous material, a de-densification system for breaking up the plugs of carbonaceous material, and a gas and carbonaceous material mixing system for forming a carbonaceous material and gas mixture. A pressure of the mixing gas is reduced prior to mixing with the carbonaceous material, and the carbonaceous material to gas weight ratio is monitored. A transport assembly conveys the carbonaceous material and gas mixture to a first reactor where at least the carbonaceous material within the mixture is subject to thermochemical reactions to form the product gas.

This disclosure describes a method for retrofitting an existing plant. The method includes adding a fractionation process to separate bran from other components in a feedstock to the existing plant, adding a pretreatment process downstream of the fractionation process, the pretreatment process configured to receive the bran and utilize water and heat to break down cellulose and hemicellulose in the bran; adding a hydrolysis and cellulosic fermentation process downstream of the pretreatment process and upstream of the fermentation process to hydrolyze the bran with a cellulase enzyme complex cocktail and to ferment with an organism to produce cellulosic beer; and combining the cellulosic beer with starch from the grain in the existing plant into the fermentation process to increase overall yield per feedstock unit in the existing plant.

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.

A method of continuous hydrothermal carbonization of sludge containing organic matter, involving a stage of hydrothermal reaction carried out in a reactor (4), includes: a step of introduction of sludge in which the sludge is introduced into the reactor (4) by a first inlet (11), a step of endogenous injection of steam in which steam is injected into the reactor (4) by a second inlet (15) distinct from the first inlet (11), a step of extraction in which at least a portion of the sludge contained in the reactor (4) is extracted continuously by a sludge outlet (16), a step of preheating in which the temperature of the sludge is raised prior to its introduction into the reactor (4) up to a temperature of preheating greater than 70 C. Also disclosed is a device making it possible to carry out such a method.

A process of making a fuel product from a non-combustible high protein organic material such as a waste material. The high protein organic material is pulverized to a particle size whose particle size less than 2 mm. The moisture content of the high protein organic material is mechanically reduced and dried to reduce the moisture content to less than ten percent (10%). The high protein organic waste material is fed into a combustion chamber and separated during combustion such as by spraying of the high protein organic waste material within the combustion chamber. Temperature and combustion reactions within the combustion chamber may be controlled by injection of steam within the combustion chamber.

A hydrothermal conversion process includes a mixing step wherein an aqueous slurry of a solid feedstock material with a steam stream to produce a reaction mixture having a temperature of at least 160 C. and which is at a pressure sufficient to keep water as a subcooled liquid. The process is fast and effective, requires only simple equipment and is highly energy-efficient. The process is also readily scalable, can be operated continuously or semi-continuously and can be tailored to produce carbonized solids or liquefaction products, all of which typically have increased economic value compared with the starting materials.