A method and an apparatus for reducing the corrosion of a condenser in carbide derived carbons (CDC) production where cooling/quenching of a gaseous stream metal or metalloid halide is performed by direct contact of gaseous stream with liquid cooling agent before condenser, without utilizing a heat exchanger for the temperature range above 300° C., while keeping purity of gaseous stream of metal or metalloid halide constant. The apparatus comprises a reactor for carbide to carbon conversion and a condenser for collecting the by-produced metal- or metalloid chloride, and a cooling unit comprising a tank of liquid cooling agent. Temperature of the gas stream entering the condenser is reduced by heat absorbed in vaporization of a liquid metal- or metalloid halide introduced from the tank of liquid cooling agent through by supply pump, through the supply flow valve into the gaseous stream at the exit of the reactor.

A method of manufacture of high-solids hydroxide slurries from caustic calcined carbonate powder is described, whereby the properties of the slurry are its low resistance to shear thinning to facilitate transport, a high stability for transport and storage, ease of reconstitution after long periods of storage, and, as required, a high concentration of chemically reactive species at the particle surface. The method achieves these specifications by mixing caustic calcined carbonate or hydroxide powder with water in an insulated reactor vessel, and agitating the slurry sufficiently such that the hydration reaction causes the water to spontaneously boil, such that the remaining hydration proceeds spontaneously under the fixed conditions of boiling through the water loss. The mixing process is preferably carried out by a shear pump. A viscosity modifier, such as acetic acid, is used to thin the slurry to enable the mixing system to maintain uniform mixing. The reaction is terminated when the boiling has spontaneously ceased and the temperature has spontaneously dropped to a set point though the reactor heat losses, where the processing time is sufficiently long that the slurry meets the desired specifications.

Systems and methods associated with biomass decomposition are generally described. Certain embodiments are related to adjusting a flow rate of a fluid comprising oxygen into a reactor in which biomass is decomposed. The adjustment may be made, at least in part, based upon a measurement of a characteristic of the reactor and/or a characteristic of the biomass. Certain embodiments are related to cooling at least partially decomposed biomass. The biomass may be cooled by flowing a gas over an outlet conduit in which the biomass is cooled, and then directing the gas to a reactor after it has flowed over the outlet conduit. Certain embodiments are related to systems comprising a reactor and an outlet conduit configured such that greater than or equal to 75% of its axially projected cross-sectional area is occupied by a conveyor. Certain embodiments are related to systems comprising a reactor comprising an elongated compartment having a longitudinal axis arranged substantially vertically and an outlet conduit comprising a conveyor.

A continuous flow process and system for depolymerizing plastic. A heterogeneous mixture of solid plastic particles, a solvent, and a catalyst are pumped continuously through a heating zone at a flow rate resulting in a particle speed sufficient to keep the plastic particles in suspension. The heterogeneous mixture is heated in the heating zone and maintained in a hold zone to complete depolymerization of the mixture into a homogeneous solution containing a liquefied reaction product. The homogeneous solution is cooled to solidify and precipitate a solid reaction product. The solid reaction product is separated from the solvent to be recycled. Contaminants are removed from the solvent, and the solvent is recirculated for use as a constituent of the heterogeneous mixture.

Systems/methods for continuous operation of fixed bed reactors using gaseous fuels for the purpose of power generation through integration with a combined cycle power plant are provided. The fixed bed reactors are assumed to operate in a semi-batch mode composed of reactor modules that are integrated into module trains that comprise the chemical-looping combustion island of the power plant. The scheduling of each reactor train is cast as an optimization problem that maximizes thermodynamic efficiency subject to constraints imposed to each reactor and the entire island. When the chemical-looping reactors are arranged cyclically, each feeding to or being fed from another reactor, in an operating scheme that mimics simulated moving bed reactors, the thermodynamic efficiency of the reactor island can be improved. Allowing the reversal of module order in the cyclically arranged reactor modules further improves the overall thermodynamic efficiency (to 84.7%), while satisfying constraints imposed for carbon capture, fuel conversion, power plant safety and oxygen carrier stability.

A reactor and method for the conversion of hydrocarbon gases utilizes a reactor (12, 312, 412, 512, 612, 712) having a unique feed assembly with an original vortex combustion chamber (40, 340, 436, 536, 636, 736), a diverging conduit (48, 348, 448, 548, 648, 748), and a cylindrical reactor chamber (40, 340, 436, 536, 636, 736). This design creates a compact combustion zone and an inwardly swirling fluid flow pattern of the feed gases to form a swirling gas mixture that passes through a diverging conduit (48, 348, 448, 548, 648, 748). The feed streams can be introduced into the reactor at any angle (perpendicular, axial, or something between, or a combination of the above forms) with swirling flow components. This provides conditions suitable for efficient cracking of hydrocarbons, such as ethane, to form olefins.

Methods and systems for on-site, continuous generation of peracid chemistry, namely peroxycarboxylic acids and peroxycarboxylic acid forming compositions, are disclosed. In particular, an adjustable biocide formulator or generator system is designed for on-site generation of peroxycarboxylic acids and peroxycarboxylic acid forming compositions from sugar esters. Methods of using the in situ generated peroxycarboxylic acids and peroxycarboxylic acid forming compositions are also disclosed.

A gas reactor may include a reactor chamber having a first end, a second end, and a lateral surface that extends between the first end and the second end. The gas reactor may include a torch inlet positioned at the first end of the reactor chamber, and the torch inlet may be configured for input flow of a fuel in a first flow direction. The gas reactor may include a reactant inlet positioned at the second end of the reactor chamber and configured to cause a reactant to flow into the reactor chamber in a second flow direction. The fuel or the reactant may move through the reactor chamber in a vortex flow pattern. The gas reactor may include an outlet port positioned at the second end of the reactor chamber in which the outlet port is configured for output flow of a product from the reactor chamber.

Methods and systems for temperature-controlled, on-site generation of peracids, namely peroxycarboxylic acids and peroxycarboxylic acid forming compositions are disclosed. In particular, methods for using an adjustable biocide formulator or generator system overcome the limitations of temperature on the kinetics of the peracid generation and/or peracid decomposition inside an adjustable biocide formulator or generator system. The methods include the controlling of the temperature of at least one raw starting material, namely water, to improve upon methods of on-site generation of peracids. The methods allow for the generation of user-selected chemistry without regard to the ambient temperatures of the raw starting materials and/or the biocide formulator or generator system.

A continuous flow process and system for depolymerizing plastic. A heterogeneous mixture of solid plastic particles, a solvent, and a catalyst are pumped continuously through a heating zone at a flow rate resulting in a particle speed sufficient to keep the plastic particles in suspension. The heterogeneous mixture is heated in the heating zone and maintained in a hold zone to complete depolymerization of the mixture into a homogeneous solution containing a liquefied reaction product. The homogeneous solution is cooled to solidify and precipitate a solid reaction product. The solid reaction product is separated from the solvent to be recycled. Contaminants are removed from the solvent, and the solvent is recirculated for use as a constituent of the heterogeneous mixture.