The invention relates to thermal conversion of solid fuels with a low organic content and can be used in the fuel-processing industry. Conversion of oil shale or high-ash solid fuels comprises flue-gas drying of feedstock, recovering the solid phase as a heat-carrying agent, feedstock pyrolysis in a reactor, separating a gas-vapour mixture from the coke-ash residue in a dust-settling chamber, discharging ash, cooling flue gases, and combustion of the coke-ash residue. An inert material having an ambient temperature is supplied to the outlet of the coke-ash residue ignition chamber. The plant comprises, arranged in series, a reactor, a dust-settling chamber, a flash-process furnace, a heat-carrier cyclone, an ash cyclone, a waste-heat recovery system, an ash-discharge system and a bin for inert material connected to the outlet of the coke-ash residue ignition chamber. The invention allows for a more complete use of the oil shale energy potential and for obtaining ash with a reduced negative effect on the environment, which makes it possible to use the ash for recultivation of quarries resulting from oil shale mining.

The invention relates to thermal conversion of solid fuels with a low organic content and can be used in the fuel-processing industry. Conversion of oil shale or high-ash solid fuels comprises flue-gas drying of feedstock, recovering the solid phase as a heat-carrying agent, feedstock pyrolysis in a reactor, separating a gas-vapour mixture from the coke-ash residue in a dust-settling chamber, discharging ash, cooling flue gases, and combustion of the coke-ash residue. An inert material having an ambient temperature is supplied to the outlet of the coke-ash residue ignition chamber. The plant comprises, arranged in series, a reactor, a dust-settling chamber, a flash-process furnace, a heat-carrier cyclone, an ash cyclone, a waste-heat recovery system, an ash-discharge system and a bin for inert material connected to the outlet of the coke-ash residue ignition chamber. The invention allows for a more complete use of the oil shale energy potential and for obtaining ash with a reduced negative effect on the environment, which makes it possible to use the ash for recultivation of quarries resulting from oil shale mining.

The invention relates to a process for conversion of a feedstock comprising solid particles into at least a gaseous compound in a reactor comprising a vertically extending swirl chamber comprising a conical upper part with a decreasing diameter in upward direction, at least one tangential inlet at the bottom of the swirl chamber, and an outlet at the upper end of the swirl chamber, wherein the process is selected from pyrolysis, allothermal gasification or carbonization of a carbonaceous feedstock. The invention further relates to a process for conversion of a feedstock comprising solid particles into at least one or more gaseous compounds in such reactor.

The invention relates to a process for conversion of a feedstock comprising solid particles into at least a gaseous compound in a reactor comprising a vertically extending swirl chamber comprising a conical upper part with a decreasing diameter in upward direction, at least one tangential inlet at the bottom of the swirl chamber, and an outlet at the upper end of the swirl chamber, wherein the process is selected from pyrolysis, allothermal gasification or carbonization of a carbonaceous feedstock. The invention further relates to a process for conversion of a feedstock comprising solid particles into at least one or more gaseous compounds in such reactor.

Methods and apparatuses for thermally converting or pyrolyzing biomass are provided. In one embodiment, a method of thermally converting biomass includes introducing the biomass to a reactor feed chamber. The method provides for flowing a low oxygen gas into the reactor feed chamber to purge the reactor feed chamber and biomass of oxygen. The method also includes delivering the purged biomass to a thermal conversion reactor and thermally converting the biomass in the thermal conversion reactor.

Methods and apparatuses for thermally converting or pyrolyzing biomass are provided. In one embodiment, a method of thermally converting biomass includes introducing the biomass to a reactor feed chamber. The method provides for flowing a low oxygen gas into the reactor feed chamber to purge the reactor feed chamber and biomass of oxygen. The method also includes delivering the purged biomass to a thermal conversion reactor and thermally converting the biomass in the thermal conversion reactor.

Efficient biomass conversion systems, methods and apparatus utilize a fast pyrolysis unit installed at locations having substantial quantities of biomass, with the biomass fed into the fast pyrolysis unit under pyrolytic reaction conditions, and with exhaust gases containing entrained matter resulting from the pyrolytic reactions being separated into char and bio-fuel constituents.

A continuous organic matter pyrolysis device includes: a charging section that continuously charges an organic matter; a vertical vessel for accommodating the organic matter charged from the charging section, a stirrer that is provided in the vertical vessel and that stirs the organic matter, a first heater that heats the vertical vessel to pyrolyze and gasify the organic matter, a lead-out section connected to an upper portion of the vertical vessel and including a lead-out path through which the pyrolysis gas of the organic matter is led out, and a discharging section connected to a lower portion of the vertical vessel and including a discharge path through which an organic matter residue is continuously discharged.

A continuous organic matter pyrolysis device includes: a charging section that continuously charges an organic matter; a vertical vessel for accommodating the organic matter charged from the charging section, a stirrer that is provided in the vertical vessel and that stirs the organic matter, a first heater that heats the vertical vessel to pyrolyze and gasify the organic matter, a lead-out section connected to an upper portion of the vertical vessel and including a lead-out path through which the pyrolysis gas of the organic matter is led out, and a discharging section connected to a lower portion of the vertical vessel and including a discharge path through which an organic matter residue is continuously discharged.