A method of processing MSW, either sorted or unsorted, which can be carried out through the use of canisters to hold the waste feedstock, and autoclaves specially designed to process the waste at suitable temperature and pressure combinations is disclosed. The final solid product is a mixture of carbon ash and non-combustible materials, such as, metals, drywall, etc., and syngas that has an enhanced BTU value, typically between about 300 to 700 BTU/ft.sup.3. The remainder solid material generally amounts to approximately 5% of the original MSW volume. This material can then be sorted for metals with the balance being sent to a landfill or other recycling processes depending on its composition.

The invention relates to a process for producing hydrogen, carbon monoxide and a carbon-containing product in at least one reaction apparatus, wherein the at least one reaction apparatus comprises a bed of carbon-containing material and is characterized in that the bed of carbon-containing material in the at least one reaction apparatus is alternately heated to a temperature of >800° C. and, no later than upon reaching a temperature of 1800° C., cooled to a maximum of 800° C., wherein hydrogen and carbon monoxide are produced during the heating phase and carbon and hydrogen are produced during the cooling phase.

The invention relates to a method for hydrothermal carbonisation of biomass containing organic matter, the method comprising: —injecting the biomass, a heat transfer fluid and a reagent into a reactor (1), —circulating a mixture consisting of the biomass, the heat transfer fluid and the reagent under specific pressure and temperature conditions for transforming the organic matter by hydrothermal carbonisation. The invention consists in: 1) determining the production rate of the emitted gas T.sub.e during the hydrothermal carbonisation reaction; 2) comparing the determined production rate of the emitted gas T.sub.e with a predefined value for the set gas production rate T.sub.c, and 3) adjusting at least one of the reaction control parameters chosen from among the temperature within the reactor (1), the quantity of injected reactant, and the residence time in the reactor in order to adjust the production rate of the emitted gas T.sub.e, such that the value of said production rate of the emitted gas Te tends to be equal to the value of the set gas production rate T.sub.c. The invention is applicable to treatment of biomass containing organic matter.

A catalytic method for producing gaseous products from a fuel and a gaseous reagent having the steps of: providing a catalyst and the fuel to a reactor vessel such that the catalyst and the fuel are in fluid communication with each other within the reactor vessel, where the catalyst is a mixture of reduced metal oxides; and contacting the fuel and catalyst with the gaseous reagent within the reactor vessel at a reaction temperature to produce gaseous products, where the gaseous reagent contains at least CO.sub.2 or H.sub.2O, where the fuel comprises a carbonaceous source, and wherein the gaseous products are CO or syngas.

A reactor system made up of a single canister or a plurality of separate canister sections for the advanced thermal chemical conversion processing of municipal solid waste (“MSW”), either sorted or unsorted, and autoclaves specially designed to process the waste at suitable temperature and pressure combinations is disclosed. The canister sections can be individually and separately filled with compressed bales of MSW or with selected loose MSW. The reactor system can produce syngas that has an enhanced BTU value, typically between about 300 to 700 BTU/ft.sup.3. The remainder solid waste material generally amounts to approximately 5% of the original MSW volume. This material can then be sorted for metals with the balance being sent to a landfill or other recycling processes depending on its composition.

A reactor system made up of a single canister or a plurality of separate canister sections for the advanced thermal chemical conversion processing of municipal solid waste (MSW), either sorted or unsorted, and autoclaves specially designed to process the waste at suitable temperature and pressure combinations is disclosed. The canister sections can be individually and separately filled with compressed bales of MSW or with selected loose MSW. The reactor system can produce syngas that has an enhanced BTU value, typically between about 300 to 700 BTU/ft.sup.3. The remainder solid waste material generally amounts to approximately 5% of the original MSW volume. This material can then be sorted for metals with the balance being sent to a landfill or other recycling processes depending on its composition.

A method of processing MSW, either sorted or unsorted, which can be carried out through the use of canisters to hold the waste feedstock, and autoclaves specially designed to process the waste at suitable temperature and pressure combinations is disclosed. The final solid product is a mixture of carbon ash and non-combustible materials, such as, metals, drywall, etc., and syngas that has an enhanced BTU value, typically between about 300 to 700 BTU/ft.sup.3. The remainder solid material generally amounts to approximately 5% of the original MSW volume. This material can then be sorted for metals with the balance being sent to a landfill or other recycling processes depending on its composition.

This invention provides a system (10) for generating energy from waste material. The system comprises a first batch processing oven (12) for generating syngas and a second batch processing oven (14) for generating syngas. At least one thermal treatment chamber (20) heats the syngas after it is produced, and an energy converter (22) converts energy from the syngas to electrical energy.

The invention relates to a process for producing hydrogen, carbon monoxide and a carbon-containing product in at least one reaction apparatus, wherein the at least one reaction apparatus comprises a bed of carbon-containing material and is characterized in that the bed of carbon-containing material in the at least one reaction apparatus is alternately heated to a temperature of >800 C. and, no later than upon reaching a temperature of 1800 C., cooled to a maximum of 800 C., wherein hydrogen and carbon monoxide are produced during the heating phase and carbon and hydrogen are produced during the cooling phase.

The invention relates to a method for hydrothermal carbonisation of biomass containing organic matter, the method comprising: injecting the biomass, a heat transfer fluid and a reagent into a reactor (1), circulating a mixture consisting of the biomass, the heat transfer fluid and the reagent under specific pressure and temperature conditions for transforming the organic matter by hydrothermal carbonisation. The invention consists in: 1) determining the production rate of the emitted gas T.sub.e during the hydrothermal carbonisation reaction; 2) comparing the determined production rate of the emitted gas T.sub.e with a predefined value for the set gas production rate T.sub.c, and 3) adjusting at least one of the reaction control parameters chosen from among the temperature within the reactor (1), the quantity of injected reactant, and the residence time in the reactor in order to adjust the production rate of the emitted gas T.sub.e, such that the value of said production rate of the emitted gas Te tends to be equal to the value of the set gas production rate T.sub.c. The invention is applicable to treatment of biomass containing organic matter.