A method of preventing blockage of circulating bed material in a circulating fluidized bed reactor includes collecting a continuously flowing bed of solid particles in a gas lock in a return leg of a reactor, measuring gas lock bed pressure values within the bed of the particles, generating a gas lock bed height indication signal on the basis of measured gas lock bed pressure values. A definition stage includes defining and storing to a control system a range of normal gas lock bed height indication signals, formed in normal circulation flow conditions, as a function of the reactor load, and defining and storing to the digital control system a reactor load dependent alarm criterion. The method includes comparing a current gas lock bed height indication signal with the reactor load dependent alarm criterion, and decreasing the reactor load if the current indication signal fulfils the reactor load dependent alarm criterion.

The invention relates to an integrated method for thermal conversion and indirect combustion of a heavy hydrocarbon feedstock in a redox chemical loop for producing hydrocarbon streams. The heavy hydrocarbon feedstock (1) is brought into contact with inert particles (2) in a thermal conversion zone (100). Thermal conversion in the absence of hydrogen, water vapour and a catalyst produces a first gaseous effluent of hydrocarbon compounds (4) and coke, which effluent is deposited on the inert particles (5). The latter is then burned in a redox chemical loop (200) in the presence of oxygen-carrying solid particles (6). The inert particles thus flow between the thermal conversion zone (100) and a reduction zone (300) of the chemical loop while the oxygen-carrying solid particles flow between the oxidation (400) and reduction zones (300) of the chemical loop.

Disclosed are an apparatus and a method for measuring the height of a solid bed in a high-temperature and high-pressure fluidized bed system, and a fluidized bed system having the solid bed height measuring apparatus. The solid bed height measuring apparatus includes a lower pressure probe mounted at an upper side as high as a first height from a gas distributor of a fluidized bed reactor to measure pressure of the mounted location, and a middle pressure probe mounted at an upper side as high as a second height from the lower probe to measure pressure of the mounted location. An upper pressure probe is mounted at the top of the fluidized bed reactor to measure the inside pressure of the fluidized bed reactor. First and second differential pressure gauges are used for measuring differential pressures.

The invention relates to processes for recycling waste materials containing valuable metals in a fluidized-bed furnace (100), comprising the phases I, start-up of the fluidized-bed furnace; and II, continuous reprocessing of the waste materials containing valuable metals, characterized in that the fluidized-bed furnace (100) is operated autothermally during the phase II of continuous reprocessing of the waste materials containing valuable metals, with the process temperature being regulated via the fill level of the fluidized-bed furnace (100) and the flow rate of material through the furnace. The invention further provides an apparatus comprising a fluidized-bed furnace (100) for recycling waste materials containing valuable metals in a continuous autothermal process.

The present invention relates generally to an apparatus for housing a chemical looping process comprising of at least one fluidized-bed combustor reactor, at least one entrained riser, at least one particle separator, optionally at least one particle holding reactor, at least one moving-bed reactor, at least one standpipe, at least one L-valve system for solid flow control and interconnecting sections.

The present invention relates generally to an apparatus for housing a chemical looping process comprising of at least one fluidized-bed combustor reactor, at least one entrained riser, at least one particle separator, optionally at least one particle holding reactor, at least one moving-bed reactor, at least one standpipe, at least one L-valve system for solid flow control and interconnecting sections.

The present invention relates generally to an apparatus for housing a chemical looping process comprising of at least one fluidized-bed combustor reactor, at least one entrained riser, at least one particle separator, optionally at least one particle holding reactor, at least one moving-bed reactor, at least one standpipe, at least one L-valve system for solid flow control and interconnecting sections.

The present invention relates generally to an apparatus for housing a chemical looping process comprising of at least one fluidized-bed combustor reactor, at least one entrained riser, at least one particle separator, optionally at least one particle holding reactor, at least one moving-bed reactor, at least one standpipe, at least one L-valve system for solid flow control and interconnecting sections.

Various aspects provide for a fluidized bed reactor comprising a container having a bed of bed solids and a splashgenerator configured to impart a directed momentum to a portion of the bed solids. A bedwall may separate the bed solids into first and second reaction zones, and the directed momentum may be used to transfer bed solids from one zone to the other. A return passage may provide for return of the transferred bed solids, providing for circulation between the zones. A compact circulating bubbling fluidized bed may be integrated with a reactor having first and second stages, each with its own fluidization gas and ambient. A multistage reactor may comprise a gaswall separating at least the gas phases above two different portions of the bed. A gaslock beneath the gaswall may provide reduced gas transport while allowing bed transport, reducing contamination.

Various aspects provide for a fluidized bed reactor comprising a container having a bed of bed solids and a splashgenerator configured to impart a directed momentum to a portion of the bed solids. A bedwall may separate the bed solids into first and second reaction zones, and the directed momentum may be used to transfer bed solids from one zone to the other. A return passage may provide for return of the transferred bed solids, providing for circulation between the zones. A compact circulating bubbling fluidized bed may be integrated with a reactor having first and second stages, each with its own fluidization gas and ambient. A multistage reactor may comprise a gaswall separating at least the gas phases above two different portions of the bed. A gaslock beneath the gaswall may provide reduced gas transport while allowing bed transport, reducing contamination.