Abstract: The invention concerns a method for energy conversion of solid fuels in particular containing carbon comprising a first step which consists in reacting said fuels in a first energy conversion reactor (2, 20). The invention is characterized in that it comprises a second step which consists in injecting oxygen brought to the output of said reactor (2, 20), the reaction of the first step being carried out in at least a circulating fluidized bed (30, 31, 40) and in that the metal oxides circulate between two interconnected circulating fluidized beds (30, 31, 40) converting the fuel and oxidizing the oxides.

Abstract: The combustion device according to the invention produces gases containing CO2 and water vapour and comprises a circulating fluidized bed reaction chamber (1, 2), a separator (10, 20), heat recovery means of which a part is situated in a dense fluidized bed (12, 12a, 22), wherein the part located in the bed of the heat recovery system(s) is composed of catalyst tubes (120, 120a, 220) through which a gas mixture flows. The gas mixture is composed of natural gas and/or naphtha or refinery gas or two or more of these gases. The gas undergoes reformation which converts it into a synthesis gas containing hydrogen. The fact of the catalyst tubes being situated in the dense fluidized bed made up of ashes from the combustion allows the catalyst to be reheated in a homogenous manner and the reforming reaction of the natural gas mixture to be stimulated.

Abstract: The invention relates to a fluidized-bed device (F1, F2) provided with a hearth (1, 23) equipped with gas mixture feeds called primary feeds, said gas mixture being enriched with oxygen, and said hearth (1, 23) being provided with a network of two types of primary feed nozzle, a first type of nozzle (B1, B?1) injecting a first gas mixture at a first level close to the hearth (1, 23) and a second type of nozzle (B2, B?2) injecting a second oxygen-enriched gas mixture at a second level above the first level. According to the invention, said second type of nozzle (B2, B?2) consists of a device for mixing oxygen with a second gas component and connected by its lower end to an oxygen feed (11A, 11A?) and to a feed of second gas component, and of a device for injecting this mixture into the combustion chamber.

Abstract: The boiler of the invention has a circulating fluidized bed, uses solid fuels and the oxygen obtained by high temperature oxygen production membranes, and is characterized in that the membranes are placed in the bed. These membranes are, for example, of the OTM (Oxygen Transport Membranes) type. Since the membranes operate at over 700° C., their positioning in the outer bed is ideally selected because the temperature of the solids circulating in the outer bed is between 750 and 900° C. This is particularly remarkable because the operating temperature windows of the circulating fluidized bed coincide with the optimal temperature window of use of the membranes.

Abstract: The invention relates to a circulating fluidized bed reactor designed to be fed with air and convertible to operate with an oxygen-rich mixture, comprising a reaction chamber (1) horizontally bounded by vertical walls, at least two centrifugal separators (2A, 2B) and a heat recovery element called a heat exchanger cage (3), a reactor also comprising means for introducing a fluidization gas into the reaction chamber using at least one wind box (4) placed under the reaction chamber, and for maintaining a circulating fluidized bed of particles in said chamber, means for transferring gas which must be dedusted from the chamber to the separators, means for discharging the particles separated from the separators and means for transferring the dust-free gases from the separators to the exchanger cage.

Abstract: An installation for combustion (1) of carbon-containing solids includes an oxide reducing reactor (2), a first cyclone (5), a recuperator (6), an oxidation reactor (3), a second cyclone (4), wherein flows an oxide which is reduced then oxidized in each of the two reactors (2 and 3). In the installation, the fuel is ground before being introduced into the reduction reactor (3). The reduced size of the solid fuel particles enables more complete and faster combustion and enables almost 100% production of fly ashes which are separated from the circulating oxides.

Abstract: A centrifugal separator for separating particles from gas uses a separator chamber having an upper potion with at least three substantially vertical planar walls with perpendicular inner faces, and a lower portion, for defining in the chamber a vertical gas vortex. The gas vortex has an inlet formed in the vicinity of a first corner between the first and second walls for gas to be dedusted, an outlet for dedusted gas, and an outlet for separated particles. The separator uses an acceleration duct with a first transverse section at the first end of the duct that is distinctly greater than a second cross section at the second end. This second end is connected to the inlet for gas to be dedusted at the first corner.

Abstract: The circulating fluidized bed reactor device comprising a reactor chamber delimited horizontally by walls, a centrifugal separator and a back pass for heat recovery The reactor device allows for the introduction of a fluidizing gas into the reactor chamber and for maintaining a fluidized bed of particles in said chambers. The gas to be dedusted is transferred from the reactor chamber into the separator, and the separated particles are discharged from the separator and the dedusted gas is transferred from the separator into the back pass. The reactor chamber and the separator both have a common wall with the back pass.

Abstract: The method of simultaneously reducing carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions and sulfur dioxide (SO2) emissions produced by the combustion of carbon-containing matter in a hearth consists in injecting into the hearth a calcium-based agent, a fraction of which absorbs SO2 after decarbonization, and then, after the flue gases have been subjected to intermediate cooling, in causing them to transit via a first reactor and in putting them in contact therein with the other fraction of the absorbant that has not reacted with SO2 so as to capture CO2 from the flue gases by carbonization, then, in a separator, in extracting the solids contained in the flue gases output from the first reactor so as to subject them to heat treatment in a second reactor in order to extract CO2 therefrom by decarbonization and in order to recycle the resulting regenerated CO2 absorbant to the first reactor.

Abstract: A centrifugal separator (1) for separating particles from gas comprises a separator chamber (10) having an upper portion (12) with at least three substantially vertical planar walls (12A, 12B, 12C) with perpendicular inner faces, and a lower portion (14), means for defining therein in the chamber a vertical gas vortex. that comprise The gas vortex has an inlet (18) for gas to be dedusted formed in the vicinity of a first corner (C1) between said first and second walls for gas to be dedusted, an outlet (22) for dedusted gas. and an outlet (15, 20) for separated particles. The separator comprises an acceleration duct with a first transverse section at the first end of the duct that is distinctly greater than a second cross section at the second end. This second end (15B) is connected to said the inlet for gas to be dedusted at the first corner, while forming an obtuse angle with said the second wall, and is inclined downwardly in a direction towards the separator chamber.

Abstract: The circulating fluidized bed reactor device comprising a reactor chamber (12) delimited horizontally by walls, a centrifugal separator (14) and a back pass (16) for heat recovery, the reactor device comprising means for introducing a fluidizing gas into the reactor chamber and for maintaining a fluidized bed of particles in said chamber, means (24) for transferring gas to be dedusted from the reactor chamber into the separator, means (42) for discharging separated particles from the separator and means for transferring dedusted gas from the separator into the back pass. The reactor chamber and the separator both have a common wall with the back pass.

Abstract: The method of simultaneously reducing carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions and sulfur dioxide (SO2) emissions produced by the combustion of carbon-containing matter in a hearth consists in injecting into the hearth a calcium-based agent, a fraction of which absorbs SO2 after decarbonization, and then, after the flue gases have been subjected to intermediate cooling, in causing them to transit via a first reactor and in putting them in contact therein with the other fraction of the absorbant that has not reacted with SO2 so as to capture CO2 from the flue gases by carbonization, then, in a separator, in extracting the solids contained in the flue gases output from the first reactor so as to subject them to heat treatment in a second reactor in order to extract CO2 therefrom by decarbonization and in order to recycle the resulting regenerated CO2 absorbant to the first reactor.

Abstract: The circulating fluidized bed boiler comprises a combustion hearth and a separator cyclone interconnected by a duct which extends along a longitudinal axis and which channels a flow of particles and gas containing nitrogen oxides. It also includes means for injecting into the flow a reagent for reducing nitrogen oxides. Said means comprises at least a first injection tube disposed in a setback of the top portion of the combustion hearth which extends over the duct so as to inject the reagent along the longitudinal axis of the duct in the same direction as the flow.

Abstract: The method consists in causing the flue gases to pass through a filter placed inside the recovery boiler so that the fly ash contained in said flue gases can be hot filtered out. An additional flow (B) of a material is superposed on the flow of fly ash to be filtered, which material has characteristics such that it increases the melting point of the fly ash by forming high melting point eutectics so as to facilitate unclogging by preventing viscous bridges from forming between the particles of fly ash. Application to hot scrubbing of flue gases generated by burning household refuse.

Abstract: A refuse recycling system which recycles municipal waste as energy, includes a shredder for shredding the waste and removing rejects via a feed pipe to a circulating fluidized bed reactor, the reactor producing flue gases. The reactor includes a side dense fluidized bed situated on the wall of the reactor which is provided with the feed pipe, the side dense fluidized bed extracting non-fluidizable heavy elements and transporting them to a coarse-particle sorter apparatus via an extraction duct disposed at a base of the side dense fluidized bed. At least a portion of the rejects from the shredder is fed into the coarse-particle sorter apparatus. The coarse-particle sorter apparatus cools the elements and extracts non-fluidizable inert matter from the elements, the remaining matter being fed back into the reactor. A module for recovering energy and for treating the flue gases output by said reactor is connected downstream from the reactor.

Abstract: An apparatus for recycling municipal waste as energy includes a shredder for shredding the waste, and removing rejects, the rejects from the shredder being sorted into a first stream of inert matter that is substantially unpolluted with organic matter and into a second stream of inert matter that is substantially polluted with either organic matter or with combustible heavy elements; a first outlet for removing the second stream of inert matter; a circulating fluidized bed reactor for receiving the shredded waste and producing gases with solid particles therein; a cyclone for separating out the solid particles and receiving the gases output by the reactor; a recuperator boiler into which the gases output by the cyclone are discharged and which is provided with a first set of heat exchangers, the boiler including a dust-filtering hopper; a second outlet for removing the solid particles from the dust-filtering hopper; a second set of heat exchangers disposed in a chamber into which the gases are fed after trans

Abstract: A fluidized bed reactor includes an axial recirculating fluidized bed and at least first and second lateral dense fluidized beds, respectively disposed along a first and a second wall of the jacket of the reactor. Waste is fed via at least one point on the first wall of the jacket of the reactor, above the first lateral dense fluidized bed. The reactor includes at least one duct for extracting non-fluidizable heavy elements at the base of the first lateral dense fluidized bed.

Abstract: A circulating fluidized bed reactor comprising a top zone surrounded by walls provided with heat exchange tubes, the heat exchange tubes being interconnected by fins, and a bottom zone provided with a fluidization grid, a primary air injection device beneath the grid, a secondary air injection device above the grid, and a fuel injection device, the walls surrounding the bottom zone being provided with heat exchange tubes. The walls of the zones are provided with vertical heat exchange panels referred to as "extensions" that extend perpendicularly to the walls of the zones, that are made up of tubes inside the reactor, that are of horizontal width lying in the range 150 mm to 500 mm, and that are spaced apart from one another via a distance lying in the range 1.5 times to 4 times their width, the width being defined as the distance between the inside faces of the fins of the walls and the most distant generator lines of the most distant tubes of the extensions.

Abstract: A monitoring device for continuously monitoring the internal circulation flow-rate of solid particles in a circulating fluidized bed reactor including a bottom zone into which the fluidization gas is injected and a top zone surrounded by walls. The device includes a sampling tank for sampling internal circulation of solids, which tank is fixed against one of the walls of the reactor and is provided with a fluidization device. A removal pipe is provided for removing the solids from the tank and conveying them to a measuring device for measuring the flow-rate of the solids. A return pipe is provided for returning the solids from the measuring device to the inside of the reactor.

Abstract: A method of treating solid residue resulting from combustion of a sulfur-containing fuel in the hearth of a boiler having a circulating fluidized bed, in which method limestone is inserted into the hearth so as to make it possible to absorb the resulting sulfur dioxide in the form of calcium sulfate CaSO.sub.4, the method further including the following steps:1) prior to being inserted into the hearth, the fuel is ground down to less than 100 microns;2) prior to being inserted into the hearth, the limestone is ground down to a grain-size centered in the range 100 microns to 150 microns, with a maximum of 1 mm;3) at the base of the hearth, the combustion residue is collected, which residue includes lime and calcium sulfate resulting from taking up the sulfur dioxide SO.sub.2 evolved by the combustion, and the residue is subjected to heat treatment in a reactor, in which both solid matter based on lime CaO, and also a gaseous mixture containing, in particular, sulfur dioxide SO.sub.