Abstract: A method and an apparatus for pyrolysing a solid organic feed material are disclosed. Solid organic material is moved through a reaction chamber and exposed to a temperature profile within the chamber that dries and pyrolyses the organic material and releases water vapour and a volatile products gas phase. The water vapour phase and the volatile products gas phase are moved counter-current to the solid organic material so that the water vapour phase and condensable components of the volatile products gas phase condense in cooler upstream sections of the chamber and form a liquid water product and a separate liquid oil product. The liquid water product is discharged via an outlet along the length of the chamber and a dried and pyrolysed solid product is discharged from a downstream outlet in the chamber. The chamber includes a plurality of heat transfer members extending within the chamber and a supply of oxygen-containing gas for establishing and maintaining the temperature profile within the chamber.

Abstract: The invention relates to an apparatus and method for the production of densified charcoal from organic material that can be used for example as chemical reagents, fuels, or absorbents. The reaction vessel defines a flow path extending from the input to the vessel, through to the output from the vessel, in which the thermal decomposition of the organic material progresses as the organic material passes through the reaction vessel. The vessel includes a reaction zone for autogenous reaction of organic material in a reaction bed of the organic material. Pressure can be applied to the bed of organic material to increase the density of the resultant charcoal. Acoustic emitters may also be used to enhance the densification process.

Abstract: Useful byproducts are recovered through the pyrolytic processing of biomass material such as vegetation, paper, or worn tires. The process is conducted in a sealed enclosure under vacuum or other controlled atmosphere. The biomass material is ablated and burned by crunching between counter-rotating rollers rotated at different speeds whose inner walls have been exposed to a highly heated fluid. The biomass material is preheated by injecting into the feeding duct super-heated dry steam. A condenser within the enclosure reduces resulting vapors into oils that can be drained from the enclosure pan. Solid combustion residue is abstracted from the enclosure by an Archimedes screw.

Abstract: Apparatus for the manufacture of charcoal, comprising a unit having walls defining a primary combustion chamber, and a material inlet for allowing a feed of wood chips though said material inlet into said apparatus. A trough is located at a lower height than said material inlet such that material passing through said material inlet is able to fall into the trough. An air inlet is located below the material inlet such that, when wood chips are located within the trough piled up to said material inlet, air passing from said air inlet passes through said wood-chips and into the primary combustion chamber.

Abstract: The present invention provides a pyrolysis system comprising an entrained flow pyrolyser having an opening through which biomass can be added. The pyrolyser also has an inlet for hot exhaust gas, an outlet for pyrolysed biomass and an outlet for syngas. The system has a burner for producing hot exhaust gas and a conduit between the burner and the hot exhaust gas inlet. A syngas extraction means for extracting syngas from the pyrolyser. The syngas extraction means extracts syngas from the pyrolyser at a rate such that the internal pressure within the pyrolyser never exceeds the pressure external to the pyrolyser.

Abstract: Method and apparatus for producing synthesis gas comprising the steps of combusting (4) a combustible gas to form hot flue gasses (7), passing the flue gasses (7) through heat storing means (1) so as to heat the heat storing means (1) to an elevated temperature, using the heat thus stored to heat biomass (2) to an elevated temperature so as to form synthesis gas, and withdrawing at least part of the synthesis gas formed, wherein following heating of the heat storing means (1) gaseous medium is circulated through the heat storing means (1), the biomass (2) and back to the heat storing means (1). Furthermore computer program product for performing the method of the invention and the use of the produced biogas are disclosed.

Abstract: Useful byproducts are recovered through the pyrolytic processing of biomass material such as vegetation, paper, or worn tires. The process is conducted in a sealed enclosure under vacuum or other controlled atmosphere. The biomass material is ablated and burned by crunching between counter-rotating rollers whose inner walls have been exposed to a highly heated fluid. The biomass material is preheated by injecting into the feeding duct super-heated dry steam. A condenser within the enclosure reduces resulting vapors into oils that can be drained from the enclosure pan. Solid combustion residue is abstracted from the enclosure by an Archimedes screw.

Abstract: Systems and methods for recycling waste plastic can convert the waste plastic into a form of purified crude oil that includes one or more organic molecular species and that is free, or substantially free, of impurities such as acids and metals. In some systems and methods, the plastic is heated under vacuum conditions to effect depolymerization of the plastic, which yields a vapor, and the vapor is then directly contacted with a pH adjusted solution in a vapor treatment system. In some systems and methods, a continuous batch process is employed.

Abstract: As shown schematically in FIG. 1, hot gases, containing molecular oxygen, from generator elements, (14) and (19), pass through a bed of coal chunks in an ODD reactor chamber (2). The molecular oxygen content of these hot gases is less than stoichiometric, relative to the coal volatile matter content, so that partial oxidation of only the volatile matter occurs within the ODD reactor chamber, (2), during devolatilization therein. Two products are thusly created, a partially oxidized, and hence cleaner burning, volatile matter fuel gas, and a solid devolatilized coke. The hot coke is transferred, by overfeed, into a coke reaction chamber, (7), where counterflowing primary air, via air meter, (12), gasifies the coke into carbon monoxide with some carbon dioxide. Finally, the carbon monoxide and the partially oxidized volatile matter, are admixed with overfire air, and burned fully to carbon dioxide in overfire burner chambers, (23), (26).

Abstract: A method for the pyrolosis of biomass with the aid of a heating element and a feed for guiding the biomass. During pyrolysis, the heating element and the biomass are pressed against each other at a pressure of 5 bars-80 bars. A device for pyrolysing biomasses, comprises a material supply and a pyrolysing station. The material supply comprises elements for generating a pressure of between 5 bars and 200 bars, pressing the raw material which is to be pyrolysed against the pyrolysing station. The pyrolysing station comprises a heating element which is heated to a temperature of between 300° C. and 1000° C. in an operational state.

Abstract: Useful byproducts are recovered through the pyrolytic processing of biomass material such as vegetation, paper, or worn tires. The process is conducted in a sealed enclosure under vacuum or other controlled atmosphere. The biomass material is ablated and burned by crunching between counter-rotating rollers whose inner walls have been exposed to a highly heated fluid. The biomass material is preheated by injecting into the feeding duct super-heated: dry steam. A condenser within the enclosure reduces resulting vapors into oils that can be drained from the enclosure pan. Solid combustion residue is abstracted from the enclosure by an Archimedes screw.

Abstract: A method and system for extracting hydrocarbon fuel products from plastic material provides extraction of usable fuel components from waste plastic materials. The materials (or hydrocarbon portion thereof) are liquified and introduced to a chamber where the liquid material is agitated and a negative relative pressure (vacuum) is applied. The liquid is maintained at a substantially constant temperature and the vacuum draws the off-gas hydrocarbon products out for condensation and further processing, while unconverted char is removed to an ash dump. An auger feed unit with agitator buckets is used to propel the char through a feed while agitating the liquid to enhance the rate of gas removal.

Abstract: A method of and apparatus for recovering oil from solid hydrocarbonaceous terial, such as oil shale, in particulate form using a combustion chamber and a reaction chamber arranged side-by-side and connected by a first passageway extending between the upper regions of the chambers and a return passageway. The particulate material is fluidized in the chambers and induced to circulate therebetween by the configuration of the chambers and passageways and/or the nature of the fluidization. Residual carbon on the spent hydrocarbonaceous material introduced into the combustion chamber through the return passageway is burnt, heating the material which then circulates through the first passageway to mix with and heat fresh feed material introduced into the reaction chamber giving off effluent vapours which are collected and processed.

Abstract: A kiln having pyrolysis, gasification and cooling horizontal zones, divided over its height into vertical chambers by vertical dividing walls, and having flues with vents housed in the dividing walls and the walls of the outer enclosure for injecting reaction fluids and fumes and for drawing off gases and vapors.In the gasification zone, the dividing walls have diffusion panels adjacent diffusion chambers. The panels are connected to the reaction fluid supply and are of a height which corresponds substantially to the height of the panel.The vertical chambers form modular cells through which the granulated mineral flows continuously without encountering obstructions in the form of irregularities.

Abstract: A cascading bed retorting process and apparatus in which cold raw crushed shale enters at the middle of a retort column into a mixer stage where it is rapidly mixed with hot recycled shale and thereby heated to pyrolysis temperature. The heated mixture then passes through a pyrolyzer stage where it resides for a sufficient time for complete pyrolysis to occur. The spent shale from the pyrolyzer is recirculated through a burner stage where the residual char is burned to heat the shale which then enters the mixer stage.

Abstract: An oil shale retorting method and apparatus moves a bed of oil bearing shale particles along a generally horizontal path and passes through the bed at spaced points a plurality of discrete nonoxidizing gas streams heated to different oil educting temperatures to vaporize and educe different weight fractions of oil from the kerogen in the shale into the gas streams. Preferably the heated gas streams are also passed through the moving shale bed upstream from distillation of the volatile oil constituents to preheat the shale particles and condense the educted oils which become suspended as stable mists and are mechanically separated from the gas streams. Heat energy is preferably removed from the spent shale particles of the moving bed by burning them with combustion air downstream from the retorting sites, and such heat energy is transferred to the nonoxidizing streams to raise them to different oil educting temperatures before they are passed through the moving bed to educe oil from the shale particles.

Abstract: Combustion gas such as air, oxygen-enriched air or oxygen is introduced at an intermediate level in a vertical shaft kiln for the calcining of petroleum coke using a plurality of radially disposed combustion gas injectors. The injectors include means for circulating coolant around the periphery of the injector so that common metals may be used in the high temperature (above 2000.degree. F.) environment of the shaft kiln.

Abstract: Combustion gas such as air, oxygen-enriched air or oxygen is introduced to a calcining zone at an intermediate level in a vertical shaft kiln for the calcining of petroleum coke utilizing a plurality of radially disposed combustion gas injectors and at least one vertically disposed injector located within the shaft kiln and extending into the calcining zone. The injector includes means for circulating coolant around the periphery of the injector so that common metals may be used in the high temperature (above 2000.degree. F.) environment of the shaft kiln. The vertical combustion gas injector may extend from the top of the calcining chamber to the calcining zone or from the bottom of the calcining chamber to the calcining zone. When the vertical combustion gas injector extends vertically upwardly from the bottom of the calcining chamber, means for introducing recycle gas to the calcining chamber may be incorporated into the vertical combustion gas injector.

Abstract: The invention relates to an electric furnace for heating by passing a current through the charge, and more particularly, a continuous furnace in which the charge is a carbonaceous material.The furnace according to the invention is provided with a device for allowing non-reactive gas to be circulated in the opposite direction to the charge.The furnace according to the invention is used, in particular, for calcining anthracite.

Abstract: A single retort and accumulator structure includes two heating zones for successively removing volatile material from dried crushed coal so that the resultant calcined char has less than about 7 weight percent volatile material and is suitable as a raw material for producing formcoke. In the first zone (carbonizing zone) heat carrying solids are introduced with crushed coal to heat the powdered coal to a temperature in the order of about 800.degree. F. to 1000.degree. F. and produce a carbonized char containing about 10% to 20% by weight of volatile material. The resultant carbonized char is fed onto a trommel, or rotating cylindrical or tapered screen, and the char passes through the screen into a calcining fluidized bed zone. The fluidized bed is maintained by upwardly directed jets of an oxygen containing gas and steam. The temperature of the fluidized bed zone is in the vicinity of about 1200.degree. F. to 1600.degree. F.