Abstract: A method of stabilizing a thermally beneficiated carbonaceous material is disclosed. The method includes the steps of supplying a charge of the carbonaceous material at an elevated temperature to a process vessel to form a packed bed and cooling the carbonaceous material to a target temperature by indirect heat exchange. The method is characterised by supplying an oxygen-containing gas to the packed bed to partially oxidise the carbonaceous material to a required degree to stabilize the carbonaceous material prior to the carbonaceous material reaching the target temperature. The method is also characterised by removing heat from the packed bed that is produced by oxidation of carbonaceous material to control the temperature of the carbonaceous material during oxidation to avoid thermal runaway.

Abstract: A method and an apparatus for upgrading a solid material is disclosed. The method comprises heating the solid material to an elevated temperature to remove water and thereafter cooling the upgraded solid material. The method includes providing a plurality of vessels containing packed beds of the solid material and one or more than one heat exchange circuit for heating and cooling the solid material in the packed beds in the vessels by heat exchange with a heat transfer fluid. The method is controlled so that the solid material in a first group of the vessels is at one or more stages of a heating cycle and the solid material in a second group of vessels is at one or more stages of a cooling cycle.

Abstract: A method and an apparatus for heating a solid material in a process vessel are disclosed. The method includes the steps of: (a) supplying a charge of the solid material to the vessel to form a packed bed; (b) supplying a fluid to the packed bed to pressurise the contents of the vessel; (c) supplying steam to the vessel to heat the solid material in the packed bed by indirect heat exchange while maintaining the contents of the vessel under pressure; and (d) controlling the operating conditions in step (c). The operating conditions in step (c) are controlled to transfer heat to the solid material and allow water in the solid material to be removed as a liquid phase in a first “wet” stage of the method and to transfer heat to the solid material to boil at least a part of the remaining water from the solid material as a vapor phase in a second “dry” stage of the method.