Abstract: A system for extracting soluble substances from fiberous material by lixiviation is followed by various steps of compression and maceration exerting moderate compression on the fiberous material up to 14 Bar. Hereby, special arrangements are made to saturate the fiberous material to maximum absorption between each pressure application. Moisture content of the spent fiberous material is reduced with a special roller assembly with the application of low and high pressure. Heat is used to facilitate the extraction process and to suppress biological alterations of matter involved. With heat exchange between raw material and extracted solvent, overall heat economy is improved. Fiberous material is used as filter aid to reduce contamination of extracted solvent with foreign matter. The system is particularly suitable for the extraction of sugar from sugar cane.

Abstract: A downflow, gravity type gasifier includes a vertically oriented chamber having a loading zone at the top, followed by a drying zone, followed by a pyrolytic zone for pyrolytic decomposition, followed by a cracking zone for cracking the tars, followed by a reduction zone and an oxidation zone wherein the gas is generated and the combustible material is burned. The cracking zone has a divider, e.g. a cruciform divider, in it, and each of the resulting sections of the cracking zone is individually supplied with air for more uniform distribution of air and more uniform cracking than heretofore available. In addition to the air supplied to the periphery at the cracking zone, air outlets are arranged in respective radial arrays of the outlets for more uniform distribution of air into the reduction and oxidation zone.