Abstract: An apparatus for drying, pyrolyzing and possibly also gasifying of lump wood in a cylindrical vessel with a hearth case includes a vessel of a type which differs from prior art vessel units by a top cooling hood with an annular cooling duct and an outer annular air space for preheating suction air and an inner, likewise annular, gas space to discharge to some external destination the gas recovered from the predried wood. The air drawn from the outer annular space is fed to the hearth via an air chamber and nozzles. Condensate precipitated on the inside faces of the hood drops into an annular gutter and is subjected to evaporation in the further course of the process. A method for operating this apparatus is also provided.

Abstract: A heating assembly and a method for burning fuel of organic origin, includes a substantially enclosed hollow assembly including a predetermined region within the assembly for receiving the fuel for ignition purposes, a first oxygen supply device for supplying the predetermined region with oxygen at least at a rate adequate for producing a gas flow of distilled-off gases, air gases and combustion gases from the ignited fuel, an elongated outer shell disposed within the predetermined region and having a plurality of passages for dividing the gas flow into a plurality of streamlets, an elongated inner shell, having an inlet and an outlet, disposed within the outer shell and defining a space between the inner and outer shells, the space communicating with the inlet, the streamlets being recombined into a gas stream in the space, a second oxygen supply device for supplying the inner shell with oxygen near its inlet for burning the stream of gas; and an exhaust conduit communicating with the outlet for exhausting t