Biomass gasification/pyrolysis system and process

A system for producing syngas from biomass materials, the system comprising:

• a reactor containing a reactor tube having an internal passage within which a neutral atmospheric pressure exists relative to pressure outside the reactor tube, an entrance to the internal passage, and an exit to the internal passage, the reactor tube and the internal passage thereof being adapted to contain a compacted biomass material moving through the internal passage and to contain a pyrolysis reaction of the compacted biomass material by which a fuel gas mixture comprising carbon monoxide and hydrogen gases is formed therefrom within the reactor tube;
• means for compacting a loose biomass material and forming therefrom the compacted biomass material at the entrance of the reactor tube;
• means for heating the compacted biomass material within the reactor tube to a temperature at which the pyrolysis reaction occurs whereby organic molecules within the compacted biomass material break down to form ash and the fuel gas mixture;
• means for withdrawing the fuel gas mixture from the reactor tube;
• means for removing the ash from the reactor tube through the exit thereof;
• means comprising the compacting means, the entrance and the exit of the reactor tube, and the removing means for inhibiting ingress of air into the reactor tube and maintaining the neutral atmospheric pressure within the reactor tube relative to pressure outside the reactor tube by sufficiently compacting the biomass material at the entrance of the reactor tube to form a plug of the compacted biomass material at the entrance, compacting the ash at the exit of the reactor tube to form a plug of the ash at the exit, and monitoring and adjusting a volumetric rate of the fuel gas mixture withdrawn from the reactor tube.