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, an entrance to the internal passage, and an exit to the internal passage;
• means for compacting a loose biomass material and simultaneously introducing the compacted biomass material into the entrance of the reactor tube;
• means for heating the compacted biomass material within the reactor tube to a temperature at which organic molecules within the compacted biomass material break down to form ash and a fuel gas mixture comprising carbon monoxide and hydrogen gases;
• means for withdrawing the fuel gas mixture from the reactor tube;
• means for removing the ash from the reactor tube through the exit thereof;
• and
• 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 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 and compacting the ash at the exit of the reactor tube to form a plug of the ash at the exit.