Biomass gasification/pyrolysis system and process

A process of producing syngas from biomass materials and performed with a 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;
• and
• means comprising the compacting means, the entrance and the exit of the reactor tube, and the removing means for maintaining the neutral atmospheric pressure within the reactor tube and 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, the process comprising:
• compacting the loose biomass material and simultaneously introducing the compacted biomass material into the entrance of the reactor tube;
• 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 the ash and the fuel gas mixture;
• withdrawing the fuel gas mixture from the reactor tube;
• removing the ash from the reactor tube through the exit thereof;
• and
• inhibiting ingress of air into the reactor tube by sufficiently compacting the biomass material at the entrance of the reactor tube to form the plug of the compacted biomass material at the entrance and compacting the ash at the exit of the reactor tube to form the plug of the ash at the exit;
• and
• maintaining the neutral atmospheric pressure in the reactor tube relative to pressure outside the reactor tube by monitoring and adjusting a volumetric rate of the fuel gas mixture withdrawn from the reactor tube.