AU2021209245A1

AU2021209245A1 - A pyrolysis method and system

Info

Publication number: AU2021209245A1
Application number: AU2021209245A
Authority: AU
Inventors: Adam Christopher Carson; Leonid Daych; Steven John HILL
Original assignee: Sda Engineering Pty Ltd; Sda Eng Pty Ltd
Current assignee: Sda Engineering Pty Ltd
Priority date: 2020-12-18
Filing date: 2021-07-28
Publication date: 2022-07-07

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to a method and a system for pyrolysing feedstock in a continuous process. The method and system being particularly intended for pyrolysing feedstock by feeding a reaction chamber with the feedstock via a conveyor assembly, a temperature regulating assembly being used to inject a gas into the reaction chamber, and a control system for controlling the temperature regulating assembly. The method and system, in use, calculates a temperature profile within the reaction chamber, the temperature profile being controlled by a ratio of: the mass of the feedstock moved by the conveyor assembly to the mass of gas injected by the temperature regulating assembly. 1/7 rDL -----I BILER PEEDVJE IN ETDrIDAE FnDSI s sNURro IME As&MIL Figure1S 3435 4 35 3~35 235 239 9 37HE5AT5ING 22r * 16 15 14A T4 TCKNOCKOTIT 31 PSTFigure2

Description

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A PYROLYSIS METHOD AND SYSTEM TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present disclosure relates to the field of pyrolysis. In a particular form, the present disclosure relates to a method and system for pyrolysing feedstock in a continuous process.

BACKGROUND

[0002] Pyrolysis is often referred to as the chemical decomposition or the thermal transformation of carbon-containing materials, at high temperatures in an oxygen (or reactive gas) deficient environment. An example of a typical pyrolysis process is one that utilises a reaction chamber having a conveying mechanism that feeds in a carbon-containing material, often referred to as "feedstock", at an inlet and exposing it to high temperatures often via an external heat source, and/or using gas injectors to cause combustion of a portion of the feedstock and thus supply heat. The process yields three distinct products: a carbon-rich char, a combustible synthesis gas, and a mixture of tars and oils which may also contain water. The pyrolysis chamber is relatively or completely airtight (other than at controlled injection and discharge points) to prevent unwanted gases from entering the pyrolysis process, and to prevent the product synthesis gas from escaping (unless under control via a designated gas discharge point). The carbon-rich char, referred to as biochar if produced from a biomass feedstock, has a range of uses including (but not limited to) as a fuel for generating energy, used as a soil amendment agent, and other uses. The synthesis gas, often referred to as simply syngas, may also be used to generate energy.

[0003] Presently available pyrolysis processes, such as the example above, often encounter various problems in maintaining the integrity and lifespan of the reaction chamber when exposed to the high temperatures and the chemical environment required to achieve pyrolysis. Sections of the reaction chamber may crack or fail due to chemical attack and thermal stress resultant from localised "hotspots" of increased temperature, often proximal to gas injectors. Additional problems with some presently available pyrolysis processes are the presence of oxygen in the syngas product and the presence of contaminants in the syngas (such as the oils and tars). These contaminants being present in the syngas product are often detrimental to downstream processing of the syngas, and require additional purification or treatment prior to being useful for energy production or gas separation.

[0004] It is against this background and the problems and difficulties associated therewith, that the present invention has been developed.

[0005] Throughout this disclosure, the term "pyrolysis" should be understood to mean thermal decomposition of materials at elevated temperatures in the absence of or with limited supply of an oxidising agent such as oxygen. The main products of pyrolysis are combustible synthesis gases (may be referred to as "syngas"), liquids and carbon-rich char (may be referred to as "biochar" or a "pyrolysed product"). Typically the product synthesis gas (also referred to herein as "syngas

product") may include carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, hydrogen, and hydrocarbons. Typically the product liquids may include water, tars, oils and other hydrocarbons (for example, acidic water based liquids often referred to as "wood vinegar").

[0006] Additionally, within the scope of this disclosure, the terms "feedstock", "biomass", "carbon containing material" or "organic material" may be interchangeable and should be understood to mean living or formerly living organic matter that may be used as fuel, and could also include chemically organic solids, such as coal or other fossil fuel derivatives. Specific biomass or organic material products may include, by way of example only, agricultural products and residual products such as straw, forestry products such as wood chips, biomass derived/produced in aquatic environments such as algae, plastics, nut shells, animal wastes, pits and seeds of fruit/vegetables, coals, municipal and industrial residues. Biomass, on its own, may be used as a renewable source of fuel to produce heat or electricity, but also be employed by pyrolysis processes as a feedstock for producing other fuels including the production of syngas.

[0007] Furthermore, the process, system and method disclosed herein may also be described as gasification, as well as pyrolysis. That is to say, the process, system and method disclosed may be applied or referred to as a gasification process, a gasification system and a gasification method. The difference between gasification and pyrolysis being that with gasification, the emphasis is on the gas product (i.e. the syngas product) often achieved by utilising higher temperatures (when compared to pyrolysis).

SUMMARY

[0008] Embodiments of the present disclosure relate to a method and system for pyrolysing feedstock in a continuous process. The method and system being particularly intended for pyrolysing feedstock by feeding a reaction chamber with the feedstock via a conveyor assembly, a temperature regulating assembly being used to inject a gas into the reaction chamber, and a control system for controlling the temperature regulating assembly. The method and system, in use, calculates a temperature profile within the reaction chamber, the temperature profile being controlled by a ratio of: the mass of the feedstock moved by the conveyor assembly to the mass of gas injected by the temperature regulating assembly.

[0009] According to a first aspect, there is provided a pyrolysis system for processing feedstock. The system comprising: a reaction chamber, a conveyor assembly, a temperature regulating assembly, and a control system for controlling the temperature regulating assembly. The reaction chamber comprising a first end, a second end, an inlet for the feedstock proximal to the first end, an outlet for a pyrolysed product adjacent to the second end, and one or more gas outlets for a syngas product proximal to the first end. The conveyor assembly comprising a screw conveyor extending between the first and second ends, and a drive mechanism connected to the screw conveyor. The temperature regulating assembly comprising a gas delivery system comprising one or more injection ports for injecting a gas into the reaction chamber. Wherein, in use, a temperature profile between the first and second ends of the reaction chamber is controlled by a ratio of: the mass of feedstock moved by the conveyor assembly to the mass of the gas injected by the temperature regulating assembly.

[0010] In one embodiment, the one or more injection ports are longitudinally spaced between the second end and at least partially toward the first end of the reaction chamber.

[0011] In one embodiment, wherein the reaction chamber is enclosed by a tube, wherein the tube comprises a cylindrical bore housing the screw conveyor, and wherein the injection ports extend through the tube into the reaction chamber.

[0012] In one embodiment, the tube further comprises an insulation layer, the insulation layer being disposed within the cylindrical bore of the tube and enclosing the reaction chamber.

[0013] In one embodiment, the tube further comprises an inlet and an outlet, wherein the inlet and outlet extend into the cylindrical bore of the tube to form a fluid passageway therebetween.

[0014] In one embodiment, in use, a cooling fluid flowing from the inlet to the outlet of the tube reduces the temperature of the reaction chamber.

[0015] In one embodiment, in use, a hot fluid flowing from the inlet to the outlet of the tube increases the temperature of the reaction chamber.

[0016] In one embodiment, the hot fluid flowing from the inlet to the outlet of the tube preheats the gas injected via the one or more injection ports.

[0017] In one embodiment, the screw conveyor has a preferred direction of rotation and wherein the one or more injection ports open into the reaction chamber between 0 to 90 degrees or 270 to 360 degrees circumferentially down from an apex defined as a 0 degree position of the reaction chamber, measured in a direction corresponding to the preferred direction of rotation of the screw conveyor.

[0018] In one embodiment, the one or more injection ports open into the chamber at avoid space between an internal wall of the reaction chamber and the feedstock.

[0019] In one embodiment, a lower temperature in the reaction chamber results from a higher ratio of feedstock to gas.

[0020] In one embodiment, a higher temperature in the reaction chamber results from a lower ratio of feedstock to gas.

[0021] In one embodiment, the screw conveyor is a centerless or a shaft-less screw conveyor. In an alternative, the screw conveyor comprises a central shaft.

[0022] In an alternate embodiment, the conveyor assembly comprises a plurality of screw conveyors extending between the first and second ends of the reaction chamber.

[0023] In one embodiment, the plurality of screw conveyors cooperate to convey the feedstock from the inlet to the outlet of the reaction chamber.

[0024] In one embodiment, the plurality of screw conveyors are in series.

[0025] In an alternative embodiment, the plurality of screw conveyors are in parallel.

[0026] In one embodiment, the plurality of screw conveyors are spaced between the first and second ends of the reaction chamber such that there is at least partial overlap between flights of the screw conveyors.

[0027] In one embodiment, the screw conveyor comprises one or more temperature sensors along a length of the screw conveyor between the first and second ends of the reaction chamber. In an alternative form, the reaction chamber comprises one or more temperature sensors along a length of the reaction chamber between the first and second ends thereof.

[0028] In one embodiment, a temperature reading from the, or each, temperature sensor is transmitted to the control system.

[0029] In one embodiment, the gas injected via the, or each, injection port reacts with the feedstock to produce pyrolysis gases flowing from the second end to the first end of the reaction chamber to produce the syngas product at the one or more gas outlets.

[0030] In one embodiment, the screw conveyor moves the feedstock from the first end to the second end of the reaction chamber counter-current to flow of pyrolysis gas flowing from the second end to the first end of the reaction chamber to produce the syngas product at the one or more gas outlets.

[0031] In one embodiment, the conveyor assembly further comprises a feed rate sensor connected to the drive mechanism.

[0032] In one embodiment, the feed rate sensor transmits the rate at which the feedstock is moved by the conveyor assembly and a speed at which the screw conveyor is driven by the drive mechanism to the control system.

[0033] In one embodiment, the reaction chamber further comprises a syngas flow sensor downstream from the one or more gas outlets for the syngas product.

[0034] In one embodiment, the syngas flow sensor transmits the flow rate of the syngas product to the control system.

[0035] In one embodiment, the reaction chamber further comprises a pyrolysed product sensor proximal to the outlet.

[0036] In one embodiment, the pyrolysed product sensor transmits the flow rate of the pyrolysed product at the outlet of the control system.

[0037] In one embodiment, the reaction chamber further comprises a liquid outlet in fluid communication with the reaction chamber and proximal to the first end thereof.

[0038] In one embodiment, the liquid outlet is for a liquid by-product of the processed feedstock.

[0039] In one embodiment, the temperature regulating assembly further comprises a H20 injection port located proximal to the second end of the reaction chamber.

[0040] In one embodiment, H20 injected via the H20 injection port maybe in a liquid or vapour form for reducing temperature in the reaction chamber.

[0041] In an alternative embodiment, one of the, or each, injection ports is used to inject H20 in either a liquid or vapour form into the reaction chamber proximal to the second end thereof.

[0042] In one embodiment, the H20 is vaporised when injected proximal to the second end of the reaction chamber.

[0043] In one embodiment, the pyrolysed product is a carbon-rich char such as biochar.

[0044] In one embodiment, the gas injected by the one or more injection ports is an oxidant gas such as air.

[0045] In an alternate embodiment, the gas injected by the one or more injection ports is anyone or more of a hot gas, exhaust gas or steam.

[0046] In one embodiment, the gas delivery system further comprises one or more flow regulators for regulating the gas injected into the reaction chamber, wherein the, or each, flow regulator corresponds to one or more of the, or each, injection ports.

[0047] In one embodiment, the, or each, flow regulators are automated.

[0048] In one embodiment, the, or each, flow regulators are controllable via the control system.

[0049] In one embodiment, the gas delivery system further comprises one or more precombustion chambers in fluid communication with the reaction chamber.

[0050] In one embodiment, the, or each, precombustion chamber is proximal to or attached to an outer wall of the reaction chamber.

[0051] In one embodiment, the, or each, precombustion chamber permits the injected gas to contact the outer wall of the reaction chamber wall prior to entering the reaction chamber.

[0052] In one embodiment, the, or each, precombustion chamber comprises an oxidant control device and a combustible fuel control device.

[0053] In one embodiment, a fuel from the combustible fuel control device and an oxidant from the oxidant control device are delivered to the, or each, precombustion chamber to react to partially or completely combust prior to entering the reaction chamber.

[0054] In one embodiment, the one or more injection ports injects one or more of the gas or a combustible fuel into the reaction chamber, wherein, in use, a temperature within the reaction chamber is controlled by a combination of a flowrate of the gas injected, a flow rate of the combustible fuel injected, and the mass of feedstock moved by the conveyor assembly.

[0055] In one embodiment, cyclic adjustment of gas flow is made corresponding to screw angular position.

[0056] In one embodiment, syngas composition is controlled or varied by control changes to the water, steam or gas injection rates.

[0057] In one embodiment, a slow response control loop is used to control the temperature profile.

[0058] In one embodiment, a fast response control loop is used to control the temperature profile.

[0059] In one embodiment, the slow and fast response control loops cooperate to control the temperature profile, wherein the fast response control loop is used to control runaway temperatures within the pyrolysis system, and the slow response control loop is used to maintain the temperature profile within the pyrolysis system.

[0060] In one embodiment, the feed rate sensor of the drive mechanism measures a torque value of the screw conveyor, wherein the torque value of the screw conveyor is used to control a level of the feedstock moved by the conveyor assembly.

[0061] In one embodiment, the torque value of the screw conveyor is a low torque value indicating a low fill level of the feedstock.

[0062] In one embodiment, the torque value of the screw conveyor is a torque value indicating a high fill level of the feedstock.

[0063] In one embodiment, the feedstock is a carbon-containing material, biomass or organic material capable of being used as a source of fuel.

[0064] In one embodiment, the feedstock is continuously fed in at the inlet of the reaction chamber.

[0065] In one embodiment, the inlet is a cold end of the reaction chamber.

[0066] In one embodiment, the outlet is a hot end of the reaction chamber.

[0067] According to a second aspect, there is provided a method for processing feedstock. The method comprising the steps of: (a) introducing the feedstock to an inlet at a first end of a reaction chamber; (b) moving the feedstock through the reaction chamber toward a second end thereof using a conveyor assembly comprising a screw conveyor driven by a drive mechanism; (c) using a temperature regulating assembly comprising a gas delivery system to inject a gas via one or more injection ports into the reaction chamber to convert the feedstock into a pyrolysed product ejected through an outlet, and a syngas product ejected through a gas outlet; and (d) using a control system to control the temperature regulating assembly to maintain a temperature profile between the first and second ends of the reaction chamber by controlling a ratio of: the mass of feedstock moved by the conveyor assembly to the mass of gas injected by the temperature regulating assembly.

[0068] In one embodiment, the gas injected via the one or more injection ports direct pyrolysis gases in a counter-current flow to the feedstock moved by the conveyor assembly, such that the pyrolysis gases move from the second end toward the gas outlet proximal to the first end of the reaction chamber to produce the syngas product at the one or more gas outlets.

[0069] In one embodiment, a void space is created between an internal wall of the reaction chamber and the feedstock, wherein the void space is increased by increasing a cross sectional area of the reaction chamber, or by increasing a speed at which the feed stock is moved through the reaction chamber.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0070] Embodiments of the present disclosure will be discussed with reference to the accompanying drawings wherein:

[0071] Figure 1 is a schematic flow diagram illustrating a method and system for pyrolysing feedstock, within a typical application where the syngas is utilised in a combustion system or a boiler;

[0072] Figure 2 is a schematic side view of a pyrolysis system for processing feedstock such as one that may be utilised in the method and system illustrated in Figure 1;

[0073] Figure 3 is a process diagram illustrating a typical temperature profile and feed stock distribution within the pyrolysis system illustrated in Figure 2;

[0074] Figure 4 is an alternate schematic side view of a reaction chamber of the pyrolysis system of any one of the above Figures processing feedstock comprising a centerless screw conveyor;

[0075] Figure 5 is a schematic sectional view of the reaction chamber taken along line A-A of Figure 4;

[0076] Figure 6 is another alternate schematic side view of a reaction chamber of the pyrolysis system of any one of the above Figures comprising a centerless screw conveyor;

[0077] Figure 7 is a schematic sectional view of the reaction chamber taken along line B-B at point 1 of Figure 6;

[0078] Figure 8 is a schematic sectional view of the reaction chamber taken along line C-C at point 2 of Figure 6;

[0079] Figure 9 is a schematic sectional view of the reaction chamber taken along line D-D at point 3 of Figure 6;

[0080] Figure 10 is a schematic sectional view of the reaction chamber taken along line E-E at point 4 of Figure 6;

[0081] Figure 11 is a further alternate schematic elevation view of a reaction chamber enclosed by a tube;

[0082] Figure 12 is a front view of the reaction chamber of Figure 11; and

[0083] Figure 13 is a process control screen illustrating sample operating values of a pyrolysis process using the method and system of any one of the above Figures.

[0084] In the following description, like reference characters designate like or corresponding parts throughout the figures.

DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS

[0085] Referring to anyone of the Figures, there is illustrated a method and a system (100) for pyrolysing feedstock (200). The method and system (100) is directed to be used in a continuous process, rather than a batch process, however it will be apparent in the disclosure below that the method and system (100) may comprise one or more cyclical elements (for example whereby the feedstock (200) is cyclically fed into the system (100) or the method comprises cyclical variations in which the feedstock (200) is fed into said system (100)). The pyrolysis of the feedstock (200) may yield three distinct products, namely: a carbon-rich char (hereinafter referred to as "pyrolysed product"), a combustible synthetic gas (hereinafter referred to as "syngas product", and a mixture of tars and oils which may also contain water (hereinafter referred to as a "by-product").

[0086] Particularly, the present disclosure relates to a method for pyrolysing feedstock (200) by feeding a reaction chamber (10) with the feedstock (200) via a conveyor assembly (20), utilising a temperature regulating assembly (30) to inject a gas into the reaction chamber (10), and a control system for controlling the temperature regulating assembly (30) and the flow rates and distribution of the gas being injected into the reaction chamber (10). The method, in use, calculates (or estimates) a temperature profile within the reaction chamber (10), whereby the temperature profile is controlled by a ratio of: the mass of the feedstock (200) moved by the conveyor assembly (20) to the mass of the gas injected by the temperature regulating assembly (30).

[0087] Additionally, the present disclosure also relates to the pyrolysis system (200) for processing the feedstock (200). The system (200) processes the feedstock (200), in use, by comprising the reaction chamber (10), the conveyor assembly (20), the temperature regulating assembly (30) and the control system.

[0088] Furthermore, it will become apparent from the present disclosure, that there is disclosed a control system for pyrolysing the feedstock (200) that monitors and calculates (or estimates) the temperature profile, the rate at which the feedstock (200) enters the system (being either the continuous process or comprising one or more cyclical elements), the distribution of the feedstock (200) within the reaction chamber (10), the distribution and flow rates of the gas injected into the reaction chamber (10), and the rate of produced syngas.

[0089] Referring to any one of Figures 1, 2, 4 or 6, in one embodiment, the reaction chamber (10) comprises a first end (11), a second end (12), an inlet (13) for the feedstock (200) proximal to the first end (11), an outlet (14) for a pyrolysed product adjacent to the second end (12), and one or more gas outlets (15) for a syngas product proximal to the first end (11). The conveyor assembly (20) comprises a screw conveyor (21) extending between the first (11) and second (12) ends of the reaction chamber (10), and a drive mechanism (22) connected to the screw conveyor (21). The temperature regulating assembly (30) comprises a gas delivery system (31) comprising one or more injection ports (32) for injecting the gas into the reaction chamber (10).

[0090] In the illustrated embodiments, the feedstock (200) is introduced at the inlet (13) of the reaction chamber (10) and is subsequently moved through the reaction chamber (10) from the first end (11) to the second end (12) by the screw conveyor (21) of the conveyor assembly (20). The feedstock (200) as it is moved through the reaction chamber (10) is pyrolysed as the gas is injected into the reaction chamber (10) via the one or more injection ports (32). The one or more injection ports (32) of the temperature regulating assembly (30) being longitudinally spaced between the second end (12) and at least partially toward the first end (11) of the reaction chamber. Accordingly, the gas injected into the reaction chamber (10) via the one or more injection ports (32) reacts with the feedstock (200) to produce pyrolysis gases, such that the pyrolysis gases flow from the second end (12) to the first end (11) of the reaction chamber (10) to produce the syngas product at the one or more gas outlets (15). In this way, it will be appreciated that the screw conveyor (21) moves the feedstock (200) from the first end (11) to the second end (12) of the reaction chamber (10) counter-current to the flow of the pyrolysis gas. Thus, the method and system (100) disclosed herein may be referred to as a counter current flow process, where the feedstock (200) enters at the first end (11) and the gas enters at or at least proximal to the second end (12) such that the movement of the gas is predominantly in the opposite direction to that of the feedstock (200).

[0091] In the above embodiment, counter-current flow between the feedstock (200) and the injected gas advantageously filters the pyrolysis gas as it travels from the second end (12) to the first end (11) and subsequently to the one or more gas outlets (15) as it is exposed to the oncoming feedstock (200) moving from the first end (11) to the second end (12). In this way, the syngas product at the one or more gas outlets (15) is effectively and efficiently filtered. An additional advantage of counter-current flow is that the pyrolysis gas travelling from the second end (12) to the first end (11) effectively heats and dries the feedstock (200) travelling against it. A further advantage of counter-current flow is that a large surface area of contact is maintained between the product syngas and the feedstock (200), thereby permitting for more efficient thermal energy transfer. Thus, the pyrolysis gas is effectively filtered by the feedstock (200) while concurrently transferring thermal energy to the feedstock (200).

[0092] In the above embodiment, it will be appreciated that generally the temperature within the reaction chamber (10) is higher at the second end (12) than the first end (11). That is, at or near the inlet (13) the temperature within the reaction chamber (10) may be at its lowest, and the temperature at or near the outlet (14) the temperature within the reaction chamber (10) may be near or at its highest. Accordingly, it will be appreciated, that the inlet (13) is a cold end (11) of the reaction chamber (10), and the outlet (14) is a hot end (12) of the reaction chamber (10). That is to say, the syngas product (resultant from the pyrolysis gas) is removed at the cold end (11) of the reaction chamber (10), and the pyrolysed product is removed at the hot end (12) of the reaction chamber (10).

[0093] In another embodiment, not illustrated in the Figures, the reaction chamber (10) may further comprise a liquid outlet (not shown) in fluid communication with the reaction chamber (10) and proximal to the first end (11) thereof. In this way, the liquid outlet is proximal to the cold end (11) of the reaction chamber (10) and is for the by-product of the processed feedstock (200). That is to say, the by-product of the feedstock (200) may be in a liquid form and may be removed from the pyrolysis process at the liquid outlet proximal to the cold end (11) of the reaction chamber (10). Thus, the by product of the feedstock (200) generally moves in the counter-current direction to the feedstock (200) so as to be extracted from the pyrolysis process proximal to the cold end (11). It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the liquid outlet is generally proximal to the cold end (11) of the reaction chamber (10) so as to be optimally placed for by-product extraction. That is, at the cold end (11) there may be a higher likelihood of the by-product being produced, as with the reducing temperature between the ends (12 to 11), some vapour formed closer to the hot end (12) may condense into a liquid phase as it travels through the reaction chamber (10) toward the cold end (11). Further detail for reference to a typical temperature profile and feedstock (200) distribution within the reaction chamber (10) is illustrated by the process flow diagram of Figure 3. Figure 3 illustrates (although not to scale) graphically phase changes/reactions occurring within the reaction chamber (10) during the pyrolysis process to both the injected gas and the feedstock (200) (referred to as "biomass" within the Figure).

[0094] In the above embodiment, in the instance that the liquid by-product of the processed feedstock (200) contains tars, these tars being heavier and liquid drain toward the bottom of the feedstock (200) being moved from the first end (11) to the second end (12) and advantageously build up on the incoming feedstock (200) and are conveyed by the screw conveyor (21) with the feedstock (200) toward the second end (12). In this way, the tar liquid by-product is conveyed back toward the second end (12) being the hot end of the reaction chamber (10), and is cracked (or "re-burnt") so as to not be a waste by-product of the pyrolysis system (100).

[0095] In anyone of the above embodiments, the syngas product at the one or more gas outlets (15) subsequently may go through further processes, such as cooling, which may result in liquid by products being collected or extracted from the syngas product. Figures 1 and 13 broadly illustrate this subsequent processing of the syngas product after it is extracted from the reaction chamber (10) by the one or more gas outlets (15).

[0096] In one embodiment, the reaction chamber (10) may further comprise a syngas flow sensor (16) downstream from the one or more gas outlets (15) for the syngas product. Referring to Figure 1 in particular, the syngas flow sensor (16) may be positioned downstream from the one or more gas outlets (15) of the reaction chamber (10), and may be proximal to, upstream from, or downstream to one or more syngas cooling systems (17). The syngas flow sensor (16) being capable of recording, analysing and transmitting data (particularly the syngas product flow rate) from the location of the flow sensor (16) to the control system. The control system being capable of reading and analysing the received transmission from the syngas flow sensor (16), particularly the flow rate of the product syngas at the flow sensor (16). It will also be appreciated that there may be more than one syngas flow sensor (16) located downstream from the one or more gas outlets (15), that is to say, syngas flow sensors (16) may be positioned at various locations downstream from the one or more gas outlets (15) to record, analyse and transmit data in relation to the syngas product at that point downstream. Accordingly, the one or more of the syngas flow sensors (16) transmit the flow rate of the syngas product at their location to the control system.

[0097] In one embodiment, the reaction chamber (10) may further comprise a pyrolysed product sensor (18) proximal to the outlet (14) and the second end (12). Referring once more to Figure 1, the pyrolysed product sensor (18) is illustrated downstream of the outlet (14), but it will be appreciated that the sensor (18) may be at the outlet (14) so as to provide a reading of the pyrolysed product flow rate at the outlet (14) or downstream from said outlet (14). Additionally, the pyrolysed product sensor (18) is capable of transmitting the flow rate of the pyrolysed product at the outlet (14) (or downstream of said outlet) to the control system, whereby the control system is capable of reading and analysing the received transmission from the pyrolysed product sensor (18).

[0098] Referring now to Figures 11 and 12, in one embodiment, the reaction chamber (10) may be enclosed by a tube (40). The tube (40) may comprise a cylindrical bore (41) housing the screw conveyor (21), and whereby the one or more injection ports (32) of the temperature regulating assembly (30) extend through the tube (40) and into the reaction chamber (10). In any one of the embodiments of the reaction chamber (10) disclosed thus far, in one embodiment, the reaction chamber (10) may be tubular in shape. However, it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the shape of the reaction chamber (10) is not restricted to this tubular form, and may take other shapes such as those that are elongate with square, rectangular or trapezoidal cross sections. It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the shape or cross section of the reaction chamber may not be uniform, and vary or be a different shape at different positions along the length of the screw conveyor. Accordingly, it will also be appreciated that the tube (40), whilst referred to herein as a "tube", effectively is a jacket (40) that encloses the reaction chamber (10) and comprises a bore (41) to house the screw conveyor (21) such that the one or more injection ports (32) of the temperature regulating assembly (30) extend through the jacket (40) and into the reaction chamber (10). Thus, hereinafter, the terms "tube" or "jacket" for the feature (40) should be considered interchangeable.

[0099] In the above embodiment, the tube (40) additionally comprises an optional insulation layer (42). The insulation layer (42) being disposed within the cylindrical bore (41) of the tube (40), and thus enclosing the reaction chamber (10). Additionally, in this embodiment, the tube (40) further comprises an inlet (43) proximal to the first end (11) of the reaction chamber (10), and an outlet (44) proximal to the second end (12) of the reaction chamber (10). The inlet (43) and the outlet (44) extend into the cylindrical bore (41) of the tube (40) to form a fluid passageway (45) therebetween. Referring particularly to Figures 11 and 12, the inlet (43) may be disposed on a lower side (46) of the tube (40), and the outlet (44) may be disposed on an upper side (47) of the tube (40).

[00100] In this embodiment, a cooling fluid may be flowing from the inlet (43) to the outlet (44) of the tube (40) so as to reduce the temperature of the reaction chamber (10) between the first (11) and second (12) ends thereof. It will be appreciated that the cooling fluid may be water or air, but not limited thereto. Any other suitable fluids may also be used.

[00101] In this embodiment, a hot fluid may also be flowing from the inlet (43) to the outlet (44) of the tube (40) so as to increase the temperature of the reaction chamber (10) between the first (11) and second (12) ends thereof. It will be appreciated that the hot fluid may also be steam or exhaust gas from a combustion process, but not limited thereto, or any fluid having a temperature higher than that at the inlet (43) will be suitable to increase the temperature profile within the reaction chamber (10). The hot fluid may also be, for example, the result of utilising heat from the pyrolysis system (100) itself. That is, the hot fluid flowing between the inlet (43) and the outlet (44) may be heated by radiant or waste heat from the pyrolysis process (100) as the flowing hot fluid may be in contact with heat exchangers (not shown), or with walls of other regions of the pyrolysis process (100) (such as walls of the reaction chamber (10) proximal to the outlet (14) where the pyrolysed product is extracted) providing heat to the hot fluid being flowed. Additionally, the hot fluid flowing from the inlet (43) to the outlet (44) of the tube (40) may preheat the gas injected via the one or more injection ports (32). That is to say, the gas injected via the one or more injection ports (32) is preheated by the hot fluid flowing from the inlet (43) to the outlet (44). Advantageously, the injection of this preheated gas results in a more complete pyrolysis of the feedstock (200) within the reaction chamber (10), as the amount of combustion of the gas required within the reaction chamber (10) is reduced to achieve the desired temperatures for pyrolysis. A further advantage of preheating the injected gas is that the preheated gas allows for ignition at lower temperatures within the reaction chamber (10) at the injection port (32) to pyrolyse the feedstock (200) proximal to said injection port (32).

[00102] Also in this embodiment, it will be appreciated that in use, the hot or cold fluid flowing from the inlet (43) to the outlet (44) of the tube (40) essentially controls a secondary temperature profile between the inlet (43) and outlet (44) of the tube (40). This secondary temperature profile within the tube (40) is calculated (or estimated) for use based on the requirement to either increase or decrease the temperature profile between the first (11) and second (12) ends of the reaction chamber (10) for the pyrolysis process. It will also be appreciated that the tube (40) enclosing the reaction chamber (10) is sealed and may provide radiative and natural convection cooling of hotspots along both the reaction chamber (10) and the screw conveyor (21). In this way, the insulation layer (42) acts so as to provide a controlled level of cooling of said hotspots along both the reaction chamber (10) and the screw conveyor (21). It will be further appreciated that in the above embodiments, the insulation layer (42) is optional and may not be required, or that the insulation layer (42) may insulate only part of the reaction chamber (10) (i.e. may only insulate a length of the reaction chamber (10) between the first (11) and second (12) ends thereof). Illustrated in Figures 11 and 12, in the embodiment that there is the insulation layer (42) within the cylindrical bore (41), the fluid passageway (45) may be constrained within the cylindrical bore (41) and the insulation layer (42). Alternatively, but not illustrated, in the embodiment that there is no insulation layer (42), the fluid passageway (45) is constrained within the cylindrical bore (41) of the tube (40) and an outer wall (19) of the reaction chamber (10).

[00103] In one embodiment, referring now to any one of Figures 4 to 12, the screw conveyor (21) may be a centerless screw conveyor (best illustrated by Figures 4, 6 and 11) such as those well known in the art being without a central shaft (such as the central shaft best illustrated by Figure 2). The screw conveyor (21) comprises a spiral flight extending in a generally helical path between the first (11) and second (12) ends of the reaction chamber (10). In this embodiment, it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the centerless screw conveyor (21) being without a central shaft provides more space for the constant tumbling and reforming of a bed of the feedstock (200) forming within the reaction chamber (10), as the feedstock (200) travels from the inlet (13) to the outlet (14). The bed of the feedstock (200), resultant from the centerless screw conveyor (21), advantageously is more evenly packed and comprises relatively few voids or cavities due to the tumbling and reforming of said bed as it travels from the inlet (13) to the outlet (14). Anadvantageof a more uniform bed of feedstock (200) is that it provides for better thermal exchange between the feedstock (200) and the pyrolysis gas travelling counter-current to the feedstock. In an alternative embodiment, the screw conveyor (21) may comprise a central shaft (best illustrated in Figure 2), however such a screw conveyor comprising the central shaft may not realise some of the advantages disclosed in the above embodiment. It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that in the instance that the screw conveyor (21) comprises the central shaft, it may for example be a ribbon screw conveyor (not illustrated) which comprises similar advantages to that of the centerless screw conveyor, while also providing the advantages of comprising the central shaft (such as adding additional stiffness to the ribbon screw conveyor). The screw conveyor (21) may be manufactured of stainless steel or other known materials known to those skilled in the art.

[00104] In one embodiment, referring in particular to Figure 2, the screw conveyor (21) may comprise one or more temperature sensors (23) along a length of the screw conveyor (21) between the first (11) and second (12) ends of the reaction chamber (10). The, or each, temperature sensor (23) being capable of taking a temperature reading and transmitting said reading to the control system, in this way, the control system is able to receive, read and analyse temperatures at the, or each, temperature sensor (23) location between the first (11) and second (12) ends of the reaction chamber.

[00105] In an alternative form to the above embodiment, still referring to Figure 2, the reaction chamber (10) may comprise the one or more temperature sensors (23) along a length of the reaction chamber (10) between the first (11) and second (12) ends thereof.

[00106] In one embodiment, still referring to Figure 2, the conveyor assembly (20) further comprises a feed rate sensor (24) connected to the drive mechanism (22). The feed rate sensor (24) being capable of transmitting the rate at which the feedstock (200) is being moved by the conveyor assembly (20), which may be a speed at which the screw conveyor (21) is driven by the drive mechanism (22) to the control system. The feed rate sensor (24) may also include sensing an absolute angular position of the screw conveyor (21). Resultantly, the speed at which the screw conveyor (21) is driven by the drive mechanism (22) may be controlled by the control system. Accordingly, the control system may be utilised to move the feedstock (200) through the reaction chamber (10) at an optimal speed which varies depending on the properties, for example particularly moisture content, of the feedstock (200). Thus, it will be appreciated that the speed at which the screw conveyor (21) is driven by the drive mechanism (22) determines the rate at which the feedstock (200) is moved through the reaction chamber (10).

[00107] In an alternative embodiment, not illustrated in the Figures, the conveyor assembly may comprise a plurality of screw conveyors extending between the first (11) and second (12) ends of the reaction chamber. The plurality of screw conveyors, in this alternate embodiment, may be connected to the feed rate sensor (24) and be driven by the drive mechanism (22) or a plurality of feed rate sensors (not shown) and drive mechanisms (not shown), and cooperate to convey/move the feedstock (200) from the inlet (13) to the outlet (14) of the reaction chamber (10). Itwillbe appreciated by those skilled in the art that for this alternative embodiment, there may be a drive mechanism (22) that corresponds to each of the screw conveyors of the plurality of screw conveyors. Also in this alternate embodiment, each of the screw conveyors spaced between the first (11) and second (12) ends of the reaction chamber (10) may be spaced such that there is at least partial overlap between flights of the screw conveyors, so as to ensure that the feedstock (200) is moved from the inlet (13) to the outlet (14) of the reaction chamber (10). It will be appreciated that with the plurality of screw conveyors, each screw conveyor may form different zones within the reaction chamber (10) such that, each of the screw conveyors may be controlled at unique speeds. In one embodiment of this alternative, the plurality of screw conveyors may be running in parallel, which advantageously permits the handling of a fully packed screw conveyor without relying on fictional difference between screw flights and screw conveyor tube walls.

[00108] In any one of the above embodiments, with reference to the conveyor assembly and its composition, it will be appreciated that the disclosure herein should not be limited to the screw conveyor, the plurality of screw conveyors or the drag chain. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that other conveyor mechanism embodiments are envisaged that extends between the first (11) and second ends of the reaction chamber (10), to convey/move the feedstock (200) from the inlet (13) to the outlet (14) of the reaction chamber (10).

[00109] In any one of the above embodiments, it will be understood by those skilled in the art, that the screw conveyor (21) continuously adds new feedstock (200) into the reaction chamber (10) as it simultaneously moves the feedstock (200) from the inlet (13) to the outlet (14). As the feedstock (200) is initially moved toward the outlet (14), the temperature within the reaction chamber (10) increases, which resultantly removes much of the volatile substances (such as hydrocarbons and moisture) from the feedstock (200) before substantial pyrolysis of the feedstock (200) occurs closer to the outlet (14). Thus, an increasing amount of the feedstock (200) is pyrolysed into the pyrolysed product as it is moved closer to the outlet (14), and ultimately, only the resultant pyrolysed product is extracted at the outlet (14) at the second (hot) end (12) of the reaction chamber. During extraction of the pyrolysed product at the outlet (14), referring particularly to Figure 2, a secondary screw conveyor (25) proximal to the outlet (14), may be utilised to form a pyrolysed product plug (26) at the outlet (14). The screw conveyor (21) may also be arranged to form the pyrolysed plug (not shown) at an alternate outlet (not shown) that is proximal to the end (12). Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the pyrolysed product plug (26) is substantially dense and largely absent of voids, thus the dense pyrolysed product plug may prevent fluid communication between the outlet (14) of the reaction chamber (10) and the external atmosphere ensuring that the reaction chamber (10) is sealed and gas tight during extraction of the pyrolysed product.

[00110] In any one of the above embodiments, referring now to any one of Figures 2 to 12, the screw conveyor (21) has a preferred direction of rotation, such that the direction of rotation of the screw conveyor primarily moves the feedstock (200) toward the second end (12) and the outlet (14) of the reaction chamber (10). The preferred direction of rotation of the screw conveyor (21) is best illustrated by arrow A in Figures 5 and 12. Relative to the preferred direction of rotation, particularly referring now to Figures 6 to 10, the one or more injection ports (32) open into the reaction chamber (10) between 0 to 90 degrees (or between a 12 o'clock position and a 3 o'clock position) or 270 to 360 degrees (or a 9 o'clock position and the 12 o'clock position) circumferentially down from an apex defined as a 0 degree position the reaction chamber (10), measured in a direction corresponding to the preferred direction of rotation of the screw conveyor (21).

[00111] Referring now to Figure 6, there is illustrated according to one embodiment, the reaction chamber (10) comprising the centerless screw conveyor (21). Between the first (cold) end (11) and the second (hot) end (12), there are points I to 4 for which there are corresponding Figures 7 to 10, where each of these Figures illustrate a schematic sectional view of the reaction chamber (10) taken along lines B-B (point 1), C-C (point 2), D-D (point 3) and E-E (point 4). As illustrated, points I to 4 are along the length of the reaction chamber (10) from the first (cold) end (11) to the second (hot) end (12), and at each point there are one or more injection ports (32). Accordingly, as there are one or more injection ports (32) at each of the points I to 4, the points I to 4 are longitudinally spaced between the second end (12) and at least partially toward the first end (11) of the reaction chamber (10).

[00112] In the above embodiment, referring to Figures 6 and 7 at point 1 along lines B-B, the injection port (32) may preferably open into the reaction chamber (10) between 270 to 360 degrees (or a 9 o'clock position and the 12 o'clock position) circumferentially down from the inner circumference of the reaction chamber (10). At this point 1, the feedstock (200) is still in the very early stages of being heated or pyrolysed in the reaction chamber (10), being partially toward the first (cold) end (11), the injection port (32) is positioned to open into the reaction chamber (10) at a void space (33) between 270 to 360 degrees to inject the gas thereat. Advantageously, injecting the gas at the injection port (32) in this position maximises the surface area of contact between the product syngas and the feedstock (200).

[00113] In the above embodiments, referring now to Figures 6 and 8 at point 2 along lines C C, the injection port (32) may preferably open into the reaction chamber (10) between 0 to 90 degrees (or between a 12 o'clock position and a 3 o'clock position) circumferentially down from the inner circumference of the reaction chamber (10). At this point 2, the feedstock (200) is moving away from the first (cold) end (11), and the injection port (32) is positioned to open into the reaction chamber (10) such that the gas is injected into the bed of feedstock (200) being moved toward the outlet (14). As at this point 2, the feedstock (200) is being pyrolysed better and at a higher temperature than at point 1, by injecting the gas into the bed of feedstock (200) minimises localised hotspots being created between the first (11) and second (12) ends of the reaction chamber (10), thereby advantageously reducing the likelihood of cracking and failure in the reaction chamber (10).

[00114] In the above embodiments, referring now to Figures 6 and 9 at point 3 along lines D D, the injection port (32) may preferably open into the reaction chamber (10) between 270 to 360 degrees (or a 9 o'clock position and the 12 o'clock position) circumferentially down from the inner circumference of the reaction chamber (10). At this point 3, the feedstock (200) is further toward the second (hot) end (12), and the injection port is positioned to open into the reaction chamber (10) at the void space (33) between 270 to 360 degrees to inject the gas thereat. Advantageously, injecting the gas at the injection port (32) in this position maximises the surface area of contact between the product syngas and the feedstock (200), and by being alternate to the position of the injection port (32) at point 2, minimises the likelihood of creating localised hotspots in the reaction chamber (10).

[00115] In the above embodiments, referring now to Figures 6 and 10 at point 4 along lines E E, there may be a pair of injection ports (32 and 32'), where one of the injection ports (32') preferably opens into the reaction chamber (10) between 0 to 90 degrees (or between a 12 o'clock position and a 3 o'clock position), and/or the other injection port (32) preferably opens into the reaction chamber (10) between 270 to 360 degrees (or a 9 o'clock position and the 12 o'clock position). At this point 4, the feedstock (200) is proximal to the second (hot) end (12) and the pair of injection ports (32 and 32') may be used together or individually to inject the gas into either the void space (33) at injection port (32') and/or into the bed of feedstock (200) at injection port (32). In this way, advantageously the gas may be injected at one or both of the injection ports (32 and 32') based on the temperature profile requirements of the reaction chamber (10).

[00116] In any one of the above embodiments comprising the injection ports (32), the gas delivery system (31) to which they are connected, may further comprise one or more flow regulators (35) for regulating the gas injected into the reaction chamber (10) at each of the injection ports (32). That is to say, that each of the injection ports (32) has a corresponding flow regulator associated therewith to regulate the flow of the gas therethrough. The, or each, of the flow regulators are preferably connected to the control system, such that the control system is able to control the, or each, flow regulator to regulate the gas injected into the reaction chamber at each of the injection ports (32). Advantageously, the control system may be programmed, such that for the calculated (or estimated) temperature profile the, or each, flow regulator may be automated so as to inject the gas into the reaction chamber (10) to maintain said temperature profile.

[00117] It will be appreciated that in any one of the above embodiments illustrated in Figures 6 to 10, as the control system controls the temperature regulating assembly (30) to which all of the injection ports (32) are connected, the control system via the, or each, flow regulator may regulate and control which of the injection ports (32) inject the gas into the reaction chamber (10) and select at which point between the first (11) and second (12) ends the gas is injected. Advantageously, as the control system receives transmitted readings from the other sensors (i.e. the syngas flow sensors (16), the temperature sensors (23) and the feed rate sensor (24)), the control system may be programmed such that for the calculated (or estimated) temperature profile which of the injection ports (32) between the first (11) and second (12) ends of the reaction chamber (10) permit the gas to be injected and optimally pyrolyse the feedstock (200) and flow the product syngas in the counter-current direction.

[00118] In the above embodiments, a temperature sensitive control strategy for the control or regulation of the gas injected into the reaction chamber (10) may be calculated (or estimated). The temperature sensitive control strategy employing the one or more flow regulators (35) at their respective injection ports (32) allow gas to be injected thereat into the reaction chamber (10) in order to control the temperature of within the reaction chamber (10) at the injection port (32) and proximal regions thereof. In one example of use, the temperature sensitive control strategy may advantageously be used to minimise the rate of change of temperature and or limit the single highest temperature within regions of the one or more injection ports (32), in addition to targeting a specific absolute temperature at the port (32). The temperature sensitive control may additionally be used to limit the maximum local temperature at the, or each, injection port (32) (and corresponding proximal regions thereof in the reaction chamber) so as to avoid localised hot zones near the, or each, injection port (32). It will be appreciated that with temperature control measures in place concerning localised zones proximal to the, or each, port (32), the pyrolysis system (100) disclosed herein is able to mitigate cracking and failure of the reaction chamber (10) due to unchecked localised hot zones.

[00119] It will be appreciated that in any one of the above embodiments, that the, or each, injection port (32) may be individually or collectively operable to inject the gas into the reaction chamber (10).

[00120] Additionally in any one of the above embodiments, the void space (33) is between an internal wall of the reaction chamber (10) and the feedstock (200) at any given position I to 4 between the first (11) and second (12) ends. Preferably, and as illustrated, the injection ports (32) are positioned between 0 to 90 degrees (or between a 12 o'clock position and a 3 o'clock position) or 270 to 360 degrees (or a 9 o'clock position and the 12 o'clock position) circumferentially

[00121] Referring now to any one of Figures I to 3, in one embodiment, the temperature regulating assembly (30) may comprise one or more H20 injection ports (34), wherein the, or each, H20 injection port (34) is located proximal to the second end (12) of the reaction chamber (10). It will be appreciated that the H20 injection ports (34) are particularly positioned proximal to the second end (12), that is the hot end (12) of the reaction chamber (10), such that in use, the one or more injection ports (34) inject H20, in either a liquid or vapour form, so as to provide an additional means of temperature control by reducing the temperature in the reaction chamber (10). It will be appreciated that, with reference to Figures 6 to 10, the one or more H20 injection ports (34) may open into the reaction chamber (10) in a similar fashion as the one or more injection ports (32) discussed above (i.e. the one or more H20 injection ports (34) open into the reaction chamber (10) between 0 to degrees (or between a 12 o'clock position and a 3 o'clock position) or 270 to 360 degrees (or a 9 o'clock position and the 12 o'clock position) circumferentially down from an inner circumference of the reaction chamber (10), measured in the direction corresponding to the preferred direction of rotation of the screw conveyor (21)).

[00122] It will also be appreciated that in the above embodiment, that the one or more H20 injection ports (34) may alternatively be used to inject steam or another cooling liquid or vapour proximal to the second (hot) end (12) of the reaction chamber (10). That is to say, the use of other cooling fluids or vapour are envisaged to be injected proximal to the second (hot) end (12) of the reaction chamber (10) to provide the additional means of temperature control. In the instance that a cooling liquid, such as H20, is injected via the one or more H20 injection ports (34) proximal to the second end (12) of the reaction chamber, that the cooling liquid may be vaporised by contact or with proximity to the second (hot) end (12).

[00123] It will be further appreciated in the above embodiment, that while the one or more H20 injection ports (34) may follow a similar strategy in terms of their location and distribution about the reaction chamber (10) as the one or more injection ports (32), the one or more H20 injection ports (34) have a cooling effect rather than the heating effect due to local combustion of the one or more injection ports (32).

[00124] In an alternative embodiment to the above, any one of the one or more injection ports (32) may be used to inject H20, steam or another cooling liquid or vapour into the reaction chamber (10) so as to provide the additional means of temperature control by reducing the temperature in the reaction chamber (10). In this alternative embodiment, those one or more injection ports (32) proximal to the second (hot) end (12) of the reaction chamber (10) may be utilised to inject H20 so as to achieve the desired temperature reduction within the reaction chamber (10). It will be appreciated that in this alternative embodiment, the one or more injection ports (32) may, as required, inject H20, steam or another cooling liquid or vapour into the reaction chamber (10) thus negating the requirement of additional H20 injection ports such as (34) in the above embodiment.

[00125] The additional means of temperature control by reducing the temperature in the reaction chamber (10) discussed in the above embodiments are particularly useful when employed proximal to the second end (12). The feedstock (200) when formed into the pyrolysed product has the risk of spontaneously igniting when exposed to air at the outlet (14) of the reaction chamber (10). This behaviour of the pyrolysed product is known to those skilled in the art as "pyrophoric behaviour", accordingly, either the H20 injection ports (34) or in the alternative the injection ports (32) of the temperature regulating assembly (30) may be employed to inject controlled quantities of H20 or other cooling liquids or vapours into the reaction chamber (10) so as to mitigate the risk of the pyrolysed product spontaneously igniting at the outlet (14). The injection of H20 or other cooling liquids or vapours into the reaction chamber (10) at the second (hot) end (12) advantageously also increases the syngas product yield at the expense of reducing the pyrolysed product yield. This may be desirable in applications where the value of the syngas product is higher than the value of the pyrolysed product. Additionally, with higher syngas product yield, the flow of the pyrolysis gas counter-current to the feedstock (200) through the reaction chamber (10) advantageously results in preheating of the incoming feedstock (200), thus mitigating the cooling effects of any localised cold spots at regions along the screw conveyor (21), such as flights of the screw (21), particularly at the start of a cycle of the screw conveyor (21) where fresh feedstock (200) entering the reaction chamber (10). Itwillalso be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the injection of H20 or other cooling liquids or vapours change the composition of the syngas product. For example in the instance of H20 injection for cooling temperature in the reaction chamber (10), there may be an increase in the H 2 and CO 2 content via known water-gas shift reactions.

[00126] In any one of the above embodiments, the control system may achieve a lower temperature in the reaction chamber (10) results from a higher ratio of feedstock (200) to gas. That is to say, within the reaction chamber (10), in use, if a lower temperature is desired, the control system may operate the temperature regulating assembly (30) such that the one or more of the injection ports (32) inject less gas into the reaction chamber (10) in comparison to the mass of feedstock (200) being moved through the reaction chamber (10) by the conveyor assembly (20).

[00127] In any one of the above embodiments, the control system may achieve a higher temperature in the reaction chamber (10) results from a lower ratio of feedstock (200) to gas. That is to say, within the reaction chamber (10), in use, if a higher temperature is desired, the control system may operate the temperature regulating assembly (30) such that the one or more injection ports (32) inject more gas into the reaction chamber (10) in comparison to the mass of feedstock (200) being moved through the reaction chamber (10) by the conveyor assembly (20).

[00128] In either of the above two embodiments, the control system is able to determine the temperature within the reaction chamber (10) via the one or more temperature sensors (23) along the screw conveyor (21) and calculate or estimate the temperature profile, and accordingly inject gas via the one or more injection ports (32) as required (for example at any one or more of points I to 4 illustrated in Figure 6) in response to the mass of feedstock (200) being moved through the reaction chamber (10) by the reading provided by the feed rate sensor (24) at the drive mechanism (22). It will be appreciated that the gas injected may be the limited is the limiting factor when controlling the ratio feedstock (200) to gas. It will be appreciated that the pyrolysis system (100) disclosed herein may couple the control of the temperature profile via this ratio feedstock (200) to gas with the distribution of the one or more injection ports (32) longitudinally spaced between the second end (12) and at least partially toward the first end (11) of the reaction chamber (10) discussed in the above embodiments.

[00129] Furthermore to the above embodiment, control of the temperature profile via this ratio feedstock (200) to gas may utilise a slow control loop coupled with a near instantaneous (or fast control) adjustment. Whereby, the slow control loop acts to stabilise long-term feedstock (200) to gas ratio required for the calculation (or estimation) of one or more temperatures within the reaction chamber (10). It will be appreciated that the ratio of feedstock (200) to gas calculated (or estimated) may differ depending on the properties of the feedstock, and thus the person skilled in the art will understand that this ratio may not be set to a specific level unless complete uniformity of the feedstock (200) could be ensured. An advantage of the near instantaneous (or fast control) adjustment is that it allows for correction of short-term fluctuations which may arise in the pyrolysis system (100), without having such short-term fluctuations affect the long-term feedstock (200) to gas ratio. The person skilled in the art will also appreciate that there is a benefit to control runaway temperatures within the reaction chamber (10) by using a higher feedstock (200) to gas ratio to bring intense combustion to smouldering combustion, then subsequently return the process to a lower feedstock (200) to gas ratio to avoid the process becoming too cold and extinguishing the local combustion process. That is to say, it will also be understood that the slow and fast response control loops cooperate to control one or more temperatures within the reaction chamber (10), wherein the fast response control loop is used to control runaway temperatures within the reaction chamber (10), and the slow response control loop is used to maintain one or more temperatures within the reaction chamber (10). It will finally be appreciated that the feedstock (200) to gas ratio control (i.e. in calculating or establishing the temperature profile) is strongly weighted to the temperatures recorded by the temperature sensors (23) proximal to the injection ports closest to the inlet (13) or first end (11) of the reaction chamber (10), where the feedstock is first pyrolysing or reacting with the injected gas.

[00130] In any one of the above embodiments, the control system may utilise key process parameters such as: • The temperature profile between the first (11) and second (12) ends of the reaction chamber (10): This parameter being essential to the correct functioning of the pyrolysis system (100). The temperature profile has a lower bound set by the limits of the pyrolysis system (100), below which the syngas product becomes weak (in terms of LHV) and the feedstock (200) may be incompletely pyrolysed. The upper bound of the temperature profile is set by material strength limits, in particular, damage to the reaction chamber (10), the one or more injection ports (32), the one or more H20 injection points (34), the conveyor assembly (20) if extreme temperatures are reached

(such that is higher than the material constraints from which these features are constructed). • Gas flow rate from the one or more injection ports (32) to the one or more gas outlets (15), which effectively determines the syngas product flow rate. • Feedstock (200) feed rate controlled via the screw conveyor (21) driven by the drive

mechanism (22) of the conveyor assembly, which effectively determines the overall process temperature. • The feedstock (200) to gas ratio, which will be appreciated as being a key metric in

controlling the temperature profile, as it is more effective to control the feedstock to air ratio in order to achieve the required temperature profile (when compared to controlling the feedstock (200) feed rate directly), as this permits for changes in the gas injection rate to be automatically factored in rather than waiting for gas injection changes to affect the temperature and subsequently responding. • Syngas product flow rate within the reaction chamber (10) and the pressure/flow of syngas product measured at the one or more syngas flow sensors (16). The syngas product flow rate exhausted from the reaction chamber (10) must be controlled to be slightly below atmospheric level at the inlet (13), if this pressure is too low, excess air can be sucked into the reaction chamber (10) through the inlet (13) diluting the syngas product. If the pressure is too high, the syngas product can blow back through the inlet (13) and escape.

[00131] An exemplary method for processing the feedstock (200) of any one of the above embodiments may comprise the steps of: a) Introducing the feedstock (200) to an inlet (13) at the first end (11) of the reaction chamber (10); b) Moving the feedstock (200) through the reaction chamber (10) toward the second end (12) thereof using the conveyor assembly (20) comprising the screw conveyor (21) driven by the drive mechanism (22); c) using the temperature regulating assembly (30) comprising the gas delivery system (31) to inject the gas via one or more injection ports (32) into the reaction chamber (10) to convert the feedstock (200) into the pyrolysed product ejected through the outlet (14), and the syngas product ejected through the one or more gas outlets (15); and d) Using the control system to control the temperature regulating assembly (30) to maintain the temperature profile between the first (11) and second (12) ends of the reaction chamber (10) by controlling a ratio of: the mass of feedstock (200) moved by the conveyor assembly (20) to the mass of gas injected by the temperature regulating assembly (30).

[00132] In the above exemplary method, the gas injected via the one or more injection ports (32) direct the pyrolysis gas in the counter-current flow to the feedstock (200) moved by the conveyor assembly (20), such that the pyrolysis gas moves from the second end (12) to the one or more gas outlets (15) proximal to the first end (11) of the reaction chamber (10) to produce the syngas product at the one or more gas outlets (15). The benefits and discussion of the counter-current flow are discussed in the above embodiments with reference to the pyrolysis system (100) and apply similarly to the method for pyrolysing the feedstock (200).

[00133] In one embodiment, referring to any one of the Figures, the pyrolysis system (100) and method for processing the feedstock (200) disclosed herein may employ the use of regular cyclical adjustments in the movement of the screw conveyor (21) between the first end (11) to the second end (12) of the reaction chamber (10). The regular cyclical adjustments may be to compensate for cyclical variations within the pyrolysis system (100), for example (although it will be appreciated that it is not limited to) the regular turning of the screw conveyor (21), which may introduce local cycles whenever a screw flight pushes the feedstock (200) past a particular location between the first (11) and second (12) ends of the reaction chamber (10). The cycle of feedstock (200) movement may create a cycle in the pyrolysis system (100), which may be indicated by temperature or syngas product composition measurements (that is taken by the one or more temperature sensors (23) and/or at a continuous chemical analyser at a point (50) downstream of the one or more syngas outlets (15) illustrated on Figures 2 and 13). It is often desirable to minimise such cycles, which is to ensure consistent syngas quantity and composition. The cyclical adjustments may be made according to the timing of the cycle to be corrected, and include a method of detecting the current position in the cycle, for example a temperature measurement, rate of temperature change measurement, and angular position measurement taken by the sensor (24) of the screw conveyor (21). The compensation methods may include such means as adjusting the gas injection distribution via the one or more injection ports (32) according to the current position in the cycle, regular injection of H20 (or cooling liquids/vapours) into the reaction chamber (10) according to the current cycle.

[00134] In the above embodiment, by way of example only, the method of detecting the current position in the cycle may comprise readings from the one or more temperature sensors (23) along the screw conveyor (21) to calculate (or estimate) the temperature profile and the rate of temperature change within the reaction chamber (10), combining the outputs of the syngas flow sensor (16) and the continuous chemical analyser at point (50), to establish the syngas product composition and flow rate and the feed rate sensor (24) to establish the position of the screw conveyor (21) (i.e. the feedstock (200) position), and accordingly operate the drive mechanism (22) to provide a cyclical adjustment via the screw conveyor (21) into the pyrolysis system (100). It will be appreciated that such cyclical adjustments per the above method of detecting the position in the cycle may preferably be automated by the control system which receives the readings from the various sensors (16, 18, 23 and 24) and is able to actuate or operate the various physical components of the pyrolysis system (100) accordingly.

[00135] In one embodiment, the speed at which the drive mechanism (22) turns the screw conveyor (21) during the pyrolysis processing of the feedstock (200) may be maintained through regular cyclical adjustments by sensing a torque of the screw conveyor (21) at the feed rate sensor (24) which is sensitive to the level of feedstock (200) at the outlet (14) read by the pyrolysed product sensor (18). The torque or speed read at the feed rate sensor (24) may be used to fine tune the drive mechanism (22) to control the speed at which the feedstock (200) is fed into the reaction chamber (10). In this embodiment, it will be appreciated that the rate of feedstock (200) introduction into the reaction chamber (10) is controlled by stopping and starting rotation of the screw conveyor (21) by sensing the torque of the screw conveyor (21) at the drive mechanism (22) via the feed rate sensor (24). This torque control or sensing of the screw conveyor (21) torque principle can be applied to a feeder screw (illustrated proximal to the inlet (13) of Figure 2), or a char screw (illustrated proximal to outlet (14) of Figure 2). A level of the feedstock (200) proximal to the outlet end (12) of the reaction chamber (10) is observable by a torque value of the screw conveyor (21) at the drive mechanism (22). It will be appreciated that the torque value of the screw conveyor (21) at the drive mechanism (22) may be used to control the level of the feedstock (200) moved by the conveyor assembly. It will be understood by a person skilled in the art that a low torque value indicates a low fill level of the feedstock (200), and a high torque value indicates a high fill level of the feedstock (200).

[00136] In an alternative embodiment, referring now to Figures 2 and 13, employing the use of regular cyclical adjustments, continuous chemical analysis at the continuous chemical analyser at point (50) downstream of the one or more syngas outlets (15) of the syngas product at the one or more gas outlets (15) may be used as a means to detect and thereby allow for automatic process correction of process anomalies. This may include, but not limited to, such phenomena as incomplete filling of the main process chamber or insufficient combustion at the one or more injection ports (32) proximal to the first (cold) end (11) of the reaction chamber (10). This phenomena may be indicated by excess oxygen and reduced combustible components in the syngas product, however, these scenarios may be distinguished by temperature measurements, with low temperature at the first end (11) of the reaction chamber (10) being indicative of the latter scenario, and load on the feedstock input device, with low load being indicative of the former scenario.

[00137] In any one of the embodiments above, it will be appreciated that in addition to the pyrolysis system (100) and method for processing feedstock (200) disclosed, the present disclosure also refers to an overarching process control scheme for pyrolysing the feedstock (200). The process control scheme comprising physical devices (such as the reaction chamber (10), the control assembly (20), the temperature regulating assembly (30) and their associated features), and software control routines implementable and controllable via one or more digital controllers (not illustrated). The one or more digital controllers being capable of receiving and reading transmissions from various motors, sensors, valves and actuators of the physical devices and subsequently send instructions to and operably control said physical devices. Advantageously, the software routines of the one or more digital controllers being programmable such that the overarching process control scheme is effectively autonomous for processing the feedstock (200) and producing the products (syngas, pyrolysed and by products).

[00138] In this embodiment, the process control scheme may be programmed to control, maintain, calculate or establish any one of the following: • Distributed temperature control with an overall localised temperature strategy, via the

use of the one or more injection ports (32) to inject the gas into the reaction chamber (10) using corresponding flow regulator devices (35), wherein the one or more injection ports (32) are longitudinally spaced between the second end (12) and at least partially toward the first end (11) of the reaction chamber (10); • Control to a target syngas flow or heating capacity output, via control of the gas (air) injection rate via the one or more injection ports (32) to the reaction chamber (10); • Use of a designated target temperature profile to be maintained within the reaction chamber (10) as distinct from a single temperature reference, whereby the flow regulators (35) control the temperature at their designated regions (proximal to the corresponding injection port) to a particular target which may be different from the target temperatures to be maintained at other regions within the reaction chamber

(10); • The feedstock (200) to gas ratio, controlled by the mass of feedstock (200) moved by

the conveyor assembly (20) to the mass of gas injected by the temperature regulating assembly (30); and • The cyclical adjustments made by detection of the current position of the cycle

pyrolysis system (100).

[00139] In any one of the embodiments above, it will be appreciated that the pyrolysed product is a carbon-containing material (or carbon-rich char) often referred to as biochar (or pyrolysed biomass), which may be used as a source of fuel or, alternatively be used as a soil amendment agent, or other known uses of char.

[00140] In one embodiment, the reaction chamber (10) may be predominantly in a horizontal orientation, or orientated at an angle of less than 90 degrees, such that the pyrolysis process disclosed advantageously forms a thermal gradient across the flow of the feedstock (200) and the pyrolysis gas counter-current flow.

[00141] In one embodiment, referring now to Figure 13, there is illustrated a control screen of the pyrolysis system (100) of any one of the above embodiments. The control screen in Figure 13 is illustrated with some sample operating parameter values on a process flow schematic showing an example layout of the pyrolysis system (100). The control screen may be used to control, monitor or operate the various physical components of the pyrolysis system (100).

[00142] In any one of the embodiments above, the method and system (100) the feedstock (200) may be fed in at the inlet (13) of the reaction chamber (10) continuously. In this way it will be appreciated that the method and system (100) may be considered a continuous process for pyrolysing feedstock (200).

[00143] It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the pyrolysis method and system (100) disclosed above ideally occurs in an air tight or relatively air tight environment to prevent unwanted gases from entering the system (100), and to prevent the syngas product from escaping the system (100).

[00144] In any one of the embodiments above, the gas injected by the one or more injection ports (32) is an oxidant gas such as air.

[00145] In an alternative embodiment, the gas injected by the one or more injection ports (32) is any one or more of a hot gas, exhaust gas or steam. In this alternative embodiment, the hot gas, exhaust gas or steam may be a by-product gas of the pyrolysis system (100) or method, in that the by product gas is captured or redirected from an exhaust or excess heat source and is routed to the temperature regulating assembly (30) and the gas delivery system (31) injects the routed by-product gas into the reaction chamber (10) via the one or more injection ports (32).

[00146] Referring now to figure 2, in a further alternative embodiment wherein the injected gas is exhaust gas or hot gas injected by the one or more injection ports (32) by the gas delivery system (31), the gas delivery system (31) may further comprise one or more precombustion chambers (38) proximal to and in fluid communication with the reaction chamber (10). In this alternative embodiment, the one or more precombustion chambers (38) comprises an oxidant inlet which may be in fluid communication with a oxidant control device (39), wherein the oxidant control device (39) controls air or oxidant gas supplied into the precombustion chamber (38) via the oxidant inlet. Additionally in this alternate embodiment, the one or more precombustion chambers (38) may further comprise a combustible fuel inlet which may be in fluid communication with a combustible fuel control device (37), wherein the combustible fuel control device (37) controls fuel flow supplied into the precombustion chamber (38) via the combustible fuel inlet. It will be understood that the fuel and oxidant injected at the combustible fuel and oxidant inlets of the, or each, precombustion chamber (38) provides control of the resultant exhaust gas injected into the reaction chamber (10) via the one or more injection ports (32). Wherein, in use, a fuel and an oxidant injected at the combustible fuel and oxidant inlets into the, or each, precombustion chambers (38) may react and partially or completely combust prior to entering the reaction chamber (10). It will also be appreciated that the precombustion chamber (38) may also be attached to the outer wall (19) of the reaction chamber (10), instead of being proximally located only. In this way, the, or each, precombustion chamber (38) permits the injected gas to contact the outer wall (19) of the reaction chamber (10) prior to entering the reaction chamber (10). In another alternative embodiment, still referring to Figure 2, an alternate precombustion chamber (38') is shown with fluid communication to one of the gas outlets (15) (which may be referred to as a gas offtake 15) from the reaction chamber (10) supplying the fuel for mixing or precombustion with the controlled oxidant gas supply, before being delivered to one or more associated injection ports (32). In any one of these alternate embodiments, the one or more injection ports (32) inject one or more of the gas or a combustible fuel into the reaction chamber (10), whereby in use, a temperature within the reaction chamber (10) is controlled by a combination of a flowrate of the gas injected, a flow rate of the combustible fuel injected, and the mass of feedstock (200) moved by the conveyor assembly (20).

[00147] In any one of the above embodiments, referring now to Figure 2, where an expanded attachment (36) for the one or more injection ports (32) may be constructed such that the, or each, port (32) penetrates or opens into the reaction chamber (10) at a location proximal to or at a distance from a weld point or a fixing point of the, or each, injection port (32) to said chamber (10). In another embodiment, a larger diameter pipe (or a body of larger cross section in the instance that the reaction chamber (10) is not cylindrical) may be connected to the reaction chamber (10), to which the, or each, port (32) is welded or fixed to. The one or more injection ports (32) being constructed or connected to the reaction chamber (10) in this way advantageously provides cooling of a localised area proximal to where the one or more injection ports (32) penetrate or open into the reaction chamber, and additionally separates the weld or the fixing point from the localised area decreasing the potential of forming a localised hot zone proximal to the, or each, port (32).

[00148] It will be appreciated that the pyrolysis system (100), method for processing the feedstock (200) and the process control scheme disclosed herein comprises distribution of the one or more injection ports (32), sensors (16, 18, 23 and 24), and maintenance/calculation/estimation of the temperature profile within the reaction chamber (10) to increase the longevity in the life of the reaction chamber (10), minimise oxygen content in the syngas product, and produce a cleaner syngas product which is extracted at the one or more gas outlets (15) that does not require further purification. The longevity in the life of the reaction chamber (10) is increased by minimising localised hot spots proximal to the one or more injection ports (32) distributed between the second end (12) and at least partially toward the first end (11) of the reaction chamber (10). The oxygen content in the syngas product is minimised by selection of the gas injected at the one or more injection ports (32), the increased void space at which the gas is injected to allow for greater combustion, and the control over H20 (or other cooling liquid or vapour) injected into the reaction chamber (10) by the monitoring of sensors (16, 18, 23 and 24). The employment of counter-current flow, and the distributed temperature control via the one or more injection ports (32), also results in a minimised production of liquid by products, advantageously resulting in higher yields of the pyrolysed product and the syngas product.

[00149] Throughout the specification and the claims that follow, unless the context requires otherwise, the words "comprise" and "include" and variations such as "comprising" and "including" will be understood to imply the inclusion of a stated integer or group of integers, but not the exclusion of any other integer or group of integers.

[00150] The reference to any prior art in this specification is not, and should not be taken as, an acknowledgement of any form of suggestion that such prior art forms part of the common general knowledge.

[00151] In some cases, a single embodiment may, for succinctness and/or to assist in understanding the scope of the disclosure, combine multiple features. It is to be understood that in such a case, these multiple features may be provided separately (in separate embodiments), or in any other suitable combination. Alternatively, where separate features are described in separate embodiments, these separate features may be combined into a single embodiment unless otherwise stated or implied. This also applies to the claims which can be recombined in any combination. That is a claim may be amended to include a feature defined in any other claim. Further a phrase referring to "at least one of' a list of items refers to any combination of those items, including single members. As an example, "at least one of: a, b, or c" is intended to cover: a, b, c, a-b, a-c, b-c, and a-b-c.

[00152] It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the disclosure is not restricted in its use to the particular application described. Neither is the present disclosure restricted in its preferred embodiment with regard to the particular elements and/or features described or depicted herein. It will be appreciated that the disclosure is not limited to the embodiment or embodiments disclosed, but is capable of numerous rearrangements, modifications and substitutions without departing from the scope of the disclosure as set forth and defined by the following claims.

Claims

1. A pyrolysis system for processing feedstock, the system comprising: a reaction chamber comprising a first end, a second end, an inlet for the feedstock proximal to the first end, an outlet for a pyrolysed product adjacent to the second end, and one or more gas outlets for a syngas product proximal to the first end; a conveyor assembly comprising a screw conveyor extending between the first and second ends, and a drive mechanism connected to the screw conveyor; a temperature regulating assembly comprising a gas delivery system comprising one or more injection ports for injecting a gas into the reaction chamber; and a control system for controlling the temperature regulating assembly, wherein, in use, a temperature profile between the first and second ends of the reaction chamber is controlled by a ratio of: the mass of feedstock moved by the conveyor assembly to the mass of gas injected by the temperature regulating assembly.

2. The pyrolysis system of claim 1, wherein the one or more injection ports are longitudinally spaced between the second end and at least partially toward the first end of the reaction chamber.

3. The pyrolysis system of any one of claims 1 or 2, wherein the reaction chamber is enclosed by a tube, wherein the tube comprises a cylindrical bore housing the screw conveyor, and wherein the injection ports extend through the tube into the reaction chamber.

4. The pyrolysis system of claim 3, wherein the tube further comprises an insulation layer, the insulation layer being disposed within the cylindrical bore of the tube and enclosing the reaction chamber.

5. The pyrolysis system of any one of claims 3 or 4, wherein the tube further comprises an inlet and an outlet, wherein the inlet and outlet extend into the cylindrical bore of the tube to form a fluid passageway therebetween.

6. The pyrolysis system of claim 5, wherein, in use, a cooling fluid flowing from the inlet to the outlet of the tube reduces the temperature of the reaction chamber.

7. The pyrolysis system of claim 5, wherein, in use, a hot fluid flowing from the inlet to the outlet of the tube increases the temperature of the reaction chamber.

8. The pyrolysis system of claim 7, wherein the hot fluid flowing from the inlet to the outlet of the tube preheats the gas injected via the one or more injection ports.

9. The pyrolysis system of any one of the preceding claims, wherein the screw conveyor has a preferred direction of rotation and wherein the one or more injection ports open into the reaction chamber between 0 to 90 degrees or 270 to 360 degrees circumferentially down from an apex defined as a 0 degree position of the reaction chamber, measured in a direction corresponding to the preferred direction of rotation of the screw conveyor.

10. The pyrolysis system of claim 9, wherein the one or more injection ports open into the chamber at a void space between an internal wall of the reaction chamber and the feedstock.

11. The pyrolysis system of any one of the preceding claims, wherein a lower temperature in the reaction chamber results from a higher ratio of feedstock to gas.

12. The pyrolysis system of any one of the preceding claims, wherein a higher temperature in the reaction chamber results from a lower ratio of feedstock to gas.

13. The pyrolysis system of any one of the preceding claims, wherein the screw conveyor is a centerless screw conveyor.

14. The pyrolysis system of any one of the preceding claims, wherein the screw conveyor comprises a central shaft.

15. The pyrolysis system of any one of claims I to 12, wherein the conveyor assembly comprises a plurality of screw conveyors extending between the first and second ends of the reaction chamber.

16. The pyrolysis system of claim 15, wherein the plurality of screw conveyors cooperate to convey the feedstock from the inlet to the outlet of the reaction chamber.

17. The pyrolysis system of any one of claims 15 or 16, wherein the plurality of screw conveyors are in series.

18. The pyrolysis system of any one of the preceding claims, wherein the screw conveyor comprises one or more temperature sensors along a length of the screw conveyor between the first and second ends of the reaction chamber.

19. The pyrolysis system of any one of claims 1 to 17, wherein the reaction chamber comprises one or more temperature sensors along a length of the reaction chamber between the first and second ends thereof.

20. The pyrolysis system of any one of claims 18 or 19, wherein a temperature reading from the, or each, temperature sensor is transmitted to the control system.

21. The pyrolysis system of any one of the preceding claims, wherein the screw conveyor moves the feedstock from the first end to the second end of the reaction chamber counter-current to flow of pyrolysis gas flowing from the second end to the first end of the reaction chamber to produce the syngas product at the one or more gas outlets.

22. The pyrolysis system of any one of the preceding claims, wherein the conveyor assembly further comprises a feed rate sensor connected to the drive mechanism.

23. The pyrolysis system of claim 22, wherein the feed rate sensor transmits the rate at which the feedstock is moved by the conveyor assembly and a speed at which the screw conveyor is driven by the drive mechanism to the control system.

24. The pyrolysis system of any one of the preceding claims, wherein the reaction chamber further comprises a syngas flow sensor downstream from the one or more gas outlets for the syngas product.

25. The pyrolysis system of claim 24, wherein the syngas flow sensor transmits the flow rate of the syngas product to the control system.

26. The pyrolysis system of any one of the preceding claims, wherein the reaction chamber further comprises a pyrolysed product sensor proximal to the outlet.

27. The pyrolysis system of claim 26, wherein the pyrolysed product sensor transmits the flow rate of the pyrolysed product at the outlet to the control system.

28. The pyrolysis system of any one of the preceding claims, wherein the reaction chamber further comprises a liquid outlet in fluid communication with the reaction chamber and proximal to the first end thereof.

29. The pyrolysis system of claim 28, wherein the liquid outlet is for a liquid by-product of the processed feedstock.

30. The pyrolysis system of any one of the above claims, wherein the temperature regulating assembly further comprises a H20 injection port located proximal to the second end of the reaction chamber.

31. The pyrolysis system of claim 30, wherein H20 injected via the H20 injection port may be in a liquid or vapour form for reducing temperature in the reaction chamber.

32. The pyrolysis system of any one of the preceding claims, wherein the pyrolysed product is a carbon-rich char such as biochar.

33. The pyrolysis system of any one of the preceding claims, wherein the gas injected by the one or more injection ports is an oxidant gas such as air.

34. The pyrolysis system of any one of claims I to 32, wherein the gas injected by the one or more injection ports is any one or more of a hot gas, exhaust gas or steam.

35. The pyrolysis system of any one of the preceding claims, wherein the gas delivery system further comprises one or more flow regulators for regulating the gas injected into the reaction chamber, wherein the, or each, flow regulator corresponds to one or more of the, or each, injection ports.

36. The pyrolysis system of claim 35, wherein the, or each, flow regulators are automated.

37. The pyrolysis system of any one of the preceding claims, wherein the gas delivery system further comprises one or more precombustion chambers in fluid communication with the reaction chamber.

38. The pyrolysis system of claim 37, wherein the, or each, precombustion chamber is proximal to or attached to an outer wall of the reaction chamber.

39. The pyrolysis system of claim 38, wherein the, or each, precombustion chamber permits the injected gas to contact the outer wall of the reaction chamber wall prior to entering the reaction chamber.

40. The pyrolysis system of any one of claims 37 to 39, wherein the, or each, precombustion chamber comprises an oxidant inlet and a combustible fuel inlet.

41. The pyrolysis system of any one of claims 37 to 40, wherein a fuel and an oxidant are injected at the combustible fuel and oxidant inlets into the, or each, precombustion chamber to react and partially or completely combust prior to entering the reaction chamber.

42. The pyrolysis system of any one of the preceding claims, wherein the one or more injection ports injects one or more of the gas or a combustible fuel into the reaction chamber, wherein, in use, a temperature within the reaction chamber is controlled by a combination of a flowrate of the gas injected, a flow rate of the combustible fuel injected, and the mass of feedstock moved by the conveyor assembly.

43. The pyrolysis system of any one of the preceding claims, wherein cyclic adjustment of gas flow is made corresponding to screw angular position.

44. The pyrolysis system of any one of the preceding claims, wherein syngas composition is controlled or varied by control changes to the water, steam or gas injection rates.

45. The pyrolysis system of any one of the preceding claims, wherein a slow response control loop is used to control one or more temperatures within the reaction chamber.

46. The pyrolysis system of any one of the preceding claims, wherein a fast response control loop is used to control one or more temperatures within the reaction chamber.

47. The pyrolysis system of any one of claims 45 or 46, wherein the slow and fast response control loops cooperate to control one or more temperatures within the reaction chamber, wherein the fast response control loop is used to control runaway temperatures within the reaction chamber, and the slow response control loop is used to maintain the one or more temperatures within the reaction chamber.

48. The pyrolysis system of any one of the preceding claims, wherein a torque value of the screw conveyor at the drive mechanism is used to control a level of the feedstock moved by the conveyor assembly.

49. The pyrolysis system of claim 48, wherein the torque value of the screw conveyor is a low torque value indicating a low fill level of the feedstock.

50. The pyrolysis system of any one of claims 48 or 49, wherein the torque value of the screw conveyor is a high torque value indicating a high fill level of the feedstock.

51. The pyrolysis system of any one of the preceding claims, wherein the feedstock is a carbon containing material, biomass or organic material capable of being used as a source of fuel.

52. The pyrolysis system of any one of the preceding claims, wherein the feedstock is continuously fed in at the inlet of the reaction chamber.

53. A method for processing feedstock, the method comprising the steps of: (a) introducing the feedstock to an inlet at a first end of a reaction chamber; (b) moving the feedstock through the reaction chamber toward a second end thereof using a conveyor assembly comprising a screw conveyor driven by a drive mechanism; (c) using a temperature regulating assembly comprising a gas delivery system to inject a gas via one or more injection ports into the reaction chamber to convert the feedstock into a pyrolysed product ejected through an outlet, and a syngas product ejected through a gas outlet; and (d) using a control system to control the temperature regulating assembly to maintain a temperature profile between the first and second ends of the reaction chamber by controlling a ratio of: the mass of feedstock moved by the conveyor assembly to the mass of gas injected by the temperature regulating assembly.

54. The method of claim 53, wherein the gas injected via the one or more injection ports direct pyrolysis gases in a counter-current flow to the feedstock moved by the conveyor assembly, such that the pyrolysis gases move from the second end toward the gas outlet proximal to the first end of the reaction chamber to produce the syngas product at the one or more gas outlets.

55. The method of any one of claims 53 or 54, wherein a void space is created between an internal wall of the reaction chamber and the feedstock, wherein the void space is increased by increasing a cross sectional area of the reaction chamber, or by increasing a speed at which the feed stock is moved through the reaction chamber.