Patent ID: 7784415

Claim:
An apparatus for producing heat from a solid fuel having a gasifier, the apparatus comprising: a fuel delivery supply; a fuel lock-up transport system positioned to receive fuel from the fuel delivery supply, the fuel lock-up transport system having a downstream flow direction, a fuel feed section, a fuel lock-up section for placing the fuel in a lock-up condition, a fuel delivery section wherein a portion of the fuel delivery section comprises a conduit and maintains a lock-up condition of the fuel and further provides for a linear mass flow of the fuel in the downstream direction; wherein at least a portion of the conduit is moveable in the downstream direction to provide for the linear mass flow of the fuel; wherein the conduit comprises a spool section and wherein the spool section comprises: an inner annular wall; an outer annular wall spaced apart from and positioned substantially concentric to the inner annual wall; a front wall positioned on a front end of both the inner and outer annular walls; and a back wall positioned on a back end of both the inner and outer annular walls; and wherein any of the inner annular wall, outer annular wall, front wall or back wall rotate about the center of the inner annular wall in the downstream direction; and a fuel heating zone within the fuel delivery section; a fuel pyrolysis zone positioned downstream of the fuel heating zone; and a reduction zone positioned downstream of the fuel pyrolysis zone.