Patent ID: 8206471

Claim:
An efficient biomass conversion method comprising the steps of: identifying a sawmill location where substantial quantities of biomass are generated; installing a fast pyrolysis unit at the sawmill location and providing the fast pyrolysis unit with a burn enclosure, a combustion chamber, an inner pyrolysis chamber and an outer pyrolysis chamber arranged generally concentrically such that the combustion chamber is innermost substantially surrounded by the inner and outer pyrolysis chambers, and with a first proximal end of the combustion chamber extending from and in communication with an end of a rearward portion of the burn enclosure, and a second distal end of the combustion chamber in communication with a first proximal end of the inner pyrolysis chamber, and a second distal end of the inner pyrolysis chamber in communication with a first proximal end of the outer pyrolysis chamber; feeding biomass generated at the sawmill into the fast pyrolysis unit under pyrolytic reaction conditions including injecting an admixture of air and fuel under pressure into the burn enclosure and igniting the admixture to facilitate combustion of the admixture in a first direction through the combustion chamber while simultaneously deoxygenating the combustion chamber; introducing biomass into the pyrolysis unit at a location proximal to both the second end of the combustion chamber and the first end of the inner pyrolysis chamber, in the presence of sufficient temperature and in the substantial absence of oxygen to cause pyrolysis of the biomass to occur along the length of the inner pyrolysis chamber between the first and second ends thereof; removing exhaust gases containing entrained matter resulting from pyrolytic reactions within the fast pyrolysis unit; separating and collecting bio-fuel entrained in the exhaust gases; and using at least a portion of the collected bio-fuel to power the sawmill.