Patent ID: 7625532

Claim:
An ablative thermolysis reactor comprising: (i) a reaction vessel, (ii) an inlet into the reaction vessel for receiving feedstock, (iii) an outlet from the reaction vessel for discharging thermolysis product, (iv) within the reaction vessel, an ablative surface defining the periphery of a cylinder, (v) heating means arranged to heat said ablative surface to an elevated temperature, and (vi) at least one rotatable surface, the, or each, rotatable surface having an axis of rotation coincident with the longitudinal axis of said cylinder, wherein the rotatable surface is positioned relative to the ablative surface such that feedstock is mechanically pressed between a part of the rotatable surface and said ablative surface and moved along the ablative surface by the rotatable surface, whereby to thermolyze said feedstock, and wherein the reaction vessel is bounded by an outer peripheral wall with the ablative surface being defined by an inwardly facing surface of said outer wall, and the, or each, rotatable surface is mounted inwardly of the ablative surface and arranged to rress feedstock away from the axis of rotation.