Electric-powered, closed-loop, continuous-feed, endothermic energy-conversion systems and methods

1. A system for converting energy comprising:

a controller;

a reactor having inner walls operated by the controller, the reactor adapted to allow a continuous feed, phase-change process of a feedstock;

a pressure transition component adapted to allow continuous flow transition of vapor formed from the phase-change process from the reactor from positive pressure to negative pressure; and

a heater surrounding the reactor.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the pressure transition component includes a compensator adapted to allow for transition of vapor from a positive pressure from the reactor to negative pressure vapor removal.

3. The system of claim 2 , wherein the compensator includes a primary recirculator with an associated primary recirculator and a secondary compensator with an associated secondary recirculator, the primary and secondary compensators adapted to allow for condensation of the vapor removed.

4. The system of claim 2 , further comprising:

a scale;

a mixer;

a feedstock hopper metering stage;

an infeed sensor; and

an airlock, wherein the scale, the mixer, the feedstock hoper metering stage, and the infeed sensor form a closed loop with the reactor.

5. The system of claim 4 , wherein the feedstock hopper metering stage includes metered sorbents and reagents adapted to pretreat feedstock prior to the feedstock being advanced to the reactor.

6. The system of claim 5 , wherein the metered sorbents and reagents include finely milled lime, trona, bentonite, sodium bentonite, sodium, or sodium bicarbonate.

7. The system of claim 4 , wherein the closed loop further comprises the components of:

a vapor pre-heating stage;

a ceramic hot gas filter;

a first quench stage;

a multi-tube plunging condenser;

a second quench stage;

a vacuum buffer tank;

a regulator;

a vacuum pump;

a syngas buffer tank; and

a catalytic scrub.

8. The system of claim 7 , wherein the compensator, the vacuum buffer tank, the vacuum pump, and the syngas buffer tank are adapted to maintain a pressure with the reactor.

9. The system of claim 7 , wherein the vacuum pump includes a liquid ring compressor adapted to cool vapor advance from the reactor as it is being compressed.

10. The system of claim 7 , wherein the reactor includes an automated plunging system having multi-vapor discharge nozzles.

11. The system of claim 10 , wherein the multi-vapor discharge nozzles are integrated with the ceramic hot gas filter, the primary and secondary quenching stages, the multi-tub plunging condenser, or any combination thereof.

12. A method for converting energy, comprising the steps of:

providing an energy conversion system according to claim 11 ;

supplying feedstock material to the energy-conversion system;

processing the feedstock material;

supplying the processed feedstock material to the inlet of the reactor;

advancing the processed feedstock through the reactor while the reactor facilitates a phase-change process of the feedstock from solid to liquid to vapor;

maintaining through the heater accurate and consistent temperature within reactor;

maintaining a positive pressure in the energy-conversion system;

discharging from reactor outlets char and vapor obtained from the reacted feedstock;

removing particulates from the discharged vapor;

quenching the discharged vapor to prevent tar, grease, and/or wax build-ups;

after the quenching step, transitioning through the pressure transition component from the positive pressure to a negative pressure in the energy-conversion system; and

supplying the quenched vapor to a vacuum buffer tank.

13. The method of claim 12 , further comprising the steps of:

advancing the supplied vapor to a regulator;

removing liquid from the advanced vapor;

cooling the advanced vapor; and

performing a filter-less quenching gas clean-up operation on the advanced vapor; and forming and discharging syngas.

14. The method of claim 13 , further comprising the step of advancing the reacted feedstock to a quench station.

15. The method of claim 14 , further comprising the step of advancing the quenched feedstock to an atmospheric fractioning unit.

16. The method of claim 15 , further comprising the steps of advancing the reacted feedstock to an automated plunging system.