Engineering firm Jenike & Johanson has received a patent for a new feeding system designed to solve a long-standing challenge in biofuels production — moving low-density biomass materials into high-pressure reactor environments in a reliable and continuous manner.
The technology targets feedstocks such as agricultural residues, forest biomass and municipal solid waste, which are often difficult to process in pressurised systems, Bioenergy Insight reported.
One of the key obstacles in biomass conversion, commonly referred to as the “pressure gap,” occurs when conventional feeding systems struggle to move loose biomass into high-pressure reactors. These methods can lead to blockages, material compaction and unstable flow, often making additional preparation steps such as grinding or pelletising necessary. Such requirements can increase costs and limit large-scale deployment of biomass and waste-to-energy projects.
The newly patented system, named Jen-Zero, uses a diverging pressurisation design intended to improve material movement. Unlike conventional systems that narrow and compress feedstocks during transfer, the new approach allows biomass to move in a near free-fall pattern, helping maintain smoother and more stable flow.
According to the company, the design also addresses biomass springback — a condition where compressed material expands after pressure is released, leading to blockages and interruptions in feeding operations. Jenike & Johanson said the system reduces this effect and enables a steady flow of material directly into high-pressure reactors without requiring pelletising or other pre-treatment processes.
The company stated that systems using the technology can process up to 1,000 tonnes per day of biomass or municipal solid waste.
Lead inventor Jayant Khambekar said the patented system represents an engineering-based solution developed through bulk-solids science and is intended to provide the industry with a practical way to overcome feedstock handling challenges that have slowed progress in sustainable energy development.
