A method and a system for drying a biomass, wet pulverized coal or
combinations thereof, using heat from a Fischer-Tropsch synthesis in a
heat exchanger to heat a nitrogen gas, using a flue gas in a heater to
heat the heated nitrogen gas to a higher temperature, passing the twice
heated nitrogen gas through apparatus to pulverize the fuel source of
coal, biomass or both, forming a gas/particulate stream, filtering the
gas/particulate stream in a filter to remove dried fuel feed stocks and
using a blower to form a first steam and nitrogen mixture for discharge,
and a second steam and nitrogen mixture for mixing with additional dry
nitrogen gas for introduction to the first step of the method, at the
heat exchanger.