In aspects of the disclosure, a fuel cartridge wherein the fuel is in a powdered form is admixed with inert materials such as alumina or other ceramics to improve thermal conductivity. Said cartridge having fuel zones, heating zones, and controllers to selectively heat fuel zones and thereby generate hydrogen via decomposition of fuel is disclosed.

In aspects of the disclosure, a fuel cartridge wherein the fuel is in a powdered form is admixed with inert materials such as alumina or other ceramics to improve thermal conductivity. Said cartridge having fuel zones, heating zones, and controllers to selectively heat fuel zones and thereby generate hydrogen via decomposition of fuel is disclosed.

A process for producing ammonia and a derivative of ammonia from a natural gas feed comprising conversion of natural gas into a make-up synthesis gas; synthesis of ammonia; use of said ammonia to produce said derivative of ammonia, wherein a portion of the natural gas feed is used to fuel a gas engine; power produced by said gas engine; is transferred to at least one power user of the process, such as a compressor; heat is re-covered from exhaust gas of said gas engine;, and at least part of said heat may be recovered as low-grade heat available at a temperature not greater than 200° C., to provide process heating to at least one thermal user of the process, such as CO2 removal unit or absorption chiller; a corresponding plant and method of modernization are also disclosed.

A process for producing ammonia and a derivative of ammonia from a natural gas feed comprising conversion of natural gas into a make-up synthesis gas; synthesis of ammonia; use of said ammonia to produce said derivative of ammonia, wherein a portion of the natural gas feed is used to fuel a gas engine; power produced by said gas engine; is transferred to at least one power user of the process, such as a compressor; heat is re-covered from exhaust gas of said gas engine;, and at least part of said heat may be recovered as low-grade heat available at a temperature not greater than 200° C., to provide process heating to at least one thermal user of the process, such as CO2 removal unit or absorption chiller; a corresponding plant and method of modernization are also disclosed.

A reactor suitable for a reaction containing an exothermic reaction is provided. The reactor includes the following components. A reaction channel has an inlet and an outlet, and has a front-end reaction zone, middle-end reaction zones, and a back-end reaction zone from the inlet to the outlet. A front-end catalyst support and a front-end catalyst are located in the front-end reaction zone, a middle-end catalyst support and a middle-end catalyst are respectively located in the middle-end reaction zones, and a back-end catalyst support and a back-end catalyst are located in the back-end reaction zone. The concentration of the front-end catalyst is less than the concentration of the back-end catalyst, and the concentration of the middle-end catalyst is decided via a computer simulation of reaction parameters. The reaction parameters include size and geometric shape of the reaction channel.

The present invention relates to a method for hydrogen production and to a method of hydrogen and/or carbon dioxide production from syngas. The method comprises the steps of: (i) providing a gas stream comprising hydrogen and carbon monoxide, (ii) separating at least part of hydrogen from the stream yielding a hydrogen-depleted stream, (iii) subjecting the hydrogen-depleted stream to a water-gas shift reaction, and (iv) separating hydrogen from the stream resulting from step (iii). The method according to the invention improves the conversion of carbon monoxide in the water gas shift reaction and allows to increase the hydrogen production by 10-15% and to increase the overall energy efficiency of the system by 5-7%. The invention further relates to a plant for hydrogen and/or carbon dioxide production suitable for the method of the invention.

The present invention relates to a method for hydrogen production and to a method of hydrogen and/or carbon dioxide production from syngas. The method comprises the steps of: (i) providing a gas stream comprising hydrogen and carbon monoxide, (ii) separating at least part of hydrogen from the stream yielding a hydrogen-depleted stream, (iii) subjecting the hydrogen-depleted stream to a water-gas shift reaction, and (iv) separating hydrogen from the stream resulting from step (iii). The method according to the invention improves the conversion of carbon monoxide in the water gas shift reaction and allows to increase the hydrogen production by 10-15% and to increase the overall energy efficiency of the system by 5-7%. The invention further relates to a plant for hydrogen and/or carbon dioxide production suitable for the method of the invention.

An apparatus and a process are described for preparation of nitric acid from ammonia and oxygenous gas by the single pressure or dual pressure process, in which the oxidation of the ammonia used is accomplished by means of compressed process air which has been compressed in at least one compressor over a catalyst, and the nitrous gas formed by the oxidation is at least partly absorbed by water, forming nitric acid, and the unabsorbed residual gas is expanded for the purpose of recovering compressor work in at least one multistage residual gas turbine (1). The characteristic features of the process and the apparatus are that, at least during the startup and/or shutdown of the nitric acid plant, in the multistage residual gas turbine (1), a substream (3) of the medium (4) flowing through the multistage residual gas turbine (1) is withdrawn and that a substream (2) of the medium (4a) supplied to the multistage residual gas turbine (1) is optionally withdrawn upstream of the multistage residual gas turbine (1), and that the medium withdrawn is supplied to a chimney (5), the withdrawal of the substream (3) taking place between two or more residual gas turbine stages. This measure can effectively prevent freezing of the residual gas turbine.

An apparatus and a process are described for preparation of nitric acid from ammonia and oxygenous gas by the single pressure or dual pressure process, in which the oxidation of the ammonia used is accomplished by means of compressed process air which has been compressed in at least one compressor over a catalyst, and the nitrous gas formed by the oxidation is at least partly absorbed by water, forming nitric acid, and the unabsorbed residual gas is expanded for the purpose of recovering compressor work in at least one multistage residual gas turbine (1). The characteristic features of the process and the apparatus are that, at least during the startup and/or shutdown of the nitric acid plant, in the multistage residual gas turbine (1), a substream (3) of the medium (4) flowing through the multistage residual gas turbine (1) is withdrawn and that a substream (2) of the medium (4a) supplied to the multistage residual gas turbine (1) is optionally withdrawn upstream of the multistage residual gas turbine (1), and that the medium withdrawn is supplied to a chimney (5), the withdrawal of the substream (3) taking place between two or more residual gas turbine stages. This measure can effectively prevent freezing of the residual gas turbine.

The invention relates to a commercially viable modular ceramic oxygen transport membrane system for utilizing heat generated in reactively-driven oxygen transport membrane tubes to generate steam, heat process fluid and/or provide energy to carry out endothermic chemical reactions. The system provides for improved thermal coupling of oxygen transport membrane tubes to steam generation tubes or process heater tubes or reactor tubes for efficient and effective radiant heat transfer.