The present invention provides: an electrode-supporting type of gas-separation membrane module for selectively effecting the passage of a gas via an electron exchange reaction due to a coupling-material layer and gas exchange via an ion-conducting separation layer; a tubular structure of same; a production method for the tubular structure; and a hydrocarbon-reforming method using the gas-separation membrane module. The present invention is advantageous in that outstanding chemical and mechanical durability can be ensured by using a fluorite-based ion-conducting membrane which is chemically stable in CO2 and H2O atmospheres in particular, at high temperature, and in that a pure gas can be produced inexpensively since the passage of gas occurs due to an internal circuit even without applying a voltage from the outside.

A process for separating components or a fluid mixture using membranes comprising a selective layer made from copolymers of an amorphous per fluorinated dioxolane and a fluorovinyl monomer. The resulting membranes have superior selectivity performance for certain fluid components of interest while maintaining fast permeance compared to membranes prepared using conventional perfluoropolymers, such as Teflon® AF, Hyflon® AD, and Cytop®.

A system and method for producing hydrogen from hydrocarbon and steam, including a membrane reformer with multiple membrane reactors each having a tubular membrane. The bore of the tubular membrane is the permeate side for the hydrogen. The region external to the tubular membrane is the retentate side for carbon dioxide. A sweep gas flows through the bore to displace hydrogen in a direction countercurrent to flow of hydrocarbon and steam in the region external to the tubular membrane. The method includes discharging hydrogen as permeate with the sweep gas from the bore, and discharging carbon dioxide in the region external to the tubular membrane as retentate from the membrane reactor.

A submerged plasma generator includes: a reactor inside of which a flow path, through which a working fluid passes, is formed along a lengthwise direction; and a dielectric insert which is disposed in the flow path so as to define the flow path into one space and the other space, and has formed therein a through-hole to generate micro-nano bubbles by cavitation in the working fluid fed into the one space of the flow path, and includes, a metallic catalyst which undergoes friction with the working fluid flowing through the through-hole and releases electric charges of the same polarity to the micro-nano bubbles to collapse the micro-nano bubbles and generate plasma; in which the other space of the flow path in which the working fluid ionized by exposure to the plasma travels is formed in an oval structure.

A method of producing hydrogen in a plant for hydrogen production during combustion of a mixture of hydrocarbon feedstock with an oxidizer with an oxidant excess ratio of less than 1. The method is characterized in that the combustion process is carried out at a temperature of less than 1400 K inside several cavities, completely or partially formed by a material permeable to a mixture of hydrocarbon feedstock with an oxidant.

Membrane-based hydrogen purifiers having graphite frame members. The purifiers include a hydrogen-separation membrane module with at least one membrane cell containing at least one hydrogen-selective membrane, which includes a permeate face and an opposed mixed gas face, and a fluid-permeable support structure that physically contacts and supports at least a central region of the permeate face. The membrane cell further includes a permeate-side frame member and a mixed gas-side frame member. The permeate-side frame member is interposed between the hydrogen-selective membrane and the fluid-permeable support structure to physically contact a peripheral region of the permeate face and a peripheral region of the fluid-permeable support structure. The mixed gas-side frame member physically contacts a peripheral region of the mixed gas face. At least one of the permeate-side frame member and the mixed gas-side frame member is a graphite frame member.

Improved processes and systems are disclosed for producing renewable hydrogen suitable for reducing metal ores, as well as for producing activated carbon. Some variations provide a process comprising: pyrolyzing biomass to generate a biogenic reagent comprising carbon and a pyrolysis off-gas; converting the pyrolysis off-gas to additional reducing gas and/or heat; reacting at least some of the biogenic reagent with a reactant to generate a reducing gas; and chemically reducing a metal oxide in the presence of the reducing gas. Some variations provide a process for producing renewable hydrogen by biomass pyrolysis to generate a biogenic reagent, conversion of the biogenic reagent to a reducing gas, and separation and recovery of hydrogen from the reducing gas. A reducing-gas composition for reducing a metal oxide is provided, comprising renewable hydrogen according to a hydrogen-isotope analysis. Reacted biogenic reagent may also be recovered as an activated carbon product. Many variations are disclosed.

A system optionally including a carbon oxide reactor. A method for carbon oxide reactor control, optionally including selecting carbon oxide reactor aspects based on a desired output composition, running a carbon oxide reactor under controlled process conditions to produce a desired output composition, and/or altering the process conditions to alter the output composition.

Hydrogen-producing fuel processing systems and related methods. The systems include a hydrogen-producing region configured to produce a mixed gas stream from a feedstock stream, a hydrogen-separation membrane module having at least one hydrogen-selective membrane and configured to separate the mixed gas stream into a product hydrogen stream and a byproduct stream, and an oxidant delivery system configured to deliver an oxidant-containing stream to the hydrogen-separation membrane module in situ to increase hydrogen permeance of the hydrogen-selective membrane. The methods include operating a hydrogen-producing fuel processing system in a hydrogen-producing regime, and subsequently operating the hydrogen-producing fuel processing system in a restoration regime, in which an oxidant-containing stream is delivered to the hydrogen-separation membrane module in situ to expose the at least one hydrogen-selective membrane to the oxidant-containing stream to increase the hydrogen permeance of the at least one hydrogen-selective membrane.

The invention relates to a method for synthesising a hydrogen-containing compound, wherein a synthesis gas stream (1) comprising hydrogen and carbon oxides is fed to a methanol reactor arrangement (2) for partial conversion into methanol, wherein a methanol residual gas stream (3) is obtained from the methanol reactor arrangement (2), at least part of said methanol residual gas stream (3) being fed to a CO2 remover (4) from which a synthesis recycle stream (5) and a CO2 product stream (6) are obtained, said CO2 product stream (6) having a higher molar carbon dioxide content than the methanol residual gas stream (3), and wherein part of the synthesis recycle stream (5) is fed to the methanol reactor arrangement (2). The method according to the invention is characterised in that part of the synthesis recycle stream (5) is fed to a hydrogen separator (7) from which a separation stream (8) is obtained which has a higher molar hydrogen content than the synthesis recycle stream (5). The invention also relates to a corresponding system for synthesising a hydrogen-containing compound.