A method of generating syngas as a primary product from renewable feedstock, fossil fuels, or hazardous waste with the use of a cupola. The cupola operates selectably on inductive heat alone, chemically assisted heat, or plasma assisted heat. Additionally, the operation of the cupola is augmented by the use of direct acting carbon or graphite rods that carry electrical current for additional heat generation into the metal bath that is influenced by the inductive element. The method includes the steps of providing a cupola for containing a metal bath; and operating an inductive element to react with the metal bath. Feedstock in the form of a combination of fossil fuel, a hazardous waste, and a hazardous material is supplied to the cupola. A plasma torch operates on the metal bath selectably directly and indirectly. Steam, air, oxygen enriched air, and oxygen are supplied in selectable combinations.

The disclosure relates to methods of capturing carbon by microbial fermentation of a gaseous substrate comprising CO into one or more first products which, in turn, may be incorporated into an article of manufacture or one or more second products. Further, the disclosure relates to improving carbon capture and/or efficiency.

It is provided a method of converting a carbonaceous material into syngas at a carbon conversion rate of at least 78% comprising gasifying the carbonaceous material in a fluidized bed reactor producing a crude syngas, classifying the crude syngas by particle size and density into a cut sizing device, introducing the classified particle crude syngas into a thermal reformer and reforming the classified crude syngas at a temperature above mineral melting point, producing the syngas.

A chemical looping process for the production of hydrogen and the co-production of carbon dioxide comprising: a first redox loop that comprises: feeding of a first solid oxygen carrier to a first reaction zone (R1) in which a first carbonaceous fuel is also fed, which reacts with the first solid oxygen carrier fed at its maximum oxidising state (fully-oxidised form), leading to the formation of the combustion products carbon dioxide and water and the solid oxygen carrier at a lower oxidising state (reduced form); and feeding of the first solid oxygen carrier in reduced form to a second reaction zone (R2) into which air is also fed, obtaining, from the oxidation of the first solid oxygen carrier, heat and the solid oxygen carrier in fully-oxidised form to be recycled to the first reaction zone (R1); and a second redox loop that comprises: feeding of a second solid oxygen carrier to a third reaction zone (R3) in which a second carbonaceous fuel is also fed, which reacts with the second solid oxygen carrier fed at its an intermediate oxidising state (oxidised form), leading to the formation of the combustion products carbon dioxide and water and the solid oxygen carrier at a lower oxidising state (reduced form); and feeding of the second solid oxygen carrier in reduced form to a fourth reaction zone (R4) into which steam is also fed, which reacts with the reduced form of the solid oxygen carrier, producing hydrogen and the solid oxygen carrier at an intermediate oxidising state (oxidised form) to be recycled to the third reaction zone (R3) and/or the first reaction zone (R1), wherein the first reaction zone (R1) and the third reaction zone (R3) are interconnected allowing transfer of at least a portion of the first solid oxygen carrier from the first reaction zone (R1) to the third reaction zone (R3).

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.

Proposed is a process for producing methanol from synthesis gas by means of multi-stage, for example two-stage, heterogeneously catalyzed methanol synthesis, wherein the methanol product formed in every synthesis stage is separated by condensation and the remaining residual gas is supplied to the downstream synthesis stage or after separation of a purge stream recycled to the first synthesis stage as a recycle stream. According to the invention after each synthesis stage the residual gas streams have separated from them a respective purge stream, from which, using one or more hydrogen recovery apparatuses, hydrogen is separated and recycled to the first synthesis stage. The ratio of the individual purge streams and their total molar flow may optionally be varied to allow better control of the reaction in the individual synthesis stages and to allow reaction to the advancing deactivation of the catalysts present therein.

A methanol production system of the present disclosure includes: a reformer including a reaction furnace configured to reform methane in a raw material gas to produce a reformed gas containing CO and H.sub.2; a reduced-gas generator configured to reduce CO.sub.2 to produce a reduced gas containing CO; and a methanol-containing gas generator configured to produce a methanol-containing gas which contains methanol from a reformed gas produced in the reaction furnace and a reduced gas produced in the reduced-gas generator.

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 process for producing a gas stream comprising carbon monoxide comprising the steps of (a) feeding a gas mixture comprising carbon dioxide and hydrogen to a burner and combusting it with a sub-stoichiometric amount of an oxygen gas stream to form a combusted gas mixture comprising carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, hydrogen and steam, (b) passing the combusted gas mixture through a bed of reverse water-gas shift catalyst to form a crude product gas mixture containing carbon monoxide, steam, hydrogen and carbon dioxide, (c) cooling the crude product gas mixture to below the dew point and recovering a condensate to form a dewatered product gas, (d) removing carbon dioxide from the dewatered product gas in a carbon dioxide removal unit to form the gas stream comprising carbon monoxide, and (e) combining carbon dioxide recovered by the carbon dioxide removal unit with the gas mixture comprising hydrogen and carbon dioxide.

The present invention generally relates to improved catalysts that provide for reduced product contaminants, related methods and improved reaction products. It more specifically relates to improved direct fuel production and redox catalysts that provide for reduced levels of certain oxygenated contaminants, methods related to the use of those catalysts, and hydrocarbon fuel or fuel-related products that have improved characteristics. In one aspect, the present invention is directed to a method of converting one or more carbon-containing feedstocks into one or more hydrocarbon liquid fuels. The method includes the steps of: converting the one or more carbon-containing feedstocks into syngas; and, converting the syngas to one or more hydrocarbons (including liquid fuels) and a water fraction. The water fraction comprises less than 500 ppm of one or more carboxylic acids.