An apparatus and method for producing a lower olefin-containing gas including propylene from CH.sub.4 and CO.sub.2 via CO and H.sub.2 with high activity and high selectivity. The apparatus is provided with: a synthetic gas production unit to which a gas containing CH.sub.4 and CO.sub.2 is supplied from a first supply unit, and which generates a synthetic gas containing CO and H.sub.2 while heating a first catalytic structure; a gas production unit to which the synthetic gas is supplied and which generates a lower olefin-containing gas including propylene while heating a second catalytic structure; and a detection unit which detects propylene discharged from the gas production unit, in which the first catalytic structure includes first supports having a porous structure and a first metal fine particle in the first supports, the first supports have a first channels, the first metal fine particle is present in the first channels, the second catalyst structure includes second supports having a porous structure and a second metal fine particle in the second supports, the second supports have a second channels, and a portion of the second channels have an average inner diameter of 0.95 nm or less.

An object of the present invention is to provide a non-equilibrium plasma (NEP) system and method of refining syngas. In accordance with an aspect of the present invention, there is provided a non-equilibrium plasma system for refining syngas, the system comprising a reactor with a hollow chamber, having one or more inlet manifolds configured to promote an axially symmetric and swirling flow pattern, into which syngas and one or more gasifying agents are introduced for processing within the reactor, a high voltage electrode; and a ground electrode, wherein the system is configured to create a non-equilibrium plasma producing electric arc upon application of a high voltage potential across an arc initiating gap between the high voltage electrode and the ground electrode and wherein the system is configured such that the syngas, the one or more gasifying agent(s) and plasma producing electric arc come together concurrently in the reactor. In one embodiment of the invention, the non-equilibrium plasma system comprises two eccentric cylindrical manifolds configured to form a single inlet manifold, wherein the two eccentric cylindrical manifolds comprise a first eccentric cylindrical manifold for gasifying agent input and a second eccentric cylindrical manifold for syngas input. The invention also comprises a method for refining syngas wherein the non-equilibrium plasma system of the present invention combines the syngas, the air and the plasma-producing electric arc in the same region, which will co-exist in the same location.

Combining multiple subsystems involving biomass processing, biomass gasification of the processed biomass where a synthesis gas is produced then converted to hydrogen fuels or other transportation fuels for use in coupled transportation systems sized to consume all the transportation fuel produced. Carbon in the biomass is converted to CO.sub.2 in the conversion process and a portion of that CO.sub.2 is captured and sequestrated for long term storage.

A process and a plant for the continuous conversion of a hydrocarbonaceous feed gas into a synthesis gas comprising carbon monoxide and hydrogen, wherein the H.sub.2/CO molar ratio of the product gases can be varied within a wide range. This is achieved in that at least a part of a methane-rich gas obtained during the fractionation of the raw synthesis gas is admixed to the feed gas mixture, and that in the alternative at least a part of the H.sub.2 product gas and/or a fraction of a hydrogen-rich gas increased with respect to the normal operation of the process is admixed to the heating gas mixture, in order to lower the H.sub.2/CO ratio, or at least a part of the CO product gas and/or a fraction of a carbon monoxide-rich gas increased with respect to the normal operation of the process is admixed to the heating gas mixture, in order to increase the H.sub.2/CO ratio.

Processes for converting methane into an olefin and methanol are provided. The olefin can be ethylene. Certain exemplary processes can involve parallel use of both steam reforming of methane and oxidative dry reforming of methane to prepare syngas. The processes can further involve conversion of syngas to ethylene and to methanol.

In a process for the elimination of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and hazardous air pollutants (HAPs) formed as by-products in the shift section (SS) of an ammonia plant, a carbon dioxide (C0.sub.2) stream from a vent line, which is arranged downstream from the shift section and the C0.sub.2 removal section, is recycled to the primary reformer (TR) of the ammonia plant. This way, the oxygenates contained in the carbon dioxide vent will be decomposed in the primary reformer burners, and the total emission of VOCs and HAPs will be considerably reduced.

The invention relates to mixtures comprising molecular hydrogen, hydrocarbons, and nitrogen oxides; to processes for removing at least a portion of the nitrogen oxides therefrom; to equipment useful in such processes; and to the use of such hydrocarbons for, e.g., chemical manufacturing.

A method of obtaining purified hydrogen and purified carbon monoxide from crude synthesis gas. A first crude synthesis gas stream is passed through a first separation zone to separate a hydrogen stream from a stream comprising carbon monoxide and methane. The carbon monoxide and methane are subjected to thermal reforming to produce a second crude synthesis gas, which is passed through a second separation zone to separate carbon monoxide from the second crude synthesis gas stream.

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 plant and process for producing a hydrogen rich gas are provided, said process comprising the steps of: reforming a hydrocarbon feed in a reforming step thereby obtaining a synthesis gas comprising CH.sub.4, CO, CO.sub.2, H.sub.2 and H.sub.2O; shifting said synthesis gas in a shift configuration including a high temperature shift step; removal of CO.sub.2 upstream hydrogen purification unit, such as a pressure swing adsorption unit (PSA), and recycling off-gas from hydrogen purification unit and mix it with natural gas upstream prereformer feed preheater, prereformer, reformer feed preheater or ATR or shift as feed for the process.