The present invention describes a processes, systems, and catalysts for the utilization of carbon dioxide into high quality synthesis gas that can then be used to produce fuels (e.g., diesel fuel) and chemicals. In one aspect, the present invention provides a process for the conversion of a feed gas comprising carbon dioxide and hydrogen to a product gas comprising carbon monoxide and water.

A method that combines a fuel cell with a Gas Recovery Unit (GRU) to a methanol plant to produce methanol at near zero GHG emissions. The fuel cell generates steam, carbon dioxide and electricity. A GRU unit condenses, separates, recovers, pressurizes and reheats the fuel cell anode exhaust stream. The GRU prepares a stream of natural gas and steam to feed the fuel cell anode and a stream of carbon dioxide and air to feed the fuel cell cathode. The GRU also prepares streams of carbon dioxide and steam as reactants for the stoichiometric mixture with natural gas to produce synthesis gas in an electric catalytic reformer at a methanol plant. The electric catalytic reformer uses electricity, steam and/or carbon dioxide reactants produced by the fuel cell to produce synthesis gas for conversion to methanol with low GHG emissions.

The present invention describes a processes, systems, and catalysts for the conversion of carbon dioxide and water and electricity into low carbon or zero carbon high quality fuels and chemicals. In one aspect, the present invention provides an integrated process for the conversion of a feed stream comprising carbon dioxide to a product stream comprising hydrocarbons between 5 and 24 carbon atoms in length.

The disclosure is directed to a process and an apparatus for providing a feedstock. A gaseous feed stream comprising at least one hydrocarbon is passed to a reforming unit followed by a water gas shift reaction zone to provide a first gaseous stream comprising H.sub.2, CO, and CO.sub.2. The first gaseous stream is fed a hydrogen separation zone to separate it into a hydrogen enriched stream and a second gaseous stream comprising CO, CO.sub.2 and H.sub.2. The second gaseous stream is fed to a CO.sub.2 to CO conversion system to produce a third gaseous stream comprising H.sub.2 and CO having a H.sub.2:CO molar ratio of less than 5:1. The third gaseous stream is fed as the feedstock for a gas fermentation unit to have increased stability and product selectivity.

A reactor includes a reactor vessel and one or more reaction tubes A number of tube sections of the one or more reaction tubes in each case run between a first region and a second region in the reactor vessel. For the electrical heating of the tube sections, the tube sections in the first region can be electrically connected to (a) current connection(s) of a current source. In the first region, current feed arrangements are provided; in each case one or in each case one group of the tube sections are electrically connected, and each comprise (a) contact passage(s) that in each case adjoin(s) at least one of the tube sections in the first region. A wall of the contact passages in each case is connected to a current feed element that has a rod-shaped section that runs at a wall passage through a wall of the reactor vessel.

A reactor for carrying out a chemical reaction, which has a reactor vessel and one or more reaction tubes, wherein power input elements for electrical heating of the reaction tube(s) are guided into the reactor vessel. It is provided that the power input elements each have a rod-shaped section that, in each case, runs at a wall passage through a wall of the reactor vessel in such a way that a connection chamber into which the rod-shaped sections project is arranged outside the reactor vessel and adjacently to the wall of the reactor vessel through which the rod-shaped sections run at their wall passages, and that cooling panels through which a cooling fluid can flow are provided in the connection chamber and are arranged between at least two or between at least two groups of the rod-shaped sections that project into the connection chamber.

According to this disclosure, there is provided a pyrolysis reaction system and a direct non-oxidative methane coupling process using the same by which it is possible to reach the selectivity for good C.sub.≤10 hydrocarbons and at the same time to inhibit coke from being generated while a good methane conversion is maintained during direct conversion of methane into C.sub.2+ hydrocarbons through non-oxidative pyrolysis.

Provided is a hydrogen supply system that supplies hydrogen. The hydrogen supply system includes: a dehydrogenation reaction unit that subjects a raw material including a hydride to a dehydrogenation reaction to obtain a hydrogen-containing gas; a heating mechanism that heats the dehydrogenation reaction unit by using electric power; and an electric power supply unit that supplies at least one of electric power based on renewable energy and electric power based on thermal power generation equipped with carbon dioxide capture and storage to the heating mechanism.

A synthesis gas plant for producing synthesis gas, said synthesis gas plant including an electrically heated reforming reactor system including a first catalyst active for catalyzing steam methane reforming reaction, said electrically heated reforming reactor system being arranged to receive a feed gas comprising hydrocarbons and outletting a first synthesis gas stream. The synthesis gas plant also includes a post converter downstream the electrically heated reforming reactor system, said post converter housing a second catalyst active for catalyzing steam methane reforming/methanation reactions and reverse water gas shift reaction, said post converter being arranged to receive at least part of said first synthesis gas stream and outletting a second synthesis gas stream. Furthermore, the synthesis gas plant includes means for adding a heated CO.sub.2 rich gas stream to the at least part of the first synthesis gas stream upstream the post converter and/or into the post converter.

One or more reactants are flowed into thermal contact with a heating element in a reactor for a first time period. During a first part of a heating cycle, the one or more reactants are provided with a first temperature by heating with the heating element, such that one or more thermochemical reactions is initiated. The one or more thermochemical reactions includes pyrolysis, thermolysis, synthesis, hydrogenation, dehydrogenation, hydrogenolysis, or any combination thereof. The first heating element operates by Joule heating and has a porous construction that allows gas to flow therethrough. During a second part of the heating cycle, the one or more reactants are provided with a second temperature less than the first temperature, for example, by de-energizing the heating element. A duration of the first time period is equal to or greater than a duration of the heating cycle, which is less than five seconds.