This disclosure relates installed or new synthesis gas (Syngas) production units and potential modifications to those units to reduce the firing requirements and significant emissions of CO.sub.2 from those units with affordable capital expenditures.

A steam reforming process to produce synthesis gas from hydrocarbons comprises: a first steam reforming step, wherein a gas stream of hydrocarbon feedstock is supplied into a first reforming section comprising at least a first gas heated reformer, where steam reforming reactions take place forming a partially reformed effluent; a second steam reforming effluent, wherein the partially reformed effluent leaving the first reforming section is supplied to a second steam reforming section comprising at least a second reformer, where in a radiant chamber outside the tubes, an air combustion takes place; the second reformer is a gas heated reformer.

Embodiments of the present disclosure are directed to a diesel reformer system comprising: a diesel autothermal reforming unit; a post-reforming unit disposed downstream of the autothermal reforming unit; a heat exchanger disposed downstream of the post-reforming unit; and a desulfurization unit disposed downstream of the heat exchanger.

Systems for producing hydrogen gas for local distribution, consumption, and/or storage, and related devices and methods are disclosed herein. A representative system includes a pyrolysis reactor that can be coupled to a supply of reaction material that includes a hydrocarbon. The reactor includes one or more flow channels positioned to transfer heat to the reaction material to convert the hydrocarbon into an output that includes hydrogen gas and carbon particulates. The system also includes a carbon separation system operably coupled to the pyrolysis reactor to separate the hydrogen gas the carbon particulates in the output. In various embodiments, the system also includes components to locally consume the filtered hydrogen gas.

The invention relates to a chemical plant comprising a reforming section arranged to receive a feed gas comprising hydrocarbons and provide a synthesis gas, wherein the reforming section comprises: an electrically heated reforming reactor housing a first catalyst, said electrically heated reforming reactor being arranged for receiving said feed gas and generating a first synthesis gas; and an autothermal reforming reactor downstream said electrically heated reforming reactor, said autothermal reforming reactor housing a second catalyst, said autothermal reforming reactor being arranged for receiving said first synthesis gas and outputting a second synthesis gas, wherein said reforming section is arranged to output said output synthesis gas comprising said second synthesis gas. The invention also relates to a process for producing a chemical product from a feed gas comprising hydrocarbons, in a chemical plant according to the invention.

A process and plant for producing a high purity CO.sub.2 product, comprising: providing a CO.sub.2-rich stream containing hydrocarbons, hydrogen and/or CO, combining it with a stream rich in methane (CH.sub.4), and mixing it with oxygen, thereby forming a CO.sub.2/O.sub.2- mixture; subjecting the CO.sub.2/O.sub.2- mixture to a catalytic oxidation step, thereby producing a purified stream having a higher CO.sub.2 and/or H.sub.2O concentration; removing H.sub.2O from said purified stream, for producing said high purity CO.sub.2 product stream. The CO.sub.2-rich stream is for instance derived from the CO.sub.2-removal section of a plant for producing hydrogen.

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.

A method of co-producing a nitrogen containing stream and a methanol stream, including producing at least an oxygen enriched stream and a nitrogen enriched stream in an air separation unit, introducing at least a portion of the oxygen enriched stream into an oxygen-based reformer, thereby producing a first syngas stream, introducing at least a portion of the first syngas stream into a methanol synthesis reactor, thereby producing at least a hydrogen containing stream and a methanol containing stream, introducing at least a portion of the methanol containing stream into a methanol distillation system, thereby producing a methanol product stream, introducing at least a portion of the nitrogen enriched stream, at least a portion of the first enriched hydrogen containing stream, and at least a portion of the second enriched hydrogen containing stream into an ammonia synthesis reactor, thereby producing an ammonia product stream.

The invention relates to a process for the start-up of an autothermal reformer, wherein syngas is produced in the autothermal reformer during start-up through steam reforming. To facilitate autoignition in the autothermal reformer reactor of the autothermal reformer, the reformed syngas is recycled to an upstream section of the autothermal reformer reactor and is mixed with process steam and a hydrocarbon containing process stream. As soon as a minimum hydrogen threshold concentration at the upstream section of the autothermal reformer reactor is reached in the mixed process stream, oxygen is added to the burner of the ATR reactor to obtain autoignition of the mixed process stream. Due to the process of the invention, an external hydrogen source for facilitating autoignition of the mixed stream can be omitted. The invention further relates to a plant configured to carry out the process of the invention.

Embodiments of the present disclosure are directed to a diesel reformer system comprising: a diesel autothermal reforming unit; a post-reforming unit disposed downstream of the autothermal reforming unit; a heat exchanger disposed downstream of the post-reforming unit; and a desulfurization unit disposed downstream of the heat exchanger.