A chemical synthesis plant comprising: one or more reactors configured for producing, from one or more reactants, a process stream comprising at least one chemical product; a feed preparation system configured to prepare one or more feed streams comprising one or more of the one or more reactants for introduction into the one or more reactors; and/or a product purification system configured to separate the at least one chemical product from reaction byproducts, unreacted reactants, or a combination thereof within the process stream, wherein the chemical synthesis plant is configured such that a majority of the net energy needed for heating, cooling, compressing, or a combination thereof utilized via the one or more reactors, the feed preparation system, the product purification system, or a combination thereof is provided from a noncarbon based energy source, from a renewable energy source, and/or from electricity.

An olefin synthesis plant comprising: a feed pretreatment section configured to pretreat a feed stream; a pyrolysis section comprising one or more pyrolysis reactors configured to crack hydrocarbons in the feed stream in the presence of a diluent to produce a cracked gas stream; a primary fractionation and compression section configured to provide heat recovery from and quenching of the cracked gas stream; remove a component from the cracked gas stream; and compress the cracked gas stream, thus providing a compressed cracked gas stream; and/or a product separation section configured to separate a product olefin stream from the compressed cracked gas stream, wherein the olefin synthesis plant is configured such that, relative to a conventional olefin synthesis plant, more of the energy and/or the net energy required by the olefin synthesis plant and/or one or more sections thereof, is provided by a non-carbon based and/or renewable energy source and/or electricity.

A chemical synthesis plant comprising: one or more reactors configured for producing, from one or more reactants, a process stream comprising at least one chemical product; a feed preparation system configured to prepare one or more feed streams comprising one or more of the one or more reactants for introduction into the reactor; and/or a product purification system configured to separate the at least one chemical product from reaction byproducts, unreacted reactants, or a combination thereof within the process stream, wherein the chemical synthesis plant is configured such that a majority (e.g., greater than 50, 60, 70, 80, 90, or 100%) of the net energy needed for heating, cooling, compressing, or a combination thereof utilized via the one or more reactors, the feed preparation system, the product purification system, or a combination thereof is provided from an intermittent energy source (IES).

An ammonia synthesis plant comprising: a feed pretreating section operable to pretreat a feed stream; a syngas generation section operable to reform the feed stream to produce a reformer product stream; a shift conversion section operable to subject the reformer product stream to the water gas shift reaction, to produce a shifted gas stream comprising more hydrogen than the reformer gas stream; a purification section operable to remove at least one component from the shifted gas stream, and provide an ammonia synthesis feed stream; and/or an ammonia synthesis section operable to produce ammonia from the ammonia synthesis feed stream, wherein the ammonia synthesis plant is configured such that, relative to a conventional ammonia synthesis plant, more of the energy required by the ammonia synthesis plant or one or more sections thereof is provided by a non-carbon based energy source, a renewable energy source, and/or electricity.

The invention includes a gas processing system for transforming a hydrocarbon-containing inflow gas into outflow gas products, where the system includes a gas delivery subsystem, a plasma reaction chamber, and a microwave subsystem, with the gas delivery subsystem in fluid communication with the plasma reaction chamber, so that the gas delivery subsystem directs the hydrocarbon-containing inflow gas into the plasma reaction chamber, and the microwave subsystem directs microwave energy into the plasma reaction chamber to energize the hydrocarbon-containing inflow gas, thereby forming a plasma in the plasma reaction chamber, which plasma effects the transformation of a hydrocarbon in the hydrocarbon-containing inflow gas into the outflow gas products, which comprise acetylene and hydrogen. The invention also includes methods for the use of this gas processing system.

Provided herein are novel devices, systems, and methods of using the same, that enable plasma-enhanced gasification of biogenic hydrocarbon waste material comprising: a geometrically designed reactor having a biochar carbon catalyst bed, together with a gas inlet system disposed around a lower section of the apparatus to supply oxidant gas generated by an integrated oxygen absorber system; to enhance the partial oxidation of biogenic hydrocarbon waste materials using exothermic heat generated by an oxidation reaction created in part by the integrated oxygen absorber system into the apparatus, in order to optimize the quantity and quality of hydrogen production in the synthetic gas produced therein.

A method and a device are proposed for plasma-chemical conversion of gas or gas mixture using a pulsed electrical discharge. They allow increasing efficiency of the process for converting gas/gas mixture into desired products by stimulating forward reactions and minimizing reverse reactions. This is achieved by converting the gas/gas mixture using a pulsed electrical discharge in the form of hot plasma channels formed between electrodes in the moving flow of gas/gas mixture, wherein the ratio of the flow velocity to the average discharge current falls within the following range: 250 J/(m.sup.3*A.sup.2)<ρ*V.sup.2/I.sup.2<4,000 J/(m.sup.3*A.sup.2), where ρ is the density of gas/gas mixture in a reaction chamber (kg/m3), V is the flow velocity of gas/gas mixture in the reaction chamber (m/s), and I is the average current of the pulsed electrical discharge (A).

A solid oxide cell device is provided which uses hydrocarbon fuel gas and oxygen to remove carbon dioxide from a gas stream, converting it to syngas (carbon monoxide and hydrogen), preferably without any input of external energy beyond that derived from the input gases. Existing processes can then be used to convert the syngas to stable liquid or solid organic chemicals, so that all the input carbon is fixed. Partial oxidation of hydrocarbon fuel gas in a solid oxide fuel cell produces syngas and electricity, and the electricity powers a solid oxide electrolyser which reacts carbon dioxide with further hydrocarbon fuel gas to produce more syngas The fuel cell and electrolyser together can achieve self-sustaining carbon dioxide utilization.

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 invention includes a gas processing system for transforming a hydrocarbon-containing inflow gas into outflow gas products, where the system includes a gas delivery subsystem, a plasma reaction chamber, and a microwave subsystem, with the gas delivery subsystem in fluid communication with the plasma reaction chamber, so that the gas delivery subsystem directs the hydrocarbon-containing inflow gas into the plasma reaction chamber, and the microwave subsystem directs microwave energy into the plasma reaction chamber to energize the hydrocarbon-containing inflow gas, thereby forming a plasma in the plasma reaction chamber, which plasma effects the transformation of a hydrocarbon in the hydrocarbon-containing inflow gas into the outflow gas products, which comprise acetylene and hydrogen. The invention also includes methods for the use of this gas processing system.