A process for producing ethylene and syngas comprising reacting, via OCM, first reactant mixture (CH.sub.4&O.sub.2) in first reaction zone comprising OCM catalyst to produce first product mixture comprising ethylene, ethane, hydrogen, CO.sub.2, CO, and unreacted methane; introducing second reactant mixture comprising first product mixture to second reaction zone excluding catalyst to produce second product mixture comprising ethylene, ethane, hydrogen, CO, CO.sub.2, and unreacted methane, wherein a common reactor comprises both the first and second reaction zones, wherein ethane of second reactant mixture undergoes cracking to ethylene, wherein CO.sub.2 of second reactant mixture undergoes hydrogenation to CO, and wherein an amount of ethylene in the second product mixture is greater than in the first product mixture; recovering methane stream, ethane stream, CO.sub.2 stream, ethylene stream, and syngas stream (CO&H.sub.2) from the second product mixture; and recycling the ethane stream and the carbon dioxide stream to second reaction zone.

A process for producing a synthesis gas mixture comprising hydrogen and carbon monoxide by noncatalytic partial oxidation of hydrocarbons in the presence of oxygen and carbon dioxide, in which at least one reactant gas comprising hydrocarbons, an oxygen-comprising reactant gas and a carbon dioxide-comprising reactant gas are fed into a partial oxidation reactor and reacted at a temperature in the range from 1200 to 1550? C. to give a product gas mixture comprising water, carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide, at least by separating a portion of the carbon dioxide from the product gas mixture and recycling it into the partial oxidation reactor, wherein the carbon dioxide fed into the partial oxidation reactor comprises additional imported carbon dioxide, giving a product gas mixture in the partial oxidation reactor that has a molar ratio of hydrogen to carbon monoxide in the range from 0.8:1 to 1.6:1.

A method and design of providing high temperature heat for an endothermic gasifier without combustion includes flowing a stream of a first hydrocarbon gas sequentially through an annular plenum and a cylindrical plenum while heating the gas using electrical resistance immersion heating elements. These heating elements may be heated by three phase electrical power, minimizing the number of electrical leads emerging from the top of the heating elements. This method and design reduces the risk of extremely hot syngas exiting the gasifier damaging downstream fittings.

An improved method for processing heterogeneous municipal solid waste, biomass and even construction and demolition waste into liquid hydrocarbon fuels and chemicals is obtained by coupling the synthesis process with an electric furnace. The furnace separates the metals and inorganics from the organic materials. The high temperatures gasify the organics into a relatively clean syngas after particulate and acid gas removal. The yield is increased above that expected from the feedstock by the addition of waste effluents from the synthesis process, such as CO2, H2O and possibly tail gas constituents. The recycled effluents are heated by the syngas being quenched in heat exchangers. Excess high pressure effluents are also heated by the syngas for power generation via gas or steam turbine generators. The optimum concentration of added effluents and heat exchanger configurations are determined by novel methods for maximum yield, energy efficiency and minimum carbon footprint.

According to the present invention, organic material is converted to biogas through anaerobic digestion and the biogas is purified to yield a combustible fluid feedstock comprising methane. A fuel production facility utilizes or arranges to utilize combustible fluid feedstock to generate renewable hydrogen that is used to hydrogenate crude oil derived hydrocarbons in a process to make transportation or heating fuel. The renewable hydrogen is combined with crude oil derived hydrocarbons that have been desulfurized under conditions to hydrogenate the liquid hydrocarbon with the renewable hydrogen or alternatively, the renewable hydrogen can be added to a reactor operated so as to simultaneously desulfurize and hydrogenate the hydrocarbons. The present invention enables a party to receive a renewable fuel credit for the transportation or heating fuel.

A petroleum residue stream is heated and reacted with an oxygen stream and a carbon dioxide stream in a gasification unit to produce syngas. At least a portion of the carbon monoxide is converted into carbon dioxide to produce shifted syngas. At least a portion of the shifted syngas is separated to produce a syngas feed stream. At least a portion of the syngas feed stream is converted into methanol. At least a portion of the methanol is converted into one or more alkenes (olefins). At least a portion of the methanol is reacted with carbon monoxide to produce acetic acid. Carbon dioxide produced in the process can be recycled to the gasification unit to facilitate the production of the syngas.

A process for reducing metal ore may include: carrying out a reaction between a stream of carbon dioxide and a stream of at least one hydrocarbon, at pressure greater than or equal to 0.5 atmospheres (atm) and less than or equal to 100 atm and at temperature greater than or equal to 800 C. and less than or equal to 1,350 C., to produce a reducing gaseous stream comprising at least H.sub.2, CO, CO.sub.2, and water vapor; and/or reducing at least one metal ore using the reducing gaseous stream so as to obtain at least one reduced metal material and at least one exhausted gaseous stream comprising at least CO.sub.2 and water vapor.

This invention relates to a power recovery process in waste steam/CO.sub.2 reformers in which a waste stream can be made to release energy without having to burn the waste or the syngas. This invention in some embodiments does not make use of fuel cells as a component but makes use of exothermic chemical reactors using syngas to produce heat, such as Fischer-Tropsch synthesis. It also relates to control or elimination of the emissions of greenhouse gases in the power recovery process of this invention with the goal of producing energy in the future carbonless world economy.

A reactor configuration is proposed for selectively converting gaseous, liquid or solid fuels to a syngas specification which is flexible in terms of H.sub.2/CO ratio. This reactor and system configuration can be used with a specific oxygen carrier to hydro-carbon fuel molar ratio, a specific range of operating temperatures and pressures, and a co-current downward moving bed system. The concept of a CO.sub.2 stream injected in-conjunction with the specified operating parameters for a moving bed reducer is claimed, wherein the injection location in the reactor system is flexible for both steam and CO.sub.2 such that, carbon efficiency of the system is maximized.

According to the present invention, organic material is converted to biogas through anaerobic digestion and the biogas is purified to yield a combustible fluid feedstock comprising methane. A fuel production facility utilizes or arranges to utilize combustible fluid feedstock to generate renewable hydrogen that is used to hydrogenate crude oil derived hydrocarbons in a process to make transportation or heating fuel. The renewable hydrogen is combined with crude oil derived hydrocarbons that have been desulfurized under conditions to hydrogenate the liquid hydrocarbon with the renewable hydrogen or alternatively, the renewable hydrogen can be added to a reactor operated so as to simultaneously desulfurize and hydrogenate the hydrocarbons. The present invention enables a party to receive a renewable fuel credit for the transportation or heating fuel.