The present disclosure provides a burner for a reduction reactor, the reduction reactor has a reaction space formed therein, wherein each burner has a fuel feeding hole and multiple oxygen feeding holes formed therein, wherein each burner has an elongate combustion space formed at one end of a head portion thereof, the combustion space fluid-communicating with the reaction space of the reactor, wherein the elongate combustion space has a length such that oxygen supplied from the oxygen feeding holes thereto is completely consumed via oxidation or combustion with fuels supplied from the fuel feeding hole thereto only in the elongate combustion space upon igniting the burner.

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.

Methods for the reformation of gaseous hydrocarbons are provided. The methods can include forming a bubble containing the gaseous hydrocarbon in a liquid. The bubble can be generated to pass in a gap between a pair of electrodes, whereby an electrical discharge is generated in the bubble at the gap between the electrodes. The electrodes can be a metal or metal alloy with a high melting point so they can sustain high voltages of up to about 200 kilovolts. The gaseous hydrocarbon can be combined with an additive gas such as molecular oxygen or carbon dioxide. The reformation of the gaseous hydrocarbon can produce mixtures containing one or more of H.sub.2, CO, H.sub.2O, CO.sub.2, and a lower hydrocarbon such as ethane or ethylene. The reformation of the gaseous hydrocarbon can produce low amounts of CO.sub.2 and H.sub.2O, e.g. about 15 mol-% or less.

Plasma devices for hydrocarbon reformation are provided. Methods of using the devices for hydrocarbon reformation are also provided. The devices can include a liquid container to receive a hydrocarbon source, and a plasma torch configured to be submerged in the liquid. The plasma plume from the plasma torch can cause reformation of the hydrocarbon. The device can use a variety of plasma torches that can be arranged in a variety of positions in the liquid container. The devices can be used for the reformation of gaseous hydrocarbons and/or liquid hydrocarbons. The reformation can produce methane, lower hydrocarbons, higher hydrocarbons, hydrogen gas, water, carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, or a combination thereof.

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 system used for converting multiple fuel feedstocks may include three reactors. The reactor system combination can be so chosen that one of the reactors completely or partially converts the fuel while the other generates the gaseous product required by utilizing the gaseous product from the second reactor. The metal-oxide composition and the reactor flow-patterns can be manipulated to provide the desired product. A method for optimizing the system efficiency where a pressurized gaseous fuel or a pressurized utility is used for applications downstream can be used to any system processing fuels and metal-oxide.

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 vapour; 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 vapour.

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.

A chemical-looping system utilizes oxygen-carrier particles to produce syngas from carbonaceous fuels. The system provides a circuitous flow path for the oxygen-carrier particles, which are used to partially oxidize the fuel to produce syngas. The circuitous flow path can proceed through a plurality of unit operations, including a reducer, a conversion reactor, an oxidizer, and a combustor. The conversion reactor is designed to partially oxidize carbonaceous fuel in co-current flow with the oxygen-carrier particles to produce syngas. In embodiments including an oxidizer, the oxidizer is designed to at partially re-oxidize the carrier particles, yielding hydrogen that can be mixed with partially oxidized products from the conversion reactor to adjust syngas quality. The combustor can be used to fully oxidize the carrier particles traveling in a closed loop. Reactions carried out in the combustor are highly exothermic and yield thermal energy that is absorbed by the carrier particles. The absorbed energy is used at other parts of the process, including the conversion reactor, to drive endothermic reactions. In this manner the system can be operated autothermally or nearly so. Methods of producing syngas are also disclosed.

A system used for converting multiple fuel feedstocks may include three reactors. The reactor system combination can be so chosen that one of the reactors completely or partially converts the fuel while the other generates the gaseous product required by utilizing the gaseous product from the second reactor. The metal-oxide composition and the reactor flow-patterns can be manipulated to provide the desired product. A method for optimizing the system efficiency where a pressurized gaseous fuel or a pressurized utility is used for applications downstream can be used to any system processing fuels and metal-oxide.