The invention relates to the chemical industry and can be used for processing methane and other volatile, liquid, solid fusible hydrocarbons when producing hydrogen, soot, and other flammable gases. The invention relates to a method for the pyrolytic decomposition of hydrocarbons, in which a pyrolysis reactor arranged in a space bounded by a lining is heated by flue gases generated by combusting a hydrogen-enriched mixture of air and gaseous hydrocarbons, while ensuring a maximum decrease in CO.sub.2 emissions into the atmosphere. The invention also relates to a unit for the pyrolytic decomposition of hydrocarbons. The technical result is a high degree of separation of hydrogen and carbon by fast high-temperature pyrolysis at atmospheric pressure without oxygen supply and without CO.sub.2 production.

A cooler installed to cool NG supplied from a compressor to a pyrolysis reactor and configured to independently use multiple refrigerants is provided; a first refrigerant supply device provided to supply a first refrigerant for the cooler; and a second refrigerant supply device configured to supply, to the cooler, a fuel gas for a burner, including an off-gas and NG which has not passed through the compressor, as a second refrigerant for the cooler.

Hydrogen generation assemblies and methods are disclosed. In one embodiment, the method includes receiving a feed stream in a fuel processing assembly, and heating, via one or more burners, a hydrogen generating region of the fuel processing assembly to at least a minimum hydrogen-producing temperature. The method additionally includes generating an output stream in the heated hydrogen generating region of the fuel processing assembly from the received feed stream, and generating a product hydrogen stream and a byproduct stream in a purification region of the fuel processing assembly from the output stream. The method further includes separating at least a portion of the carbon dioxide gas from the byproduct stream to generate a fuel stream having a carbon dioxide concentration less than the byproduct stream, and feeding the fuel stream to the one or more burners.

Combined combustion and pyrolysis (CCP) systems, and associated systems and methods, are disclosed herein. In some embodiments, the CCP system includes an input valve fluidly coupleable to a fuel supply to receive a hydrocarbon reactant, a CCP reactor fluidly coupled to the input valve, and a carbon separation component fluidly coupled to the CCP reactor. The CCP reactor can include a combustion chamber, a reaction chamber in thermal communication with the combustion chamber and/or fluidly coupled to the input valve, and an insulating material positioned to reduce heat loss from the combustion chamber and/or the reaction chamber. The CCP reactor can also include a combustion component positioned to combust a fuel within the combustion chamber. The combustion can heat the reaction chamber and the hydrocarbon reactant flowing therethrough. The heat causes a pyrolysis of the hydrocarbon reactant that generates hydrogen gas and carbon.

An H.sub.2-rich fuel gas production plant comprising a syngas production unit can be advantageously integrated with an olefins production plant comprising a steam cracker in at least one of the following: (i) fuel gas supply and consumption; (ii) feed supply and consumption; and (iii) steam supply and consumption, to achieve considerable savings in capital and operational costs, enhanced energy efficiency, and reduced CO.sub.2 emissions, compared to operating the plants separately.

Hydrogen purification devices and their components are disclosed. In some embodiments, the devices may include at least one foil-microscreen assembly disposed between and secured to first and second end frames. The at least one foil-microscreen assembly may include at least one hydrogen-selective membrane and at least one microscreen structure including a non-porous planar sheet having a plurality of apertures forming a plurality of fluid passages. The planar sheet may include generally opposed planar surfaces configured to provide support to the permeate side. The plurality of fluid passages may extend between the opposed surfaces. The at least one hydrogen-selective membrane may be metallurgically bonded to the at least one microscreen structure. In some embodiments, the devices may include a permeate frame having at least one membrane support structure that spans at least a substantial portion of an open region and that is configured to support at least one foil-microscreen assembly.

An H.sub.2-rich fuel gas stream can be advantageously produced by reforming a hydrocarbon/steam mixture in to produce a reformed stream, followed by cooling the reformed stream in a waste-heat recovery unit to produce a high-pressure steam stream, shifting the cooled reformed stream a first shifted stream, cooling the first shifted stream, shifting the cooled first shifted stream to produce a second shifted stream, cooling the second shifted stream, abating water from the cooled second shifted stream to obtain a crude gas mixture stream comprising H.sub.2 and CO.sub.2, and recovering a CO.sub.2 stream from the crude gas mixture stream. The H.sub.2-rich stream can be advantageously combusted to provide thermal energy needed for residential, office, and/or industrial applications including in the H.sub.2-rich fuel gas production process. The H.sub.2-rich fuel gas production process can be advantageously integrated with an olefins production plant comprising a steam cracker.

A hydrogen reforming system includes: a reformer that generates first mixed gas through a reforming reaction between fuel gas and water; a transformer that is fed with the first mixed gas and generates second mixed gas from which carbon monoxide is removed by a water gas shift reaction; a pressure swing adsorption that purifies and separate hydrogen from the second mixed gas generated in the transformer; a heat exchanger that is provided between the reformer and the transformer and between the transformer and the PSA unit to control temperatures of the first mixed gas and the second mixed gas through heat exchange with water; a water feeder that communicates with the heat exchanger and supplies water to the heat exchanger; and a control value that is provided on a line through which water is discharged from the water feeder and adjusts a flow rate of water.

A method of using a feedstock gas reactor is described. A hydrocarbon, such as methane, is chemical decomposed in the feedstock gas reactor using heat of combustion generated from the combustion of a combustible gas. A mixed product stream is extracted from the feedstock gas reactor. The mixed product stream comprises hydrogen, carbon, and water. At least a portion of the one or more combustion product gases are vented from the combustion chamber. At least some of the carbon is activated using the vented one or more combustion product gases. At least some of the activated carbon is recycled to the feedstock gas reactor.

An apparatus for the production of hydrogen from a fuel source includes a combustor configured to receive a combustor fuel and convert the combustor fuel into a combustor heat; a reformer disposed annularly about the combustor, a removable structured catalyst support disposed within the gap and coated with a catalyst to induce combustor fuel combustion reactions that convert the combustor fuel to the combustor heat, and a combustor fuel injection aperture configured for mixing combustion fuel into the combustion catalyst. The combustor fuel injection aperture being disposed along a length of the combustion zone. The reformer and the combustor define a gap therebetween and the reformer is configured to receive the combustor heat.