There is described a method of producing hydrogen and nitrogen using a feedstock gas reactor. Reaction of feedstock and combustion gases in the reactor produces hydrogen and nitrogen through pyrolysis of the feedstock gas. Parameters of the process may be adjusted to control the ratio of hydrogen to nitrogen that is produced such that it may be suitable, for example, for the synthesis of ammonia.

There is described a method of using a feedstock gas reactor. Reaction of feedstock and combustion gases in the reactor produces hydrogen through pyrolysis of the feedstock gas. At least some of a mixed product stream extracted from the reactor may be recycled to the reactor to drive further pyrolysis of the feedstock gas. A portion of the recycled mixed product stream may be recirculated back to a combustion chamber of the reactor, and a portion of the recycled mixed product stream may be recirculated back to a reaction chamber of the reactor.

When the product gas producing operation is stopped, a stand-by operation is executed in which a product gas filling up a reforming processing unit is circulated, in a state in which an adsorbent of adsorption towers is maintained in a state in which adsorption target components are desorbed, and the heating of a reformer by a heating burner is maintained, and when the stand-by operation is stopped and the product gas producing operation is started, initial operation processing is executed in which immediately after the start, a source gas and steam are supplied to the reformer to produce a reformed gas, and the reformed gas from the reforming processing unit supplied to the adsorption towers to produce the product gas, and then the product gas producing operation in which the product gas is collected in a product gas tank is executed.

A methanol production system of the present disclosure includes: a reformer including a reaction furnace configured to reform methane in a raw material gas to produce a reformed gas containing CO and H.sub.2; a reduced-gas generator configured to reduce CO.sub.2 to produce a reduced gas containing CO; and a methanol-containing gas generator configured to produce a methanol-containing gas which contains methanol from a reformed gas produced in the reaction furnace and a reduced gas produced in the reduced-gas generator.

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.

When a product gas producing operation is stopped, a purge operation is executed in which steam purge processing and product gas purge processing are sequentially performed. The steam purge is supplying, instead of a source gas, a product gas from a product gas tank to a reformer using a compressor, and supplying a reformed gas from a reforming processing unit to a plurality of adsorption towers, which perform a pressure swing adsorption operation, while the reformer is heated by a heating burner and steam is supplied to the reformer. The product gas purge is supplying the product gas from the product gas tank to the reformer using the compressor, and supplying the product gas from the reforming processing unit to the plurality of adsorption towers, which perform the pressure swing adsorption operation, while the supply of the steam is stopped and the heating of the reformer is maintained.

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.

The present invention relates to a process for producing hydrogen and for separating carbon dioxide from synthesis gas using a physical absorption medium. The process comprises the steps where the synthesis gas and the absorption medium are cooled; carbon dioxide is removed from the cooled synthesis gas via the cooled absorption medium in a physical absorption step at elevated pressure; laden absorption medium is treated in a plurality of flash stages, wherein co-absorbed carbon monoxide, hydrogen and carbon dioxide are separately removed from the laden absorption medium; hydrogen is separated from synthesis gas freed of carbon dioxide in a physical separation step, wherein hydrogen as product gas and an offgas comprising hydrogen, carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide are obtained; product gas hydrogen and carbon dioxide are discharged from the process. The invention further relates to a plant for performing the process.

It has been discovered that mixed-alcohol production can utilize the waste tail gas stream from the pressure-swing adsorption section of an industrial hydrogen plant. Some variations provide a process for producing mixed alcohols, comprising: obtaining a tail-gas stream from a methane-to-syngas unit (e.g., a steam methane reforming reactor); compressing the tail-gas stream; separating the tail-gas stream into at least a syngas stream, a CO.sub.2-rich stream, and a CH.sub.4-rich stream; introducing the syngas stream into a mixed-alcohol reactor operated at effective alcohol synthesis conditions in the presence of an alcohol-synthesis catalyst, thereby generated mixed alcohols; and purifying the mixed alcohols to generate a mixed-alcohol product. Other variations provide a process for producing clean syngas, comprising: obtaining a tail-gas stream from a methane-to-syngas unit; compressing the tail-gas stream; separating the tail-gas stream into at least a syngas stream, a CO.sub.2-rich stream, and a CH.sub.4-rich stream; and recovering a clean syngas product.

A synthesis gas plant for producing a synthesis gas, where the synthesis gas plant includes a reforming section arranged to receive said feed gas and provide a combined synthesis gas, wherein said reforming section includes an electrically heated reforming reactor, a fired reforming reactor and an optional third reforming reactor. The reforming section is arranged to output a combined synthesis gas. An optional post processing unit downstream the reforming section is arranged to receive said combined synthesis gas stream and provide a post processed synthesis gas stream. A gas separation unit arranged to separate the combined synthesis gas stream or the post processed synthesis gas stream into a condensate, a product synthesis gas and an off-gas. At least a part of the off-gas is recycled from said gas separation unit to said one or more burners. Also, a process for producing synthesis gas from a feed gas comprising hydrocarbons.