An ammonia production plant and an ammonia production method having high energy saving and environmental friendliness are provided.

An ammonia production plant of the invention is an ammonia production plant for producing ammonia from a carbon-based raw material, including: an ammonia synthesis facility which synthesizes ammonia; a synthesis gas generating facility which generates a synthesis gas for synthesizing ammonia from the carbon-based raw material; and a power generating facility which obtains power, in which the synthesis gas generating facility includes an exhaust heat recovery unit which recovers exhaust heat generated when generating the synthesis gas, in which the power generating facility includes a combustion device which burns oxygen and fuel and a gas turbine which is driven by using a combustion gas containing a CO.sub.2 gas obtained by the combustion device as power so as to generate power and is configured to supply the CO.sub.2 gas discharged from the gas turbine as a recycle gas to the combustion device, in which the power obtained by the power generating facility is used as at least power of the ammonia synthesis facility, and in which the exhaust heat recovered by the exhaust heat recovery unit is used to heat the recycle gas.

Reactive diluent fluid (22) is introduced into a stream of synthesis gas (or syngas) produced in a heat-generating unit such as a partial oxidation (POX) reactor (12) to cool the syngas and form a mixture of cooled syngas and reactive diluent fluid. Carbon dioxide and/or carbon components and/or hydrogen in the mixture of cooled syngas and reactive diluent fluid is reacted (26) with at least a portion of the reactive diluent fluid in the mixture to produce carbon monoxide-enriched and/or solid carbon depleted syngas which is fed into a secondary reformer unit (30) such as an enhanced heat transfer reformer in a heat exchange reformer process. An advantage of the invention is that problems with the mechanical integrity of the secondary unit arising from the high temperature of the syngas from the heat-generating unit are avoided.

Method for the preparation of synthesis gas by combining electrolysis of water, autothermal reforming and heat exchange reforming of a hydrocarbon feed stock.

A multi-tubular chemical reactor includes an igniter for the initiation of gas phase exothermic reaction within the gas phase reaction zones of the tubular reactor units.

A direct carbonaceous material to power generation system integrates one or more solid oxide fuel cells (SOFC) into a fluidized bed gasifier. The fuel cell anode is in direct contact with bed material so that the H.sub.2 and CO generated in the bed are oxidized to H.sub.2O and CO.sub.2 to create a push-pull or source-sink reaction environment. The SOFC is exothermic and supplies heat within a reaction chamber of the gasifier where the fluidized bed conducts an endothermic reaction. The products from the anode are the reactants for the reformer and vice versa. A lower bed in the reaction chamber may comprise engineered multi-function material which may incorporate one or more catalysts and reactant adsorbent sites to facilitate excellent heat and mass transfer and fluidization dynamics in fluidized beds. The catalyst is capable of cracking tars and reforming hydrocarbons.

Reactive diluent fluid (22) is introduced into a stream of synthesis gas (or syngas) produced in a heat-generating unit such as a partial oxidation (POX) reactor (12) to cool the syngas and form a mixture of cooled syngas and reactive diluent fluid. Carbon dioxide and/or carbon components and/or hydrogen in the mixture of cooled syngas and reactive diluent fluid is reacted (26) with at least a portion of the reactive diluent fluid in the mixture to produce carbon monoxide-enriched and/or solid carbon depleted syngas which is fed into a secondary reformer unit (30) such as an enhanced heat transfer reformer in a heat exchange reformer process. An advantage of the invention is that problems with the mechanical integrity of the secondary unit arising from the high temperature of the syngas from the heat-generating unit are avoided.

A heat generating device includes a container, a heat generating element, and a heater. A hydrogen-based gas contributing to heat generation is introduced into the container. The heat generating element is provided inside the container. The heater is configured to heat the heat generating element. The heat generating element includes a base made of a hydrogen storage metal, a hydrogen storage alloy, or a proton conductor, and a multilayer film provided on a surface of the base. The multilayer film having a stacking configuration of: a first layer that is made of a hydrogen storage metal or a hydrogen storage alloy, and a second layer that is made of a hydrogen storage metal, a hydrogen storage alloy, or ceramics different from that of the first layer. The first layer and the second layer have a layer shape with a thickness of less than 1000 nm.

Method for the preparation of synthesis gas by combining electrolysis of water, autothermal reforming and heat exchange reforming of a hydrocarbon feed stock.

A synthesis process comprising steam reforming a gaseous hydrocarbon feedstock (11); exothermically reacting the resulting synthesis gas; removing heat from said exothermal reaction by producing steam (32); using said steam as heat input to the steam reforming, wherein the steam reforming comprises: a) forming a mixture (30) containing steam and hydrocarbons by at least the step of adding a first stream of water (26) to the hydrocarbon feedstock (11); b) heating said mixture (30) by indirect heat exchange with synthesis gas; c) reforming said mixture after said heating step b).

Heat exchanger-reformer for use in a hydrogen production plant for producing syngas, for instance by means of a steam methane reforming method, wherein the reformer comprises vessel with a first inlet for supplying feed and a second inlet for supplying hot reformer effluent, preferably coming from a main steam methane reformer, wherein the heat exchanger-reformer further comprises a heat exchanging section that is arranged in fluid connection with the first and second inlets for exchanging heat between the feed and reformer effluent to effectuate steam reforming of hydrocarbon to produce syngas, wherein the heat exchanging section comprises a plate heat exchanger assembly for heat exchange between said feed and said reformer effluent.