The present invention provides a hybrid reforming system for producing syngas through a reforming reaction between carbon dioxide plasma and a hydrocarbon material, the system comprising: a carbon dioxide feeder (110) which feeds carbon dioxide; a hydrocarbon material feeder (120) which feeds the hydrocarbon material; a plasma reformer (200) which respectively receives carbon dioxide and the hydrocarbon material from the carbon dioxide feeder (110) and the hydrocarbon material feeder (120), and produces primary syngas through a reforming reaction while producing the carbon dioxide plasma using electromagnetic waves; a wet carbon-refining device (130) which is arranged at a gas exhaust end of the plasma reformer (200) and filters and refines carbon contained in the primary syngas; and a catalyst dry-reformer (140) which is arranged at a gas exhaust end of the wet carbon-refining device (130) and produces secondary syngas by making the refined syngas undergo a catalyst dry-reforming reaction.

A multiple adiabatic bed reforming apparatus and process are disclosed in which stage-wise combustion, in combination with multiple reforming chambers with catalyst, utilize co-flow and cross-flow under laminar flow conditions, to provide a reformer suitable for smaller production situations as well as large scale production. A passive stage by stage fuel distribution network suitable for low pressure fuel is incorporated and the resistances in successive fuel distribution lines control the amount of fuel delivered to each combustion stage.

A device and method for producing a reformate fuel from a hydrocarbon gas source. The invention enables the conversion of a dilute hydrocarbon gas into a more easily consumable reformate fuel. Gases having low concentrations of hydrocarbons are concentrated using a concentrator into a gaseous or liquid concentrated VOC fuel. The concentrated VOC fuel is then converted into a reformate using a reformer. The reformate is more easily consumed by an energy conversion device such as a combustion engine, fuel cell, sterling engine or similar device that converts chemical energy into kinetic or electrical energy. The reformer enables complex hydrocarbon fuels that are not normally suitable for use in an energy conversion device to be converted into a reformate. The reformate may be directly supplied into the energy conversion device.

The invention relates to a process for the production of liquid hydrocarbons by Fischer-Tropsch synthesis in which the reforming section of the plant comprises a process line comprising autothermal reforming (ATR) (5) or catalytic partial oxidation (CPO), and a separate process line comprising steam methane reforming (SMR) (8).

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.

The invention relates to a four-component catalyst and a seven-component catalyst and refractory supports for use in the thermoneutral reforming of petroleum-based liquid hydrocarbon fuels.

A method of operating an oxygen transport membrane based reforming system employing one or more packs of thermally coupled panels of reformer tubes and oxygen transport membrane (OTM) reactors close to thermo-neutral point is provided. The method produces syngas by converting a hydrocarbon-containing feed, such as natural gas in the reformer tubes of a pack by endothermic steam reforming reactions. The heat required for endothermic reforming reactions is provided by exothermic oxidizing reactions occurring inside the OTM reactors of the pack. At a thermo-neutral point the heat released by exothermic reactions matches the heat required to support endothermic reactions and heat losses in the pack. The method modulates the flow rate of hydrocarbon-containing feed and/or steam-to-carbon ratio of the combined feed to the pack to maintain the surface temperature of oxygen transport membrane reactors below a target maximum temperature. The syngas product oxygen-to-carbon ratio is maintained within a desired target range such that the OTM based reforming system is operated close to thermo-neutral point.

A device and method for producing a reformate fuel from a hydrocarbon gas source. The invention enables the conversion of a dilute hydrocarbon gas into a more easily consumable reformate fuel. Gases having low concentrations of hydrocarbons are concentrated using a concentrator into a gaseous or liquid concentrated VOC fuel. The concentrated VOC fuel is then converted into a reformate using a reformer. The reformate is more easily consumed by an energy conversion device such as a combustion engine, fuel cell, sterling engine or similar device that converts chemical energy into kinetic or electrical energy. The reformer enables complex hydrocarbon fuels that are not normally suitable for use in an energy conversion device to be converted into a reformate. The reformate may be directly supplied into the energy conversion device.

A method for generating hydrogen is provided. In certain embodiments, the method can include the steps of: introducing a hydrocarbon feed stream, at a first temperature, into a first reaction zone under conditions effective for producing a first process stream, wherein the first process stream is at a second temperature that is greater than the first temperature; introducing a second feed stream into a second reaction zone under conditions effective for producing a hydrogen product stream, wherein heat needed for producing the hydrogen product stream from the second feed stream is at least partially provided by heat exchange with the first process stream; and withdrawing the hydrogen product stream from the second reaction zone.

A process for producing a hydrogen product where a carbon-containing input, by reforming and water gas shift, is converted into a synthesis gas largely consisting of hydrogen and carbon dioxide, from which a hydrogen fraction and a carbon dioxide fraction are separated, wherein the hydrogen fraction has the composition required for the hydrogen product and the carbon dioxide fraction has a purity which allows delivery thereof as a product or disposal thereof through sequestration. The characterizing feature here is that the synthesis gas consisting largely of hydrogen and carbon dioxide, by means of a first pressure swing adsorber, is fractionated into a carbon dioxide-depleted first PSA high-pressure fraction and a carbon dioxide-enriched first PSA low-pressure fraction, from which, after compression, the carbon dioxide fraction is obtained by cryogenic gas fractionation.