Embodiments of the present disclosure are directed to a diesel reformer system comprising: a diesel autothermal reforming unit; a post-reforming unit disposed downstream of the autothermal reforming unit; a heat exchanger disposed downstream of the post-reforming unit; and a desulfurization unit disposed downstream of the heat exchanger.

A Pd—Ru alloy catalyst for hydrogen production and its preparation methods are provided. The catalyst can include a plurality of particles comprising an alloy of at least palladium (Pd) and ruthenium (Ru). Moreover, the catalyst can further include a support material such as carbon support having external or internal surfaces on which the plurality of particles is dispersed. The alloy catalyst can have a molar ratio of Pd:Ru in a range of about 0.5:1 to about 9:1. For hydrogen evolution reaction (HER), the Pd—Ru alloy catalyst exhibits increased catalytic activities comparing to some well-known catalysts.

In one aspect, the disclosure relates to CO.sub.2-free and/or low-CO.sub.2 methods of co-producing hydrogen and solid forms of carbon via natural gas decomposition using microwave radiation. The methods are efficient, self-sustaining, and environmentally benign. In a further aspect, the disclosure relates to recyclable and recoverable catalysts useful for enhancing the disclosed methods, wherein the catalysts are supported by solid forms of carbon. Methods for recycling the catalysts are also disclosed. This abstract is intended as a scanning tool for purposes of searching in the particular art and is not intended to be limiting of the present disclosure.

A reactor containing a heat exchanger is disclosed, which can be operated with co-current or counter-current flow. Also disclosed is a system that includes a reactor having a reformer and a vaporizer, a fuel supply, and a water supply. The reactor includes a source of combustion gas, a reformer operative to receive reformate, and a vaporizer operative to receive water. The reformer and vaporizer each include a stack assembly formed by a combination of separator shims and channel shims. The separator shims and channel shims are stacked in a regular pattern to form two sets of channels within the stack assembly. One set of channels will have vertical passageways at either end and a horizontal flowpath between them, while the other set of channels has only a horizontal flowpath.

Provided is a fuel cell system capable of further increasing electric power generation efficiency, compared to the current circumstances, with respect to a fuel cell SOFC that generates electric power by supplying a reformed gas obtained by steam reforming to a fuel electrode. A steam reformer that reforms a hydrocarbon fuel by a steam reforming reaction; a fuel cell that operates by introducing a reformed gas to a fuel electrode; and an anode off-gas circulation path that removes condensed water while cooling an anode off-gas, and introduces the anode off-gas to the steam reformer are provided. A condensation temperature in a condensing device is controlled by a control unit that controls a steam partial pressure of the anode off-gas circulated to the steam reformer, and S/C adjustment is adapted to high-efficiency electric power generation.

The disclosure relates to a process to perform an endothermic steam reforming of hydrocarbons, said process comprising the steps of providing a fluidized bed reactor comprising at least two electrodes and a bed comprising particles, wherein the particles are put in a fluidized state to obtain a fluidized bed; heating the fluidized bed to a temperature ranging from 500° C. to 1200° C. by passing an electric current through the fluidized bed to conduct the endothermic reaction. The process is remarkable in that the particles of the bed comprise electrically conductive particles and particles of a catalytic composition, wherein at least 10 wt. % of the particles are electrically conductive particles and have a resistivity ranging from 0.001 to 500 Ohm.Math.cm at 800° C. and in that the step of heating the fluidized bed is performed by passing an electric current through the fluidized bed.

The present disclosure relates generally to portable energy generation devices and methods. The devices are designed to covert formic acid into released hydrogen, alleviating the need for a hydrogen tank as a hydrogen source for fuel cell power. In particular, an electricity generation device for powering a battery comprising a formic acid reservoir containing a liquid consisting of formic acid; a reaction chamber capable of using a catalyst and heat to convert the formic acid to hydrogen and carbon dioxide; a fuel cell that generates electricity; a delivery system for moving converted hydrogen into the fuel cell; and a battery powered by electricity generated by the fuel cell is provided.

A process for producing syngas and olefins includes the steps of feeding a catalytic partial oxidation (CPO) reactant mixture having oxygen, first hydrocarbons, and optionally steam to a CPO reaction zone having a CPO catalyst such that at least a portion of the CPO reactant mixture reacts, via an exothermic CPO reaction, to produce syngas having hydrogen (H.sub.2), carbon monoxide (CO), carbon dioxide (CO.sub.2), water, and unreacted first hydrocarbons. The syngas is characterized by a molar ratio M defined as (H.sub.2−CO.sub.2)/(CO+CO.sub.2). The method further includes feeding a cracking zone feed having second hydrocarbons to a cracking zone such that at least a portion of the second hydrocarbons undergoes an endothermic cracking reaction to produce a cracking zone product stream having olefins, hydrogen, and unreacted second hydrocarbons; and cooling the CPO reaction zone by heating the cracking zone while cooling the CPO reaction zone via heat transfer between the CPO reaction zone and the cracking zone.

Catalyst compositions containing red mud and rhodium are provided. An exemplary catalyst composition includes about 50 wt % to about 99 wt % of a mixed-oxide material including iron oxide, aluminum oxide, and silicon oxide, and about 1 wt % to about 40 wt % of rhodium oxide, calculated as Rh.sub.2O.sub.3.

Processes for transforming an inert metal component into an active metal catalyst are provided. Apparatus and methods using active metal catalyst prepared according the process described herein are also provided.