A synthesis gas production process combined with a natural gas liquefaction process. At least one part of the heat source required in the synthesis gas production is provided by at least one portion of a stream enriched in hydrocarbons with more than two carbon atoms, extracted during the liquefaction of the natural gas.

A fuel processing system and method for a sulfur bearing fuel include a hydrodesulfurization reactor followed by an adsorbent bed for removing sulfur or sulfur containing species from the fuel. In certain embodiments, the adsorbent bed is a ZnO bed. In another embodiment, a fuel processing system and method for a sulfur bearing fuel include a steam reformer, a hydrodesulfurization reactor, and an adsorbent bed.

Method and device for biogas upgrading and hydrogen production from anaerobic fermentation of biological material under production of energy rich gases selected among methane and hydrogen or a combination thereof. The method comprises addition of hydrogen gas to a fermentation step to enhance the methane: CO.sub.2 ratio in the raw biogas produced. At least part of the raw biogas is subjected to a step of sorption enhanced reforming without prior separation of CO.sub.2, using CaO as an absorbent to capture CO.sub.2 from the raw biogas as well as CO.sub.2 released in the reforming reaction. CaO is regenerated in an endothermic reaction using heat at least partially provided, directly or indirectly, by the bio-gas to be upgraded, thereby producing substantially pure hydrogen and substantially pure CO.sub.2.

According to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, a pressure swing adsorption process of a hydrogen production system is provided. The hydrogen production system includes a desulfurization process for removing sulfur components from raw natural gas; a reforming reaction process for producing a reformed gas containing hydrogen generated by the reaction of natural gas through the desulfurization process and steam; and a pressure swing adsorption process of concentrating the hydrogen using a pressure swing adsorption from the reformed gas. In a desorption step of the pressure swing adsorption process, a cocurrent depressurization and a countercurrent depressurization are simultaneously performed.

The present invention is directed to a method and system of separating carbon monoxide from syngas mixtures with low methane content by cryogenic means where a partial condensation cycle is generally employed, and more specifically towards providing a methane slip stream to the feed in order to reduce the potential for any carbon dioxide entering the cold box to freeze, thereby preventing plugging of the cold box heat exchanger.

An apparatus for improving thermal efficiency of steam production is provided. In one embodiment, the apparatus can include: a BFW heat exchanger in fluid communication with a hydrocarbon gas source and a boiler feed water source, wherein the BFW heat exchanger is configured to allow for the natural gas stream to exchange heat with the first BFW stream such that the hydrocarbon gas stream is pre-heated within the BFW heat exchanger and the BFW stream is cooled; a syngas production facility in fluid communication with the BFW heat exchanger, wherein the syngas production facility comprises a steam methane reformer (SMR) that is configured to convert natural gas within the hydrocarbon gas stream into a hot product stream comprising hydrogen and carbon monoxide, wherein the SMR comprises a plurality of burners; and a third heat exchanger in fluid communication with the first heat exchanger and the syngas production facility, wherein the third heat exchanger is configured to exchange heat between the hot product stream and the first BFW stream, thereby creating a hot BFW stream and a cooled product stream.

A method for improving thermal efficiency of steam production in a steam reforming based syngas plant is provided. In one embodiment, the method can include the steps of: preheating a hydrocarbon feed stream in a first heat exchanger from a first temperature to a second temperature; preheating the hydrocarbon feed stream in a second heat exchanger to a third temperature, wherein the third temperature is greater than the second temperature; introducing the hydrocarbon feed stream in the presence of steam to a steam methane reformer under conditions effective for producing a product stream comprising hydrogen, carbon oxides, and water vapor; and exchanging heat between the product stream and a boiler feed water stream in a third heat exchanger, wherein prior to exchanging heat with the product stream, the boiler feed water stream is used to provide the preheating to the hydrocarbon feed stream in the first heat exchanger.

System and process for producing steam in a steam-hydrocarbon reforming facility where oxygen is removed from demineralized water using a membrane degasifier. The membrane degasifier operates at a lower temperature compared to a deaerator, which is the conventional technology for removing oxygen.

The invention relates to a hydrogen plant for producing a hydrogen-comprising gas product comprisinga reformer system comprising at least one heat-recuperating reformer reaction unit (5) or a reformer system comprising two or more reformer units (5,22) in parallel, wherein at least one of said parallel reformer units (5) is present in the radiant section (12) of the reformer system, and at least one reformer unit (22) is located outside the radiant section (12) of the reformer system; a unit (8) configured to obtain hydrogen product gas; a carbon dioxide capture unit; the hydrogen plant further comprising a passage way configured to feed a hydrogen-comprising gas stream to the radiant section. The invention further relates to a process for producing a hydrogen-comprising gas product.

A fuel cell single unit including: a fuel cell element in which an anode layer and a cathode layer are formed so as to sandwich an electrolyte layer; a reducing gas supply path for supplying a gas containing hydrogen to the anode layer; an oxidizing gas supply path for supplying a gas containing oxygen to the cathode layer; and an internal reforming catalyst layer, which has a reforming catalyst for steam-reforming a fuel gas, in at least a part of the reducing gas supply path is provided. An external reformer, which has a reforming catalyst for steam-reforming the fuel gas, is provided upstream of the reducing gas supply path, and the fuel gas partially reformed by the external reformer is supplied to the reducing gas supply path.