In a cooled axial flow converter, in which process gas passes from an outer annulus via a catalyst bed, wherein the process gas is converted to a product, to an inner centre tube, the catalyst bed comprises at least one module comprising at least one catalyst layer. Feed means are arranged to provide a flow of process gas from the outer annulus to an inlet part of one or more modules, and collector means are arranged to provide a flow of product stream of converted process gas, which has passed axially down the catalyst bed of one or more of the modules to the centre tube. At least one of the one or more modules comprises one or more cooling plates arranged to be cooled by a cooling fluid.

A multi-bed catalytic converter comprising: a plurality of catalytic beds which are traversed in series by a process gas, sequentially from a first catalytic bed to a last catalytic bed of said plurality, and at least one inter-bed heat exchanger (7) positioned between a first catalytic bed and a second catalytic bed of said plurality, wherein at least the last catalytic bed of said plurality is adiabatic and is made of fine catalyst with a particle size not greater than 2 mm.

Nitrogen in a form suitable for feeding a population of microbes in a bioreactor is produced by reacting nitrogen gas and hydrogen gas to form ammonia plus an unreacted gas stream under conditions favorable to having little unreacted nitrogen gas in the unreacted gas stream. The ammonia, or a compound derived from the ammonia is fed to the microbes and the unreacted gas stream is optionally fed back into the reaction, or fed into the bioreactor. Oxygen can be produced, such as by electrolysis, and also provided to the microbes. Hydrogen from the electrolysis can be added to the hydrogen being reacted with nitrogen gas, and/or can be added to the bioreactor. Where nitrogen gas is produced from air separation, the residual gases can be another source of oxygen.

The present invention concerns an ammonia production method comprising the steps of: providing at least one rare earth nitride material or layer in a chamber; creating a vacuum or an inert atmosphere in the chamber; and providing hydrogen H.sub.2 to react with nitrogen N released at an external surface of the at least one rare earth nitride material or layer to produce ammonia.

A method of producing synthesis gas in a dual pressure level ammonia plant having a first synthesis section operated in once through fashion at a first relatively lower high pressure and having a second synthesis section operated in recirculating fashion at a second relatively higher high pressure. In the first synthesis section downstream of an OT reactor of the first synthesis section the synthesis gas is cooled using cooling medium at a pressure below the first high pressure, wherein the cooling medium is provided at a pressure below the first high pressure level by means of a medium pressure steam generator or wherein the cooling is effected by means of the medium pressure steam generator. The disclosure further relates to a synthesis gas cooling assembly in such a dual pressure level ammonia plant and at least one plant component for providing or for utilizing the cooling medium.

An ammonia plant synthesis gas compressor train includes a steam turbine; and a compression unit that compresses a synthesis gas by being rotationally driven by the steam turbine. The compression unit includes a rotary shaft that rotates around an axis, and a plurality of impellers that are provided on the rotary shaft at intervals in a direction of the axis and are rotated integrally with the rotary shaft to pump a gas outward in a radial direction to compress the gas. In at least one of the impellers, a maximum operating peripheral speed at a radially outermost position of the impeller is within a range of 290 m/s to 390 m/s, a yield strength is 827 MPa or less, and a Vickers hardness is 311 or less.

In one aspect, the disclosure relates to relates to heterogeneous catalysts useful for the synthesis of ammonia under microwave irradiation, processes for preparing the disclosed heterogeneous catalysts, and processes for synthesizing ammonia using the heterogeneous catalysts with microwave irradiation. In various aspects, the disclosed heterogeneous catalysts comprise: a metal selected from Group 7, Group 8, Group 9, Group 10, Group 11, or combinations thereof; a metal oxide support; and optionally a promoter material. 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 production system for a product selected from a nitrogen-containing product and a fermented and cultured product that does not involve (or can minimize) the transport of liquid ammonia can include: an ammonia synthesis apparatus in which an ammonia-containing gas is synthesized by reaction of a source gas containing hydrogen and nitrogen in the presence of a supported metal catalyst containing as a support one or more selected from the group consisting of: i) a conductive mayenite compound; ii) a two-dimensional electride compound or a precursor thereof; and iii) a complex formed of a support base containing at least one metal oxide selected from ZrO.sub.2, TiO.sub.2, CeO.sub.2, and MgO and a metal amide represented by a formula M(NH.sub.2).sub.x (where M represents one or more selected from Li, Na, K, Be, Mg, Ca, Sr, Ba, and Eu; and x represents a valence number of M) supported by the support base.

The present invention is directed to the removal of ammonia from an ammonia reactor product stream. Systems and methods of the present invention enable ammonia to be synthesized and removed using a broader range of process conditions than are possible with current industrial practices. In particular, the systems and methods enable the use of higher temperatures, lower pressures, and higher reactant flows.

Provided is a novel production system that does not involve, or can minimize, the transport of liquid ammonia in the production of an organic compound or the production of a microorganism by microbial fermentation. A production system for an organic compound or a microorganism includes: an ammonia synthesis apparatus in which an ammonia-containing gas is synthesized by reaction of a source gas containing hydrogen and nitrogen in the presence of a supported ruthenium catalyst; and a culture apparatus that cultures a microorganism having organic compound productivity using ammonia originating from the ammonia-containing gas obtained by using the ammonia synthesis apparatus.