Systems and methods are provided for performing reforming in a manner where the flows for providing heat for the endothermic reforming reaction are counter-current to the flows for the reforming reaction. Although the flows are counter-current, the systems and methods also allow the heating profile of the reactor to have a temperature peak toward the middle of the reactor, as opposed to at the end of the reactor. This shift of the temperature peak toward the middle allows for improved heat utilization and recovery during operation of the reactor.

An illustrative example reformer includes a housing having an inlet plenum, a reforming section, and an outlet. The inlet plenum includes a catalyst situated where a source fluid passing through the inlet plenum will be exposed to the catalyst prior to entering the reforming section.

The inventions is directed to a new design for catalyst tubes, which makes it possible to apply the concept of regenerative reforming into steam reformers having catalyst tube inlets and outlets at opposite sides of the furnace chamber. The catalyst tube comprises an inlet for process gas to enter the catalyst tube and an outlet for process gas to exit the catalyst tube, which inlet and outlet are located at opposite ends of the catalyst tube. The catalyst tube further comprises a first annular channel comprising the catalyst, a second annular channel for process gas to flow countercurrently or co-currently to the process gas flowing through the first annular channel.

Membrane modules for hydrogen separation and fuel processors and fuel cell systems including the same are disclosed herein. The membrane modules include a plurality of membrane packs. Each membrane pack includes a first hydrogen-selective membrane, a second hydrogen-selective membrane, and a fluid-permeable support structure positioned between the first hydrogen-selective membrane and the second hydrogen-selective membrane. In some embodiments, the membrane modules also include a permeate-side frame member and a mixed gas-side frame member, and a thickness of the permeate-side frame member may be less than a thickness of the mixed gas-side frame member. In some embodiments, the support structure includes a screen structure that includes two fine mesh screens. The two fine mesh screens may include a plain weave fine mesh screen and/or a Dutch weave fine mesh screen. The fine mesh screens may be selected to provide at most 100 micrometers of undulation in the hydrogen-selective membranes.

Hydrogen generation assemblies, hydrogen purification devices, and their components, and methods of manufacturing those assemblies, devices, and components are disclosed. In some embodiments, the devices may include an insulation base having insulating material and at least one passage that extends through the insulating material. In some embodiments, the at least one passage may be in fluid communication with a combustion region.

A reformer tube for producing synthesis gas by steam reforming of hydrocarbon-containing input gases is proposed where an outer shell tube is divided by means of a separating tray into the reaction chamber and an exit chamber, a dumped bed of a steam-reforming-active, solid catalyst is arranged in the reaction chamber, at least one heat exchanger tube is arranged inside the reaction chamber and inside the dumped catalyst bed whose entry end is in fluid connection with the catalyst bed and whose exit end is in fluid connection with the exit chamber, wherein gas-contacted parts of the reformer tube, in particular the at least one heat exchanger tube, are fabricated from a nickel-based alloy and coated on their inside with an aluminum diffusion layer.

A process for producing a carbon dioxide depleted synthesis gas product by steam reforming is provided. The process includes cooling crude synthesis gas stream produced in a main reforming stage in a first cooling device and reacting in a carbon dioxide absorption column, reacting a carbon dioxide loaded absorbent stream from the carbon dioxide absorption column in an absorbent regeneration column, cooling the carbon dioxide enriched hot vapor stream from the absorbent regeneration column in a second cooling device and cooling a carbon dioxide depleted hot absorbent stream from the absorbent regeneration column in a third cooling device. Preheated air streams from the cooling devices are fed as oxidant to the main reforming stage.

The present disclosure relates to a furnace comprising: a plurality of groupings, wherein each grouping in the furnace is adjacent to each other and separated by a gap, wherein each grouping comprises: (a) one row of tubes and optionally additional rows of tubes comprising a plurality of tubes containing a catalyst for converting a gaseous feed, wherein each row of tubes is parallel to each other; (b) at least two rows of burners comprising having a first and second row of outer burners and optionally additional rows of burners comprising a plurality of burners, and as described herein, (c) wherein the plurality of burners within each grouping is configured such that the ratio of B/G is greater than 1.3 and the ratio of B/W is less than 1.3, wherein W, B and G are as defined herein.

The invention relates to a reactor configuration comprising an electrically heated furnace, with at least one reactor tube placed within the furnace and said reactor tube having an exit and entrance outside of the reactor furnace, and wherein said furnace is further provided with at least one electrical radiative heating element suitable for heating to high temperatures located inside said furnace in such a way that the heating element is in no direct contact with the reactor tube; and; and a number of inspection ports in the furnace wall such to be able to visually inspect the condition of the reactor tube on each opposite side of said reactor tube during operation, the total number of inspection ports being sufficient to inspect all reactor tubes present in the furnace at their full length and circumference; and wherein the heating duty of the furnace is at least 3 MW.

Systems and methods are provided for improving the flow distribution in the high temperature zone of a cyclic flow reactor, such as a reverse flow reactor. The systems can include a plurality of mixing plates that can facilitate mixing of flows that have been maintained separately until a mixing location. Based in part on the use of a plurality of mixing plates, methods are provided for operating a reverse flow reactor with a temperature profile that has improved uniformity across the cross-section of the reactor. In some aspects, a flame diffuser can be included downstream from the plurality of mixing plates to further improve the uniformity of the temperature distribution.