A catalytic reactor is provided comprising a plurality of first flow channels including a catalyst for a first reaction; a plurality of second flow channels arranged alternately with the first flow channels; adjacent first and second flow channels being separated by a divider plate (13a, 13b), and a distributed temperature sensor such as an optical fibre cable (19). The distributed temperature sensor may be located within the divider plate, or within one or 10 more of the flow channels.

A multiple stage synthesis gas generation system is disclosed including a high radiant heat flux reactor, a gasifier reactor control system, and a Steam Methane Reformer (SMR) reactor. The SMR reactor is in parallel and cooperates with the high radiant heat flux reactor to produce a high quality syngas mixture for MeOH synthesis. The resultant products from the two reactors may be used for the MeOH synthesis. The SMR provides hydrogen rich syngas to be mixed with the potentially carbon monoxide rich syngas from the high radiant heat flux reactor. The combination of syngas component streams from the two reactors can provide the required hydrogen to carbon monoxide ratio for methanol synthesis. The SMR reactor control system and a gasifier reactor control system interact to produce a high quality syngas mixture for the MeOH synthesis.

A method for conversion of greenhouse gases comprises: introducing a flow of a dehumidified gaseous source of carbon dioxide into a reaction vessel; introducing a flow of a dehumidified gaseous source of methane into the reaction vessel; and irradiating catalytic material in the reaction vessel with microwave energy. The irradiated catalytic material is heated and catalyzes an endothermic reaction of carbon dioxide and methane that produces hydrogen and carbon monoxide. At least a portion of heat required to maintain a temperature within the reaction vessel is supplied by the microwave energy. If desired, a mixture that includes carbon monoxide and hydrogen can flow out of the reaction vessel and be introduced into a second reaction vessel to undergo catalyzed reactions producing multiple-carbon reaction products.

A method for conversion of greenhouse gases comprises: introducing a flow of a dehumidified gaseous source of carbon dioxide into a reaction vessel; introducing a flow of a dehumidified gaseous source of methane into the reaction vessel; and irradiating catalytic material in the reaction vessel with microwave energy. The irradiated catalytic material is heated and catalyzes an endothermic reaction of carbon dioxide and methane that produces hydrogen and carbon monoxide. At least a portion of heat required to maintain a temperature within the reaction vessel is supplied by the microwave energy. A mixture that includes carbon monoxide and hydrogen can undergo catalyzed reactions producing multiple-carbon reaction products in a lower-temperature portion of the reaction vessel.

A saturator includes: a flow path inside of which a first fluid flows; a first heat exchange unit that causes heat exchange between the first fluid and a second fluid; a second heat exchange unit that causes heat exchange between a third fluid and the first fluid after the first fluid has passed through the first heat exchange unit; a humidifying unit that adds water to the first fluid upstream from the first heat exchange unit and the second heat exchange unit; and a conveyance path that conveys the third fluid after heat exchange from the second heat exchange unit to the upstream side of the first heat exchange unit and causes said third fluid to flow into the flow path as the first fluid.

The invention relates to methods for creating high value liquid fuels such as gasoline, diesel, jet and alcohols using carbon dioxide and water as the starting raw materials and a system for using the same. These methods combine a novel solid oxide electrolytic cell (SOEC) for the efficient and clean conversion of carbon dioxide and water to hydrogen and carbon monoxide, uniquely integrated with a gas-to-liquid fuels producing method.

Endothermic reactions (those whose heat of reaction is positive) may be controlled in a truly isothermal fashion with external heat input applied directly to the solid catalyst surface itself and not by an indirect means external to the actual catalytic material. This heat source can be supplied uniformly and isothermally to the catalyst active sites solely by conduction using electrical resistance heating of the catalytic material itself or by an electrical resistance heating element with the active catalytic material coating directly on the surface. By employing only conduction as the mode of heat transfer to the catalytic sites, the non-uniform modes of radiation and convection are avoided permitting a uniform isothermal chemical reaction to take place.

In the production of fuel such as ethanol from carbonaceous feed material such as biomass, a stream comprising hydrogen and carbon monoxide is added to the raw gas stream derived from the feed material, and the resulting combined stream is converted into fuel and a gaseous byproduct such as by a Fischer-Tropsch reaction. The gaseous byproduct may be utilized in the formation of the aforementioned stream comprising hydrogen and carbon monoxide.

Process for producing a hydrogen-containing product gas while impeding corrosion of piping operatively connecting a condensate separator and a pressure swing adsorption unit by heating the effluent gas stream from the condensate separator well above the dew point of the effluent gas stream to prevent liquid water in the stream. Heating of the effluent gas stream is provided without deteriorating the energy efficiency of the process.

A furnace and method for steam reforming of a hydrocarbon-containing feed stream, which particularly comprises methane, with: a combustion chamber, at least one reactor tube, which in portions extends in the combustion chamber and is designed for receiving a catalyst and for passing the feed stream through, and at least one burner, which is designed to burn a fuel in the combustion chamber for heating the at least one reactor tube is disclosed. It is provided that the at least one reactor tube has a portion of tube running above and outside the combustion chamber, an inductor which is designed for inductively heating the portion of tube being arranged on the portion of tube.