A furnace for gas fields, refineries reforming, petrochemical plants, or hydrogen generation by gasification may include: a radiant zone; a convective zone; and a first and second series of pipes through which at least two segregated process gas flows respectively pass. A first process gas flow may enter the furnace through the convective zone and, flowing through the first series of pipes, may leave the furnace through the radiant zone, or alternatively the first process gas flow may enter the furnace through the radiant zone and, flowing through the first series of pipes, may leave the furnace through the radiant zone. At least a second process gas flow may enter the furnace through the convective zone, may pass through the second series of pipes, and may leave the furnace through the convective zone. The second of series of pipes may be made of material resistant to acid gases.

An improved hydrogen generation system comprising a multi-port wave reformer in which shock and expansion waves are created in a manner causing head-on colliding shock waves and multi-stage compression where reacting gases within a eight port wave reformer are heated and compressed to thermally crack or decompose one or more fuel sources, such as hydrocarbon fuels, to generate a fuel product containing hydrogen.

An H.sub.2-rich fuel gas production plant comprising a syngas production unit can be advantageously integrated with an olefins production plant comprising a steam cracker in at least one of the following: (i) fuel gas supply and consumption; (ii) feed supply and consumption; and (iii) steam supply and consumption, to achieve considerable savings in capital and operational costs, enhanced energy efficiency, and reduced CO.sub.2 emissions, compared to operating the plants separately.

A catalyst for decomposition of hydrocarbons that is hard to cause deterioration of catalytic properties and suitable for producing hydrogen in a highly efficient manner for a long period is provided. The catalyst for the decomposition of hydrocarbons includes a nickel-containing layer exposed on a support layer selected from the group consisting of iron, cast iron, steel, copper, nickel, copper alloy, and iron nickel alloy. The catalyst for decomposition of hydrocarbons is produced by contacting a raw material of the catalyst with methane gas at an elevated temperature of 800° C. for 4 to 72 hours with an average residence time beyond 14 minutes. The catalyst further includes an interlayer comprising copper between the support layer and the nickel-containing layer, or the support layer is copper or copper alloy.

In accordance with the present invention, there is provided a process for producing hydrogen and graphitic carbon from a hydrocarbon gas comprising: contacting at a temperature between 600° C. and 1000° C. the catalyst with the hydrocarbon gas to catalytically convert at least a portion of the hydrocarbon gas to hydrogen and graphitic carbon, wherein the catalyst is a low grade iron oxide.

The present subject matter is directed to a system and method for producing carbon and syngas from carbon dioxide (CO.sub.2). The system includes a first reactor (7) for producing solid carbon (15) from a feed including CO.sub.2 and a volatile organic compound such as methane (1), and a second reactor (20) for producing syngas. Reactions in the first reactor (7) are conducted in a limited oxygen atmosphere. The second reactor (20) can use dry reforming, steam reforming, and/or partial oxidation reforming to produce the syngas (22).

A process for producing synthesis gas, the process including the steps of: a) in a reforming reactor, reacting a hydrocarbon feed stream together with an oxidant gas stream, thereby producing a first synthesis gas stream; b) providing a heated CO.sub.2 rich gas stream to an adiabatic post converter including a second catalyst active for catalyzing steam methane reforming, methanation and reverse water gas shift reactions; and c) in the adiabatic reforming post converter, letting at least a part of the first synthesis gas stream and the heated CO.sub.2 rich gas stream undergo steam methane reforming, methanation and reverse water gas shift reactions to thereby provide a product gas stream, the product gas stream being a synthesis gas stream. Also, a system for producing synthesis gas.

The present disclosure relates to systems and methods useful for power production. In particular, a power production cycle utilizing CO.sub.2 as a working fluid may be configured for simultaneous hydrogen production. Beneficially, substantially all carbon arising from combustion in power production and hydrogen production is captured in the form of carbon dioxide. Further, produced hydrogen (optionally mixed with nitrogen received from an air separation unit) can be input as fuel in a gas turbine combined cycle unit for additional power production therein without any atmospheric CO.sub.2 discharge.

A method is provided for rapidly switching a metal-catalysed steam methane reforming reaction of a feed gas from a first steady-state reaction condition (A) to a second steady-state reaction condition (B) or vice-versa. After applying a given voltage and/or feed gas flow, the system can work towards a thermal equilibration to reach steady state without any additional operator input.

A process for producing syngas that uses the syngas product from an oxygen-fired reformer to provide all necessary heating duties, which eliminates the need for a fired heater. Without the flue gas stream leaving a fired heater, all of the carbon dioxide produced by the reforming process is concentrated in the high-pressure syngas stream, allowing essentially complete carbon dioxide capture.