A method of providing flameless combustion includes forming a pre-heated reactant stream in a primary reaction zone by reacting a first stream of fuel and a first stream of undiluted oxidant and maintaining a combustible air/fuel ratio within flammability limits of the fuel. Forming a combustion stream by reacting a first stream of diluted oxidant, a second stream of fuel, and the pre-heated reactant stream in at least one secondary reaction zone downstream of the primary reaction zone. The combustion stream is maintained at a bulk combustion temperature below an auto-ignition temperature of the combustion stream. A composition of the combustion stream and the bulk combustion temperature are adjusted to maintain combustion marginally above a lower ignition limit boundary of the combustion stream. Upon the composition and the bulk combustion temperature reaching pre-determined flameless combustion conditions, the bulk combustion temperature is increased above an auto-ignition temperature of the combustion stream.

A pyrolysis system for conducting a hydrocarbon pyrolysis reaction and related systems and methods are disclosed herein. In some embodiments, the pyrolysis system includes a combustion component, a reaction chamber thermally coupled to the combustion component, and a recycling component fluidly coupled to an output of the reaction chamber. The reaction chamber can be couplable to a supply of pyrolysis feedstock. The thermal coupling allows the reaction chamber to transfer heat from the combustion component to the pyrolysis feedstock to generate a product stream that includes hydrogen gas and solid carbon. The recycling component receives the product stream and can direct a portion of the product stream into the combustion component. In some embodiments, the pyrolysis system includes a controller configured to adjust various operational parameters of the pyrolysis system based on various goals for combustion fuel consumption, hydrogen gas output, energy consumption, reactor efficiency, and/or the like.