Processes and systems are provided for converting a carbonaceous feedstock into a reaction gas and a syngas, involving a step of pyrolysing and methanating the feedstock in a pyrolysis chamber to produce the reaction gas and a step of gasifying unconverted feedstock in the presence of a reactant to produce a syngas.

A reformer is disclosed in one embodiment of the invention as including a channel to convey a preheated plurality of reactants containing both a feedstock fuel and an oxidant. A plasma generator is provided to apply an electrical potential to the reactants sufficient to ionize one or more of the reactants. These ionized reactants are then conveyed to a reaction zone where they are chemically transformed into synthesis gas containing a mixture of hydrogen and carbon monoxide. A heat transfer mechanism is used to transfer heat from an external heat source to the reformer to provide the heat of reformation.

The present invention relates to a photo-electrochemical device for production of a gas, liquid or solid using concentrated electromagnetic irradiation. The device comprises a photovoltaic component configured to generate charge carriers from the concentrated electromagnetic irradiation; and an electrochemical component configured to carry out electrolysis of a reactant. The photovoltaic component contacts the electrochemical component at a solid interface to form an integrated photo-electrochemical device; and further includes at least one reactant channel or a plurality of reactant channels extending between the photovoltaic component and the electrochemical component to transfer heat and the reactant from the photovoltaic component to the electrochemical component. The integrated photo-electrochemical device and auxiliary devices (such as concentrator, flow controllers) build a system which can flexibly react to changes in operating condition and guarantee best performance.

The present invention provides a method of processing discharge gas containing ammonia, hydrogen, nitrogen, and an organic metal compound discharged from the production process of a gallium nitride compound semiconductor. The discharge gas is brought into contact with a cleaning agent prepared by impregnating an alkali metal compound with a metal oxide to remove the organic metal compound from the discharge gas. The discharge gas from which an organic metal compound is removed is brought into contact with an ammonia decomposition catalyst on heating to decompose the ammonia into nitrogen and hydrogen. The discharge gas in which ammonia is decomposed is brought into contact with palladium alloy membrane on heating to recover hydrogen that has penetrated through the palladium alloy membrane. After an organic metal compound is removed to liquefy the ammonia contained in the discharge gas as described above, a pressurization process and a cooling process is conducted by a heat pump to pressurize and cool the discharge gas from which an organic metal compound is removed to liquefy the ammonia contained in the discharge gas and separate the liquefied ammonia from hydrogen and nitrogen so as to recover the liquefied ammonia. The recovered hydrogen and ammonia are supplied to and reused in the production process of a gallium nitride compound semiconductor.

Systems and methods are provided for incorporating molten carbonate fuel cells into a heat recovery steam generation system (HRSG) for production of electrical power while also reducing or minimizing the amount of CO.sub.2 present in the flue gas exiting the HRSG. An optionally multi-layer screen or wall of molten carbonate fuel cells can be inserted into the HRSG so that the screen of molten carbonate fuel cells substantially fills the cross-sectional area. By using the walls of the HRSG and the screen of molten carbonate fuel cells to form a cathode input manifold, the overall amount of duct or flow passages associated with the MCFCs can be reduced.

An electrochemical device, configured for electric power storage, including: a reactor, the wall of the reactor being configured to form a first electrode, the reactor being provided with an electrolyte inlet and an electrolyte outlet, a central electrode arranged in the centre of the reactor, additional electrodes E.sub.x, with x an integer ranging from 1 to n, the additional electrodes E.sub.x being tubular and arranged around the central electrode.

A method and a device system for producing dimethyl oxalate through high-pressure carbonylation of industrial synthesis gases and producing ethylene glycol through dimethyl oxalate hydrogenation. The method comprises the following steps: adopting industrial NO, O.sub.2 and methanol as raw materials to perform an esterification reaction to produce methyl nitrite, then adopting industrial CO and methyl nitrite to perform a carbonylation reaction in a plate reactor to produce carbonylation products which mainly include dimethyl oxalate and dimethyl carbonate, separating the carbonylation products to obtain dimethyl carbonate products, and subsequently performing hydrogenation to dimethyl oxalate in the plate reactor to produce ethylene glycol products; and performing coupling recovery treatment to waste acid in the esterification reaction and purge gas in the carbonylation reaction for recycling. The system comprises an esterification reaction system, a carbonylation reaction system, a purge gases and waste acid coupling recovery system and a hydrogenation reaction system.

Apparatus for the production of carbon dioxide from limestone includes a nuclear energy source (32) arranged to generate electricity and a rotary kiln (10). The rotary kiln (10) has an inlet (15) for the introduction of limestone and an outlet (19) for the release of carbon dioxide. An electrical resistance heating element (21) disposed within the kiln (10) is arranged to be supplied with electricity derived from the nuclear energy source (32) to raise the temperature of the element (21) for transfer of heat to the interior of the rotary kiln (10). Limestone in the rotary kiln (10) is thereby heated to a temperature sufficient for the release of carbon dioxide.

The present invention demonstrates a solid fuel grade gasification-combustion dual bed poly-generation system, comprising a combustion system, a gasification system, a synthesized gas cooling and purifying system and a synthesized gas methanization system. The combustion system is connected with the gasification system through a circulating material return system. The gasification system mainly adapts the circulating fluidized-bed combustion mode. The gasification system adapts the fluidized-bed incomplete gasification method and the generated semi-coke is returned to the combustion system for re-utilization. The synthesized gas purifying and cooling unit adapts water cycling and combustible recycling. The by-products, CO.sub.2 and steam, in the methanization unit can be recovered, so the maximum utilization rate of energy in this system is realized.

The invention relates to a method and an arrangement for the continuous production of compressed oxygen from air using mixed conducting ceramic membranes. The aim of the invention is to provide a way of isolating pure oxygen from the air and compressing said oxygen to pressures above the ambient pressure, without using mechanical or electromechanical compression of air or oxygen. To achieve this aim, according to the invention water in various aggregate states is conducted in a circuit and the configuration of the equipment is designed such that the desired high oxygen pressure is produced in a separate area from the membrane module and the oxygen produced is prevented from mixing with the freshly produced water vapour.