A fuel cell system includes a fuel cell stack, a fuel inlet conduit configured to provide a fuel to a fuel inlet of the fuel cell stack, an electrochemical pump separator containing an electrolyte, a cathode, and a carbon monoxide tolerant anode, a fuel exhaust conduit that operatively connects a fuel exhaust outlet of the fuel cell stack to an anode inlet of the electrochemical pump separator, and a product conduit which operatively connects a cathode outlet of the electrochemical pump separator to the fuel inlet conduit.

The invention concerns a process for operating a fired furnace which is heated using a fuel gas stream and forming a combustion product stream, wherein heat of at least part of the combustion product stream is used in forming a steam stream. It is provided that at least a part of the steam stream is subjected to a high-temperature electrolysis to form a hydrogen-containing and an oxygen-containing material stream, and that at least a part of the hydrogen-containing material stream is used as the fuel gas stream. A corresponding arrangement is also the subject of the invention.

This invention provides processes and systems for converting biomass into high-carbon biogenic reagents that are suitable for a variety of commercial applications. Some embodiments employ pyrolysis in the presence of an inert gas to generate hot pyrolyzed solids, condensable vapors, and non-condensable gases, followed by separation of vapors and gases, and cooling of the hot pyrolyzed solids in the presence of the inert gas. Additives may be introduced during processing or combined with the reagent, or both. The biogenic reagent may include at least 70 wt %, 80 wt %, 90 wt %, 95 wt %, or more total carbon on a dry basis. The biogenic reagent may have an energy content of at least 12,000 Btu/lb, 13,000 Btu/lb, 14,000 Btu/lb, or 14,500 Btu/lb on a dry basis. The biogenic reagent may be formed into fine powders, or structural objects. The structural objects may have a structure and/or strength that derive from the feedstock, heat rate, and additives.

Lead is recovered from lead paste of a lead acid battery in a continuous and electrochemical lead recovery process. In especially preferred aspects, lead paste is processed to remove residual sulfates, and the so treated lead paste is subjected to a thermal treatment step that removes residual moisture and reduces lead dioxide to lead oxide. Advantageously, such pretreatment will avoid lead dioxide accumulation and electrolyte dilution.

A chemical looping combustion (CLC) based power generation, particularly using liquid fuel, ensures substantially complete fuel combustion and provides electrical efficiency without exposing metal oxide based oxygen carrier to high temperature redox process. An integrated fuel gasification (reforming)-CLC-followed by power generation model is provided involving (i) a gasification island, (ii) CLC island, (iii) heat recovery unit, and (iv) power generation system. To improve electrical efficiency, a fraction of the gasified fuel may be directly fed, or bypass the CLC, to a combustor upstream of one or more gas turbines. This splitting approach ensures higher temperature (efficiency) in the gas turbine inlet. The inert mass ratio, air flow rate to the oxidation reactor, and pressure of the system may be tailored to affect the performance of the integrated CLC system and process.

A high-pressure steam stream produced from the waste heat recovery system of a syngas producing unit may be superheated and then supplied to a steam turbine in a hydrocarbon production plant to produce an expanded steam stream and shaft power. A portion of the expanded stream can be fed into the reforming reactor in the syngas producing unit. The shaft power can be used to drive compressors and pumps in an olefins production plant. Considerable energy efficiency and capital investment savings can be realized by such steam integration compared to running the olefins production plant separately.

A method for improving a reforming process by using renewable electrical energy as a heating input to the reforming process is provided. The method includes partially preheating combustion air using a first electrical heater, wherein the first electrical heater is configured to be supplied with the renewable electrical energy generated by a renewable source, wherein the first electrical heater is integrated in between a cold air preheater and a hot air preheater of a process plant that performs the reforming process; utilizing, by the first electrical heater, a bad based on an availability of the renewable electrical energy received from the renewable source; and providing, by the first electrical heater, the preheated combustion air at an outlet of the first electrical heater to a boiler of the process plant based on the bad utilized by the first electrical heater.

An apparatus for disposing of organic or sewage sludge waste includes: a storage tank configured to collect and accommodate organic or sewage sludge waste; an agitator which is connected to the storage tank to decompose and dry the organic or sewage sludge waste supplied from the storage tank; a first deodorizer which is connected to one side of the agitator to biologically decompose and remove bad-odour substances from a waste gas generated during an agitating process of the organic or sewage sludge waste; a second deodorizer which heats and removes bad-odour substances contained in the waste gas from which the bad-odour substances have been partially removed by the first deodorizer; and a heat exchanger which heats the waste gas, which flows in the second deodorizer, through heat of the waste gas discharged from the second deodorizer.

A coke plant includes multiple coke ovens where each coke oven is adapted to produce exhaust gases, a common tunnel fluidly connected to the plurality of coke ovens and configured to receive the exhaust gases from each of the coke ovens, multiple standard heat recovery steam generators fluidly connected to the common tunnel where the ratio of coke ovens to standard heat recovery steam generators is at least 20:1, and a redundant heat recovery steam generator fluidly connected to the common tunnel where any one of the plurality of standard heat recovery steam generators and the redundant heat recovery steam generator is adapted to receive the exhaust gases from the plurality of ovens and extract heat from the exhaust gases and where the standard heat recovery steam generators and the redundant heat recovery steam generator are all connected in parallel with each other.

Methods and apparatus for compact and easily maintainable waste reformation. Some embodiments include a rotary oven reformer adapted and configured to provide synthesis gas from organic waste. Some embodiments include a rotary oven with simplified operation both as to reformation of the waste, usage of the synthesized gas and other products, and easy removal of the finished waste products, preferably in a unit of compact size for use in austere settings. Yet other embodiments include Fischer-Tropsch reactors of synthesized gas. Some of these reactors include heat exchanging assemblies that provide self-cleaning effects, efficient utilization of waste heat, and ease of cleaning.