Reactor/separator elements for performing the generation and/or separation of hydrogen gas with improved efficiency have a central core and a separation layer that, in combination, define at least one spiral gas flow channel extending from one end of the central core to the opposite end of the central core. In use, the reactor/separator element may be placed in a housing which constrains gas on the outside of the reactor/separator element into the spiral channel defined by the outside of the separation layer.

A gas diffusion layer includes a laminate made up of sheets each having a plurality of through-holes through which gas passes. One or a plurality of the sheets in the laminate includes communication paths to communicate the through-holes in another sheet adjacent to the one sheet or one of the plurality of sheets with each other or to communicate the through-holes in another sheet adjacent to the one sheet or one of the plurality of sheets with the through-holes in the other adjacent sheet, the through-holes being separated from and being not communicated with the other through-holes in the same sheet.

Processes for reducing carbon monoxide levels in a carbon dioxide rich gaseous stream. The carbon dioxide rich stream is passed to a preferential oxidation zone to selectively convert carbon monoxide to carbon dioxide. Excess oxygen is consumed by reacting with hydrogen, which may be added or controlled based on PSA operating conditions upstream of the preferential oxidation zone. The preferential oxidation zone may be contained within a bed of a dryer.

Hydrogen-producing fuel processing systems and related methods. The systems include a hydrogen-producing region configured to produce a mixed gas stream from a feedstock stream, a hydrogen-separation membrane module having at least one hydrogen-selective membrane and configured to separate the mixed gas stream into a product hydrogen stream and a byproduct stream, and an oxidant delivery system configured to deliver an oxidant-containing stream to the hydrogen-separation membrane module in situ to increase hydrogen permeance of the hydrogen-selective membrane. The methods include operating a hydrogen-producing fuel processing system in a hydrogen-producing regime, and subsequently operating the hydrogen-producing fuel processing system in a restoration regime, in which an oxidant-containing stream is delivered to the hydrogen-separation membrane module in situ to expose the at least one hydrogen-selective membrane to the oxidant-containing stream to increase the hydrogen permeance of the at least one hydrogen-selective membrane.

A processing facility is provided. The processing facility includes an asphaltenes and metals (AM) removal system configured to process a feed stream to produce a power generation stream, a hydroprocessing feed stream, and an asphaltenes stream. A power generation system is fed by the power generation feed stream. A hydroprocessing system is configured to process the hydroprocessing feed stream to form a gas stream and a liquid stream. A hydrogen production system is configured to produce hydrogen, carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide from the gas feed stream. A carbon dioxide conversion system is configured to produce synthetic hydrocarbons from the carbon dioxide, and a cracking system is configured to process the liquid feed stream.

A muffler includes a muffler housing having an exhaust gas inlet port adapted for securing to an exhaust pipe of an automobile so that exhaust gases from an internal combustion engine of the automobile are directed through the muffler housing from the exhaust gas inlet to an exhaust gas outlet. The muffler housing includes a plurality of rigid surfaces that form an exhaust gas pathway including a plurality of turns and lead from the exhaust gas inlet port to the exhaust gas outlet port. A photocatalyst coating is secured to an area of the rigid surfaces, and a light source is secured to the muffler housing and positioned to direct light onto the photocatalyst coating. The exhaust gases come into contact with the photocatalyst coating and reactive species generated by the photocatalyst coating decompose one or more pollutants in the exhaust gas.

Systems and methods are provided for performing hydrocarbon reforming within a reverse flow reactor environment (or another reactor environment with flows in opposing directions) while improving management of CO.sub.2 generated during operation of the reactor. The improved management of CO.sub.2 is achieved by making one or more changes to the operation of the reverse flow reactor. The changes can include using an air separation unit to provide an oxygen source with a reduced or minimized content of nitrogen and/or operating the reactor at elevated pressure during the regeneration stage. By operating the regeneration at elevated pressure, a regeneration flue gas can be generated that is enriched in CO.sub.2 at elevated pressure. The CO.sub.2-enriched stream can include primarily water as a contaminant, which can be removed by cooling while substantially maintaining the pressure of the stream. This can facilitate subsequent recovery and use of the CO.sub.2.

An oxygen scavenging system that includes a first catalytic converter unit configured to receive an exhaust stream from a power production unit. The exhaust stream includes oxygen. The system also includes a hydrocarbon injection unit configured to channel a hydrocarbon stream for injection into the exhaust stream upstream from the first catalytic converter unit such that hydrocarbons from the hydrocarbon stream react with the oxygen from the exhaust stream within the first catalytic converter unit.

Novel methods for pretreating a rare-gas-containing stream exiting an etch chamber followed by recovering the rare gas from the pre-treated, rare-gas containing stream are disclosed. More particularly, the invention relates to the pretreatment and recovery of a rare gas, such as xenon or krypton, from a nitrogen-based exhaust stream with specific gaseous impurities generated during an etch process that is performed as part of a semiconductor fabrication process.

This disclosure relates to the adsorption and separation of carbon dioxide in a feed stream (e.g., natural gas) using zeolite ITQ-55 as the adsorbent. A process is disclosed for removing impurities such as carbon dioxide and nitrogen while producing a hydrocarbon product. The process involves passing a feed stream through a bed of an adsorbent comprising zeolite ITQ-55 to adsorb carbon dioxide from the feed stream, thereby producing a product stream depleted in carbon dioxide. The zeolite ITQ-55 has a mean crystal particle size within the range of from about 0.1 microns to about 100 microns. The feed stream is exposed to the zeolite ITQ-55 at effective conditions for performing a kinetic separation, in which the kinetic separation exhibits greater kinetic selectivity for carbon dioxide than for methane or nitrogen. The system and method of this disclosure are particularly suitable for use with feed streams in excess of 10 MMSCFD utilizing rapid cycle PSA operations by tuning crystals size.