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.

A process for producing syngas from pre-treated recovery plastic polymers comprising:

a) gasifying said recovery pre-treated polymers according to the following reaction scheme R1:

[—CH.sub.2—]+H.sub.2O═CO+2H.sub.2;  R1:

b) hydrogenating said pre-treated polymers to higher hydrocarbons and methane by using hydrogen produced in R1, according to the following reaction scheme R3:

[—CH.sub.2—].sub.n+H.sub.2═C.sub.nH.sub.(2n+2)  R3:

wherein n is an integer of from 1 to 3, said reaction being optionally combined with oligomers and olefin formation reactions;
c) steam reforming of methane according to the following reaction scheme R4:

CH.sub.4+H.sub.2O═CO+3H.sub.2;  R4:

and optionally
d) reforming reaction of methane according to the following reaction scheme R5:

CH.sub.4+CO.sub.2=2CO+2H.sub.2;  R5:

said process being carried out in a plant (10), (20), (30), (40), (50) comprising a gasification section (11), (21), (31), (41), (51) and a reforming section (12), (22), (32), (42), (52) comprising a tube bundle (13), (23), (33), (43), (53) provided with a catalyst wherein,
i) said gasification (11), (21), (31) and reforming sections (12),(22), (32) are part of a sole reactive unit (10), (20), (30), or said gasification (41), (51) and reforming section (42), (52) are two physically distinct reactive units (40), (50),
ii) the gasification section (11), (21) or the reactive unit (41) provides respectively the energetical support to the reforming section (12), (22) or to the reforming reactive unit (42), thanks to the exothermic combustion reaction scheme R2:

[—CH.sub.2-]+1.5O.sub.2═CO.sub.2+H.sub.2O;  R2:

or in alternative: the reforming section (

A method of assistance and documentation of a filling of tubular reactors comprising recording of filling materials and fill levels of filling materials and documenting the filling materials used, fill levels and results of a catalysis process of tubular reactors produced in such a way.

A method of assistance and documentation of a filling of tubular reactors comprising recording of filling materials and fill levels of filling materials and documenting the filling materials used, fill levels and results of a catalysis process of tubular reactors produced in such a way.

An air lance for removing pellets from tubes includes a conduit body having an inlet end and a bottommost discharge opening, and a poker fixed relative to the conduit body and projecting beyond the bottommost discharge opening to serve as a spacer and poker; wherein a rigid member extends along said conduit body, such that that a hammering force applied to said rigid member where it extends outside of the tube will be transmitted through said rigid member to said poker for dislodging and breaking pellets.

An air lance for removing pellets from tubes includes a conduit body having an inlet end and a bottommost discharge opening, and a poker fixed relative to the conduit body and projecting beyond the bottommost discharge opening to serve as a spacer and poker; wherein a rigid member extends along said conduit body, such that that a hammering force applied to said rigid member where it extends outside of the tube will be transmitted through said rigid member to said poker for dislodging and breaking pellets.

Provided herein is a method for producing methyl pentenone (MPO) in high yield in a continuous mode in a fixed bed reactor having a plurality of sidewall injecting ports by reacting excess methyl ethyl ketone (MEK) with acetaldehyde in presence of a cation exchange resin catalyst, wherein the acetaldehyde is injected from the plurality of sidewall injecting ports of the reactor. The method is also effective in reducing the complete consumption of the catalyst during the course of the reaction.

Provided is a reactor that is capable of suppressing deformation and damage of catalyst grains due to contraction of a reaction tube after thermal expansion thereof. A reactor includes: a reaction tube A aligned in an up-down direction and having, in a bottom section thereof, a catalyst supporter receiving packed catalyst grains and allowing a processed gas to flow therethrough; and a burning unit configured to heat an outer face of the reaction tube A. The reaction tube A has a cylindrical catalyst support face U that is in contact with the catalyst grains in the reaction tube A and that have, in the up-down direction, a plurality of engaging recesses each capable of receiving a portion of the catalyst grain in contact with the catalyst support face in such a manner that the portion of the catalyst grain is fitted into the engaging recess.

Methods of heating a reactor system by providing electrical energy are described. A reactor system comprising at least one reactor tube having a catalyst disposed therein and comprises at least one electrically conductive surface is heated by providing electrical energy to the at least one electrically conductive surface on the reactor tube and adjusting a current level of the electrical energy provided to the at least one electrically conductive surface to control the temperature of the reactor tube and the catalyst disposed therein. The reactor tube may be electrically isolated from other electrically conductive components of the reactor system.

A reactor includes a reactor vessel and one or more reaction tubes A number of tube sections of the one or more reaction tubes in each case run between a first region and a second region in the reactor vessel. For the electrical heating of the tube sections, the tube sections in the first region can be electrically connected to (a) current connection(s) of a current source. In the first region, current feed arrangements are provided; in each case one or in each case one group of the tube sections are electrically connected, and each comprise (a) contact passage(s) that in each case adjoin(s) at least one of the tube sections in the first region. A wall of the contact passages in each case is connected to a current feed element that has a rod-shaped section that runs at a wall passage through a wall of the reactor vessel.