Methods and systems to decarbonize natural gas using sulfur to produce hydrogen and polymers are provided. Sulfur can be introduced in elemental form or as hydrogen sulfide, as may be desired. Decarbonization of natural gas involves introducing natural gas and H.sub.2S to a first reactor to produce first reactor products including CS.sub.2 and H.sub.2. The CS.sub.2 can subsequently be polymerized and the H.sub.2 recovered in a purified form with little or no carbon emissions.

The invention includes a gas processing system for transforming a hydrocarbon-containing inflow gas into outflow gas products, where the system includes a gas delivery subsystem, a plasma reaction chamber, and a microwave subsystem, with the gas delivery subsystem in fluid communication with the plasma reaction chamber, so that the gas delivery subsystem directs the hydrocarbon-containing inflow gas into the plasma reaction chamber, and the microwave subsystem directs microwave energy into the plasma reaction chamber to energize the hydrocarbon-containing inflow gas, thereby forming a plasma in the plasma reaction chamber, which plasma effects the transformation of a hydrocarbon in the hydrocarbon-containing inflow gas into the outflow gas products, which comprise acetylene and hydrogen. The invention also includes methods for the use of the gas processing system.

Disclosed are a method and apparatus for smoothing a link-line power of an electrothermal microgrid using a thermal storage heat pump cluster. The method includes: determining a current link-line power control target and pre-distributing a smoothing task to the heat pump cluster; making, by a heat pump start-stop control layer cluster, a heat pump cluster start-stop scheme, determining a start-stop state of the heat pump cluster and a start-stop smoothing component of the heat pump cluster according to the smoothing task, obtaining a remaining fluctuating power based on link-line fluctuating power and the start-stop smoothing component of the heat pump cluster; smoothing, by a heat pump cluster power adjustment layer, some medium and low frequency components and outputting a smoothing component of the heat pump cluster with respect to a storage battery output optimization target based on the remaining fluctuating power; and simultaneously undertaking, by the storage battery, a smoothing task of the remaining fluctuating power and outputting a storage battery smoothing component to complete the smoothing of the fluctuating power in a control cycle.

Biomass (e.g., plant biomass, animal biomass, and municipal waste biomass) is processed to produce useful products, such as fuels. For example, systems can use feedstock materials, such as cellulosic and/or lignocellulosic materials and/or starchy or sugary materials, to produce ethanol and/or butanol, e.g., by fermentation.

The present invention is to provide a device for activating a substance, which is a flexible sheet that is available regardless of the shape of each of the device that has a substance to be activated inside. The member for activating a substance 1 of the present invention is flexible. The member for activating a substance 1 includes a metal layer 11 containing a metal with a redox potential of 0 V or less or an alloy of a metal with a redox potential of 0 V or less and a radiation generating layer 12 containing a mixture of a natural ore containing a radioactive substance with a radiolucent resin. The dose of radiation generated from the radiation generating layer 12 is from 0.02 Sv/h or more to 0.2 Sv/h or less. To enhance the flexibility, a radiation shielding layer that shields radiation generated from the radiation generating layer 12 is preferably unformed.

Biomass (e.g., plant biomass, animal biomass, and municipal waste biomass) is processed to produce useful products, such as fuels. For example, systems can use feedstock materials, such as cellulosic and/or lignocellulosic materials and/or starchy materials, to produce ethanol and/or butanol, e.g., by fermentation.

The invention includes a gas processing system for transforming a hydrocarbon-containing inflow gas into outflow gas products, where the system includes a gas delivery subsystem, a plasma reaction chamber, and a microwave subsystem, with the gas delivery subsystem in fluid communication with the plasma reaction chamber, so that the gas delivery subsystem directs the hydrocarbon-containing inflow gas into the plasma reaction chamber, and the microwave subsystem directs microwave energy into the plasma reaction chamber to energize the hydrocarbon-containing inflow gas, thereby forming a plasma in the plasma reaction chamber, which plasma effects the transformation of a hydrocarbon in the hydrocarbon-containing inflow gas into the outflow gas products, which comprise acetylene and hydrogen. The invention also includes methods for the use of the gas processing system.

The invention includes a gas processing system for transforming a hydrocarbon-containing inflow gas into outflow gas products, where the system includes a gas delivery subsystem, a plasma reaction chamber, and a microwave subsystem, with the gas delivery subsystem in fluid communication with the plasma reaction chamber, so that the gas delivery subsystem directs the hydrocarbon-containing inflow gas into the plasma reaction chamber, and the microwave subsystem directs microwave energy into the plasma reaction chamber to energize the hydrocarbon-containing inflow gas, thereby forming a plasma in the plasma reaction chamber, which plasma effects the transformation of a hydrocarbon in the hydrocarbon-containing inflow gas into the outflow gas products, which comprise acetylene and hydrogen. The invention also includes methods for the use of the gas processing system.

Biomass (e.g., plant biomass, animal biomass, and municipal waste biomass) is processed to produce useful products, such as fuels. For example, systems can use feedstock materials, such as cellulosic and/or lignocellulosic materials and/or starchy or sugary materials, to produce ethanol and/or butanol, e.g., by fermentation.

Compositions are provided that can include nanoscale particles including metal cations such as cerium having an average particle size of less than 10 nm. The nanoscale particles can include cerium and oxygen. Methods for forming nanoparticles are provided. The methods can include exposing a metal cation within a solution to radiation to form metal nanoparticles that can include metal cations. The methods can include exposing a cerium salt solution to radiation to form the nanoparticles. The methods can include exposing solvated metal cations to radiation to precipitate nanoparticles that include metal cations such as Ce. The methods can include exposing the homogeneous solution to radiation to precipitate nanoparticles. The methods can include: providing an aqueous solution comprising metal cations; and increasing the pH of the aqueous solution with radiation to form nanoparticles that include metal cations. Nanoparticle generators are provided. The generators can include: a reactant reservoir comprising a metal cation in solution; a fluid cell in fluid communication with the reactant reservoir; a radiation source operatively aligned with the fluid cell; and a product reservoir in fluid communication with the fluid cell.