The present disclosure relates generally to reactor systems that include (a) a housing having an interior surface that may be at least partially reflective, (b) at least one reactor cell disposed within an interior of the housing, the at least one reactor cell including an enclosure and a plasmonic photocatalyst on a catalyst support disposed within the at least one enclosure, where the enclosure is optically transparent and includes at least one inlet for a reactant to enter the at least one cell and at least one outlet for a reformate to exit the at least one cell and (c) at least one light source disposed within the interior of the housing and/or external to the housing. At least one light-management feature and/or at least one thermal-management feature is applied to the reactor cell, reactor system, or a reformer system comprising many reactor systems, in order to improve efficiency.

Counter-flow heat exchanger is constructed with plenums at either end that separate the opposing fluids, the channels of which are arrayed in a checkerboard patterns, such that any given channel is surrounded by channels of opposing streams on four sideslaterally on both sides and vertically above and below.

The inventions is directed to a new design for catalyst tubes, which makes it possible to apply the concept of regenerative reforming into steam reformers having catalyst tube inlets and outlets at opposite sides of the furnace chamber. The catalyst tube comprises an inlet for process gas to enter the catalyst tube and an outlet for process gas to exit the catalyst tube, which inlet and outlet are located at opposite ends of the catalyst tube. The catalyst tube further comprises a first annular channel comprising the catalyst, a second annular channel for process gas to flow countercurrently or co-currently to the process gas flowing through the first annular channel.

The inventions is directed to a new design for catalyst tubes, which makes it possible to apply the concept of regenerative reforming into steam reformers having catalyst tube inlets and outlets at opposite sides of the furnace chamber. The catalyst tube comprises an inlet for process gas to enter the catalyst tube and an outlet for process gas to exit the catalyst tube, which inlet and outlet are located at opposite ends of the catalyst tube. The catalyst tube further comprises a first annular channel comprising the catalyst, a second annular channel for process gas to flow countercurrently or co-currently to the process gas flowing through the first annular channel.

Systems and methods for making ceramic powders configured with consistent, tailored characteristics and/or properties are provided herein. In some embodiments a system for making ceramic powders, includes: a reactor body having a reaction chamber and configured with a heat source to provide a hot zone along the reaction chamber; a sweep gas inlet configured to direct a sweep gas into the reaction chamber and a sweep gas outlet configured to direct an exhaust gas from the reaction chamber; a plurality of containers, within the reactor body, configured to retain at least one preform, wherein each container is configured to permit the sweep gas to flow therethrough, wherein the preform is configured to permit the sweep gas to flow there through, such that the precursor mixture is reacted in the hot zone to form a ceramic powder product having uniform properties.

Counter-flow heat exchanged is constructed with plenums at either end that separate the opposing fluids, the channels of which are arrayed in a checkerboard patterns, such that any given channel is surrounded by channels of opposing streams on four sideslaterally on both sides and vertically above and below.

Systems and methods for making ceramic powders configured with consistent, tailored characteristics and/or properties are provided herein. In some embodiments a system for making ceramic powders, includes: a reactor body having a reaction chamber and configured with a heat source to provide a hot zone along the reaction chamber; a sweep gas inlet configured to direct a sweep gas into the reaction chamber and a sweep gas outlet configured to direct an exhaust gas from the reaction chamber; a plurality of containers, within the reactor body, configured to retain at least one preform, wherein each container is configured to permit the sweep gas to flow therethrough, wherein the preform is configured to permit the sweep gas to flow there through, such that the precursor mixture is reacted in the hot zone to form a ceramic powder product having uniform properties.

The invention relates to contactors suitable for use, for example, in manufacturing and chemical refinement processes. In an aspect is a hybrid indirect/direct contactor for thermal management of counter-current processes, the contactor comprising a vertical reactor column, an array of interconnected heat transfer tubes within the reactor column, and a plurality of stream path diverters, wherein the tubes and diverters are configured to block all straight-line paths from the top to bottom ends of the reactor column.

Counter-flow heat exchanger is constructed with plenums at either end that separate the opposing fluids, the channels of which are arrayed in a checkerboard patterns, such that any given channel is surrounded by channels of opposing streams on four sideslaterally on both sides and vertically above and below.

Disclosed are a fuel unit for a hydrogen generator and methods for producing the fuel unit and the hydrogen generator. A fuel sheet (50) is made by disposing a plurality of fuel pellets (50A-50J) containing a hydrogen-containing material on a substrate (52), and one or more fuel sheets are formed into a non-cylindrical fuel sheet assembly my moving (e.g., bending) a portion of the fuel sheet (50) to position pellets adjacent to each other such that adjacent sides of the adjacent pellets lie in essentially parallel planes. A non-cylindrical fuel unit is produced from one or more of the fuel sheet assemblies. Fuel units can be replaceably disposed in a hydrogen generator, and fuel pellets can be selectively heated to produce hydrogen gas as needed.