The invention relates to hydrocarbon conversion, to equipment and materials useful for hydrocarbon conversion, and to processes for carrying out hydrocarbon conversion, e.g., hydrocarbon pyrolysis processes. The hydrocarbon conversion is carried out in a reactor which includes at least one channeled member that comprises refractory and has an open frontal area≤55%. The refractory can include non-oxide ceramic.

A water gas shift (WGS) reactor system includes a housing; a reaction tube disposed in the housing, wherein a reaction channel is defined within the reaction tube and a cooling fluid channel is defined between the housing and the reaction tube; a catalyst disposed in the reaction channel, the catalyst configured to catalyze a hydrogen generation reaction; and a heat transfer material disposed in the reaction channel.

A steam methane reformer (SMR) system includes an outer tube, wherein a first end of the outer tube is closed; an inner tube disposed in the outer tube, wherein a first end of the inner tube is open. A flow channel is defined within the inner tube and an annular space is defined between the outer tube and the inner tube, the flow channel being in fluid communication with the annular space. The SMR system includes a catalytic foam disposed in the annular space between the outer tube and the inner tube, the catalytic foam comprising a catalyst.

A method for producing hydrogen includes flowing a first gas along a bayonet flow path of a steam methane reformer (SMR) to produce a first product, including flowing the first gas through a foam disposed along the bayonet flow path; providing the first product produced in the SMR to an input of a water gas shift (WGS) reaction channel defined within a reaction tube of a WGS reactor; and flowing a second gas including the first product through the WGS reaction channel to produce a second product. Flowing the second gas includes flowing the second gas across a heat transfer material disposed in the WGS reaction channel to reduce the temperature of the flowing second gas; and flowing the second gas across a WGS catalyst disposed in the reaction channel.

A hydrogen reforming system includes: a reformer that generates first mixed gas through a reforming reaction between fuel gas and water; a transformer that is fed with the first mixed gas and generates second mixed gas from which carbon monoxide is removed by a water gas shift reaction; a pressure swing adsorption that purifies and separate hydrogen from the second mixed gas generated in the transformer; a heat exchanger that is provided between the reformer and the transformer and between the transformer and the PSA unit to control temperatures of the first mixed gas and the second mixed gas through heat exchange with water; a water feeder that communicates with the heat exchanger and supplies water to the heat exchanger; and a control value that is provided on a line through which water is discharged from the water feeder and adjusts a flow rate of water.

Methods comprising: evaporating a catalyst source to produce a catalyst gas; condensing the catalyst gas to produce a catalyst vapor comprising catalyst droplets suspended in a gas phase; and contacting the catalyst vapor with a hydrocarbon gas to catalyze a decomposition reaction of the hydrocarbon gas into hydrogen gas and carbon. And, systems comprising: a catalyst source evaporator that provides a first stream to a reactor; a hydrocarbon source that provides a second stream to the reactor; a cooling column coupled to the reactor via a third stream comprising hydrogen, catalyst liquid, solid carbon, optionally catalyst gas, and optionally unreacted hydrocarbon gas such that the cooling column receives the third stream from the reactor; and wherein the cooling column has effluent streams that include (a) a fourth stream that comprises hydrogen and optionally catalyst gas and (b) a fifth stream that comprises catalyst liquid.

Methods comprising: evaporating a catalyst source to produce a catalyst gas; condensing the catalyst gas to produce a catalyst vapor comprising catalyst droplets suspended in a gas phase; and contacting the catalyst vapor with a hydrocarbon gas to catalyze a decomposition reaction of the hydrocarbon gas into hydrogen gas and carbon. And, systems comprising: a catalyst source evaporator that provides a first stream to a reactor; a hydrocarbon source that provides a second stream to the reactor; a cooling column coupled to the reactor via a third stream comprising hydrogen, catalyst liquid, solid carbon, optionally catalyst gas, and optionally unreacted hydrocarbon gas such that the cooling column receives the third stream from the reactor; and wherein the cooling column has effluent streams that include (a) a fourth stream that comprises hydrogen and optionally catalyst gas and (b) a fifth stream that comprises catalyst liquid.

A reformer suitable for micro-scale design has horizontal catalyst tube(s) passing through a baffled radiant section for convective and radiant heat transfer to the tube(s). To reduce the footprint and/or to facilitate field assembly a combustion chamber and convection section can be oriented transversely with respect to the radiant section; the tube(s) can be horizontal and/or include structured catalyst; and/or the combustion chamber provides flameless combustion or produces a flame without impinging on the tubes. Also, a skid frame-mountable version of the reformer; and a process for transporting, assembling, and/or operating the steam methane reformer.

A system for co-generating ammonia and power is described. The system includes oxygen transport reactors having an ion transport membrane (ITM) that separates a feed side and a permeate side. The feed side includes a feed inlet and a feed outlet, and the permeate side includes a permeate inlet and a permeate outlet. A first feed inlet receives water vapor to be converted into hydrogen and first oxygen, and a second feed inlet receives air to be split into nitrogen and second oxygen. The ITM selectively allows permeation of the first oxygen and the second oxygen to respective permeate side to support oxy-combustion process. A first feed outlet discharges hydrogen and a second feed outlet discharges nitrogen, where the hydrogen and the nitrogen are combined in a catalytic converter to form ammonia. Combustion gases from the oxygen transport reactors are used to run a gas turbine to extract power.

A reformer suitable for micro-scale design has horizontal catalyst tube(s) passing through a baffled radiant section for convective and radiant heat transfer to the tube(s). To reduce the footprint and/or to facilitate field assembly a combustion chamber and convection section can be oriented transversely with respect to the radiant section; the tube(s) can be horizontal and/or include structured catalyst; and/or the combustion chamber provides flameless combustion or produces a flame without impinging on the tubes. Also, a skid frame-mountable version of the reformer; and a process for transporting, assembling, and/or operating the steam methane reformer.