A system and method for producing hydrogen, including providing hydrocarbon and steam into a vessel to a region external to a tubular membrane in the vessel. The method includes steam reforming the hydrocarbon in the vessel via reforming catalyst to generate hydrogen and carbon dioxide. The method includes diffusing the hydrogen through the tubular membrane into a bore of the tubular membrane, wherein the tubular membrane is hydrogen selective.

A thermochemical labyrinth reactor is disclosed. The reactor has a reoxidation zone and a reduction zone with electric heaters. A recuperation zone connects the reduction and reoxidation zones with first and second channels, the first channel adjoining the second channel, being separated by windows allowing an exchange of thermal radiation between channels while preventing gas exchange. The reactor also includes reactor plates composed of a reactive material, and a transit system running through the three zones, with the transit system configured to shuttle the plates between the reduction zone and the reoxidation zone, moving the plates along a circuit. The reactor also has a feedstock gas emitter to introduce a feedstock gas flowing opposite the movement of the plates. A gas extractor is configured to extract a product gas resulting from the feedstock gas being split by the oxidizing reactive material. All three zones are surrounded by an insulating housing.

In a general aspect, a system can include a reactor for combusting fuel and producing high-temperature, high-pressure liquid as a byproduct, and at least one vessel defining a cavity to be partially filled with water, with an air pocket within the cavity above the water. The system can further include respective valves to control admission of liquid from the reactor into the air pocket when the air pocket has a pressure lower than an operating pressure of the reactor, and to control emission of the water from the at least one vessel through of the vessel after the water in the at least one vessel has been pressurized by the liquid from the reactor. The system can also include a hydroelectric drive system for receiving water emitted from the cavity, and for converting energy in the received water into electrical energy.

A plant uses one or more renewable energy sources to facilitate the processing of a hydrocarbon to produce hydrogen, syngas or other products. One renewable energy source is solar energy, which may be harnessed by (a) directly heating a thermal storage medium by way of a concentrated solar thermal (CST) plant; (b) converting the solar energy using photovoltaic cells to produce electricity and using the electricity to heat the thermal storage medium, (c) a combination of both, or (d) converting the solar energy using photovoltaic cells to produce electricity and using the electricity to heat a reactor by way of resistive or inductive heating. The thermal storage medium, when used, is arranged to store enough thermal energy to enable 24-hours a day processing of the hydrocarbon. Electricity derived from PV cells may be used to enable the production of heat for processing when radiant energy from the sun is insufficient.

A modular reactor device has an outer housing, a reaction chamber, a fluid pathway connected to the reaction chamber, and a valve to control flow of fluid within the device. The outer housing has a plurality of connection ports including: a fluid input and a fluid output; an electrical input; and a pneumatic input. Either the electrical input or the pneumatic input is connected to the valve to provide for control of the valve, and either the fluid input or the fluid output is connected to the reaction chamber or the fluid pathway. Other aspects provide a base station for receiving and controlling a modular reactor device and methods for manufacturing the modular reactor device and for performing reactions using a modular reactor device.

Electrically heated reforming reactors and associated reforming processes are disclosed, which benefit from a number of advantages in terms of attaining and controlling the input of heat to catalytic conversion processes such as in the reforming of hydrocarbons (e.g., methane) using H.sub.2O and/or CO.sub.2 as an oxidant. The disclosed reactors provide the ability to target the input of heat to specific regions within a catalyst bed volume. This allows for the control of the temperature profile in one or more dimensions (e.g., axially and/or radially) and/or otherwise tailoring heat input for processing specific reformer feeds, achieving specific reformer products, effectively utilizing the catalyst, and/or compensating for a number of operating parameters (e.g., flow distribution). Dynamic control of the heat input may be used in response to changes in feed or product composition and/or catalyst activity.

Disclosed is a reactor for carrying out a chemical reaction and a corresponding method. The reactor includes a vessel and one or more reaction tubes where a number of tube sections of the reaction tubes run between first second regions in the reactor vessel, and where the tube sections in the first region for the electrical heating of the tube sections can be electrically connected to the phase connections of a polyphase AC power source. Tube sections in the second region are electrically and conductively connected to one another as a whole by means of a single rigid connecting element, or in groups by means of a plurality of rigid connecting elements which are integrally connected to the reaction tubes and are arranged inside the reactor vessel. A corresponding method is also the subject-matter of the present invention.

Method 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 plant and a method are provided in which a first feed including hydrocarbons is subjected to electrical steam methane reforming (e-SMR) to generate a first syngas stream. An upgrading section receives the syngas stream and generates a first product stream and an off-gas stream from the syngas stream. A power generator receives at least a portion of the off-gas stream and/or a portion of said first product stream from the upgrading section and/or a portion of said first feed and generates a second electricity flow. At least a portion of the second electricity flow is arranged to provide at least a part of the first electricity flow to the e-SMR reactor.

A reactor has a reactor vessel and a reaction tube. Tube sections of the reaction tube run inside the reactor vessel. The tube sections are each electrically connectable to a current connection in a current feed region. Current feed arrangements are arranged in the current feed region to which in each case one or one group of the tube sections is electrically connected. Each current feed arrangement has a first and a second section, the first section extending along a longitudinal axis starting from the respective or group of tube section(s). The first section at least partially surrounds the second section or the second section surrounds the first section in a sleeve-like manner. The first and second sections each have contact surfaces arranged obliquely to the longitudinal axis. The current feed arrangements each extend through a wall of the reactor vessel.