Systems and methods are provided for combined cycle power generation while reducing or mitigating emissions during power generation. Recycled exhaust gas from a molten carbonate fuel cell power generation reaction can be separated by using a swing adsorption process so as to generate a high purity CO.sub.2 stream while reducing or minimizing the energy required for the separation and without having to reduce the temperature of the exhaust gas. A high temperature adsorption reactor adsorbs the CO.sub.2 and recovers H.sub.2 from an exhaust gas of a first molten carbonate fuel cell at a high temperature and at a low pressure. The reactor passes along the adsorbed CO.sub.2 to a cathode and the recovered H.sub.2 to an anode of a second molten carbonate fuel cell for further power generation. This can allow for improved energy recovery while also generating high purity streams of CO.sub.2 and H.sub.2.

Provided are apparatus and systems for performing a swing adsorption process. This swing adsorption process may involve performing a startup mode process prior to beginning a normal operation mode process to remove contaminants from a gaseous feed stream. The startup mode process may be utilized for swing adsorption processes, such as TSA and/or PSA, which are utilized to remove one or more contaminants from a gaseous feed stream.

Provided are apparatus and systems for performing a swing adsorption process. This swing adsorption process may involve performing a startup mode process prior to beginning a normal operation mode process to remove contaminants from a gaseous feed stream. The startup mode process may be utilized for swing adsorption processes, such as TSA and/or PSA, which are utilized to remove one or more contaminants from a gaseous feed stream.

A method for purifying the exhaust gas generated by an internal combustion engine, wherein the exhaust gas generated by the internal combustion engine is conducted through an exhaust gas path in which at least one adsorption element is arranged, to which pollutants contained in the exhaust gas at least partly bind, and in which the at least one adsorption element is regenerated by at least partial desorption of the bound pollutants, and pollutants desorbed from the at least one adsorption element during the desorption process are stored in at least one storage unit.

A highly efficient combined cooling, heating, and power (CCHP) system is capable of providing 100% utilization of an energy generator used by the system by distributing thermal and electrical outputs of the energy generator to loads and/or other storage apparatuses. The CCHP system includes an energy generator, which can be a fuel cell and a waste heat recovery unit that assists in recovering thermal energy from the energy generator and returning it to the energy generator, and/or providing it to a thermal load, or a storage as needed or desired.

In some embodiments, a multistage scrubber that includes a plurality of stages, each stage comprising one or more scrubbing modules having adsorbents configured to adsorb and remove molecules from a flowing mixture of gas traversing the multi-stage scrubber is disclosed. The sorbents may be used in repeatable adsorption-regeneration swing cycles including concentration swing adsorption (CSA) cycle, temperature swing adsorption (TSA) cycle and pressure swing adsorption (PSA) cycle.

A process is disclosed for producing hydrogen for a hydrogen consuming process comprising obtaining a gas stream containing hydrogen from a steam reforming hydrogen plant, sending the gas stream to a pressure swing adsorption unit to be separated into a hydrogen stream and a fuel gas stream; purging the pressure swing adsorption unit with an external purge gas stream from a hydroprocessing unit off gas; treating the off gas with a thermal swing adsorption unit to remove water and other impurities prior to purging the pressure swing adsorption unit; and using a protective adsorbent layer in the pressure swing adsorption unit at the product-hydrogen end of the bed to adsorb impurities from the external purge gas.

A process is disclosed for reversibly absorbing carbon dioxide to an alkali metal or earth alkaline absorbent. For absorption the absorbent is contacted with a first gas composition. For desorption the absorbent is contacted with a second gas composition. The moisture contents of the first and second gas compositions are controlled so that during the absorption step the absorbent is converted to a bicarbonate, and during the desorption step the absorbent is converted to a carbonate hydrate. Compared to prior art processes the process of the invention requires less energy input. The process of the invention is particularly suitable for producing a carbon dioxide enriched gas for accelerating plant growth in a greenhouse.

Methods are provided for the production of nitrogen, hydrogen, and carbon dioxide from an exhaust gas. Exhaust gas from combustion in a fuel rich (or reducing) atmosphere is primarily composed of CO.sub.2, CO, N.sub.2, H.sub.2O, and H.sub.2. CO may be converted to CO.sub.2 and H.sub.2 via the water gas shift reaction. Carbon dioxide may then be effectively separated from nitrogen and hydrogen to produce a carbon dioxide stream and a nitrogen/hydrogen stream. The nitrogen/hydrogen stream may then be effectively separated to produce a high purity nitrogen stream and a high purity hydrogen stream. The process may be done in any order, such as separating the nitrogen first or the carbon dioxide first.

A volatile liquid vapor recovery system is used to recover vapors produced in the loading of shipping vehicles with volatile liquid product from a storage tank. The recovery system uses a primary vessel with an adsorption bed for adsorbing the volatile liquid vapors and venting clean air including oxygen to the atmosphere. The recovery system regenerates the adsorption bed by recovering the volatile liquid vapors from the adsorption bed and directly delivering said vapors to the storage tank. The system may be adapted to remove oxygen from the primary vessel prior to regeneration, such as by purging and venting the primary vessel with a purge gas or by providing a secondary vessel to receive oxygen and vapors from the primary vessel prior to regeneration of the first adsorption bed. Adsorbed volatile liquid vapor from the secondary vessel can be recycled to the primary vessel for conservation.