The invention relates to a catalytic process for upgrading a renewable crude oil produced from biomass and/or waste comprising providing a renewable crude oil and pressurizing it to a pressure in the range in the range 60 to 150 bar, contacting the pressurized renewable crude oil with hydrogen and at least one heterogeneous catalyst contained in a first reaction zone at a weight based hourly space velocity (WHSV) in the range 0.1 to 2.0 h.sub.−1 and at a temperature in the range of 150° C. to 360° C., hereby providing a partially upgraded renewable crude oil, separating the partially upgraded renewable crude oil from the first reaction zone to a partially upgraded heavy renewable oil fraction, a partially upgraded light renewable oil fraction, a water stream and a process gas stream, introducing the separated and partially upgraded heavy renewable oil fraction and separated process gas to a second reaction zone comprising at least two reactors arranged in parallel and being adapted to operate in a first and a second mode of operation, the reactors comprising dual functioning heterogeneous catalyst(-s) capable of performing a catalytic steam cracking reaction in a first mode of operation or a steam reforming reaction in a second mode of operation, where the partially upgraded heavy renewable oil fraction from the first reaction zone is contacted with the dual functioning heterogeneous catalyst and steam at a pressure of 10 to 150 bar and a temperature of 350° C. to 430° C. whereby a catalytic steam cracking of the partially upgraded heavy renewable oil is performed in the reactors in the first mode of operation, hereby providing a further upgraded heavy renewable oil fraction, while separated process gas from the first and/or second reaction zone is contacted with the dual functioning catalyst and steam at a pressure of 0.1 to 10 bar and a temperature of 350 to 600° C. in the reactors in the second mode of operation and contacted with the dual functioning catalyst, thereby producing a hydrogen enriched gas, separating the further upgraded heavy renewable oil fraction from the catalytically steam cracking reactor to at least one light renewable oil fraction, a heavy renewable oil fraction, a hydrogen rich process gas and a water phase, separating hydrogen from the hydrogen enriched gas from the catalytic steam cracking zone and/or from the catalytic steam reforming and recycling it to the first reaction zone, alternating the reactors between the first mode of operation and the second mode of operation at predetermined time intervals thereby allowing for regeneration of the heterogeneous catalyst for the catalytic steam cracking in the first mode of op

The present invention discloses a plasma dry reforming apparatus for producing synthetic gas, main components of which are hydrogen and carbon monoxide, by reforming methane and carbon dioxide injected in plasma, the apparatus comprising: a plasma reformer 100, 200 which produces carbon dioxide plasma by making carbon dioxide supplied therein into plasma, ignites plasma flame by supplying hydrocarbon to the produced dioxide plasma, and produces synthetic gas by supplying methane to the plasma flame.

A bio-renewable conversion process for making fuel from bio-renewable feedstocks is combined with a hydrogen production process that includes recovery of CO.sub.2. The integrated process uses a purge gas stream comprising hydrogen from the bio-renewable hydrocarbon production process in the hydrogen production process.

Various embodiments that pertain to fuel processing are described. A fuel processor can produce an endothermic reaction that cools a substance and produces a processed fuel from a raw fuel. A generator can employ the processed fuel to produce an electricity. The generator can supply the electricity to a load that uses the electricity to function. The load can become hot due to its functioning and can benefit from being cooled. The substance cooled by the fuel processor can cool load and in the process the substance can rise in temperature. This warmer substance can be transferred to the fuel processor to be cooled again and this cycle can continue. Further, the fuel processor can use the warmer substance to achieve the endothermic reaction.

Systems and methods for integrated production of aromatics and other chemicals are described. Systems and methods may include a process for producing benzene, methanol, butanals, dimethyl ethers, olefins and other chemicals that includes providing methane to a first reactor to produce a first product stream comprising benzene and hydrogen; recovering benzene and mixing the first product stream with a carbon dioxide and/or steam feed stream; providing the combined benzene depleted first product stream and carbon dioxide and/or steam feed stream to a second reactor to produce a second product stream comprising synthesis gas, water and unconverted methane and carbon dioxide; and providing the synthesis gas to a third reactor to produce a third product stream comprising methanol, butanals, and other chemicals.

The invention relates to a method for producing products by microbial fermentation. The method comprises first converting a feed stream containing methane to a gaseous substrate comprising CO, of the invention include converting CO H.sub.2, and CO.sub.2 using a steam reforming zone and a water gas shift zone. The gaseous substrate is then converted to products such as alcohols and/or acids byto one or more products including alcohols and/or acids by fermentation using a carboxydotrophic microorganism.

The invention relates to a method and to a plant for chemical looping oxidation-reduction combustion (CLC) of a gaseous hydrocarbon feed, for example natural gas essentially containing methane. According to the invention, catalytic reforming of the feed is performed within the reduction zone where combustion of the feed is conducted on contact with an oxidation-reduction active mass in form of particles. The reforming catalyst comes in form of untransported fluidized particles within the reduction zone. The catalyst thus confined in the reduction zone does not circulate in the CLC loop.

The invention relates to a method and to a plant for chemical looping oxidation-reduction combustion (CLC) of a gaseous hydrocarbon feed, for example natural gas essentially containing methane. According to the invention, catalytic steam reforming of the feed is performed between two successive feed combustion steps on contact with an oxidation-reduction active mass in form of particles. The reforming catalyst is arranged in a fixed bed in an intermediate reforming zone (130) between the two reduction zones (120, 140) where the two combustion steps are conducted.

FIG. 2 to be published.

Disclosed are catalysts, methods, and systems for the bi-reforming of hydrocarbons. The method includes contacting a catalyst material with a reactant feed that includes hydrogen (H.sub.2), carbon monoxide (CO), carbon dioxide (CO.sub.2), methane (CH.sub.4), and water (H.sub.2O) to produce a product stream that has a H.sub.2/CO molar ratio of 1.4:1 to 2:1. The catalyst can have a metal oxide core, a redox metal oxide layer deposited on a surface of the metal oxide core, and a catalytically active metal deposited on the surface of the redox metal oxide layer. A dopant can be included in the redox metal oxide layer. The catalyst can have a corm-shell type structure.

Some variations provide a process for producing mixed alcohols, comprising: purifying a biogas feedstock to generate a renewable natural gas stream comprising methane; introducing the renewable natural gas stream into a methane-to-syngas unit operated at effective conditions to convert the methane to a first syngas stream containing at least H.sub.2, CO, and CO.sub.2; purifying the first syngas stream, including separating the CO.sub.2 from the first syngas stream, and optionally separating some of the H.sub.2 from the first syngas stream, thereby generating a clean syngas stream; introducing the clean syngas stream into a mixed-alcohol reactor operated at effective alcohol synthesis conditions with an alcohol-synthesis catalyst, thereby generating mixed alcohols; and purifying the mixed alcohols to generate a mixed-alcohol product. The mixed-alcohol product may be blended with a hydrocarbon fuel, such as gasoline, to produce a blended fuel. The blended fuel has significantly lower carbon intensity than the base hydrocarbon fuel.