A method of generating syngas as a primary product from renewable feedstock, fossil fuels, or hazardous waste with the use of a cupola. The cupola operates on inductive heat alone, chemically assisted heat, or plasma assisted heat. Cupola operation is augmented by employing carbon or graphite rods to carry electrical current into the metal bath that is influenced by the inductive element. The method includes the steps of providing a cupola for containing a metal bath; and operating an inductive element to react with the metal bath. A combination of fossil fuel, a hazardous waste, and a hazardous material is supplied to the cupola. A plasma torch operates on the metal bath directly, indirectly, or in a downdraft arrangement. Steam, air, oxygen enriched air, or oxygen are supplied to the metal bath. A pregassifier increases efficiency and a duct fired burner is added to a simple cycle turbine with fossil fuel augmentation.

Direct reduction process and plant for producing DRI comprising a reduction reactor and at least one reducing gas heater typically comprising a convective heating section and a radiant heating section for raising the reducing gas temperature to a level adequate for iron oxides reduction to metallic iron, typically above 850° C., wherein the reducing gas fed to the reduction reactor comprises a stream of reducing gas recycled from the reduction reactor and a make-up stream of coke oven gas containing carbon compounds which may form carbon deposits in the heating path of said heater, namely BTX and other complex carbon compounds. The heater is provided with means for feeding oxidizing agents, for example steam, steam and air and/or oxygen at predetermined heating tubes successively for eliminating the carbon deposits which may form inside the heating tubes of said heater without interrupting the operation of the plant. The make-up stream of cold COG can be combined with the recycled gas at a point in the gas heating path of the heater where the tubes have a skin wall temperature of at least 700° C., or when the mixture of recycled gas and COG is at a temperature above 700° C. for minimizing clogging or fouling of heating equipment.

A method and a device for reducing iron-oxide-containing feedstocks, in which a reducing gas is fed to a reducing unit (1) containing the iron-oxide-containing feedstocks. The reducing gas is generated by introducing a process gas having reduction potential into a heating appliance (3) for heating the process gas, which is withdrawn as reducing gas therefrom. In the heating appliance (3), heat energy is transferred to the process gas. The heat energy is formed by combustion of a fuel gas containing organic substances, including coke oven gas with addition of technically pure oxygen. The flames of the combustion have an adiabatic flame temperature of above 1000° C., wherein, in the combustion of the fuel gas, at least some of the organic substances present in the fuel gas are cracked.

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.

Methods and systems for producing steel or similar molten-iron-containing materials in melting or smelting furnaces utilizing pre-reduced iron ore, known also as direct reduced iron (DRI) or sponge iron, wherein the emission of CO.sub.2 and other greenhouse gases is significantly low. Such methods and systems are based on producing DRI in a direct reduction furnace with a reducing gas comprising hydrogen; melting at least a portion of the DRI in a melting furnace in order to generate hot gases; producing steam and/or hot water using the heat contained in the hot gases. From the steam and/or hot water hydrogen is produced by electrolysis, at least a portion of which is fed to the direct reduction furnace as a component of the reducing gas to produce the DRI.

A method of generating syngas as a primary product from renewable feedstock, fossil fuels, or hazardous waste with the use of a cupola. The cupola operates selectably on inductive heat alone, chemically assisted heat, or plasma assisted heat. Additionally, the operation of the cupola is augmented by the use of direct acting carbon or graphite rods that carry electrical current for additional heat generation into the metal bath that is influenced by the inductive element. The method includes the steps of providing a cupola for containing a metal bath; and operating an inductive element to react with the metal bath. Feedstock in the form of a combination of fossil fuel, a hazardous waste, and a hazardous material is supplied to the cupola. A plasma torch operates on the metal bath selectably directly and indirectly. Steam, air, oxygen enriched air, and oxygen are supplied in selectable combinations.

A flash ironmaking method is for use with a drop tube furnace that includes a susceptor and a muffle. The method includes feeding particles into the drop tube furnace, introducing hydrogen gas into the drop tube furnace so that it flows parallel to the falling particles, heating a susceptor using induction heating, so that the particles are heated as they fall through the susceptor, heating a muffle, to maintain the temperature of the particles as they fall through the muffle, and cooling the particles and hydrogen gas after they pass through the muffle.

A method and system for operating a seal gas compressor utilized in a direct reduction process including: monitoring a pH level of a water stream used in the seal gas compressor, wherein the pH level of the water stream is affected by a reformer flue gas stream that comes into contact with the water stream, wherein the monitoring step is carried out one or more of upstream of the seal gas compressor and downstream of the compressor; and adjusting the pH level of the water stream to maintain the pH level of the water stream within a predetermined range based on feedback from the monitoring step. The method includes maintaining the pH level of the water stream upstream of the seal gas compressor in a range between 7.5 and 10 and maintaining the pH level of the water stream downstream of the seal gas compressor in a range between 7.8 and 9.5.

A method and apparatus for producing direct reduced iron using a pre-treated make-up gas as a reducing agent in a direct reduced iron reactor are provided. The method involves pre-treating a stream of make-up gas containing heavy hydrocarbons by subjecting the stream to low temperature adiabatic reforming at a temperature between 300° C. and 600° C., prior to using the stream of make-up gas as a reducing agent for producing direct reduced iron. The method also involves adjusting the humidity content of the stream of make-up gas after the low temperature adiabatic reforming by bypassing the stream to selectively split it into a first part of the stream of make-up gas and a second part of the stream of make-up gas, subjecting the first part to water separation, and then mixing the first part with the second part to obtain a reducing stream to be sent to direct reduced iron production.

A method of operating a metallurgic plant for producing iron products includes the following steps, wherein the metallurgic plant includes a direct reduction plant and an ironmaking plant, the metallurgic plant: feeding an iron ore charge into the direct reduction plant to produce direct reduced iron products, operating the ironmaking plant to produce pig iron, wherein biochar is introduced into the ironmaking plant as reducing agent, and whereby the ironmaking plant generates offgas containing CO and CO2, and treating offgas from the ironmaking plant in a hydrogen enrichment unit to form a hydrogen-rich stream and a CO2-rich stream. The hydrogen-rich stream is fed directly or indirectly to the direct reduction plant. The CO2-rich stream is converted to be valorized in the direct reduction plant.

A corresponding metallurgic plant is also related.