This invention integrates a membrane with a steam reformer such that a membrane is placed between a raw biogas feed, and a steam reformer to supply a retentate of purified methane feed to the steam reformer and the permeate as fuel to the steam reformer,

A method and a system for the coproduction of hydrogen, electrical power, and heat energy. An exemplary method includes desulfurizing a feed stream to form a desulfurized feed stream, reforming the desulfurized feed stream to form a methane rich gas, and providing the methane rich gas to a membrane separator. A hydrogen stream is produced in a permeate from the membrane separator. A retentate stream from the membrane separator is provided to a solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC). Electrical power is produced in the SOFC from the retentate stream.

The present invention comprises a one-stage membrane process for electrochemical separation of hydrogen from natural gas streams in a pipeline (1) having a positive pressure in the range from 50 mbar to 100 bar, having the following process steps: (i) a gas substream (2) is drawn off from the natural gas stream in a pipeline (1) without any change in the gas composition, where the mass flow rate of the gas substream is adjusted depending on the hydrogen content in the natural gas stream (1) such that a depletion level of 0.65 to 0.975 is established in the case of a hydrogen concentration of <10% by volume and a depletion level of 0.55 to 0.925 in the case of a hydrogen concentration of >10% by weight, where the depletion level is defined as the quotient of the desired molar H2 product stream (6) and the molar H2 reactant flow rate in the gas substream at the inlet of the membrane unit (2), (ii) this gas substream (2) is compressed (3) upstream of a membrane unit (5), (iii) this gas substream is heated to 100 to 250° C. either upstream of the membrane unit or in the membrane unit, and this gas substream is supplied with water (4) upstream of the membrane unit and/or on the permeate side of the membrane unit (4a), such that the water loading is between 0.005 and 0.2 mol of water/mol of natural gas, (iv) this gas substream is sent to an electrochemical membrane unit in which hydrogen is separated off as permeate (6a) at a temperature of 100 to 250° C., (v) the retentate (8) from the membrane unit is recycled into the natural gas stream, sent to a chemical utilization and/or used as fuel.

The present invention further comprises a method of ascertaining the optimized gas substream which is drawn off from a pipeline that conducts natural gas and hydrogen in order to separate hydrogen from this gas substream in an electrochemical membrane unit.

A system and a method for producing hydrogen and electrical power from an aqueous ammonia solution are provided. An exemplary system includes a distillation unit to produce ammonia gas from the aqueous ammonia solution, a compression unit to boost the pressure of the ammonia gas, a membrane separator to catalytically convert the ammonia gas to nitrogen and hydrogen and remove the hydrogen as a permeate, and a micro turbine to combust a retentate to generate energy.

Reactor/separator elements for performing the generation and/or separation of hydrogen gas with improved efficiency have a central core and a separation layer that, in combination, define at least one spiral gas flow channel extending from one end of the central core to the opposite end of the central core. In use, the reactor/separator element may be placed in a housing which constrains gas on the outside of the reactor/separator element into the spiral channel defined by the outside of the separation layer.

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.

A process for providing a carbon monoxide-containing stream involves a separation of synthesis gas into a hydrogen-rich gas stream and a carbon monoxide-rich gas stream containing carbon monoxide to an extent of 85% by volume or more. The separation is effected in an arrangement composed of three membrane separation stages. Prior to the performance of the membrane separation, the synthesis gas is pretreated for removal of secondary components present in the synthesis gas.

Hydrogen-producing fuel processing systems and related methods. The systems include a hydrogen-producing region configured to produce a mixed gas stream from a feedstock stream, a hydrogen-separation membrane module having at least one hydrogen-selective membrane and configured to separate the mixed gas stream into a product hydrogen stream and a byproduct stream, and an oxidant delivery system configured to deliver an oxidant-containing stream to the hydrogen-separation membrane module in situ to increase hydrogen permeance of the hydrogen-selective membrane. The methods include operating a hydrogen-producing fuel processing system in a hydrogen-producing regime, and subsequently operating the hydrogen-producing fuel processing system in a restoration regime, in which an oxidant-containing stream is delivered to the hydrogen-separation membrane module in situ to expose the at least one hydrogen-selective membrane to the oxidant-containing stream to increase the hydrogen permeance of the at least one hydrogen-selective membrane.

A reformer assembly for a fuel cell includes a vortex tube receiving heated fuel mixed with steam. A catalyst coats the inner wall of the main tube of the vortex tube and a hydrogen-permeable tube is positioned in the middle of the main tube coaxially with the main tube.

The disclosure provides a system and method for synthesizing ultra-pure hydrogen from biomass waste. The present invention comprises a gasifier, an oils and tars filter, a steam generator, a water gas shift reactor (“WGS”), a heat-exchange two-phase water separator, a scrubber, a hydrogen separator, and fluid conduits in fluid communication with the various system components, which together convert hydrocarbon-based biomass, e.g., woodchips, into ultra-pure hydrogen gas. Fluid conduits connect the gasifier and the steam generator, separately, to the WGS, the WGS to the two-phase separator, the two-phase separator to the scrubber, and the scrubber to the hydrogen separator, which further comprises an outlet port through which hydrogen gas may flow free of carbon monoxide. The hydrogen may flow to a device that utilizes hydrogen to generate energy, such as a hydrogen fuel cell or to an internal combustion engine.