Processes and systems for recovering hydrogen may include feeding a gas stream, comprising hydrogen and additional gases, to a pressure swing adsorption (PSA) system and feeding a membrane permeate stream comprising hydrogen to the PSA system. In the PSA system, a portion of the hydrogen may be separated from the additional gases to recover a hydrogen product stream and a PSA tail gas stream comprising unseparated hydrogen and the additional gases. The PSA tail gas stream may be fed to a membrane separation unit for separating hydrogen from the additional gases and to recover (i) the membrane permeate stream comprising hydrogen fed to the PSA system and (ii) a membrane tail gas stream comprising the additional gases. Embodiments herein may additionally include a refrigeration system for partially condensing one or both of the feed gas stream and the PSA tail gas stream, enhancing the efficiency of the membrane separation unit.

A process for reforming for producing hydrogen and generating electricity, comprises: introducing a feed comprising a hydrocarbon stream to a reformer to produce unshifted synthesis gas (syngas); introducing the unshifted syngas to a water gas shift unit to produce a shifted syngas; removing CO.sub.2 from the shifted syngas to produce a CO.sub.2 depleted syngas and a CO.sub.2 product; introducing the CO.sub.2 depleted syngas to a pressure swing adsorption unit to produce a hydrogen product and an off-gas comprising carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, unreacted methane; splitting a portion of the hydrogen product; and providing the portion of the hydrogen product to an electricity generator for generating electricity for use within the process.

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.

Improved processes and systems are disclosed for producing renewable hydrogen suitable for reducing metal ores, as well as for producing activated carbon. Some variations provide a process comprising: pyrolyzing biomass to generate a biogenic reagent comprising carbon and a pyrolysis off-gas; converting the pyrolysis off-gas to additional reducing gas and/or heat; reacting at least some of the biogenic reagent with a reactant to generate a reducing gas; and chemically reducing a metal oxide in the presence of the reducing gas. Some variations provide a process for producing renewable hydrogen by biomass pyrolysis to generate a biogenic reagent, conversion of the biogenic reagent to a reducing gas, and separation and recovery of hydrogen from the reducing gas. A reducing-gas composition for reducing a metal oxide is provided, comprising renewable hydrogen according to a hydrogen-isotope analysis. Reacted biogenic reagent may also be recovered as an activated carbon product. Many variations are disclosed.

Improved processes and systems are disclosed for producing renewable hydrogen suitable for reducing metal ores, as well as for producing activated carbon. Some variations provide a process comprising: pyrolyzing biomass to generate a biogenic reagent comprising carbon and a pyrolysis off-gas; converting the pyrolysis off-gas to additional reducing gas and/or heat; reacting at least some of the biogenic reagent with a reactant to generate a reducing gas; and chemically reducing a metal oxide in the presence of the reducing gas. Some variations provide a process for producing renewable hydrogen by biomass pyrolysis to generate a biogenic reagent, conversion of the biogenic reagent to a reducing gas, and separation and recovery of hydrogen from the reducing gas. A reducing-gas composition for reducing a metal oxide is provided, comprising renewable hydrogen according to a hydrogen-isotope analysis. Reacted biogenic reagent may also be recovered as an activated carbon product. Many variations are disclosed.

Improved processes and systems are disclosed for producing renewable hydrogen suitable for reducing metal ores, as well as for producing activated carbon. Some variations provide a process comprising: pyrolyzing biomass to generate a biogenic reagent comprising carbon and a pyrolysis off-gas; converting the pyrolysis off-gas to additional reducing gas and/or heat; reacting at least some of the biogenic reagent with a reactant to generate a reducing gas; and chemically reducing a metal oxide in the presence of the reducing gas. Some variations provide a process for producing renewable hydrogen by biomass pyrolysis to generate a biogenic reagent, conversion of the biogenic reagent to a reducing gas, and separation and recovery of hydrogen from the reducing gas. A reducing-gas composition for reducing a metal oxide is provided, comprising renewable hydrogen according to a hydrogen-isotope analysis. Reacted biogenic reagent may also be recovered as an activated carbon product. Many variations are disclosed.

Improved processes and systems are disclosed for producing renewable hydrogen suitable for reducing metal ores, as well as for producing activated carbon. Some variations provide a process comprising: pyrolyzing biomass to generate a biogenic reagent comprising carbon and a pyrolysis off-gas; converting the pyrolysis off-gas to additional reducing gas and/or heat; reacting at least some of the biogenic reagent with a reactant to generate a reducing gas; and chemically reducing a metal oxide in the presence of the reducing gas. Some variations provide a process for producing renewable hydrogen by biomass pyrolysis to generate a biogenic reagent, conversion of the biogenic reagent to a reducing gas, and separation and recovery of hydrogen from the reducing gas. A reducing-gas composition for reducing a metal oxide is provided, comprising renewable hydrogen according to a hydrogen-isotope analysis. Reacted biogenic reagent may also be recovered as an activated carbon product. Many variations are disclosed.

The present disclosure relates to cogeneration of power and one or more chemical entities through operation of a power production cycle and treatment of a stream comprising carbon monoxide and hydrogen. A cogeneration process can include carrying out a power production cycle, providing a heated stream comprising carbon monoxide and hydrogen, cooling the heated stream comprising carbon monoxide and hydrogen against at least one stream in the power production cycle so as to provide heating to the power production cycle, and carrying out at least one purification step so as to provide a purified stream comprising predominately hydrogen. A system for cogeneration of power and one or more chemical products can include a power production unit, a syngas production unit, one or more heat exchange elements configured for exchanging heat from a syngas stream from the syngas production unit to a stream from the power production unit, and at least one purifier element configured to separate the syngas stream into a first stream comprising predominately hydrogen and a second stream.

The invention includes a gas processing system for transforming a hydrocarbon-containing inflow gas into outflow gas products, where the system includes a gas delivery subsystem, a plasma reaction chamber, and a microwave subsystem, with the gas delivery subsystem in fluid communication with the plasma reaction chamber, so that the gas delivery subsystem directs the hydrocarbon-containing inflow gas into the plasma reaction chamber, and the microwave subsystem directs microwave energy into the plasma reaction chamber to energize the hydrocarbon-containing inflow gas, thereby forming a plasma in the plasma reaction chamber, which plasma effects the transformation of a hydrocarbon in the hydrocarbon-containing inflow gas into the outflow gas products, which comprise acetylene and hydrogen. The invention also includes methods for the use of this gas processing system.

Apparatus and associated methods relate to cooling hot biochar based on applying cool gas directly to the hot biochar. The gas may be steam comprising water vapor. Biochar may be cooled in a cooling chamber by cool steam injected into a steam loop configured to cool the steam. The biochar cooled with steam may be dried in a drying chamber by dry gas injected from a gas loop. The gas may be hydrocarbon gas. Biochar may be heated in a processing chamber. Heated biochar may be cooled in a cooling chamber by cool hydrocarbon gas injected to the cooling chamber. Biochar in the processing chamber may be heated with heat recovered from cooling. Filtered byproducts and tail gas may be recovered from the cooling chamber. Tail gas may be recycled. Various direct biochar cooling implementations may produce biochar having enhanced carbon content, increased surface area, and a hydrogen stream byproduct.