A process and apparatus for producing pure hydrogen from a syngas generated by the high temperature gasification of municipal, agricultural or industrial derived wastes. The process is able to make pure hydrogen to be further reacted with nitrogen to make ammonia and urea.

A plant and a method are provided in which a first feed including hydrocarbons is subjected to electrical steam methane reforming (e-SMR) to generate a first syngas stream. An upgrading section receives the syngas stream and generates a first product stream and an off-gas stream from the syngas stream. A power generator receives at least a portion of the off-gas stream and/or a portion of said first product stream from the upgrading section and/or a portion of said first feed and generates a second electricity flow. At least a portion of the second electricity flow is arranged to provide at least a part of the first electricity flow to the e-SMR reactor.

A hydrogen feed stream is introduced into a primary refrigeration system of a precooling system and cooling the hydrogen stream to a first precooling temperature. From there, the precooled hydrogen stream is then introduced to a secondary refrigeration system of the precooling system and cooling the precooled hydrogen stream to a second temperature. Next, the cooled hydrogen stream is then liquefied in the liquefaction system to produce liquid hydrogen.

An integrated industrial unit is provided, which can include: a nitrogen source configured to provide liquid nitrogen; a hydrogen source; a hydrogen liquefaction unit, wherein the hydrogen liquefaction unit comprises a precooling system, and a liquefaction system; and a liquid hydrogen storage tank, wherein the precooling system is configured to receive the gaseous hydrogen from the hydrogen source and cool the gaseous hydrogen to a temperature between 75 K and 100 K, wherein the precooling system comprises a primary refrigeration system and a secondary refrigeration system, wherein the liquefaction system is in fluid communication with the precooling system and is configured to liquefy the gaseous hydrogen received from the precooling system to produce liquid hydrogen, wherein the liquid hydrogen storage tank is in fluid communication with the liquefaction system and is configured to store the liquid hydrogen received from the liquefaction system.

A hydrogen feed stream is introduced into a primary refrigeration system of a precooling system and cooling the hydrogen stream to a first precooling temperature. From there, the precooled hydrogen stream is then introduced to a secondary refrigeration system of the precooling system and cooling the precooled hydrogen stream to a second temperature. Next, the cooled hydrogen stream is then liquefied in the liquefaction system to produce liquid hydrogen. The refrigeration is provided by expansion of a pressurized gaseous nitrogen stream and vaporization of a liquid nitrogen stream that is sourced from a nearby air separation unit.

A process for recovering hydrogen from dehydrogenation reactor effluent is disclosed. A feed stream comprising hydrocarbons and hydrogen to a dehydrogenation reactor maintained at dehydrogenation conditions to provide a dehydrogenation reactor effluent. The dehydrogenation reactor effluent is passed to a cold box separation unit to provide a liquid hydrocarbon product stream and a recycle hydrogen stream. A return portion of the recycle hydrogen stream is passed to the reactor effluent compressor. The subject matter disclosed improved process and apparatus which enables the paraffin dehydrogenation reactor to run at reduced H.sub.2/HC ratio without requiring an investment in a resized compressor or resized turboexpanders or separators in the cold box.

The present disclosure relates to a method for separating a carbon isotope and a method for concentrating a carbon isotope using the same, the method for separating a carbon isotope including: cooling a formaldehyde gas to a temperature of from 190K to 250K; and obtaining a mixed gas and residual formaldehyde by photodissociating the cooled formaldehyde gas, the mixed gas including carbon dioxide containing a carbon isotope and hydrogen.

Steam reforming processes can include treatment of syngas by water gas shift, water separation, and hydrogen separation by pressure swing adsorption (PSA). Additionally, CO.sub.2 can be scrubbed from the syngas prior to the PSA. PSA tail gas, including CH.sub.4, CO, and H.sub.2, can be recompressed and recycled to the PSA for further hydrogen separation and to the steam reformer feed to convert eventually all carbon in the feedstock into CO.sub.2 for the scrubber to separate. Fuel requirements can be fulfilled by part of the hydrogen product to eliminate stack CO.sub.2 emissions. The hydrogen used as fuel is heated and turbo-expanded to provide power before being combusted as fuel. A nitrogen purge may be added.

In a hydrocarbon-fed steam methane reformer hydrogen-production process and system, carbon dioxide is recovered in a pre-combustion context, and optionally additional amounts of carbon dioxide are recovered in a post-combustion carbon dioxide removal, to provide the improved carbon dioxide recovery or capture disclosed herein.

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.