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.

A method and system for an enhanced reforming process employing a pressure swing absorber. An off-gas from the pressure swing absorber is divided with a first portion sent back into a reforming reactor and a second portion sent to a heat generator for the reforming process. The first off-gas portion from the pressure swing absorber can be pressurized by a compressor and reintroduced into a fluidized bed reactor.

The invention relates to the chemical industry and can be used for processing methane and other volatile, liquid, solid fusible hydrocarbons when producing hydrogen, soot, and other flammable gases. The invention relates to a method for the pyrolytic decomposition of hydrocarbons, in which a pyrolysis reactor arranged in a space bounded by a lining is heated by flue gases generated by combusting a hydrogen-enriched mixture of air and gaseous hydrocarbons, while ensuring a maximum decrease in CO.sub.2 emissions into the atmosphere. The invention also relates to a unit for the pyrolytic decomposition of hydrocarbons. The technical result is a high degree of separation of hydrogen and carbon by fast high-temperature pyrolysis at atmospheric pressure without oxygen supply and without CO.sub.2 production.

Hydrogen generation assemblies and methods are disclosed. In one embodiment, the method includes receiving a feed stream in a fuel processing assembly, and heating, via one or more burners, a hydrogen generating region of the fuel processing assembly to at least a minimum hydrogen-producing temperature. The method additionally includes generating an output stream in the heated hydrogen generating region of the fuel processing assembly from the received feed stream, and generating a product hydrogen stream and a byproduct stream in a purification region of the fuel processing assembly from the output stream. The method further includes separating at least a portion of the carbon dioxide gas from the byproduct stream to generate a fuel stream having a carbon dioxide concentration less than the byproduct stream, and feeding the fuel stream to the one or more burners.

There are provided systems and methods for using fuel-rich partial oxidation to produce an end product from waste gases, such as flare gas. In an embodiment, the system and method use air-breathing piston engines and turbine engines for the fuel-rich partial oxidation of the flare gas to form synthesis gas, and reactors to convert the synthesis gas into the end product. In an embodiment the end product is methanol.

An H.sub.2-rich fuel gas production plant comprising a syngas production unit can be advantageously integrated with an olefins production plant comprising a steam cracker in at least one of the following: (i) fuel gas supply and consumption; (ii) feed supply and consumption; and (iii) steam supply and consumption, to achieve considerable savings in capital and operational costs, enhanced energy efficiency, and reduced CO.sub.2 emissions, compared to operating the plants separately.

Hydrogen purification devices and their components are disclosed. In some embodiments, the devices may include at least one foil-microscreen assembly disposed between and secured to first and second end frames. The at least one foil-microscreen assembly may include at least one hydrogen-selective membrane and at least one microscreen structure including a non-porous planar sheet having a plurality of apertures forming a plurality of fluid passages. The planar sheet may include generally opposed planar surfaces configured to provide support to the permeate side. The plurality of fluid passages may extend between the opposed surfaces. The at least one hydrogen-selective membrane may be metallurgically bonded to the at least one microscreen structure. In some embodiments, the devices may include a permeate frame having at least one membrane support structure that spans at least a substantial portion of an open region and that is configured to support at least one foil-microscreen assembly.

A hydrogen plant for producing hydrogen, including: a reforming reactor system including a first catalyst bed including an electrically conductive material and a catalytically active material, a heat insulation layer between the first catalyst bed and the pressure shell, and at least two conductors electrically connected to the electrically conductive material and to an electrical power supply placed outside the pressure shell, wherein the electrical power supply is dimensioned to heat at least part of the first catalyst bed to a temperature of at least 500° C. by passing an electrical current through the electrically conductive material, where the pressure shell has a design pressure of between 5 and 200 bar; a water gas shift unit downstream the reforming reactor system; and a gas separation unit downstream the water gas shift unit. A process for producing hydrogen from a feed gas including hydrocarbons.

What is described is an integrated steel mill and a bioreactor configured to produce useful products from the waste stream of the steel mill. A waste gas stack which is connected to the steel mill is connected to a heat exchanger to cool the waste gas from the steel mill. The cooled gas is pressurized using a pressurization apparatus connected to the heat exchanger. The pressurized gas is sent to an oxygen removal apparatus connected to the pressurization apparatus. An oxygen depleted waste stream from the oxygen removal apparatus is passed to a bioreactor (connected to the oxygen removal apparatus) where microorganisms ferment the waste stream to products. Optional apparatus such as scrubbers, valves, buffers, are also disclosed. The products of the fermentation in the bioreactor can be ethanol and or acetate.

The invention includes apparatus and methods for instantiating hydrogen in a nanoporous carbon powder.