The invention relates to an absorber column and to the use thereof for separation of unwanted, especially acidic, gas constituents, for example carbon dioxide and hydrogen sulfide, from a crude synthesis gas by absorption with an absorbent, especially under low load states of the absorber column in relation to the synthesis gas velocity. According to the invention, a defined concentration of carbon dioxide in the clean synthesis gas is established by mixing at least a portion of the absorbent regenerated by flash regeneration with the absorbent regenerated by means of hot regeneration prior to the recycling thereof into the absorber column.

A feedstock delivery system transfers a carbonaceous material, such as municipal solid waste, into a product gas generation system. The feedstock delivery system includes a splitter for splitting bulk carbonaceous material into a plurality of carbonaceous material streams. Each stream is processed using a weighing system for gauging the quantity of carbonaceous material, a densification system for forming plugs of carbonaceous material, a de-densification system for breaking up the plugs of carbonaceous material, and a gas and carbonaceous material mixing system for forming a carbonaceous material and gas mixture. A pressure of the mixing gas is reduced prior to mixing with the carbonaceous material, and the carbonaceous material to gas weight ratio is monitored. A transport assembly conveys the carbonaceous material and gas mixture to a first reactor where at least the carbonaceous material within the mixture is subject to thermochemical reactions to form the product gas.

A method that combines a fuel cell with a Gas Recovery Unit (GRU) to a methanol plant to produce methanol at near zero GHG emissions. The fuel cell generates steam, carbon dioxide and electricity. A GRU unit condenses, separates, recovers, pressurizes and reheats the fuel cell anode exhaust stream. The GRU prepares a stream of natural gas and steam to feed the fuel cell anode and a stream of carbon dioxide and air to feed the fuel cell cathode. The GRU also prepares streams of carbon dioxide and steam as reactants for the stoichiometric mixture with natural gas to produce synthesis gas in an electric catalytic reformer at a methanol plant. The electric catalytic reformer uses electricity, steam and/or carbon dioxide reactants produced by the fuel cell to produce synthesis gas for conversion to methanol with low GHG emissions.

Proposed is a process for producing methanol from synthesis gas by means of multi-stage, for example two-stage, heterogeneously catalyzed methanol synthesis, wherein the methanol product formed in every synthesis stage is separated by condensation and the remaining residual gas is supplied to the downstream synthesis stage or after separation of a purge stream recycled to the first synthesis stage as a recycle stream. According to the invention after each synthesis stage the residual gas streams have separated from them a respective purge stream, from which, using one or more hydrogen recovery apparatuses, hydrogen is separated and recycled to the first synthesis stage. The ratio of the individual purge streams and their total molar flow may optionally be varied to allow better control of the reaction in the individual synthesis stages and to allow reaction to the advancing deactivation of the catalysts present therein.

An apparatus for producing synthesis gas (syngas) is provided. The apparatus includes a hub, including an autothermal dry reforming of methane apparatus, configured to receive CO.sub.2 and O.sub.2, and configured to produce a first stream of syngas with low a H.sub.2/CO mole ratio; an autothermal steam reforming of methane apparatus, configured to receive steam and O.sub.2, and configured to produce a second stream of syngas with a high H.sub.2/CO mole ratio; an H.sub.2 separation apparatus, configured to receive H.sub.2 and CO.sub.2, and coupled to the autothermal dry reforming of methane apparatus to deliver CO.sub.2 thereto; and a reactor for converting CO to H.sub.2 using a water-gas shift reaction, coupled to the autothermal steam reforming of methane apparatus to receive the second stream of syngas, and coupled to the H.sub.2 separation apparatus to deliver a stream of H.sub.2 and CO.sub.2 thereto. A method for producing synthesis gas is provided. The method includes configuring an autothermal dry reforming of methane apparatus to receive CO.sub.2 from industrial emission sources and an H.sub.2 separation apparatus, which receives H.sub.2 and CO.sub.2 from a water gas shift reactor fed with a portion of the second stream of syngas from an autothermal steam reforming of methane apparatus.

A process for the co-production of low carbon methanol and ammonia, including providing renewable power to an electrolysis unit, thereby producing at least a green oxygen stream and a green hydrogen stream. Providing renewable power to a nitrogen generation unit, thereby producing a green nitrogen stream. Providing a hydrocarbon stream and some amount of steam to an oxygen based reformer, along with at least part of the green oxygen stream, thereby producing a raw syngas stream. Combining the green hydrogen stream with the oxygen-based reformer feed to adjust the composition of the raw syngas stream to be suitable for methanol synthesis. Introducing the raw syngas stream into either a conventional or once-through methanol synthesis reactor, thereby producing at least a low carbon methanol product (after purification) and an unreacted syngas stream.

Syngas is produced by a steam reforming unit with at least one of a bayonet reactor for reforming steam and a hydrocarbon, a recuperative burner, and a regenerative burner such that the steam reforming unit produces little or no steam in excess of the steam reforming process requirements. The syngas is then converted to methanol in a methanol synthesis unit. Compressors for the synthesis unit are driven by higher efficiency drivers than are possible using the low temperature steam conventionally exported from a steam reforming unit.

A method for processing feedstock is described, characterized in that incoming feedstock is processed to selectively recover biogenic carbon material from the incoming feedstock. In some embodiments the incoming feedstock is comprised of mixed solid waste, such as municipal solid waste (MSW). In other embodiments the incoming feedstock is comprised of woody biomass. In some instances, the incoming feedstock is processed to selectively recover biogenic carbon material from the incoming feedstock to produce a processed feedstock having biogenic carbon content of 50% and greater suitable for conversion into biogenic carbon Fischer Tropsch liquids. The high biogenic carbon Fischer Tropsch liquids may be upgraded to biogenic carbon liquid fuels. Alternatively, the incoming feedstock is processed to selectively recover plastic material from the incoming feedstock to produce a processed feedstock having biogenic carbon content of 50% or less.

A solar thermochemical processing system is disclosed. The system includes a first unit operation for receiving concentrated solar energy. Heat from the solar energy is used to drive the first unit operation. The first unit operation also receives a first set of reactants and produces a first set of products. A second unit operation receives the first set of products from the first unit operation and produces a second set of products. A third unit operation receives heat from the second unit operation to produce a portion of the first set of reactants.

Sequential and once-through (single pass) process for the co-production of methanol and ammonia and conversion of at least a part of ammonia to urea by reaction of the ammonia with carbon dioxide collected from a primary reformer flue gas together with carbon dioxide separated from reformed gas in a carbon dioxide removal stage.