A process for producing syngas in a first reactor, the process comprising: feeding carbon dioxide, hydrogen and first hydrocarbons into the first reactor; at least partially oxidizing the first hydrocarbons in the first region of the first reactor; producing syngas from the carbon dioxide, hydrogen and the oxidized first hydrocarbons in a second region of the first reactor.

A process for the production of hydrogen comprising the steps of subjecting a gaseous mixture comprising a hydrocarbon and steam and having a steam to carbon ratio of at least 2.6:1, to steam reforming in a gas-heated reformer followed by autothermal reforming with an oxygen-rich gas in an autothermal reformer to generate a reformed gas mixture, increasing the hydrogen content of the reformed gas mixture by subjecting it to one or more water-gas shift stages in a water-gas shift unit to provide a hydrogen-enriched reformed gas, cooling the hydrogen-enriched reformed gas and separating condensed water therefrom, passing the resulting de-watered hydrogen-enriched reformed gas to a carbon dioxide separation unit to provide a carbon dioxide gas stream and a crude hydrogen gas stream, and passing the crude hydrogen gas stream to a purification unit to provide a purified hydrogen gas and a fuel gas.

A process of hydrogen production comprising the steps of: subjecting a gaseous mixture comprising a hydrocarbon and steam, and having a steam to carbon ratio of at least 0.9:1, to adiabatic pre-reforming in a pre-reformer followed by autothermal reforming with an oxygen-rich gas in an autothermal reformer to generate a reformed gas mixture, optionally adding steam to the reformed gas mixture, increasing the hydrogen content of the reformed gas mixture by subjecting it to one or more water-gas shift stages in a water-gas shift unit to provide a hydrogen-enriched reformed gas, cooling the hydrogen-enriched reformed gas and separating condensed water therefrom, passing the resulting de-watered hydrogen-enriched reformed gas to a carbon dioxide separation unit to provide a carbon dioxide gas stream and a crude hydrogen gas stream, passing the crude hydrogen gas stream to a purification unit to provide a purified hydrogen gas and a fuel gas.

The invention is directed to a process for the preparation of a syngas comprising hydrogen and carbon monoxide from a methane comprising gas, which process comprises the steps of: (a) reacting the methane comprising gas with an oxidising gas in an autothermal reformer to obtain a hot raw syngas comprising carbon monoxide and hydrogen; (b) cooling the hot raw syngas resulting from step (a) to obtain the syngas, wherein step (b) comprises cooling the hot raw syngas by indirect heat exchange against the methane comprising gas used in step (a) and wherein sulphur is added upstream of cooling step (b). The invention also relates to a process for the preparation of hydrocarbon products in which a feed syngas is prepared in the process as described above followed by a desulphurisation treatment and the desulphurised syngas is subsequently converted into hydrocarbon products in a Fischer-Tropsch process.

A process for the manufacture of a useful product from carbonaceous feedstock of fluctuating compositional characteristics, comprising the steps of: continuously providing the carbonaceous feedstock of fluctuating compositional characteristics to a gasification zone; gasifying the carbonaceous feedstock in the gasification zone to obtain raw synthesis gas; recovering at least part of the raw synthesis gas from the gasification zone and supplying at least part of the recovered raw synthesis gas to a partial oxidation zone; equilibrating the H.sub.2:CO ratio of the raw synthesis gas in the partial oxidation zone to obtain equilibrated synthesis gas; recovering at least part of the equilibrated synthesis gas from the partial oxidation zone and treating the gas to remove impurities and generate a fine synthesis gas; and converting the optionally adjusted fine synthesis gas into the useful product in a further chemical reaction requiring a usage ratio.

Disclosed is an apparatus and method of preparing synthetic fuel using natural gas extracted from a stranded gas field on land or at sea as a raw material through a compact GTL process or a GTL-FPSO process. A parallel-type gas purification unit for controlling a molar ratio of synthetic gas and a concentration of carbon dioxide in the synthetic gas, in which a CO.sub.2 separation device and a bypass unit are disposed in parallel, is provided and, thus, the gas purification unit may prepare the synthetic gas by a steam carbon dioxide reforming (SCR) reaction using natural gas having different CO.sub.2 contents of various stranded gas fields and then supply the synthetic gas having an optimum composition suitable for a Fischer-Tropsch synthesis.

An apparatus (10) for preparation of acetylene and synthesis gas by partial oxidation of hydrocarbons with oxygen is proposed, comprising a reactor (12). The reactor (12) has a burner block (14) with a firing space for acetylene preparation, a secondary space (18) formed within the burner block (14), and an annular space (20) surrounding the secondary space (18). The burner block (14) has holes (22) for supply of a stream of a mixture of hydrocarbons and oxygen to the firing space and holes (24) for supply of a stream of auxiliary oxygen to the firing space. The holes (24) for supply of a stream of auxiliary oxygen to the firing space are connected to the secondary space (18). The secondary space (18) is connected to the annular space (20). There is a further proposal of a process for preparing acetylene and synthesis gas by partial oxidation of hydrocarbons with oxygen.

A system and method for converting waste and secondary materials into synthesis gas (syngas) through the use of a molten metal bath gasifier for the initial breakdown of waste feeds and an A/C plasma reactor for complete dissociation of waste feeds into syngas, and an anaerobic digester. The system includes a heat recovery and steam power generation process for the production of electricity. The system produces a net output of electricity above plant load sufficient for the co-production of renewable Hydrogen and Oxygen. The process does not require the use of fossil fuels or fossil feedstocks during normal operations, and it eliminates combustion produced stack emissions or landfill residuals.

A direct carbonaceous material to power generation system integrates one or more solid oxide fuel cells (SOFC) into a fluidized bed gasifier. The fuel cell anode is in direct contact with bed material so that the H.sub.2 and CO generated in the bed are oxidized to H.sub.2O and CO.sub.2 to create a push-pull or source-sink reaction environment. The SOFC is exothermic and supplies heat within a reaction chamber of the gasifier where the fluidized bed conducts an endothermic reaction. The products from the anode are the reactants for the reformer and vice versa. A lower bed in the reaction chamber may comprise engineered multi-function material which may incorporate one or more catalysts and reactant adsorbent sites to facilitate excellent heat and mass transfer and fluidization dynamics in fluidized beds. The catalyst is capable of cracking tars and reforming hydrocarbons.

A portable fuel synthesizer, comprising a portable housing, an electrical power source utilizing the hydrocarbon gas as fuel and connected to the portable housing, a boiler utilizing the hydrocarbon gas as fuel and connected to the portable housing, a reactor connected to the boiler to react the hydrocarbon gas to the hydrocarbon liquid, the reactor connected to the portable housing, at least one temperature sensor connected to the reactor to sense at least one temperature of the reaction, at least one pressure sensor connected to the reactor to sense at least one pressure of the reaction and a control system controlling the at least one of at least one temperature of the reaction and the at least one pressure of the reaction, the control system connected to the portable housing.