A method of and a system for processing a slurry containing organic components, such as biomass, having a water contents of at least 50%, comprises a pump and heater or heat exchanger to bring the liquid in the slurry in a supercritical state. A reactor converts at least a part of the organic components in the slurry. A separator removes gaseous products from the converted slurry. A mixer adds fluid from the converted slurry to the slurry upstream from the reactor.

The invention relates generally to system for conserving heat during the hydrogenation and dehydrogenation process by using a multi-component system.

This invention relates to using a production glass furnace to melt waste glass and other glass constituents thereby providing a radiant heat source within the furnace to efficiently gasify organic waste materials recovered from a variety of waste streams to thereby produce a synthesis gas (Syngas) that is comprised mostly of carbon monoxide, hydrogen, and carbon dioxide that can be further refined and sold as a high value fuel. The gasification of the organic waste within the production glass furnace has minimal impact on the composition of the glass melt thus allowing for the production of the same range of glass products as if no organic waste was added to the furnace.

The apparatus described herein comprises a first reaction chamber having an inlet for a hydrocarbon medium, particularly a gas having the composition C.sub.nH.sub.m, and an outlet. Means for decomposing the hydrocarbons into carbon particles and hydrogen by introducing heat are provided between the inlet and the outlet in the first reaction chamber. The apparatus also comprises a second reaction chamber having an elongated configuration and having a first inlet at one end and an outlet at the opposite end, wherein the first inlet of the second reaction chamber is connected with the outlet of the first reaction chamber, and wherein the second reaction chamber comprises a widening flow cross-section (measured perpendicular to the longitudinal dimension of the second reaction chamber) between the inlet and the outlet. In addition, at least one second inlet into the second reaction chamber is provided, wherein the second inlet can be connected to a source for CO.sub.2 and/or H.sub.2O. Preferably, the second inlet is connected with a source of CO.sub.2, and therefore CO.sub.2 is injected therewith during operation. A method for operating this apparatus is also described. The energy balance of a synthesis gas production can be improved with the apparatus and the method for operating compared with known methods.

The present invention is a system and method of heating a reaction cell that produces hydrogen from a mixture of hydrocarbon fuel and steam. The reaction cell contains a first tube of hydrogen permeable material and a second tube of hydrogen impermeable material. The first tube and the second tube are concentrically positioned so that a gap space exists between the two tubes. A heat pipe structure is utilized to heat the gap space. The heat pipe structure defines an enclosed vapor chamber. A volume of a multi-phase material is disposed within the vapor chamber. The multi-phase material changes phase between a liquid and gas within an operating temperature range. A heating element is used to heat the vapor chamber to the operating temperature range. The vapor chamber transfers heat along its length in the same manner as a heat pipe.

A method for producing -rich synthesis gas comprises the following steps: decomposing a hydrocarbon-containing fluid into an H.sub.2/C-aerosol in a first hydrocarbon converter by supplying energy which is at least partly provided in the form of heat; introducing at least a first stream of the H.sub.2/C-aerosol into a first sub-process which comprises the following steps: directing at least a part of the H.sub.2/C-aerosol from the first hydrocarbon converter into a first C-converter; introducing CO.sub.2 into the first C-converter and mixing the CO.sub.2 with the H.sub.2/C-aerosol introduced into the first C-converter; converting the mixture of H.sub.2/C-aerosol and CO.sub.2 into a synthesis gas at a temperature of 800 to 1700 C.; mixing additional H.sub.2 with the synthesis gas for the production of H.sub.2-rich synthesis gas. In a second sub-process running in parallel with the first sub-process, hydrogen H.sub.2 and carbon dioxide CO.sub.2 are produced from a hydrocarbon-containing fluid, wherein at least a portion of the CO.sub.2 produced in the second sub-process is introduced into the first C-converter; and wherein at least a portion of the H.sub.2 produced in the second sub-process is mixed with the synthesis gas from the first C-converter. The CO.sub.2 which is needed for the conversion of C in the first C-converter can thereby be provided independently of an external source, and the entire operational sequence is easily controllable.

A method of and a system for processing a slurry containing organic components, such as biomass, having a water contents of at least 50%, comprises a pump and heater or heat exchanger to bring the liquid in the slurry in a supercritical state. A reactor converts at least a part of the organic components in the slurry. A separator removes gaseous products from the converted slurry. A mixer adds fluid from the converted slurry to the slurry upstream from the reactor.

A reformer includes a reforming chamber having a raw fuel passage through which a raw fuel flows, the reforming chamber being filled with or carrying a reforming catalyst, a supply chamber disposed upstream of the reforming chamber, for uniformly supplying the raw fuel to the raw fuel passage, and a discharge chamber disposed downstream of the reforming chamber, for uniformly discharging the raw fuel from the raw fuel passage. The raw fuel passage has first and second reversers for reversing the direction in which the raw fuel flows. The raw fuel passage has a cross-sectional area which is smaller in a downstream portion thereof than in an upstream portion thereof.

A hydrogen production apparatus including a desulfurized, a reformer, a CO transformer a gas flow path, and a purge gas supply path which is provided where a purge gas is supplied to an upstream side of a pressure feeding apparatus in the gas flow path, prior to a stopping operation, a purging step of replacing gas within the gas flow path with the purge gas and filling the purge gas into the gas flow path is performed, and in a start-up operation in which a heating means is operated to increase the temperature of the gas within the gas flow path, which is performed prior to a hydrogen purification operation, a pressure increasing step of supplying the purge gas from the purge gas supply path to the closed circulation circuit and increasing the pressure within the closed circulation circuit is performed.

To provide a catalyst, which is formed from a perovskite oxide, for thermochemical fuel production, and a method of producing fuel using thermochemical fuel production that is capable of allowing a fuel to be produced in a thermochemical manner. Provided is a catalyst for thermochemical fuel production, which is used for producing the fuel from thermal energy by using a two-step thermochemical cycle of a first temperature and a second temperature that is equal to or lower than the first temperature, wherein the catalyst is formed from a perovskite oxide having a compositional formula of AXO.sub.3?? (provided that, 0???1). Here, A represents one or more of a rare-earth element (excluding Ce), an alkaline earth metal element, and an alkali metal element, X represents one or more of a transition metal element and a metalloid element, and O represents oxygen.