A system for hydrocarbon decomposition comprising a reactor volume, a mechanism to distribute the liquid catalyst as a liquid mist, a distributor to distribute a hydrocarbon reactant, a heat source, a separator to separate the solid product from the liquid catalyst, a re-circulation path and mechanism to re-circulate the liquid catalyst, and an outlet for at least one gaseous product. A system to distribute a liquid to an enclosed volume as a mist has a plurality of orifices designed to break the liquid into a mist. A method to decompose a hydrocarbon reactant includes generating a mist of a liquid catalyst, heating the reactor volume, introducing a hydrocarbon reactant into the reactor volume to produce a solid product and a gaseous product, separating the solid product from the liquid catalyst, removing the solid and gaseous products from the reactor volume, and recirculating the liquid catalyst to the reactor volume.

A method of recording images within a furnace using a thermal imaging camera comprising a bore scope connected to a digital camera unit is described, comprising the steps of: (a) inserting the borescope into the interior of the furnace, (b) collecting one of more images of the interior of the furnace using the thermal imaging camera with the borescope at a first position, and (c) moving the borescope from the first position to a second position and collecting one or more images of the interior of the furnace as the borescope is moved from the first position to the second position, wherein the borescope movement is guided by means of a guide device comprising a movable borescope mounting, mounted externally on the furnace.

In an apparatus, a gas containing CH.sub.4 and CO.sub.2 is supplied from a first supply unit to a synthetic gas production unit which generates a synthetic gas containing CO and H.sub.2 while heating a first catalytic structure; the synthetic gas is supplied to a gas production unit which generates a lower olefin-containing gas including propylene while heating a second catalytic structure; and a detection unit detects propylene discharged from the gas production unit. The first catalytic structure includes first supports having a porous structure and a first metal fine particle that is present in first channels of the first supports. The second catalyst structure includes second supports having a porous structure and a second metal fine particle in the second supports. The second supports have a second channels, a portion of which have an average inner diameter of 0.95 nm or less.

An illustrative example reformer includes a housing having an inlet plenum, a reforming section, and an outlet. The inlet plenum includes a catalyst situated where a source fluid passing through the inlet plenum will be exposed to the catalyst prior to entering the reforming section.

An apparatus to decompose a hydrocarbon reactant into a gaseous product and a solid product includes a reactor volume, a reservoir of liquid material, a plurality of nozzles connected to the reservoir of liquid material, the plurality of nozzles configured to distribute the liquid material into the reactor volume from the reservoir as a liquid mist, a gas inlet connected to a hydrocarbon gas source to receive hydrocarbon gas reactant, a distributor connected to the inlet to distribute the hydrocarbon gas reactant into the reactor volume, a heat source located adjacent the reactor volume configured to heat the reactor volume, a separator to separate the solid product from the liquid material, a re-circulation path connected between the reactor volume and the reservoir to re-circulate the liquid material from the reactor volume to the reservoir, a gas outlet connected to the reactor volume configured to outlet hydrogen gas from the reactor volume, and at least one filter connected to the gas outlet to remove entrained solid product from the hydrogen gas.

A generally spherical high strength ceramic body for use in an ATR and/or SR unit covering a catalyst media bed. The ceramic body is a fully stabilized YSZ composite composition having at least about 13% yttria YSZ, and more typically from about 12% to about 20% yttria YSZ, with a porosity of less than 20 percent and a diameter of at least 25 mm and, more typically, selected from the group comprising 25 mm, 50 mm, 76 mm and 100 mm.

Methods comprising: evaporating a catalyst source to produce a catalyst gas; condensing the catalyst gas to produce a catalyst vapor comprising catalyst droplets suspended in a gas phase; and contacting the catalyst vapor with a hydrocarbon gas to catalyze a decomposition reaction of the hydrocarbon gas into hydrogen gas and carbon. And, systems comprising: a catalyst source evaporator that provides a first stream to a reactor; a hydrocarbon source that provides a second stream to the reactor; a cooling column coupled to the reactor via a third stream comprising hydrogen, catalyst liquid, solid carbon, optionally catalyst gas, and optionally unreacted hydrocarbon gas such that the cooling column receives the third stream from the reactor; and wherein the cooling column has effluent streams that include (a) a fourth stream that comprises hydrogen and optionally catalyst gas and (b) a fifth stream that comprises catalyst liquid.

The present invention concerns a process and apparatus for cracking ammonia gas at super-atmospheric pressure in catalyst-filled reactor tubes in a furnace. The tubes each have an upstream layer of a first catalyst and a downstream layer of a second catalyst, the first catalyst being more active than the second catalyst. Having the more active catalyst upstream reduces the temperature of the outer walls of the tubes in the region of the burner flames and the temperature of the inner walls of the tubes in the region with the highest mole fraction of ammonia. Nitriding of the metal of the tubes in this region is thereby reduced.

Methods comprising: evaporating a catalyst source to produce a catalyst gas; condensing the catalyst gas to produce a catalyst vapor comprising catalyst droplets suspended in a gas phase; and contacting the catalyst vapor with a hydrocarbon gas to catalyze a decomposition reaction of the hydrocarbon gas into hydrogen gas and carbon. And, systems comprising: a catalyst source evaporator that provides a first stream to a reactor; a hydrocarbon source that provides a second stream to the reactor; a cooling column coupled to the reactor via a third stream comprising hydrogen, catalyst liquid, solid carbon, optionally catalyst gas, and optionally unreacted hydrocarbon gas such that the cooling column receives the third stream from the reactor; and wherein the cooling column has effluent streams that include (a) a fourth stream that comprises hydrogen and optionally catalyst gas and (b) a fifth stream that comprises catalyst liquid.

A method to decompose a hydrocarbon reactant into a gaseous product and a solid product includes generating a mist of a liquid material within a reactor volume, heating the reactor volume, introducing a hydrocarbon reactant into the reactor volume to produce a solid product and a gaseous product, separating the solid product from the liquid material, removing the solid product and gaseous product from the reactor volume, and recirculating the liquid material be re-introduced to the reactor volume.