Methods and systems for converting methane to syngas are provided. Certain exemplary methods and systems involve reacting methane and carbon dioxide with a nickel oxide catalyst in a reaction chamber, thereby providing syngas and a reduced nickel species. The reduced nickel species can be regenerated by oxidation with air in a regeneration chamber, thereby generating a regenerated nickel oxide and heat. The regenerated nickel oxide and heat can be returned to the reaction chamber to drive the syngas reaction.

In an apparatus producing hydrogen gas by a decomposition reaction of water using a photocatalyst, the water is warmed with waste heat of a light source for improving the production efficiency of hydrogen gas. The hydrogen gas producing apparatus 1 comprises a container portion receiving water; a photocatalyst body, dispersed or placed in the water, having a photocatalyst material to generate excited electrons and electron holes by irradiation of light, causing the decomposition reaction of water which decomposes water into hydrogen and oxygen to generate hydrogen gas; a light source emitting the light to be irradiated to the photocatalyst body; and a housing carrying the light source; wherein the housing is placed in the water, which is warmed by the waste heat of the light source discharged from the housing surface which is coated with a photocatalyst material.

Herein disclosed is a method of producing value-added product from light gases, the method comprising: (a) providing light gases comprising at least one compound selected from the group consisting of C1-C6 compounds and combinations thereof; (b) intimately mixing the light gases with a liquid carrier in a high shear device to form a dispersion of gas in the liquid carrier, wherein the dispersion is supersaturated with the light gases and comprises gas bubbles at least some of which have a mean diameter of less than or equal to about 5 micron(s); (c) allowing the value-added product to form and utilizing vacuum to extract unreacted light gases from the liquid carrier; (d) extracting the value-added product; wherein the value-added product comprises at least one component selected from the group consisting of higher hydrocarbons, hydrogen, olefins, alcohols, aldehydes, and ketones. A system for producing value-added product from light gases is also disclosed.

A catalyst according to the present invention exhibits a catalytic action to a methanol decomposition reaction or a hydrocarbon steam-reforming reaction in a short time. The present invention provides a catalyst for producing hydrogen gas, using an Ni.sub.3Si-based intermetallic compound.

Processes for conversion of methane and ethane into syngas and ethylene are provided. An exemplary process can include providing a reaction mixture of methane, ethane, oxygen, and carbon dioxide and contacting the reaction mixture with a catalyst that includes at least one metal oxide. The processes can be combined processes in which oxidative dry reforming of methane and dehydrogenation of ethane to ethylene with carbon dioxide and oxygen occur concurrently.

Photocatalysts and methods of using photocatalysts for producing hydrogen and oxygen from water are disclosed. The photocatalysts include an iodide modified photoactive material having an electrically conductive material attached to the iodide ions.

The present invention proves a hydrogen injection apparatus that is good in terms of work efficiency and sanitation at the time of maintenance and that is capable of generating hydrogen water the hydrogen content of which is flexibly adjustable. The hydrogen injection apparatus according to the present invention includes a reference vessel, on the bottom of which a particle having a material for reacting with water to generate hydrogen formed on the surface thereof is placed, the reference vessel being configured to store water for reaction with hydrogen, a communication means for fluidly connecting the interior of the upper side of the reference vessel to the storage water for drinking in the state in which the reference vessel is sealed, and an auxiliary means for increasing injection of hydrogen into the storage water for drinking from the reference vessel through the communication means.

Integrated liquid fuel catalytic partial oxidation (CPOX) reformer and fuel cell systems can include a plurality or an array of spaced-apart CPOX reactor units, each reactor unit including an elongated tube having a gas-permeable wall with internal and external surfaces. The wall encloses an unobstructed gaseous flow passageway. At least a portion of the wall has CPOX catalyst disposed therein and/or comprising its structure. The catalyst-containing wall structure and open gaseous flow passageway enclosed thereby define a gaseous phase CPOX reaction zone, the catalyst-containing wall section being gas-permeable to allow gaseous CPOX reaction mixture to diffuse therein and hydrogen rich product reformate to diffuse therefrom. The liquid fuel CPOX reformer also can include a vaporizer, one or more igniters, and a source of liquid reformable fuel. The hydrogen-rich reformate can be converted to electricity within a fuel cell unit integrated with the CPOX reactor unit.

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.

Disclosed is a hydrocarbon gas reforming supported catalyst, and methods for its use, that includes a catalytic material capable of catalyzing the production of a gaseous mixture comprising hydrogen (H.sub.2) and carbon monoxide (CO) from a hydrocarbon gas and a clay support material comprising a clay mineral, wherein the catalytic material is chemically bonded to the clay support material, and wherein the chemical bond is a M1-M2 bond, where M1 is a metal from the catalytic material and M2 is a metal from the clay support material, or the chemical bond is a M1-O bond, where M1 is a metal from the catalytic material and oxygen (O) is from the clay support material, wherein the supported catalyst comprises at least 70% or more by weight of the clay support material.