Reactive diluent fluid (22) is introduced into a stream of synthesis gas (or syngas) produced in a heat-generating unit such as a partial oxidation (POX) reactor (12) to cool the syngas and form a mixture of cooled syngas and reactive diluent fluid. Carbon dioxide and/or carbon components and/or hydrogen in the mixture of cooled syngas and reactive diluent fluid is reacted (26) with at least a portion of the reactive diluent fluid in the mixture to produce carbon monoxide-enriched and/or solid carbon depleted syngas which is fed into a secondary reformer unit (30) such as an enhanced heat transfer reformer in a heat exchange reformer process. An advantage of the invention is that problems with the mechanical integrity of the secondary unit arising from the high temperature of the syngas from the heat-generating unit are avoided.

A multi-tubular chemical reactor (400) includes an igniter (435) for the initiation of gas phase exothermic reaction within the gas phase reaction zones (409) of the tubular reactor units (408). A method of carrying out a gas phase exothermic reaction within the multi-tubular chemical reactor comprising: introducing gaseous reactants into a tubular reactor unit (408); initiating with radiant heat an exothermic reaction of the gaseous reactants within the reactor unit; and transferring heat produced by the exothermic reaction occurring within the gas phase reaction zone of the reactor unit to the gas phase reaction zone of one or more adjacent reactor units (408), thereby initiating an exothermic reaction within at least one adjacent reactor unit (408) until in such manner an exothermic reaction has been initiated in each of the plurality of spaced-apart reactor units (408).

An improved hydrogen generation system and method for using the same are provided. The system includes an HDS unit configured to remove sulfur, a first and second pre-reformers configured to pre-reform a process gas and fuel gas, respectively, a first and second heat exchangers configured to dry and heat the pre-reformed fuel gas, respectively, and a reformer configured to produce a syngas and flue gas. The method includes using a process stream selected from the group consisting of air, PSA off-gas, hydrocarbon gas, and combinations thereof to dry the fuel gas and using a process stream selected from the group consisting of the flue gas, the syngas, and combinations thereof to heat the dry fuel gas. The second pre-reformer is a low-pressure pre-reformer, so that the heat contents of the fuel gas is increased through converting heavy hydrocarbons in the fuel gas to CO and H.sub.2 by the second pre-reformer.

A dual utilization liquid and gaseous fuel CPOX reformer that includes reaction zones for the CPOX reforming of liquid and gaseous reformable fuels. A reforming method is also provided. The method comprises reforming a first gaseous reformable reaction mixture comprising oxygen-containing gas and vaporized liquid fuel and before or after this step, reforming second gaseous reformable reaction mixture comprising oxygen-containing gas and gaseous fuel to produce a hydrogen-rich reformate.

Method for stable ethanol steam reforming, wherein a catalytic ethanol reforming is carried out in two vessels operating in parallel mode both filled in with a catalyst active for this reaction, with the first vessel acting in operation mode, generating an hydrogen rich stream, and the parallel vessel, acting in regeneration mode, made flowing with steam in order to carry out the gasification of carbonaceous compounds deposited on the catalyst.

A furnace for performing an endothermic process, comprising tubes containing a catalyst for converting a gaseous feed, wherein tubes are positioned in rows inside the furnace, wherein burners are mounted between the tubes and between the tubes and the furnace walls parallel to the tubes rows, and wherein the burners rows and the tubes rows are ended by end walls and are divided into sections with, on each row of tubes, the distance from a wall end tube to the end wall being T2W, the distance between two adjacent inner tubes in a section being T2T, and the distance between two symmetry end tubes of two adjacent sections being T2S, wherein the tubes in the rows are arranged in such a way that the ratios T2T/T2W and T2T/T2S are greater than 0.5 and smaller than 2 thus limiting the differences in the heat transfer to the outer tubes (wall end tubes and symmetry end tubes) with respect to the inner tubes and reducing the temperature difference between outer tubes and inner tubes.

The disclosure relates to methods, systems, and apparatus arranged and designed for converting non-methane hydrocarbon gases into multiple product gas streams including a predominately hydrogen gas stream and a predominately methane gas steam. Hydrocarbon gas streams are reformed, cracked, or converted into a synthesis gas stream and methane gas stream by receiving a volume of flare gas or other hydrocarbon liquid or gas feed, where the volume of hydrocarbon feed includes a volume of methane and a volume of non-methane hydrocarbons. The hydrogen contained in the syngas may be separated into a pure hydrogen gas stream. A corresponding gas conversion system can include a super heater to provide a hydrocarbon feed/steam mixture, a heavy hydrocarbon reactor for synthesis gas formation, and a hydrogen separator to recover the hydrogen portion of the synthesis gas. The gas conversion system can have a modal design such that it can operate to form hydrogen gas or alternatively operate to form synthetic natural gas with the same unit operation components.

A method of producing hydrogen from a hydrocarbon feedstock is provided. Wherein, at least a portion of a fuel stream comprises a superheated ammonia stream. And, at least: a first portion of a hydrogen-rich stream is combined with a shifted syngas stream prior to introduction into a pressure swing adsorber, a second portion of the hydrogen-rich stream is combined with the fuel stream prior to introduction into a steam methane reformer, and/or a third portion of the hydrogen-rich stream is combined with a hydrocarbon containing feedstock stream and a steam stream prior to introduction into a feed pre-heater. Heat integration between the ammonia vaporization and superheating steps is employed to cool process streams to minimize and even eliminate a dedicated cryogenic refrigeration system.

A reactor configuration is proposed for selectively converting gaseous, liquid or solid fuels to a syngas specification which is flexible in terms of H.sub.2/CO ratio. This reactor and system configuration can be used with a specific oxygen carrier to hydro-carbon fuel molar ratio, a specific range of operating temperatures and pressures, and a co-current downward moving bed system. The concept of a CO.sub.2 stream injected in-conjunction with the specified operating parameters for a moving bed reducer is claimed, wherein the injection location in the reactor system is flexible for both steam and CO.sub.2 such that, carbon efficiency of the system is maximized.

Multiple stages of reactors form a bio-reforming reactor that generates chemical grade bio-syngas for any of 1) a methanol synthesis reactor, 2) a Methanol-to-Gasoline reactor train, 3) a high temperature Fischer-Tropsch reactor train, and 4) any combination of these three that use the chemical grade bio-syngas derived from biomass fed into the bio-reforming reactor. A tubular chemical reactor of a second stage has inputs configured to receive chemical feedstock from at least two sources, i) the raw syngas from the reactor output of the first stage via a cyclone, and ii) purge gas containing renewable carbon-based gases that are recycled back via a recycle loop as a chemical feedstock from any of 1) the downstream methanol-synthesis-reactor train, 2) the downstream methanol-to-gasoline reactor train, or 3) purge gas from both trains. The plant produces fuel products with solely 100% biogenic carbon content as well as fuel products with 50-100% biogenic carbon content.