A solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) system including a steam reformer, a hydrogen purification system, a pre-reformer, and a solid oxide fuel cell.

An apparatus for steam reforming of hydrocarbons is described including a steam reformer containing a plurality of externally-heated vertical tubes each tube having an inlet for a feed gas mixture including hydrocarbon and steam, and an outlet for a reformed gas mixture, wherein the tubes contain a particulate steam reforming catalyst adjacent the outlet and a structured steam reforming catalyst adjacent the inlet. A process for steam reforming of hydrocarbons using the apparatus is also described.

The invention is directed to a method for heating a process gas in a top or bottom fired reformer, a method for improving the temperature spread over a top or bottom fired reformer, and to a top or bottom fired reformer wherein these methods can applied. This can be achieved by the lane flow rate of at least one outer tube lane being different from the lane flow rate of at least one inner tube lane.

Disclosed is an alternative fuel fueling station useful for fueling both electrical and hydrogen alternative fuel vehicles simultaneously. The alternative fuel fueling station includes a solid oxide fuel cell, an electrical conduit, and a compressed hydrogen conduit, such that the alternative fuel fueling station can fuel both the electrical and hydrogen alternative fuel vehicles simultaneously.

Methods and devices are provided for producing syngas with an adjustable molar CO/H.sub.2 ratio. Syngas can have different proportions of CO and H.sub.2 (molar CO/H.sub.2 ratio) depending on the type and composition of starting materials. To set the desired molar CO/H.sub.2 ratio, a first sub-process is combined with at least one additional sub-process selected from: a sub-process T.sub.2 by which a second syngas B is generated from the starting material, the syngas having a molar ratio (V.sub.2) of CO to H.sub.2, wherein V.sub.1V.sub.2; a sub-process T.sub.3 by which the hydrocarbon(s) of the hydrocarbon-containing starting material is/are split substantially into solid carbon and hydrogen; and a sub-process T.sub.4 based on the reaction equation: CO+H.sub.2O.fwdarw.2CO.sub.2+H.sub.2. The methods and devices are suitable for producing syngas useful as a starting material in a plurality of chemical syntheses, for example oxo, Fischer-Tropsch, or Reppe syntheses.

The present invention provides a method for increasing the capacity of a urea production complex, the method comprising a step of adding to an existing urea production complex a CO.sub.2 production unit, which unit employs a CO.sub.2 production method comprising: i) subjecting a hydrocarbon feed to short contact time catalytic partial oxidation (SCT-CPO) to produce a first gas mixture comprising H.sub.2, CO and CO.sub.2, ii) subjecting said first gas mixture to a water gas shift reaction yielding a second gas mixture, iii) separating CO.sub.2 from said second gas mixture yielding a purified CO.sub.2 stream and a hydrogen containing stream and subsequently iv) reacting said purified CO.sub.2 stream with ammonia from the ammonia production unit to produce urea. The invention also provides a urea production complex realized by the application of this method and a urea production method.

A process for producing ammonia synthesis gas from a hydrocarbon-containing feedstock, with steps of primary reforming, secondary reforming with an oxidant stream, and further treatment of the synthesis gas including shift, removal of carbon dioxide and methanation, wherein the synthesis gas delivered by secondary reforming is subject to a medium-temperature shift (MTS) at a temperature between 200 and 350.degree. C., and primary reforming is operated with a steam-to-carbon ratio lower than 2. A corresponding method for revamping an ammonia plant is disclosed, where an existing HTS reactor is modified to operate at medium temperature, or replaced with a new MTS reactor, and the steam-to-carbon ratio in the primary reformer is lowered to a value in the range 1-5-2, thus reducing inert steam in the flow rate trough the equipments of the front-end.

A process for producing ammonia synthesis gas from a hydrocarbon-containing feedstock in a front-end, comprising the steps of steam reforming of said feedstock, obtaining a synthesis gas comprising hydrogen, carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide; a treatment of said synthesis gas including shift of carbon monoxide and subsequent removal of carbon dioxide, wherein the shift of the synthesis gas includes high-temperature shift with an iron-based catalyst and at a temperature greater than 300? C. and the global steam-to-carbon ratio of the front end is 2.6 or less; a corresponding plant and a method for revamping a front-end of an ammonia plant are also disclosed.

A process is described for the production of formaldehyde, comprising (a) subjecting methanol to oxidation with air in a formaldehyde production unit thereby producing a formaldehyde-containing stream; (b) separating said formaldehyde-containing stream into a formaldehyde product stream and a formaldehyde vent gas stream; wherein the vent gas stream, optionally after treatment in a vent gas treatment unit, is passed to one or more stages of: (i) synthesis gas generation, (ii) carbon dioxide removal, (iii) methanol synthesis or (iv) urea synthesis.

Process for producing a chemical product, comprising subjecting hydrocarbon feed and further reforming reactant to an endothermal reaction whereby a primary reformate is formed, in a primary fired heat-recuperating reformer reaction unit, comprising a catalyst zone and a primary reformate passage way arranged to transfer heat from said reformate to said catalyst zone; optionally subjecting the primary reformate to a secondary reforming reaction, thereby forming a secondary reformate; and using primary reformate or second reformate as a heat exchange medium to supply reaction heat to an endothermal reaction, which endothermal reaction is carried out in a parallel heat-exchanger reactor.