Method for the preparation of synthesis gas combining electrolysis of water, tubular steam reforming and autothermal reforming of a hydrocarbon feed stock in parallel.

A hydrogen reforming system is provided and includes a steam reforming system, a dry reforming system, and a water supply device. The steam reforming system is configured to (i) receive a raw material gas and react the raw material gas with water to generate a first mixed gas containing hydrogen and carbon monoxide, (ii) react the first mixed gas with the water to generate hydrogen and carbon dioxide, and (iii) discharge hydrogen and carbon dioxide. The dry reforming system is configured to (i) receive and react the raw material gas and the carbon dioxide discharged from the steam reforming system to generate a second mixed gas containing hydrogen, (ii) react the second mixed gas with the water to generate hydrogen and carbon dioxide, and (iii) discharge hydrogen and carbon dioxide. The water supply device is configured to supply the water to the steam reforming system and the dry reforming system.

A reactor for reforming a liquid hydrocarbon fuel, and associated processes and systems, are described herein. In one example, a two stage process is disclosed in which a first reactor is coupled to a second stage reactor having a reaction volume greater than the first reactor. In the first reactor, the liquid hydrocarbon fuel is partially reformed and thereafter is inputted into the second stage reactor for complete partial oxidation. The reaction product is at last partially synthesis gas, a mixture of carbon monoxide, hydrogen, as well as other low hydrocarbons such as methane, ethylene, ethane, and acetylene. The low hydrocarbons can be reformed further in a solid oxide fuel cell. A portion of the gaseous, rotating contents of the second stage reactor may be input into the first reactor to help generate and sustain rotation within the first reactor.

The invention is directed to a process for the preparation of a syngas comprising hydrogen and carbon monoxide from a methane comprising gas, which process comprises the steps of: (a) reacting the methane comprising gas with an oxidising gas in an autothermal reformer to obtain a hot raw syngas comprising carbon monoxide and hydrogen; (b) cooling the hot raw syngas resulting from step (a) to obtain the syngas, wherein step (b) comprises cooling the hot raw syngas by indirect heat exchange against the methane comprising gas used in step (a) and wherein sulphur is added upstream of cooling step (b). The invention also relates to a process for the preparation of hydrocarbon products in which a feed syngas is prepared in the process as described above followed by a desulphurisation treatment and the desulphurised syngas is subsequently converted into hydrocarbon products in a Fischer-Tropsch process.

A process for the co-production of methanol and ammonia is described comprising the steps of: (a) forming a first synthesis gas stream by reacting a first portion of a hydrocarbon feedstock and steam in a steam reformer, (b) forming a second synthesis gas stream in parallel to the first synthesis gas stream by reacting a second portion of the hydrocarbon feedstock with an oxygen-containing gas and steam in an autothermal reformer, (c) synthesising methanol from a first process gas comprising the first synthesis gas stream, and (d) synthesising ammonia from a second process gas prepared from the second synthesis gas stream, wherein a purge stream containing hydrogen is recovered from the methanol synthesis step (c) and a portion of the purge gas stream is fed to the autothermal reformer and/or the second synthesis gas in step (b).

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.

A SOFC system for producing a refined carbon dioxide product, electrical power, and a compressed hydrogen product is presented. The system can include a hydrodesulfurization system, a steam reformer, a water-gas shift reactor system, a hydrogen purification system, a hydrogen compression and storage system, a pre-reformer, and a CO2 purification and liquidification system.

A plant and method for hydrogen purification are provided, which comprise a Swing Adsorption (SA) stage and a recycle of purged gaseous impurities.

The present invention is directed to modifications of bitumen and heavy oil upgrading and refining processes to synthesize synthetic crude oil and other valuable synthesized hydrocarbon products in an efficient manner along with the production of commercially valuable co-products from by-products formed by the upgrading process.

Processes for converting methane into an olefin and methanol are provided. The olefin can be ethylene. Certain exemplary processes can involve parallel use of both steam reforming of methane and oxidative dry reforming of methane to prepare syngas. The processes can further involve conversion of syngas to ethylene and to methanol.