The present invention provides a process for the manufacture of a useful product from carbonaceous feedstock of fluctuating compositional characteristics, the process comprising the steps of: continuously providing the carbonaceous feedstock of fluctuating compositional characteristics to a gasification zone; gasifying the carbonaceous feedstock in the gasification zone to obtain raw synthesis gas; sequentially removing ammoniacal, sulphurous and carbon dioxide impurities from the raw synthesis gas to form desulphurised gas and recovering carbon dioxide in substantially pure form; converting at least a portion of the desulphurised synthesis gas to a useful product. Despite having selected a more energy intensive sub-process i.e. physical absorption for removal of acid gas impurities, the overall power requirement of the facility is lower on account of lower steam requirements and thereby leading to a decrease in the carbon intensity score for the facility.

Hydrogen generation assemblies, hydrogen purification devices, and their components are disclosed. In some embodiments, the devices may include a permeate frame with a membrane support structure having first and second membrane support plates that are free from perforations and that include a plurality of microgrooves configured to provide flow channels for at least part of the permeate stream. In some embodiments, the assemblies may include a return conduit fluidly connecting a buffer tank and a reformate conduit, a return valve assembly configured to manage flow in the return conduit, and a control assembly configured to operate a fuel processing assembly between run and standby modes based, at least in part, on detected pressure in the buffer tank and configured to direct the return valve assembly to allow product hydrogen stream to flow from the buffer tank to the reformate conduit when the fuel processing assembly is in the standby mode.

A method for increasing the carbon utilisation of a synthesis gas plant is provided, as well as a synthesis gas plant arranged to perform said method. Various gas streams can be combined and recycled to allow for efficient use of a natural gas feedstock.

A fuel cell reactor, preferably a solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) reactor, for performing direct conversion of a hydrocarbon-containing gas to a higher hydrocarbons product is confined by walls, where reactants are flown in the anode compartments and air is introduced to the cathode compartments, and where oxygen is transferred from one side of the walls to the other side to promote or inhibit a chemical reaction. The process for direct conversion of a hydrocarbon-containing gas to a higher hydrocarbons product takes place in the anode compartment of the reactor, in which produced hydrogen, limiting the conversion to the equilibrium, is reacted in situ with oxygen ions transferred from the cathode compartment to produce steam, thereby removing the equilibrium-limiting hydrogen from the reaction.

A process for the manufacture of a useful product from carbonaceous feedstock of fluctuating compositional characteristics, comprising the steps of: continuously providing the carbonaceous feedstock of fluctuating compositional characteristics to a gasification zone; gasifying the carbonaceous feedstock in the gasification zone to obtain raw synthesis gas; recovering at least part of the raw synthesis gas from the gasification zone and supplying at least part of the recovered raw synthesis gas to a partial oxidation zone; equilibrating the H.sub.2:CO ratio of the raw synthesis gas in the partial oxidation zone to obtain equilibrated synthesis gas; recovering at least part of the equilibrated synthesis gas from the partial oxidation zone and treating the gas to remove impurities and generate a fine synthesis gas; and converting the optionally adjusted fine synthesis gas into the useful product in a further chemical reaction requiring a usage ratio.

The invention concerns a process for producing carbon mon-oxide (CO) from a feed stream comprising carbon dioxide (CO2) and natural gas and/or naphtha the process comprising a syngas generation step, a CO2 removal step and a CO purification step and the process further comprises an SOEC unit which produces CO from a CO2 stream, the process is especially suited for increasing the capacity of existing known CO production plants.

A method of producing liquid fuel and/or chemicals from a carbonaceous material entails combusting a conditioned syngas in pulse combustion heat exchangers of a steam reformer to help convert carbonaceous material into first reactor product gas which includes carbon monoxide, hydrogen, carbon dioxide and other gases. A portion of the first reactor product gas is transferred to a hydrogen reformer into which additional conditioned syngas is added and a reaction carried out to produce an improved syngas. The improved syngas is then subject to one or more gas clean-up steps to form a new conditioned syngas. A portion of the new conditioned syngas is recycled to be used as the conditioned syngas in the pulse combustion heat exchangers and in the hydrocarbon reformer. A system for carrying out the method include, a steam reformer, a hydrocarbon reformer, first and second gas-cleanup systems, a synthesis system and an upgrading system.

Hydrogen generation assemblies and methods of generating hydrogen are disclosed. In some embodiments, the method may include receiving a feed stream in a fuel processing assembly of the hydrogen generation assembly; and generating a product hydrogen stream in the fuel processing assembly from the received feed stream. Generating a product hydrogen stream may, in some embodiments, include generating an output stream in a hydrogen generating region from the received feed stream, and generating the product hydrogen stream in a purification region from the output stream. The method may additionally include receiving the generated product hydrogen stream in a buffer tank of the hydrogen generation assembly; and detecting pressure in the buffer tank via a tank sensor assembly. The method may further include stopping generation of the product hydrogen stream in the fuel processing assembly when the detected pressure in the buffer tank is above a predetermined maximum pressure.

A feedstock delivery system transfers a carbonaceous material, such as municipal solid waste, into a product gas generation system. The feedstock delivery system includes a splitter for splitting bulk carbonaceous material into a plurality of carbonaceous material streams. Each stream is processed using a weighing system for gauging the quantity of carbonaceous material, a densification system for forming plugs of carbonaceous material, a de-densification system for breaking up the plugs of carbonaceous material, and a gas and carbonaceous material mixing system for forming a carbonaceous material and gas mixture. A pressure of the mixing gas is reduced prior to mixing with the carbonaceous material, and the carbonaceous material to gas weight ratio is monitored. A transport assembly conveys the carbonaceous material and gas mixture to a first reactor where at least the carbonaceous material within the mixture is subject to thermochemical reactions to form the product gas.

A system for producing an organic substance, including: a synthesis gas generation furnace for producing a synthesis gas by partially oxidizing a waste including a carbon source; a synthesis gas purification unit connected to the synthesis gas generation furnace and purifying the synthesis gas generated in the synthesis gas generation furnace to reduce an impurity concentration in the synthesis gas; and an organic substance synthesis unit which is connected to the synthesis gas purification unit and generates an organic substance from the synthesis gas purified in the synthesis gas purification unit, wherein the synthesis gas purification unit includes a detection unit for measuring an impurity concentration in the synthesis gas.