A process for the synthesis of ammonia from a hydrocarbon feedstock, wherein the process includes reforming the hydrocarbon feedstock to produce a make-up gas and converting said make-up gas into ammonia, the process is performed in an ammonia synthesis plant requiring an electric power for operation and also requiring a start-up power (Ps) for start-up, wherein a first electric power (P1) is internally produced in the ammonia plant, and a second electric power (P2) is imported, wherein said second electric power is equal to or greater than said start-up power (Ps).

In accordance with one or more embodiments of the present disclosure, a method of starting a fuel reformer including a heating element and a subsequent autothermal reformer includes contacting a first fluid comprising oxygen with the heating element, passing the first fluid into the autothermal reformer to preheat a reformer catalyst within the autothermal reformer to a first temperature, reducing flow of the first fluid into the autothermal reformer, introducing a fuel into the autothermal reformer subsequent to preheating the reformer catalyst to initiate a partial oxidation reaction and generating additional heat, increasing flow of the fuel and first fluid to initiate autothermal reforming, and controlling the temperature of the reformer catalyst by supplying a cooling fluid, the first fluid, and the fuel and adjusting flow of each.

The invention relates to a process for the start-up of an autothermal reformer, wherein syngas is produced in the autothermal reformer during start-up through steam reforming. To facilitate autoignition in the autothermal reformer reactor of the autothermal reformer, the reformed syngas is recycled to an upstream section of the autothermal reformer reactor and is mixed with process steam and a hydrocarbon containing process stream. As soon as a minimum hydrogen threshold concentration at the upstream section of the autothermal reformer reactor is reached in the mixed process stream, oxygen is added to the burner of the ATR reactor to obtain autoignition of the mixed process stream. Due to the process of the invention, an external hydrogen source for facilitating autoignition of the mixed stream can be omitted. The invention further relates to a plant configured to carry out the process of the invention.

Process including the production of a hydrogen-containing synthesis gas by conversion of a hydrocarbon feedstock, wherein said process has a heat input provided by combustion of a plurality of process fuel streams and said plurality of process fuel streams comprises at least one fuel stream of ammonia. Combustion of said at least one fuel stream of ammonia is performed non-catalytically in at least one fired equipment.

Disclosed is a reforming system using an off gas as a cooling medium, which includes: a compressor configured to compress a feed gas; a cooling system a heat exchanger connected to the compressor and configured to cool the feed gas, the temperature of which has been raised in a compression process, by a cooling medium including cooling water; a reformer configured to generate a synthesis gas including hydrogen by reacting the feed gas, which passed through the heat exchanger, with water; a pressure swing adsorption (PSA) unit configured to separate hydrogen from the synthesis gas generated by the reformer and discharge the off gas; and an off gas line configured to feed the off gas discharged from the PSA unit to the heat exchanger such that the heat exchanger utilizes the off gas as the cooling medium.

According to one aspect of the present invention, an operation method for a hydrogen production apparatus that is disposed in a hydrogen station and produces hydrogen gas to be supplied to a fuel cell vehicle (FCV) arriving at the hydrogen station, the operation method includes starting up a hydrogen production apparatus up to a first operation load ratio preset for a rated operation; increasing an operation load of the hydrogen production apparatus to a second load ratio larger than the first operation load ratio at first timing associated with an arrival of the FCV; and decreasing the operation load of the hydrogen production apparatus to a third operation load ratio smaller than the second operation load ratio at second timing associated with a completion of hydrogen filling into the FCV.

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 process for on-site hydrogen reforming is disclosed. The process includes providing a combined reformer heat exchanger component in which heated air, steam, and hydrocarbon fuel react to form process gas containing hydrogen, and the process gas is cooled via the heat exchanger. The combined components enable reductions in size, materials, costs, and heat loss. Additionally, as the heat exchanger side of the component operates at a cooler temperature, an uninsulated flange for access to the catalyst chamber can be used. A combined combustion heat exchanger component is also provided with similar advantages. Process gas is processed, and hydrogen gas is produced via a purification process.

The present invention is an apparatus and method for continuously separating, removing and purifying the solid residue, resulting from the conversion of hydrocarbons into carbon and hydrogen, from the homogeneous phase of different density contained in a cracking reactor with which said solid residue is not soluble, and where the separation of the solid carbon occur at two subsequent moments: a first separation occurs inside the reactor between the reaction products, including carbon, and the melting bath; a second separation then occurs outside the reactor between the carbon and the gas produced in a separation system (1) of the solid phase from the gas phase, where said separation system (1) also includes carbon purification.

The invention relates to a method of starting-up a fuel cell arrangement (1) comprising a fuel processor (2) and a fuel cell (70), wherein the fuel processor (2) comprises the following components: a first evaporator (10), a reformer (20) arranged downstream of the first evaporator (10), a water-gas shift reactor (30), a PrOx reactor (40), a first heat exchanger (11), an afterburner (21) and a startup burner (50), wherein the method comprises the following steps: a) electrically heating a heating arrangement in the fuel processor (2) to heat a first gas (G1), b) heating the components of the fuel processor (2) to a fixed operating temperature by circulating the heated first gas (G1) through at least the first heat exchanger (11) and the afterburner (21), c) catalytically combusting an atomized or evaporated fuel (B) in the startup burner (50) and then afterburning hydrogen in the afterburner (21) for further heating of the first gas (G1) via at least one heat exchanger, d) introducing the fuel (B) into the preheated components of the fuel processor (2) and stopping the catalytic combustion in the startup burner (50), e) starting up at least one reaction in the components of the fuel processor (2), until an exit gas from a PrOx reactor (40) has a given CO content, and f) switching on the fuel cell (70). The invention further relates to a fuel cell arrangement.