A hydrogen generator includes a reaction vessel, a water supply, a temperature adjustor, and a controller. The reaction vessel houses a hydrogen generating material having hydrogen generating ability. The hydrogen generating material includes a two-dimensional hydrogen boride sheet having a two-dimensional network and containing multiple negatively charged boron atoms. The controller is configured to execute a hydrogen generating mode to generate hydrogen from the hydrogen generating material and a regenerating mode to recover the hydrogen generating ability of the hydrogen generating material. The controller controls the temperature adjustor to heat the hydrogen generating material at a first predetermined temperature during the hydrogen generating mode. The controller controls the temperature adjustor to adjust the temperature of the hydrogen generating material to a second predetermined temperature and controls the water supply to supply water during the regenerating mode.

The present invention deals with catalysts for the conversion of CO by the shifting reaction of high temperature water gas, free from chromium and iron, consisting of alumina promoted by potassium, by zinc and copper oxides and in a second embodiment also additionally nickel. The catalysts thus prepared maintain high CO conversion activity, not having the environmental limitations or operating limitations with low excess steam in the process, which exist for catalysts in accordance with the state of the art. Such catalysts are used in the hydrogen or synthesis gas production process by the steam reforming of hydrocarbons, allow the use of low steam/carbon ratios in the process, exhibiting high activity and stability to thermal deactivation and lower environmental restrictions for production, storage, use and disposal, than the industrially used catalysts based on iron, chromium, and copper oxides.

The present disclosure provides systems and methods for processing ammonia. A heater may heat reformers, where the reformers comprise ammonia (NH.sub.3) reforming catalysts in thermal communication with the heater. NH.sub.3 may be directed to the reformers from storage tanks, and the NH.sub.3 may be decomposed to generate a reformate stream comprising hydrogen (H.sub.2) and nitrogen (N.sub.2). At least part of the reformate stream can be used to heat reformers. Additionally, the reformate stream can be directed to a hydrogen processing module such as a fuel cell.

Systems and methods are provided for conversion of methane and/or other hydrocarbons to hydrogen by pyrolysis while reducing or minimizing production of carbon oxides. The heating of the pyrolysis environment can be performed at least in part by using electrical heating within a first stage to heat the coke particles to a desired pyrolysis temperature. This electrical heating can be performed in a hydrogen-rich environment in order to reduce, minimize, or eliminate formation of coke on the surfaces of the electrical heater. The heated coke particles can then be transferred to a second stage for contact with a methane-containing feed, such as a natural gas feed. Depending on the configuration, pyrolysis of methane can potentially occur in both the first stage and second stage. In some aspects, the hydrogen-rich environment in the first stage is formed by passing the partially converted effluent from the second stage into the first stage. In such aspects, the partially converted effluent from the second stage can have an H.sub.2 content of 60 vol % or more, or 70 vol % or more, or 80 vol % or more, such as up to 99 vol % or possibly still higher.

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.

A disulfide oil hydrocarbon stream or a mixture of a disulfide oil hydrocarbon stream and a residual oil is partially oxidized in a gasifier to produce a hot raw synthesis gas containing hydrogen and carbon monoxide which can be passed to a steam generating heat exchanger to cool the hot raw synthesis gas and to produce steam which can be used to generate electricity via a turbine and, optionally, subjecting the cooled synthesis gas to the water/gas shift reaction to produce additional hydrogen and carbon dioxide.

A chemical plant and operating method therefor; the chemical plant comprises a steam turbine having a shaft, a first pressure turbine stage and a second pressure turbine stage, each being arranged on the shaft and being connected in series in terms of the steam process; steam for driving the steam turbine is obtained from a reactor plant, said reactor plant producing a hydrogen-containing substance from a carbon-containing energy carrier stream; the steam is heated in an overheating step before being supplied to the second pressure turbine stage; the steam turbine has a third pressure turbine stage which is arranged on the shaft and which is connected between the first pressure turbine stage and the second pressure turbine stage in terms of the steam process; and the steam passes through the overheating step after exiting the third pressure turbine stage.

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.

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.

A method and apparatus for decarbonizing gases using pressure swing in a first and second pressure vessel that each comprise a fixed bed sorbent. Syngas and steam are received in the first pressure vessel. A carbonation reaction is performed in the first pressure vessel that reacts carbonaceous species in the received syngas with the received steam to produce carbon dioxide and hydrogen. Decarbonated syngas is exhausted from first pressure vessel. A calcination reaction is performed in the second pressure vessel to produce carbon dioxide. A vacuum is provided to the second pressure vessel that causes carbon dioxide to exhaust from the second pressurized vessel at a pressure that substantially follows the decomposition pressure line.