The invention concerns a process and apparatus for cracking ammonia in which heated ammonia gas at super-atmospheric pressure is partially cracked in at least two adiabatic reactors in series with interstage heating in which the feed temperature to a first reactor is higher than the feed temperature to a further reactor to produce a partially cracked ammonia gas which is then fed to catalyst-containing reactor tubes in a furnace to produce a cracked gas comprising hydrogen gas, nitrogen gas and residual ammonia gas. The use of the adiabatic reactors enables more efficient heat integration within the process and the higher temperature in the first reactor enables the use of a nickel-based catalyst in that reactor as an alternative solution to the potential problem of the presence of oil in the ammonia.

The present invention concerns a process for cracking ammonia comprising providing an ammonia-containing feed gas at a temperature of over 600? C. and a pressure in a range from about 5 bar to about 50 bar; combusting a fuel with an oxidant gas in a furnace to heat reactor tubes to achieve a maximum inner wall temperature of over 700? C. and produce a flue gas, each reactor tube comprising a catalyst bed comprising a first row transition metal-based catalyst; and feeding the ammonia-containing feed gas to the reactor tubes to produce a cracked gas at a temperature of over 600? C. on exit from the reactor tubes.

Disclosed herein are systems and methods for producing synthesis gas (syngas) using bio-oil. In some embodiments, syngas is produced by steam reforming bio-oil. In some embodiments, the bio-oil is provided in liquid form. In some embodiments at least some of the liquid bio-oil is transitioned into droplet form when entering a reformer for steam-reforming. In some embodiments, the reformer produces a gas stream comprising syngas, which may be fed to a furnace (e.g., direct reducing furnace, shaft furnace) for reducing iron ore to iron. In some embodiments, the amount of oxygen provided to the reformer is regulated based on an equivalence ratio (ER) corresponding to moles of oxygen fed to the reformer divided by moles of oxygen necessary to achieve stoichiometric combustion of the bio-oil, wherein an exemplary ER value is from about 0.1 to about 0.6.

A hydrogen production system has an automatic feeding device connected to a buffer tank, and a first valve controlling hydrogen-producing materials to be fed into the buffer tank or not. The buffer tank connects to a main reactor, and the hydrogen-producing materials in the buffer tank are controlled by a second valve to be fed into the main reactor or not. The main reactor connects to a hydrogen storing tank. A one-way check valve is mounted between the main reactor and the hydrogen storing tank to avoid hydrogen in the hydrogen storing tank flowing back to the main reactor. The hydrogen-producing materials in the main reactor undergo a chemical reaction to produce the hydrogen, and the hydrogen storing tank stores the hydrogen to provide fuel of a fuel cell for reducing transporting cost of the hydrogen and for enhancing safety of storing the hydrogen.

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.

A hydrogen production system has an automatic feeding device connected to a buffer tank, and a first valve controlling hydrogen-producing materials to be fed into the buffer tank or not. The buffer tank connects to a main reactor, and the hydrogen-producing materials in the buffer tank are controlled by a second valve to be fed into the main reactor or not. The main reactor connects to a hydrogen storing tank. A one-way check valve is mounted between the main reactor and the hydrogen storing tank to avoid hydrogen in the hydrogen storing tank flowing back to the main reactor. The hydrogen-producing materials in the main reactor undergo a chemical reaction to produce the hydrogen, and the hydrogen storing tank stores the hydrogen to provide fuel of a fuel cell for reducing transporting cost of the hydrogen and for enhancing safety of storing the hydrogen.

The present invention is generally directed to the efficient production of low-carbon methanol, ethanol or mixtures of methanol and ethanol from captured CO.sub.2 and renewable H.sub.2 at a generation site. The H.sub.2 is generated from water using an electrolyzer powered by renewable electricity, or from any other means of low-carbon H.sub.2 production. An improved catalyst and process is described that efficiently converts H.sub.2 and CO.sub.2 mixture to syngas in a one-step process, and alcohols, such as methanol and ethanol, are produced from the syngas in a second step. The liquid methanol and ethanol, which are excellent H.sub.2 carriers, are transported to a production site, where another improved catalyst and process efficiently converts them to syngas. The syngas can then be used at the production site for the synthesis of low carbon fuels and chemicals, or to produce purified low carbon H.sub.2. The low carbon H.sub.2 can be used at the production site for the synthesis of low-carbon chemical products or compressed for transportation use.

Provided is a process for the production of hydrogen-enriched synthesis gas by a catalytic water-gas shift reaction operated on a raw synthesis gas. The process includes introducing a gaseous flow that includes at least one compound of formula (I) as defined herein in a first reactor containing including at least one metal selected from groups VI B and VII of the periodic table. The process also includes collecting a sulfur-containing gaseous flow from the first reactor, introducing the raw synthesis gas in a second reactor, and introducing the sulfur-containing gaseous flow in the second reactor, where the catalytic water-gas shift reaction takes place and includes a sulfur-resistant shift catalyst X.sub.2, the sulfur-containing gaseous flow being introduced in the second reactor either directly through flow and/or after mixture through flow with the raw synthesis gas. The process also includes collecting an outlet flow from the second reactor containing hydrogen-enriched synthesis gas.

An apparatus for producing synthesis gas at high capacity is described, wherein particularly fast conversion and operation for a long time without interruption is obtained. The apparatus comprises a reactor (1) having a reactor chamber (2) which comprises at least one first inlet (5) connected to a source of hydrocarbon fluid and at least one outlet (15); further a plasma burner (7) having a burner part (11) which is adapted to produce a plasma; and at least one second inlet (6) connected to a source of CO.sub.2 or H.sub.2O. The reactor chamber (2) defines a flow path from the first inlet (5) to the outlet (15), wherein the burner part is located, with respect to the flow path, between the first inlet (5) for hydrocarbon fluid and the second inlet (6) for CO.sub.2 or H.sub.2O; and wherein the second inlet (6) is located with respect to the flow path such that the second inlet (6) is at a location where between 90% and 95% of the hydrocarbon fluid is thermally decomposed. Further a method for operating an apparatus for producing synthesis gas is described.

Provided are boron nanoparticles. The boron nanoparticles can be made by pyrolysis of a boron precursor (e.g., a boron hydride such as, for example, diborane) using a photosensitizer and electromagnetic radiation of an appropriate wavelength. The boron nanoparticles can be functionalized. The boron nanoparticles can be hydrogen-containing boron nanoparticles (e.g., hydrogen-terminated boron nanoparticles). Also provided are methods of hydrogen generation using boron nanoparticles, an activator, and water. Examples of activators include, but are not limited to, Li, Na, K, LiH, NaH, and combinations thereof.