A device and a process to propagate molecular growth of hydrocarbons, either straight or branched chain structures, that naturally occur in the gas phase to a molecular size sufficient to shift the natural occurring phase to a liquid or solid state is provided. According to one embodiment, the device includes a grounded reactor vessel having a gas inlet, a liquid outlet, and an electrode within the vessel; a power supply coupled to the electrode for creating an electrostatic field within the vessel for converting the gas to a liquid and or solid state.

A device and a process to propagate molecular growth of hydrocarbons, either straight or branched chain structures, that naturally occur in the gas phase to a molecular size sufficient to shift the natural occurring phase to a liquid or solid state is provided. According to one embodiment, the device includes a grounded reactor vessel having a gas inlet, a liquid outlet, and an electrode within the vessel; a power supply coupled to the electrode for creating an electrostatic field within the vessel for converting the gas to a liquid and or solid state.

Disclosed are compositions for catalysts comprising a zeolite promoted by metal and or metal oxide. In some aspects, the metal and/or metal oxide comprise a mixture of two or more metal or metal oxides. In various aspects, the zeolite is a pentasil zeolite and/or a ZSM-5 type zeolite. Also disclosed are processes for making the disclosed heterogeneous catalysts comprising preparing a mixture of a zeolite and one or more metal salts, which can include use of incipient wetness impregnation methods. In various aspects, also disclosed are methods for direct, non-oxidative preparation of higher hydrocarbons from natural gas, including selective for high yield production of C6 and higher hydrocarbons. This abstract is intended as a scanning tool for purposes of searching in the particular art and is not intended to be limiting of the present disclosure.

Disclosed are compositions for catalysts comprising a zeolite promoted by metal and or metal oxide. In some aspects, the metal and/or metal oxide comprise a mixture of two or more metal or metal oxides. In various aspects, the zeolite is a pentasil zeolite and/or a ZSM-5 type zeolite. Also disclosed are processes for making the disclosed heterogeneous catalysts comprising preparing a mixture of a zeolite and one or more metal salts, which can include use of incipient wetness impregnation methods. In various aspects, also disclosed are methods for direct, non-oxidative preparation of higher hydrocarbons from natural gas, including selective for high yield production of C6 and higher hydrocarbons. This abstract is intended as a scanning tool for purposes of searching in the particular art and is not intended to be limiting of the present disclosure.

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 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.

Methods of performing a startup of an oxidative coupling of methane reaction to produce C.sub.2+ hydrocarbons are described. The methods can include incrementally varying startup parameters of the oxidative methane reactor and using the feed gas as a coolant such that high C.sub.2+ hydrocarbon selectivity is achieved.

Vortex arc reactor apparatus and method provide a nozzle with converging, throat, and diverging portions. Input structure inputs a reactant and an oxidant into the converging portion. Ignition structure ignites the input reactant and oxidant. A vortex-creating structure creates a vortex of the ignited reactant and oxidant in the converging portion. The input structure, the vortex-creating structure, and the nozzle converging and throat portions are configured to provide a throat-portion-vortex of ignited reactant and oxidant that has an angular velocity which provides (i) negatively-charged particles in an exterior portion of the throat-portion-vortex, (ii) positively-charged particles in an interior portion of the throat-portion-vortex, and (iii) at least one arcing reaction between the positively-charged particles and the negatively-charged particles, to form syngas and at least one aromatic liquid in the nozzle diverging portion. Gas/liquid separation structure is preferably configured to separate the formed syngas from the at least one aromatic liquid.

Vortex arc reactor apparatus and method provide a nozzle with converging, throat, and diverging portions. Input structure inputs a reactant and an oxidant into the converging portion. Ignition structure ignites the input reactant and oxidant. A vortex-creating structure creates a vortex of the ignited reactant and oxidant in the converging portion. The input structure, the vortex-creating structure, and the nozzle converging and throat portions are configured to provide a throat-portion-vortex of ignited reactant and oxidant that has an angular velocity which provides (i) negatively-charged particles in an exterior portion of the throat-portion-vortex, (ii) positively-charged particles in an interior portion of the throat-portion-vortex, and (iii) at least one arcing reaction between the positively-charged particles and the negatively-charged particles, to form syngas and at least one aromatic liquid in the nozzle diverging portion. Gas/liquid separation structure is preferably configured to separate the formed syngas from the at least one aromatic liquid.

An invention is provided for conversion of methane into hydrocarbon fuels is disclosed. The invention includes providing methane to an illumination chamber, and illuminating the methane with substantially narrow bandwidth photons of a predefined wavelength. The photons are provided from a substantially uncollimated light source producing photon intensities less than 10 Watt/m.sup.2. As a result, the methane is placed in an excited state that results in the molecules of the methane reacting more readily with other molecules to form a final product.