Certain exemplary embodiments can provide a system, machine, device, manufacture, circuit, composition of matter, and/or user interface adapted for and/or resulting from, and/or a method and/or machine-readable medium comprising machine-implementable instructions for, activities that can include and/or relate to, converting biomass to synthetic hydrocarbons using a biomass thermal decomposer and/or a hydrocarbon synthesizer.

The present invention includes a method for converting renewable energy source electricity and a hydrocarbon feedstock into a liquid fuel by providing a source of renewable electrical energy in communication with a synthesis gas generation unit and an air separation unit. Oxygen from the air separation unit and a hydrocarbon feedstock is provided to the synthesis gas generation unit, thereby causing partial oxidation reactions in the synthesis gas generation unit in a process that converts the hydrocarbon feedstock into synthesis gas. The synthesis gas is then converted into a liquid fuel.

Fuel production system includes: synthesis gas generation unit configured to generate synthesis gas containing hydrogen and carbon monoxide from carbon-containing raw material; fuel production unit configured to produce fuel from synthesis gas generated; water electrolyzer configured to electrolyze water to generate water-electrolyzed hydrogen; hydrogen supply unit configured to supply water-electrolyzed hydrogen generated to synthesis gas generation unit; and controller. The controller is configured to perform: calculating input energy based on first energy possessed by raw material, second energy consumed by water electrolyzer, third energy consumed by synthesis gas generation unit, and fourth energy consumed by fuel production unit; calculating recovered energy based on fifth energy possessed by fuel produced; and controlling water electrolyzer based on input energy and recovered energy calculated.

A Fischer-Tropsch (FT) process with a hybrid membrane/PSA configuration provides high component recoveries from FT off gas with minimum power consumption. Synthesis gas from a synthesis gas production zone is reacted in an FT reaction zone forming a liquid stream and an off gas stream. The off gas from the FT reaction zone, which contains hydrogen, carbon monoxide, and methane reactants, is recycled to the synthesis gas production zone. A purge stream from the recycle loop is sent to a membrane separation unit where it is separated into a permeate stream and a residue stream. The residue stream is separated in a pressure swing adsorption (PSA) unit into a fuel gas stream and a second stream. The second stream can be compressed and recycled to the synthesis gas production zone.

A fuel production system and a fuel production method are provided which can efficiently perform adjusting of a synthesis gas composition by hydrogen supply, while suppressing the generated amount of carbon dioxide by a system overall. A fuel production system includes: a gasification furnace which gasifies a biomass raw material to generate a synthesis gas containing hydrogen and carbon monoxide; a liquid fuel production device which produces a liquid fuel from the synthesis gas generated by the gasification furnace; a hydrogen supply pump which supplies hydrogen to a raw material supply area or a synthesis gas discharge area; a temperature sensor which detects a temperature of the gasification furnace; and a controller which switches a hydrogen supply location by the hydrogen supply pump between the raw material supply area and synthesis gas discharge area, based on the temperature detected by the temperature sensor.

A fuel production system 1 for producing a liquid fuel from biomass feedstock includes a gasification furnace 30 that gasifies biomass feedstock to produce a syngas including hydrogen and carbon monoxide; a liquid fuel production unit 4 that produces a liquid fuel from the syngas produced by the gasification furnace 30; an electrolysis unit 60 that produces hydrogen from water using electric power generated using renewable energy; a hydrogen tank 62 that stores the hydrogen produced by the electrolysis unit 60; and a hydrogen supply pump 64 that supplies the hydrogen from the hydrogen tank 62into the gasification furnace 30 or a biomass feedstock supply channel 20 extending from a biomass feedstock supply unit 2 to the gasification furnace 30.

An integrated process for hydrogen gas production includes: a. operating a water electrolysis cell with an external source of electricity to produce oxygen and hydrogen; b. optionally operating an air separation unit to produce additional oxygen for the process; c. introducing a hydrocarbon feedstock into a membrane wall gasification reactor with an ash-forming material and steam, and oxygen from the electrolysis cell and, optionally, oxygen from the air separation unit to produce hot raw synthesis gas; d. passing the hot raw synthesis gas from the gasification reactor to a steam-generating heat exchanger to produce steam and a cooled raw synthesis gas; e. introducing the steam generated in the heat exchanger into a turbine to produce electricity to operate the electrolysis cell; and f. recovering the hydrogen gas from the water electrolysis cell and, optionally, subjecting the synthesis gas to a water-gas shift reaction to increase the hydrogen content and recovering the hydrogen.

Embodiments of the invention relate to systems and methods for producing hydrogen gas and liquid fuels from methane-containing gases or organic feedstock using one or more of pyrolysis or electrolysis. The systems and methods include using gasifiers, oxidation units, cleaners, and liquid fuel manufacturing systems to produce liquid fuels. Ratios of carbon to hydrogen are controlled in the systems and methods to provide efficient liquid fuel and hydrogen formation.

The present invention includes a method for converting renewable energy source electricity and a hydrocarbon feedstock into a liquid fuel by providing a source of renewable electrical energy in communication with a synthesis gas generation unit and an air separation unit. Oxygen from the air separation unit and a hydrocarbon feedstock is provided to the synthesis gas generation unit, thereby causing partial oxidation reactions in the synthesis gas generation unit in a process that converts the hydrocarbon feedstock into synthesis gas. The synthesis gas is then converted into a liquid fuel.

A method for converting renewable energy source electricity and a hydrocarbon feedstock into a liquid fuel by providing a source of renewable electrical energy in communication with a synthesis gas generation unit and an air separation unit. Oxygen from the air separation unit and a hydrocarbon feedstock is provided to the synthesis gas generation unit, thereby causing partial oxidation reactions in the synthesis gas generation unit in a process that converts the hydrocarbon feedstock into synthesis gas. The synthesis gas is then converted into a liquid fuel.