The invention provides a system and method for conversion of raw syngas and tars into refined syngas, while optionally minimizing the parasitic losses of the process and maximizing the usable energy density of the product syngas. The system includes a reactor including a refining chamber for refining syngas comprising one or more inlets configured to promote at least two flow zones: a central zone where syngas and air/process additives flow in a swirling pattern for mixing and combustion in the high temperature central zone; at least one peripheral zone within the reactor which forms a boundary layer of a buffering flow along the reactor walls, (b) plasma torches that inject plasma into the central zone, and (c) air injection patterns that create a recirculation zone to promotes mixing between the high temperature products at the core reaction zone of the vessel and the buffering layer, wherein in the central zone, syngas and air/process additives mixture are ignited in close proximity to the plasma arc, coming into contact with each other, concurrently, at the entrance to the reaction chamber and method of using the system.

A process for the production of syngas comprising the steps of providing a feed gas comprising a hydrocarbon, carbon dioxide and optionally steam, contacting a flow of said feed gas with a metal oxide to form syngas, wherein the mole fraction of carbon dioxide or in the case the feed gas comprises steam, the sum of the mole fractions of carbon dioxide and steam, in the feed gas is between 0.3 and 0.7; and/or wherein the mole fraction of the hydrocarbon in the feed gas is between 0.3 to 0.5, wherein the feed gas is contacted with the metal oxide at a temperature of between 1050K and 1600K.

A process for producing syngas that uses the syngas product from a partial oxidation reactor to provide all necessary heating duties, which eliminates the need for a fired heater. Soot is removed from the syngas using a dry filter to avoid a wet scrubber quenching the syngas stream and wasting the high-quality heat. Without the flue gas stream leaving a fired heater, all of the carbon dioxide produced by the reforming process is concentrated in the high-pressure syngas stream, allowing essentially complete carbon dioxide capture.

A catalyst for preparing a synthesis gas includes: a mesoporous Al.sub.2O.sub.3 support including mesopores having a pore size of about 1 nm to about 30 nm; metal nanoparticles supported in the mesopores of the mesoporous Al.sub.2O.sub.3 support wherein the metal nanoparticles have a particle size of less than or equal to about 20 nm; and a metal oxide coating layer including particles wherein the metal oxide coating layer is coated on the surface of the mesoporous Al.sub.2O.sub.3 support and includes mesopores having a pore size of about 2 nm to about 50 nm.

A method of using a feedstock gas reactor is described. A hydrocarbon, such as methane, is chemical decomposed in the feedstock gas reactor using heat of combustion generated from the combustion of a combustible gas. A mixed product stream is extracted from the feedstock gas reactor. The mixed product stream comprises hydrogen, carbon, and water. At least a portion of the one or more combustion product gases are vented from the combustion chamber. At least some of the carbon is activated using the vented one or more combustion product gases. At least some of the activated carbon is recycled to the feedstock gas reactor.

A plasma carbon sequestration system and method are disclosed, wherein in the plasma carbon sequestration system, a first channel and a second channel of a plasma reactor are each provided with a flow controller, the plasma reactor is connected to a high voltage via a high voltage electrode and grounded via a ground electrode, water, or hydrogen, or methane is mixed with carbon dioxide respectively, to be introduced into the plasma reactor in a predetermined proportion under the control of the flow controllers, and a condenser is connected to the plasma reactor to condense a conversion product, and reactants which are not completely reacted from the plasma reactor, and is selectively used for circulation in the plasma reactor, thereby realizing environment-friendly treatment without a catalyst by a room temperature plasma technology.

Exemplary reactor systems may include multiple reactors in fluid communication. Oxygen carrier particles comprising a support material and metal oxide can be provided to a first reactor along with flue gas comprising carbon dioxide (CO2). An output of the first reactor is free or substantially free of carbon dioxide (CO2). The oxygen carrier particles can then be provided to one or more reactors in the system along with a hydrocarbon stream and, in some instances, an oxidizing stream. Outlets from these one or more reactors may include hydrogen gas (H2), carbon monoxide (CO), and/or other species, depending upon the content of the hydrocarbon streams and the oxidizing streams.

A method of using a feedstock gas reactor is described. A hydrocarbon, such as methane, is chemical decomposed in the feedstock gas reactor using heat of combustion generated from the combustion of a combustible gas. A mixed product stream is extracted from the feedstock gas reactor. The mixed product stream comprises hydrogen, carbon, and water. At least a portion of the one or more combustion product gases are vented from the combustion chamber. At least some of the carbon is activated using the vented one or more combustion product gases. At least some of the activated carbon is recycled to the feedstock gas reactor.

According to the present invention, organic material is converted to biogas through anaerobic digestion and the biogas is purified to yield a combustible fluid feedstock comprising methane. A fuel production facility utilizes or arranges to utilize combustible fluid feedstock to generate renewable hydrogen that is used to hydrogenate crude oil derived hydrocarbons in a process to make transportation or heating fuel. The renewable hydrogen is combined with crude oil derived hydrocarbons that have been desulfurized under conditions to hydrogenate the liquid hydrocarbon with the renewable hydrogen or alternatively, the renewable hydrogen can be added to a reactor operated so as to simultaneously desulfurize and hydrogenate the hydrocarbons. The present invention enables a party to receive a renewable fuel credit for the transportation or heating fuel.

A radiant, non-catalytic recuperative reformer has a flue gas flow path for conducting hot exhaust gas from a thermal process and a reforming mixture flow path for conducting a reforming mixture. At least a portion of the reforming mixture flow path is positioned adjacent to the flue gas flow path to permit heat transfer from the hot exhaust gas to the reforming mixture. The reforming mixture flow path contains substantially no material commonly used as a catalyst for reforming hydrocarbon fuel (e.g., nickel oxide, platinum group elements or rhenium), but instead the reforming mixture is reformed into a higher calorific fuel via reactions due to the heat transfer and residence time. In a preferred embodiment, a portion of the reforming mixture flow path is positioned outside of flue gas flow path for a relatively large residence time.