A system for hydrocarbon decomposition comprising a reactor volume, a mechanism to distribute the liquid catalyst as a liquid mist, a distributor to distribute a hydrocarbon reactant, a heat source, a separator to separate the solid product from the liquid catalyst, a re-circulation path and mechanism to re-circulate the liquid catalyst, and an outlet for at least one gaseous product. A system to distribute a liquid to an enclosed volume as a mist has a plurality of orifices designed to break the liquid into a mist. A method to decompose a hydrocarbon reactant includes generating a mist of a liquid catalyst, heating the reactor volume, introducing a hydrocarbon reactant into the reactor volume to produce a solid product and a gaseous product, separating the solid product from the liquid catalyst, removing the solid and gaseous products from the reactor volume, and recirculating the liquid catalyst to the reactor volume.

A catalytic solar reactor useful in chemical processes, more particularly, useful in endothermic chemical processes. The reactor comprises a reaction pathway defined by an exterior wall and an interior wall, the exterior wall comprising a solar radiation receiver capable of converting solar radiation into heat and transmitting the heat to the reaction pathway. Further, the reaction pathway has disposed therein, in alternating fashion, a plurality of catalytic elements and a plurality of heat transfer elements. Optionally, a supplementary heater, such as a conventional fossil fuel burner, is disposed in a plenum located within the interior of the reactor. The heater is employed as a supplemental source of heat, for example, when solar radiation is unavailable.

A highly compact heat integrated fuel processor, which can be used for the production of hydrogen from a fuel source, suitable to feed a fuel cell, is described. The fuel processor assembly comprises a catalytic reforming zone (29) and a catalytic combustion zone (28), separated by a wall (27). Catalyst able to induce the reforming reactions is placed in the reforming zone and catalyst able to induce the combustion reaction is placed in the combustion zone, both in the form of coating on a suitable structured substrate, in the form of a metal monolith. Fe—Cr—Al—Y steel foils, in corrugated form so as to enhance the available area for reaction, can be used as suitable substrates. The reforming and the combustion zones can be either in rectangular shape, forming a stack with alternating combustion/reforming zones or in cylindrical shape forming annular sections with alternating combustion/reforming zones, in close contact to each other. The close placement of the combustion and reforming catalyst facilitate efficient heat transfer through the wall which separates the reforming and combustion chambers.

A fuel cell single unit including: a fuel cell element in which an anode layer and a cathode layer are formed so as to sandwich an electrolyte layer; a reducing gas supply path for supplying a gas containing hydrogen to the anode layer; an oxidizing gas supply path for supplying a gas containing oxygen to the cathode layer; and an internal reforming catalyst layer, which has a reforming catalyst for steam-reforming a fuel gas, in at least a part of the reducing gas supply path is provided. An external reformer, which has a reforming catalyst for steam-reforming the fuel gas, is provided upstream of the reducing gas supply path, and the fuel gas partially reformed by the external reformer is supplied to the reducing gas supply path.

An apparatus to decompose a hydrocarbon reactant into a gaseous product and a solid product includes a reactor volume, a reservoir of liquid material, a plurality of nozzles connected to the reservoir of liquid material, the plurality of nozzles configured to distribute the liquid material into the reactor volume from the reservoir as a liquid mist, a gas inlet connected to a hydrocarbon gas source to receive hydrocarbon gas reactant, a distributor connected to the inlet to distribute the hydrocarbon gas reactant into the reactor volume, a heat source located adjacent the reactor volume configured to heat the reactor volume, a separator to separate the solid product from the liquid material, a re-circulation path connected between the reactor volume and the reservoir to re-circulate the liquid material from the reactor volume to the reservoir, a gas outlet connected to the reactor volume configured to outlet hydrogen gas from the reactor volume, and at least one filter connected to the gas outlet to remove entrained solid product from the hydrogen gas.

A method to decompose a hydrocarbon reactant into a gaseous product and a solid product includes generating a mist of a liquid material within a reactor volume, heating the reactor volume, introducing a hydrocarbon reactant into the reactor volume to produce a solid product and a gaseous product, separating the solid product from the liquid material, removing the solid product and gaseous product from the reactor volume, and recirculating the liquid material be re-introduced to the reactor volume.

An exhaust gas cleaning catalyst is provided with a fire-resistant three-dimensional structural body, a first catalyst layer provide on a first surface side of the fire-resistant three-dimensional structural body, and a second catalyst layer provided on a side of the first catalyst layer opposite to the fire-resistant three-dimensional structural body. The first catalyst layer contains: a complex oxide including cerium and zirconium; and elemental rhodium. The second catalyst layer contains: a complex oxide including cerium and zirconium; and elemental palladium. The amount of cerium included in the second catalyst layer, in terms of cerium dioxide, is 10-25 g per liter of the fire-resistant three-dimensional structural body.

A method of recording images within a furnace using a thermal imaging camera comprising a bore scope connected to a digital camera unit is described, comprising the steps of: (a) inserting the borescope into the interior of the furnace, (b) collecting one of more images of the interior of the furnace using the thermal imaging camera with the borescope at a first position, and (c) moving the borescope from the first position to a second position and collecting one or more images of the interior of the furnace as the borescope is moved from the first position to the second position, wherein the borescope movement is guided by means of a guide device comprising a movable borescope mounting, mounted externally on the furnace.

A process of catalytic partial oxidation of hydrocarbons, particularly methane and/or natural gas to form a product containing hydrogen and carbon monoxide where the first catalyst comprises Co—Ni—Cr—W alloy.

The present invention relates to reactor tubes packed with a catalyst system employed to deliberately bias process gas flow toward the hot tube segment and away from the cold segment in order to reduce the circumferential tube temperature variation.