A method for drying a catalytic oxidation furnace, the method including: 1) charging a feed gas including oxygen and natural gas, and a temperature control gas to a catalytic oxidation furnace loaded with a catalyst; 2) preheating a mixed gas including the feed gas and the temperature control gas to increase the temperature of the mixed gas, and stopping the preheating when the temperature of the mixed gas achieves a temperature adapted to trigger the oxidation reaction of the mixed gas; and 3) within the molar ratio of the temperature control gas to the feed gas being 0.1-7:1.3-1.6, reducing the molar ratio of the temperature control gas to the feed gas such that the rise of the temperature of the mixed gas conforms to the temperature rising rate of the drying-out curve of a heat insulation refractory material of the catalytic oxidation furnace.

A process is proposed for producing synthesis gas with reduced steam export by catalytic steam reforming of a hydrocarbonaceous feed gas with steam in a multitude of reformer tubes in a burner-heated reformer furnace to form a steam reforming flue gas. This process includes a configuration of the reformer tubes as reformer tubes with internal heat exchange and the use of a structured catalyst. For amounts of export steam between 0 and 0.8 kg of export steam per m.sub.N.sup.3 of hydrogen produced, these features interact synergistically when particular steam reforming conditions are selected.

A combined reforming apparatus is provided. The combined reforming apparatus includes a body, a plurality of first catalyst tubes disposed inside the body and reacting at a first temperature to reform hydrocarbons (C.sub.xH.sub.y) having two or more carbon atoms into methane (CH.sub.4), a plurality of second catalyst tubes disposed inside the body, connected to the plurality of first catalyst tubes, and reacting at a second temperature higher than the first temperature to reform methane (CH.sub.4) into synthesis gas containing hydrogen (H.sub.2) and carbon monoxide (CO), a combustion unit configured to supply heat to the plurality of first catalyst tubes and the plurality of second catalyst tubes, and a first distributor configured to connect the plurality of first catalyst tubes to each of the second catalyst tubes to distribute steam and gas discharged from the plurality of first catalyst tubes to the plurality of second catalyst tubes.

A combined reforming apparatus is provided. The combined reforming apparatus includes a body, a first catalyst tube disposed inside the body and reacting at a first temperature to reform hydrocarbons (CA) having two or more carbon atoms into methane (CH.sub.4), a second catalyst tube disposed inside the body, connected to the first catalyst tube, and reacting at a second temperature higher than the first temperature to reform methane (CH.sub.4) into synthesis gas comprising hydrogen (H.sub.2) and carbon monoxide (CO), a combustion unit configured to supply heat to the first and second catalyst tubes, a gas supply pipe configured to supply hydrocarbon gas to the first catalyst tube, a first steam supply pipe configured to supply steam to the first catalyst tube, and a second steam supply pipe configured to supply steam to the second catalyst tube.

Steam-hydrocarbon reforming reactor with a reformer tube containing ceramic-supported catalyst pellets and metal foam particles. The ceramic-supported catalyst pellets have a porous support comprising one or more of alumina, calcium aluminate, and magnesium aluminate. The metal foam particles comprise Fe and/or Ni. The ceramic-supported catalyst pellets and metal foam particles may be layered or interspersed.

The present invention addresses to a method of preparing steam reforming catalysts, of the eggshell type, using a solution of glycerin, in polar solvent, preferably water, to occupy the pores of a support. Next, the solvent is removed and the support is impregnated with a nickel salt solution, which may contain promoters such as rare earths. The steps can be repeated until the desired content of the active phase and promoters is reached.

A method for upgrading a hydrocarbon feed gas to methanol, including the steps of: providing a hydrocarbon feed gas; optionally, purifying the hydrocarbon feed gas in a gas purification unit; optionally, prereforming the hydrocarbon feed gas together with a steam feedstock in a prereforming unit; carrying out steam methane reforming in a reforming reactor heated by means of an electrical power source; providing the synthesis gas to a methanol synthesis unit to provide a product including methanol and an off-gas. Also, a system for upgrading a hydrocarbon feed gas to methanol.

An apparatus and method for producing hydrocarbons including aromatic hydrocarbons and lower olefins including propylene from CH.sub.4 and CO.sub.2 through CO and H.sub.2 with high activity and high selectivity. The apparatus is provided with: a synthetic gas production unit to which a gas containing CH.sub.4 and CO.sub.2 is supplied from a first supply unit, and which generates a synthetic gas containing CO and H.sub.2 while heating a first catalyst structure; a production unit to which the synthetic gas is supplied and which generates hydrocarbons including aromatic hydrocarbons having 6-10 carbon atoms and lower olefins including propylene while heating a second catalyst structure; and a detection unit which detects propylene and the aromatic hydrocarbons discharged from the production unit, in which the first catalyst structure includes first supports having a porous structure and a first metal fine particle in the first supports, the first supports have a first channels, the first metal fine particle is present in the first channels, the second catalyst structure includes second supports having a porous structure and a second metal fine particle in the second supports, the second supports have a second channels, and a portion of the second channels have an average inner diameter of 0.95 nm or less.

An apparatus and method for producing a lower olefin-containing gas including propylene from CH.sub.4 and CO.sub.2 via CO and H.sub.2 with high activity and high selectivity. The apparatus is provided with: a synthetic gas production unit to which a gas containing CH.sub.4 and CO.sub.2 is supplied from a first supply unit, and which generates a synthetic gas containing CO and H.sub.2 while heating a first catalytic structure; a gas production unit to which the synthetic gas is supplied and which generates a lower olefin-containing gas including propylene while heating a second catalytic structure; and a detection unit which detects propylene discharged from the gas production unit, in which the first catalytic structure includes first supports having a porous structure and a first metal fine particle in the first supports, the first supports have a first channels, the first metal fine particle is present in the first channels, the second catalyst structure includes second supports having a porous structure and a second metal fine particle in the second supports, the second supports have a second channels, and a portion of the second channels have an average inner diameter of 0.95 nm or less.

The present disclosure relates to yolk-shell structured catalysts having compositions that can be particularly useful in the dry reforming of methane. These catalysts can demonstrate long-term stability that would be an advantage in industrial applications such as mitigating fossil fuel plant emissions. Example catalysts can include a yolk containing nickel (Ni) or nickel oxide (NiO), platinum (Pt) or platinum oxide (PtO.sub.2), and a third material (M3) such as a cerium oxide (CeO.sub.x). The shell can be formed of a ceramic such as silica and is generally a porous material that can support the yolk.