A method of maintaining a syngas composition ratio during an upset condition, including detecting a reduction in the import carbon dioxide flow rate with a carbon dioxide import stream flow sensor, evaluating the reduction in carbon dioxide flow rate or carbon dioxide pressure in a controller, performing one or more predetermined corrective actions as instructed by the controller. Wherein the predetermined corrective actions are chosen from the following: opening a CO2 import stream flow valve, opening a hydrocarbon and steam stream feed valve, opening a CO2 backup stream control valve, opening a syngas backup letdown valve, and starting a composition adjustment unit.

A process for the production of syngas, comprising the steps of generating hydrogen and/or carbon monoxide from a hydrocarbon gas by contacting said hydrocarbon gas with a metal oxide in a first non-stoichiometric state MxOy-α such as to reduce said metal oxide in a first non-stoichiometric state MxOy-α towards a second non-stoichiometric state MxOy-β; generating hydrogen and/or carbon monoxide from a regenerating gas by contacting the metal oxide in the second non-stoichiometric state MxOy-β with said regenerating gas such as to oxidize the metal oxide in the second non-stoichiometric state MxOy-β towards the first non-stoichiometric state MxOy-α; characterized in that the β>α and α>0 and β<y.

Systems and methods generally involve processing a gaseous reducing agent and a gaseous reforming agent to produce syngas in the presence of a stable-phase change metal-oxide based oxygen carrier. During operation, an oxygen content is measured for a reactor input stream and a reactor output stream. A percent oxygen depletion of the metal oxide is determined using an initial oxygen content of the metal oxide, the oxygen content of the input stream, and the oxygen content of the output stream. Based on the percent oxygen depletion, a mole ratio of reducing gas to oxidant in the input stream may be adjusted accordingly.

An interconnected set of two or more stages of reactors to form a bio-reforming reactor that generates syngas for a number of different liquid fuel or chemical processes is discussed. A first stage includes a circulating fluidized bed reactor that is configured to cause a chemical devolatilization of the biomass into its reaction products of constituent gases, tars, chars, and other components, which exit through a reactor output from the first stage. A second stage of the bio-reforming reactor has an input configured to receive a stream of some of the reaction products that includes the constituent gases and at least some of the tars as raw syngas, and then chemically reacts the raw syngas within a vessel of the second stage to make the raw syngas from the first stage into a chemical grade syngas by further cracking the tars, excess methane, or both.

An apparatus for producing synthesis gas at high capacity is described, wherein particularly fast conversion and operation for a long time without interruption is obtained. The apparatus comprises a reactor (1) having a reactor chamber (2) which comprises at least one first inlet (5) connected to a source of hydrocarbon fluid and at least one outlet (15); further a plasma burner (7) having a burner part (11) which is adapted to produce a plasma; and at least one second inlet (6) connected to a source of CO.sub.2 or H.sub.2O. The reactor chamber (2) defines a flow path from the first inlet (5) to the outlet (15), wherein the burner part is located, with respect to the flow path, between the first inlet (5) for hydrocarbon fluid and the second inlet (6) for CO.sub.2 or H.sub.2O; and wherein the second inlet (6) is located with respect to the flow path such that the second inlet (6) is at a location where between 90% and 95% of the hydrocarbon fluid is thermally decomposed. Further a method for operating an apparatus for producing synthesis gas is described.

A method of maintaining a syngas composition ratio during an upset condition, including detecting a reduction in the import carbon dioxide flow rate with a carbon dioxide import stream flow sensor, evaluating the reduction in carbon dioxide flow rate or carbon dioxide pressure in a controller, performing one or more predetermined corrective actions as instructed by the controller. Wherein the predetermined corrective actions are chosen from the following: opening a CO2 import stream flow valve, opening a hydrocarbon and steam stream feed valve, opening a CO2 backup stream control valve, opening a syngas backup letdown valve, and starting a composition adjustment unit.

A method and system for determining changes in the catalytic activity of reforming catalyst where an outlet temperature of the catalytic reactor is measured and a temperature approach to equilibrium calculated based on the measured outlet temperature. The temperature approach to equilibrium is compared to an empirical model-based temperature approach to equilibrium calculated for the same operating conditions, the comparison showing changes in the catalytic activity of the reforming catalyst.

A method and system for determining changes in the catalytic activity of reforming catalyst where an outlet temperature of the catalytic reactor is measured and a temperature approach to equilibrium calculated based on the measured outlet temperature. The temperature approach to equilibrium is compared to an empirical model-based temperature approach to equilibrium calculated for the same operating conditions, the comparison showing changes in the catalytic activity of the reforming catalyst.

Systems and methods generally involve processing a gaseous reducing agent and a gaseous reforming agent to produce syngas in the presence of a stable-phase change metal-oxide based oxygen carrier. During operation, an oxygen content is measured for a reactor input stream and a reactor output stream. A percent oxygen depletion of the metal oxide is determined using an initial oxygen content of the metal oxide, the oxygen content of the input stream, and the oxygen content of the output stream. Based on the percent oxygen depletion, a mole ratio of reducing gas to oxidant in the input stream may be adjusted accordingly.

Processes are disclosed for the conversion of biomass to oxygenated organic compound using a simplified syngas cleanup operation that is cost effective and protects the fermentation operation. The processes of this invention treat the crude syngas from the gasifier by non-catalytic partial oxidation. The partial oxidation reduces the hydrocarbon content of the syngas such as methane, ethylene and acetylene to provide advantageous gas feeds for anaerobic fermentations to produce oxygenated organic compounds such as ethanol, propanol and butanol. Additionally, the partial oxidation facilitates any additional cleanup of the syngas as may be required for the anaerobic fermentation. Producer gases and partial oxidation processes are also disclosed.