A hydrocarbon is reacted with water in the presence of a catalyst to form hydrogen, carbon monoxide, and carbon dioxide. Hydrogen is selectively allowed to pass through a hydrogen separation membrane to a permeate side of a reactor, while water and carbon-containing compounds remain in a retentate side of the reactor. An outlet stream is flowed from the retentate side to a heat exchanger. The outlet stream is cooled to form a cooled stream. The cooled stream is separated into a liquid phase and a vapor phase. The liquid phase is flowed to the heat exchanger and heated to form steam. The vapor phase is cooled to form condensed water and a first offgas stream. The first offgas stream is cooled to form condensed carbon dioxide and a second offgas stream. The steam and the second offgas stream are recycled to the reactor.

Membrane-based hydrogen purifiers having graphite frame members. The purifiers include a hydrogen-separation membrane module with at least one membrane cell containing at least one hydrogen-selective membrane, which includes a permeate face and an opposed mixed gas face, and a fluid-permeable support structure that physically contacts and supports at least a central region of the permeate face. The membrane cell further includes a permeate-side frame member and a mixed gas-side frame member. The permeate-side frame member is interposed between the hydrogen-selective membrane and the fluid-permeable support structure to physically contact a peripheral region of the permeate face and a peripheral region of the fluid-permeable support structure. The mixed gas-side frame member physically contacts a peripheral region of the mixed gas face. At least one of the permeate-side frame member and the mixed gas-side frame member is a graphite frame member.

A process for membrane separation of a mixture containing as main, or even major, components hydrogen and carbon dioxide and also at least one other component, for example chosen from the following group: carbon monoxide, methane and nitrogen, including: heating of the mixture in the heat exchanger, permeation of the reheated mixture in a first membrane separation unit making it possible to obtain a first permeate which is a hydrogen and carbon dioxide enriched relative to the mixture, and a first residue which is hydrogen and carbon dioxide lean, permeation of the first residue in a second membrane separation unit making it possible to obtain a second residue, at least one portion of the first permeate is compressed in a booster compressor and the second residue is expanded in a turbine, the booster compressor being driven by the turbine.

Disclosed is an apparatus and method for mixing transmission and separation of hydrogen gas and natural gas recovered based on pressure energy. The method includes: (1) hydrogen compressed natural gas is introduced into the pressure energy recovery system; (2) the low-pressure hydrogen compressed natural gas is introduced into the separation system; (3) the low-hydrogen natural gas and the, high concentration hydrogen gas are introduced into a first natural gas buffer tank and a first hydrogen gas buffer tank respectively; (4) the low-hydrogen natural gas and the high concentration hydrogen gas are introduced into the pressure boosting system; (5) the low-hydrogen natural gas and the high concentration hydrogen gas are respectively introduced into a natural gas user end. The method of the present invention is low in energy consumption, so as to realize pressure energy recovery, and energy consumption of hydrogen gas separation is greatly reduced.

A process and apparatus for producing syngas from low grade coal and from a biomass wherein the process includes (i) gasification of a mixture of low grade coal and biomass, (ii) reforming the gasified mixture, and (iii) removing CO.sub.2 from the gasified and reformed syngas mixture.

Provided is a hydrogen separation filter allowing a hydrogen purification at a lower temperature than conventional one, and a method for manufacturing the same. A hydrogen separation filter includes a porous substrate, a lattice expansion layer formed on the porous substrate and containing a first material, and a hydrogen dissociation and transmission layer formed on the lattice expansion layer and containing a second material selected from the group consisting of Pd, V, Ta, Ti, Nb, and alloys thereof. The first material and the second material have a same crystalline structure. A lattice constant a.sub.1, bulk of a first bulk material having a same composition and a same crystalline structure as the first material and a lattice constant a.sub.2, bulk of a second bulk material having a same composition and a same crystalline structure as the second material satisfy a formula (1):

[00001]$1.03a_{2,bulk}\le a_{1,bulk}\le 1.15a_{2,bulk}$

A submerged plasma generator includes: a reactor inside of which a flow path, through which a working fluid passes, is formed along a lengthwise direction; and a dielectric insert which is disposed in the flow path so as to define the flow path into one space and the other space, and has formed therein a through-hole to generate micro-nano bubbles by cavitation in the working fluid fed into the one space of the flow path, and includes, a metallic catalyst which undergoes friction with the working fluid flowing through the through-hole and releases electric charges of the same polarity to the micro-nano bubbles to collapse the micro-nano bubbles and generate plasma; in which the other space of the flow path in which the working fluid ionized by exposure to the plasma travels is formed in an oval structure.

A hydrogen plant for producing hydrogen, including: a reforming reactor system including a first catalyst bed including an electrically conductive material and a catalytically active material, a heat insulation layer between the first catalyst bed and the pressure shell, and at least two conductors electrically connected to the electrically conductive material and to an electrical power supply placed outside the pressure shell, wherein the electrical power supply is dimensioned to heat at least part of the first catalyst bed to a temperature of at least 500° C. by passing an electrical current through the electrically conductive material, where the pressure shell has a design pressure of between 5 and 200 bar; a water gas shift unit downstream the reforming reactor system; and a gas separation unit downstream the water gas shift unit. A process for producing hydrogen from a feed gas including hydrocarbons.

A system and method for producing hydrogen from hydrocarbon and steam, including a membrane reformer with multiple membrane reactors each having a tubular membrane. The bore of the tubular membrane is the permeate side for the hydrogen. The region external to the tubular membrane is the retentate side for carbon dioxide. A sweep gas flows through the bore to displace hydrogen in a direction countercurrent to flow of hydrocarbon and steam in the region external to the tubular membrane. The method includes discharging hydrogen as permeate with the sweep gas from the bore, and discharging carbon dioxide in the region external to the tubular membrane as retentate from the membrane reactor.

A hydrocarbon is reacted with water in the presence of a catalyst to form hydrogen, carbon monoxide, and carbon dioxide. Hydrogen is selectively allowed to pass through a hydrogen separation membrane to a permeate side of a reactor, while water and carbon-containing compounds remain in a retentate side of the reactor. An outlet stream is flowed from the retentate side to a heat exchanger. The outlet stream is cooled to form a cooled stream. The cooled stream is separated into a liquid phase and a vapor phase. The liquid phase is flowed to the heat exchanger and heated to form steam. The vapor phase is cooled to form condensed water and a first offgas stream. The first offgas stream is cooled to form condensed carbon dioxide and a second offgas stream. The steam and the second offgas stream are recycled to the reactor.