1304 results about "Steam reforming" patented technology

Disclosed is a chemical microreactor that provides a means to generate hydrogen fuel from liquid sources such as ammonia, methanol, and butane through steam reforming processes when mixed with an appropriate amount of water. The microreactor contains capillary microchannels with integrated resistive heaters to facilitate the occurrence of catalytic steam reforming reactions. Two distinct embodiment styles are discussed. One embodiment style employs a packed catalyst capillary microchannel and at least one porous membrane. Another embodiment style employs a porous membrane with a large surface area or a porous membrane support structure containing a plurality of porous membranes having a large surface area in the aggregate, i.e., greater than about 1 m2 / cm3. Various methods to form packed catalyst capillary microchannels, porous membranes and porous membrane support structures are also disclosed.

Process for the production of liquid hydrocarbons from a feedstock that comprises at least one elementary feedstock from the group of biomass, coal, lignite, petroleum residues, methane, and natural gas, comprising: at least one stage a) for gasification of the feedstock by partial oxidation and / or steam reforming to produce a synthesis gas SG; a stage b) for separating CO2 from SG and a portion of the effluent of the subsequent stage c); the mixing of a portion of the CO2 that is separated with a gas of an H2 / CO ratio of more than 3; a stage c) for partial conversion with hydrogen, thermal or thermocatalytic, of the CO2 that is present in said first mixture according to the reaction: CO2+H2→CO+H2O in a specific reaction zone that is separated from said gasification zone or zones; a stage d) for Fisher-Tropsch synthesis on a synthesis gas that comprises at least a portion of SG and at least a portion of the CO that is produced by the conversion of CO2 into hydrogen.

Disclosed is a method of producing hydrogen from oxygenated hydrocarbon reactants, such as methanol, glycerol, sugars (e.g. glucose and xylose), or sugar alcohols (e.g. sorbitol). The method takes place in the condensed liquid phase. The method includes the steps of reacting water and a water-soluble oxygenated hydrocarbon in the presence of a metal-containing catalyst. The catalyst contains a metal selected from the group consisting of Group VIIIB transitional metals, alloys thereof, and mixtures thereof. The disclosed method can be run at lower temperatures than those used in the conventional steam reforming of alkanes.

The present invention is an in-situ apparatus for generating carbon dioxide gas at an oil site for use in enhanced oil recovery (EOR). The apparatus includes a steam generator adapted to boil and superheat water to generate a source of superheated steam, as well as a source of essentially pure oxygen. The apparatus also includes a steam reformer adapted to react a carbonaceous material with the superheated steam and the pure oxygen, in an absence of air, to generate a driver gas comprising primarily carbon dioxide gas and hydrogen gas. A separator is adapted to separate at least a portion of the carbon dioxide gas from the rest of the driver gas to generate a carbon dioxide-rich driver gas and a hydrogen-rich fuel gas. A compressor is used for compressing the carbon dioxide-rich driver gas for use in enhanced oil recovery, and the compressed carbon dioxide-rich driver gas, with substantially no oxygen, is injected to a predetermined depth in order to enhance oil recovery at the oil site. Unlike traditional CO2-EOR, which requires large power plants stationed near metropolitan areas and expensive pipeline networks, the in-situ apparatus can be placed or constructed at the site of the oil field, while a portion of the carbonaceous material may be obtained from a site outside the oil field.

A process for producing methanol is described in which a hydrocarbon is steam reformed in a reforming zone, and during the reforming stage, of a cyclic steam reformer having a reforming stage and a regeneration stage, the steam reforming being conducted under conditions effective to produce a first effluent stream containing synthesis gas. Fuel and an oxygen-containing gas are combusted in the regeneration stage of the reformer so as to reheat the reforming zone to a temperature sufficient for the reforming stage and generate a flue gas. At least part of the first effluent stream is contacted with a methanol synthesis catalyst under conditions effective to convert synthesis gas to methanol and form a methanol-containing stream and a tail gas stream comprising unreacted carbon monoxide and hydrogen. At least part of the tail gas stream is recycled as fuel for the regeneration stage of the cyclic steam reformer.

A gasifier system and process comprises a pulse combustion device in communication with a fluid channel for producing a gas stream having heat or fuel value. The pulse combustion device is operated under sub-stoichiometric conditions such that combustion and steam reforming both occur in the fluid channel. The pulse combustion device also produces a pulsating combustion product stream and an acoustic pressure wave. The acoustic pressure wave serves to cause agglomeration of particles contained within the combustion stream for easy removal. In one embodiment, a sulfur capturing agent is injected into the fluid channel for not only removing sulfur from the combustion product stream but for also facilitating particle agglomeration. Ultimately, a gas stream containing hydrogen is produced that may be used in various processes, such as in the production of electricity.

Reactors and processes are disclosed that can utilize high heat fluxes to obtain fast, steady-state reaction rates. Porous catalysts used in conjunction with microchannel reactors to obtain high rates of heat transfer are also disclosed. Reactors and processes that utilize short contact times, high heat flux and low pressure drop are described. Improved methods of steam reforming are also provided.

An integrated process for making methanol, acetic acid, and a product from an associated process is disclosed. Syngas (120) is produced by combined steam reforming (109) and autothermal reforming (118) of natural gas (102) where a portion (112) of the natural gas bypasses the steam reformer (109) and is blended with the steam reformer effluent for supply to the autothermal reformer (ATR) (118) with CO2 recycle (110). A portion of the syngas is fed to CO2 removal (122) to obtain the recycle CO2 and cold box (130) to obtain a hydrogen stream (131) and a CO stream (135). The remaining syngas, hydrogen stream (131) and CO2 from an associated process are fed to methanol synthesis (140), which produces methanol and a purge stream (124) supplied to the CO2 removal unit. The methanol is supplied to an acetic acid unit (13)6 with the CO (135) to make acetic acid, which in turn is supplied to a VAM synthesis unit (148). Oxygen for both the ATR and VAM synthesis can be supplied by a common air separation unit (116), and utilities such as steam generation can further integrate the process.