Abstract: A method and apparatus is provided which will improve the integrity of a pipeline by removing moisture and solid particulates that have been entrapped within a gas originating from an underground storage cavern following pressure reduction before introducing the gas into the pipeline.

Abstract: A method of pad gas management in an underground storage volume including storing a first compressible fluid, determining a transient minimum operating pressure (Ptrans), measuring the pressure (Pact), removing at least a portion of the first compressible fluid, concurrently, introducing an incompressible fluid, thereby producing a transient pressure condition controlled by the flow rate of the incompressible fluid, such that Ptrans<Pact. The method may also include a length of casing, permanently cemented into the surrounding rock formations, with a final cemented casing shoe defining the practical endpoint at an approximate depth (Dcasing), determining a transient pressure gradient (Gtrans) for the underground storage volume, wherein Ptrans<Dcasing×Gtrans. The maximum removal of the first compressible fluid is controlled such that Pmin<Pact, and wherein the transient pressure condition has a duration (D) of less than 7 days, more preferably less than 5 days.

Abstract: A method of maintaining pressure in an underground storage volume during transient operation is presented. Including storing a first compressible fluid, determining a safe minimum operating pressure (Pmin), and a safe maximum operating pressure (Pmax), measuring the pressure (Pact), removing or introducing the first compressible fluid, and concurrently, introducing or removing an incompressible wherein the flow rate of the incompressible fluid is controlled such that Pmin<Pact<Pmax. The method may include injecting a second compressible fluid into an incompressible fluid within the underground storage volume, thereby producing a gas lift fluid.

Abstract: A method and apparatus is provided which will provide over-pressure protection for an underground storage cavern by reducing the pressure of a pressurized gas stream originating from the an underground storage cavern to form a lower pressure gas stream, monitoring the pressure of a lower pressure gas stream and stopping the flow of the lower pressure gas stream to the pipeline should the pressure of the lower pressure gas stream exceed a threshold value.

Abstract: A method and apparatus is provided which will improve the integrity of a pipeline by removing moisture and solid particulates that have been entrapped within a gas originating from an underground storage cavern following pressure reduction before introducing the gas into the pipeline.

Abstract: An energy generation system including a primer mover producing a power output, and a combustion product outlet stream; and a steam generator wherein a water inlet stream and the combustion product outlet stream exchange heat to produce at least one steam outlet stream is provided. The steam generator further comprises at least one set of supplemental burners situated in the path of the combustion product outlet stream, and a hydrogen fuel inlet stream at least a portion of which is combusted in at least one of the supplemental burners or the prime mover.

Abstract: Techniques are disclosed for monitoring the consumption of a plurality of metered resources. The techniques involve receiving a KYZ pulse from a first utility meter, where the first utility meter is coupled to a source of one of the metered resources, and where the first utility meter outputs the KYZ pulse based on a predefined amount of metered resource being passed through the utility meter. A first counter is incremented, where the first counter is associated with the utility meter and stored in a memory.

Abstract: A reactor liquid cool down method is provided. The method includes obtaining a warm recycle stream (102) from a reactor (101) and compressing the warm recycle stream (102), thereby producing a compressed warm recycle stream (104) with a mean temperature; mixing a compressed warm recycle stream (104) with a controlled liquid nitrogen stream (110) in a stainless steel mixing zone (107), thereby producing a cool recycle stream (112), monitoring the mean fluid temperature and comparing the mean fluid temperature to a predetermined control valve set point, thereby defining a temperature deviation; modulating a temperature control valve (109) to vary the controlled liquid nitrogen stream (110) in order to produce a temperature deviation that is less than a predetermined value, and returning the cool recycle stream (112) to the reactor (101).

Abstract: A reactor liquid cool down apparatus includes; a compressor comprising an inlet and an outlet, a first conduit connecting a reactor outlet to the compressor inlet, a mixing zone, comprising an inlet, an outlet, and a liquid cryogen inlet, a first control valve, a second conduit connecting the compressor outlet and the first control valve, a third conduit connecting the first control valve to the mixing zone inlet, a temperature control valve, a fourth conduit connecting the temperature control valve with the liquid cryogen inlet, a means for monitoring a mean fluid temperature within the second conduit, a second control valve, wherein the first control valve and the second control valve are configured to isolate the mixing zone, a fifth conduit connecting the second control valve with the mixing zone outlet, a sixth conduit connecting the second control valve to a reactor inlet, a bypass control valve.

Abstract: A reactor liquid cool down method is provided. The method includes obtaining a warm recycle stream (102) from a reactor (101) and compressing the warm recycle stream (102), thereby producing a compressed warm recycle stream (104); mixing a compressed warm recycle stream (104) with a controlled liquid cryogen stream (110) in a stainless steel mixing zone (107), thereby producing a cool recycle stream (112), wherein the cool recycle stream has a mean fluid temperature, monitoring the mean fluid temperature and comparing the mean fluid temperature to a predetermined control valve set point, thereby defining a temperature deviation; modulating a temperature control valve (109) to vary the controlled liquid cryogen stream (110) in order to produce a temperature deviation that is less than a predetermined value, and returning the cool recycle stream (112) to the reactor (101).

Abstract: A cryogenic insulation system including a low density low conductivity insulation material for cryogenic service, wherein the low conductivity insulation material is essentially free of hydrocarbon residue. A method for producing a low density low conductivity insulation material for cryogenic service, comprising: exposing the low density low conductivity insulation material to at least one of an elevated temperature or a reduced pressure, for a length of time sufficient to reduce the hydrocarbon residue to less than 1000 ppm.

Abstract: A cryogenic insulation system is proposed comprising enclosing at least a portion of a cryogenic device with low density high conductivity insulation material. The cryogenic device may be an air separation unit. The cryogenic device does not include an outer containment structure for granulated cryogenic insulation. The low density high conductivity insulation material may consists of at least one layer of abutting or overlapping low density high conductivity insulation material composite with fibrous batting. The portion of the cryogenic device is selected from the group consisting of: a distillation column, a heat exchanger, a condenser, a reboiler, an expansion turbine, valves, piping, or any combination thereof.

Abstract: The present invention is a method of reducing the carbon dioxide balance from a reformer furnace flue gas to the high pressure syngas exit water gas shift reaction unit. Introducing a heated gas mixture into at least one pre-reforming chamber. The heating being provided by indirect heat exchange with one or more of an SMR furnace flue gas or an SMR furnace syngas introducing the gas mixture into a standard H2 PSA unit, wherein the gas mixture is separated into a hydrogen enriched stream and a PSA tail gas stream; introducing the PSA tail gas stream into a CPU system, wherein the PSA tail gas stream is separated into a carbon dioxide enriched stream, a hydrogen rich stream, and a residual stream, and introducing the residual stream as fuel into the reformer furnace along with natural gas.

Abstract: The present invention is a method of minimizing the emissions of carbon dioxide from a reformer furnace flue gas to the high pressure syngas exit water gas shift reaction unit. Including heating a first gas mixture by indirect heat exchange with one or more of an SMR furnace flue gas or an SMR furnace syngas, further heating the pre-reformed mixture in a primary reformer, thereby generating a second gas mixture comprising hydrogen, carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, and a flue gas. Introducing the gas mixture into a standard H2 PSA unit, wherein the gas is separated into a hydrogen enriched stream and a PSA tail gas stream, and introducing PSA feed or tail gas stream into a carbon dioxide removal system, wherein the flue gas is separated into a residual flue gas stream and a carbon dioxide enriched stream.

Abstract: The present invention is a method of minimizing the emissions of carbon dioxide from a reformer furnace flue gas to the high pressure syngas exit water gas shift reaction unit. Including heating a first gas mixture by indirect heat exchange with one or more of an SMR furnace flue gas or an SMR furnace syngas, further heating the pre-reformed mixture in a primary reformer, thereby generating a second gas mixture comprising hydrogen, carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, and a flue gas. Introducing the gas mixture into a standard H2 PSA unit, wherein the gas is separated into a hydrogen enriched stream and a PSA tail gas stream, and introducing PSA feed or tail gas stream into a carbon dioxide removal system, wherein the flue gas is separated into a residual flue gas stream and a carbon dioxide enriched stream.

Abstract: A process to integrate a first biofuels process and a second generation cellulosic biofuels process is provided. The pyrolysis means which produces the char stream and a bioliquid stream. The low pressure hydrotreating component, a high pressure hydrotreating component, the low pressure hydrotreating component which produces the hydrocarbon stream, the high pressure hydrotreating component which produces the steam stream and bioliquid stream. A distillation means, which produces a green gasoline stream and a green diesel stream from the bioliquid stream. The second biofuels process may be a first generation bio-ethanol process, which produces a bio-ethanol stream. The hydrogen production unit, which produces the hydrogen stream and the steam stream. The hydrogen production unit may be a steam reformer or partial oxidation unit.

Abstract: An energy generation system including a primer mover producing a power output, and a combustion product outlet stream; and a steam generator wherein a water inlet stream and the combustion product outlet stream exchange heat to produce at least one steam outlet stream is provided. The steam generator further comprises at least one set of supplemental burners situated in the path of the combustion product outlet stream, and a hydrogen fuel inlet stream at least a portion of which is combusted in at least one of the supplemental burners or the prime mover.

Abstract: The present invention provides a process for recovering hydrogen and carbon dioxide from a process stream utilizing a carbon dioxide separation unit and two membrane separation units. The present invention further provides a process within a hydrogen generation plant to increase recovery of hydrogen and capture equal to or greater than 80% of the carbon dioxide in the syngas stream. By using the process of the present invention, especially in terms of a hydrogen generation plant, it is possible to increase recovery of hydrogen and capture of the carbon dioxide in the syngas stream by balancing the recycle of the hydrogen rich permeate from the hydrogen membrane separation unit to the process unit and/or the water gas shift as capacity allows when a carbon dioxide separation unit, a carbon dioxide membrane separation unit and a hydrogen membrane separation unit are utilized.

Abstract: The present invention provides a process for recovering hydrogen and carbon dioxide from a process stream utilizing a carbon dioxide separation unit and two membrane separation units. The present invention further provides a process within a hydrogen generation plant to increase recovery of hydrogen and capture equal to or greater than 80% of the carbon dioxide in the syngas stream. By using the process of the present invention, especially in terms of a hydrogen generation plant, it is possible to increase recovery of hydrogen and capture of the carbon dioxide in the syngas stream by balancing the recycle of the hydrogen rich permeate from the hydrogen membrane separation unit to the process unit and/or the water gas shift as capacity allows when a carbon dioxide separation unit, a carbon dioxide membrane separation unit and a hydrogen membrane separation unit are utilized.

Abstract: This present invention provides a method to more efficiently recover hydrogen and carbon dioxide, preferably at least 50%, even more preferably at least 75%, and most preferably at least 90% of the carbon dioxide. The present invention further provides the design for capture of at least 80%, carbon dioxide from syngas that allows for the simultaneous production of medium to high amounts of hydrogen in the syngas as a part of the production of hydrogen in a hydrogen generation plant. By using the process of the present invention, especially in terms of a hydrogen generation plant, it is possible to increase recovery of hydrogen and capture of the carbon dioxide in the syngas stream by balancing the recycle of the hydrogen rich permeate from the hydrogen membrane separation units to the process unit and/or the water gas shift as capacity allows when a carbon dioxide separation unit, a carbon dioxide membrane separation unit and two hydrogen membrane separation units are utilized.