Abstract: The sensible heat of an exhaust gas of a power generator, a combustion device, or a transport device 21 in a virtual area wherein a plurality of energy-consuming devices 23 are provided (energy supply and demand grid) is recovered as H2 or CO+H2 by reforming dimethyl ether (DME); and the H2 or CO+H2 is supplied as fuel for the energy-consuming devices 23 or as a chemical raw material within the energy supply and demand grid or to another energy supply and demand grid. By forming an energy cycle in society using DME, for example, waste heat of factories and electric power plants can be effectively utilized as energy in society as a whole, e.g., as energy for consumers or transportation.

Abstract: A heat exchanger filled with a catalyst used for reforming DME is provided in an exhaust system of a combustion apparatus such as a furnace, an internal combustion engine, or electric power generation equipment. A mixed gas of DME and H2O is fed to the heat exchanger, thereby pyrolyzing the DME and recovering the sensible heat of an exhaust gas of the furnace or the internal combustion engine as H2 fuel. Since the waste heat is recovered not as steam, hot water, heated air, or the like, but as H2 fuel or H2 and CO fuel, the application of the recovered energy is not limited.

Abstract: A catalyst for producing dimethyl ether which comprises alumina particles having an average size of 200 ?m or less and a methanol synthesis catalyst layer formed around the alumina particles. The methanol synthesis catalyst is in an amount of 0.05 to 5 parts by weight to 1 part by weight of the alumina particles. Dimethyl ether is produced by the method of forming a slurry by introducing the catalyst into a solvent and introducing a mixed gas comprising carbon monoxide and hydrogen into the slurry.

Abstract: (a) A medium oil wherein a main component is a hydrocarbon, and the number of paraffinic carbon atoms is 70% or more with respect to a total number of carbon atoms, (b) a medium oil wherein a main component is a polybutene, (c) a medium oil wherein a main component is a mixture of hydrocarbons of the formula (1): CH3—C(CH3)2—[—CH2—C(CH3)2—]n—CH2—R ??(1) wherein R is —CH(CH3)2 or —C(CH3)?CH2, and n is 1 to 10, (d) a medium oil wherein a main component is a hydrocarbon prepared by a Fischer-Tropsch synthesis, or (e) a medium oil wherein a main component is a branched paraffinic hydrocarbon prepared by hydrogenolysis of a hydrocarbon prepared by a Fischer-Tropsch synthesis, and a process of producing dimethyl ether using the medium oil, are disclosed.

Abstract: A method for producing dimethyl ether comprising forming a slurry by introducing a catalyst for producing dimethyl ether into a solvent and introducing a mixed gas comprising carbon monoxide and hydrogen into the slurry.

Abstract: A catalyst for producing dimethyl ether which comprises alumina particles having an average size of 200 ?m or less and a methanol synthesis catalyst layer formed around the alumina particles. The methanol synthesis catalyst is in an amount of 0.05 to 5 parts by weight to 1 part by weight of the alumina particles. Dimethyl ether is produced by the method of forming a slurry by introducing the catalyst into a solvent and introducing a mixed gas comprising carbon monoxide and hydrogen into the slurry.

Abstract: A method for producing dimethyl ether comprising: (a) reacting a raw material gas containing carbon monoxide and hydrogen in the presence of a catalyst to produce a reaction gas including dimethyl ether, carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide and hydrogen; (b) separating the reaction gas from step (a) into carbon monoxide and hydrogen, and into dimethyl ether carbon dioxide; (c) recycling to step (a) the carbon monoxide and the hydrogen which were separated from the reaction gas in step (b); (d) removing the carbon dioxide from the dimethyl ether and the carbon dioxide from step (b) to obtain the dimethyl ether; and the (e) recycling the dimethyl ether from step (d) to step (b).