Abstract: A technique of cooling of a reactor with a fixed catalytic bed for exothermic catalytic syntheses, such as the Fischer-Tropsch (FT) synthesis of liquid fuels by selective hydrogenation of the monoxide of carbon (CO) by the hydrogen (H2), includes mixing of these two gases being called “synthesis gas” or “syngas”, and is characterized by the fact that the heat of such synthesis is taken away by a heat medium of non-fossil origin and having a high boiling point in comparison with water and that at least a part of the resultant vapors of such boiling heat medium is extracted from the reactor to feed, as a carbonaceous matter, another reactor, called “reformer”, in which this vapor is converted into syngas to feed the aforesaid reactor of exothermic synthesis.

Abstract: A device for converting carbonaceous matter into synthesis gas includes a plasma head and a reformer connected to and extending downwardly from the plasma head. The plasma head may include a vortex zone, a plasma zone positioned beneath the vortex zone, and an oxidant input adjacent an upper portion of the vortex zone for inputting oxidant into the vortex zone. The plasma head may also include a high voltage electrode positioned to extend through a medial portion of the vortex zone and having a termination in the vortex zone so that high voltage discharge strikes are emitted into a lower portion of the vortex zone, a carbonaceous matter input for inputting carbonaceous matter into the plasma zone, and a plasma zone exit. The reformer may include a post plasma zone positioned beneath the plasma zone, a thermal barrier protective layer adjacent an uppermost portion of the post plasma zone adjacent an exit of the plasma zone, a catalyst carried by the post plasma zone, and a synthesis gas output.