Abstract: A plasma array apparatus for processing starting materials is described and taught. The apparatus uses a plasma sheet(s) to heat starting materials in a chamber under low oxygen conditions. This results in a chemical dissociation of the starting materials rather than a burning of the contained materials. Elemental components, such as hydrogen, carbon, and molecules, such as residual hydrocarbons, of the dissociated starting materials can then be separated in such a way as to produce viable amounts of a synthetic gas primarily composed of hydrogen (h-syngas). This is accomplished with a minimal release of harmful byproducts such as carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas. The apparatus may be used on a variety of starting materials including, but not limited to, natural gas, coal, liquid petroleum products, and a variety of biomass containing products such as biodiesel and bioethanol.

Abstract: A method of producing hydrogen from hydro-carbon feed material is disclosed. A cylindrical plasma reaction region having a temperature greater than 800 C is created in a cylindrical reaction chamber by a cylindrical plasma array. The feed material is introduced into the plasma, where it undergoes plasma pyrolysis and is separated into hydrogen gas and solid carbon. The hydrogen gas is further purified using a hydrogen sieve that allows hydrogen through but retards larger molecules. The hydrogen gas is then feed into a fuel cell where it mixes with oxygen to provide electrical power. The plasma array may have one or more angled plasma arcs such that the plasma reaction region rotates as a vortex. There may also be two or more cylindrical plasma arrays arranged parallel to each other and to the cylindrical reaction chamber such that the feed material is fed through them.

Abstract: Apparatus, methods, processes and designs are disclosed here for (i) the thorough drying of moist feed materials, (ii) the manufacture of a unique high-hydrogen, low-carbon synthetic gas mixture (“H-Syngas”) from dry feed materials, and (iii) the specialized uses of H-Syngas. H-Syngas may be produced from coal, natural gas, some oils and other feed materials using a special 3-dimensional “3D3P” plasma pyrolysis1 process. To produce this unique high-hydrogen, low-carbon H-Syngas mixture from moist feed materials, they must first be thoroughly dried. Removing water (H2O) prior to the 3D3P step minimizes a major source of oxygen in the H-Syngas reactor. The use of dry or dried feed materials (and the absence of moisture-supplied oxygen during the 3D3P step) limits the formation of certain unwanted oxide by-product gases, including the Greenhouse gases carbon-monoxide (CO) and carbon-dioxide (CO2).

Abstract: In a process for manufacturing gas from hydrogen-bearing starting materials—such as those also containing carbon, carbonaceous materials, hydrocarbons or other hydrogen-bearing materials—the starting materials are fed into a 3-dimenstional plasma region to produce two output streams: a gas substantially containing hydrogen, and a by-products stream. Apparatus and a method are disclosed for generating gas which is substantially hydrogen gas (but may also contain other gaseous species) from the essentially complete dissociation of the starting materials in a plasma operating under pyrolytic conditions.1 Starting materials are fed into a plasma reactor. These starting materials are heated by one or more disclosed plasma sheets and/or plasma arrays in a reactor. The manufactured gas is vented from the reactor through an outlet. By-products are also removed from the reactor after being processed to remove the manufactured gas constituents.