Abstract: Novel redox based systems for fuel and chemical production with in- situ CO2 capture are provided. A redox system using one or more chemical intermediates is utilized in conjunction with liquid fuel generation via indirect Fischer-Tropsch synthesis, direct hydro genation, or pyrolysis. The redox system is used to generate a hydrogen rich stream and/or CO2 and/or heat for liquid fuel and chemical production. A portion of the byproduct fuels and/or steam from liquid fuel and chemical synthesis is used as part of the feedstock for the redox system.

Abstract: A system for converting carbonaceous fuels is provided. The system includes a gaseous fuel conversion reactor, a solid fuel conversion reactor, and a fuel pretreatment fluidized bed reactor disposed between the gaseous fuel conversion reactor and the solid fuel conversion reactor. The fuel pretreatment fluidized bed reactor devolatilizes a solid fuel using heat to produce an off-gas and a devolatilized solid fuel. The gaseous fuel conversion reactor converts the off-gas from the fuel pretreatment fluidized bed reactor to a product gas stream comprising carbon dioxide and water. The solid fuel conversion reactor receives a mixture of oxygen carrier solids and devolatilized solid fuel from the pretreatment reactor discharge and reduces the devolatilized solid fuel with the oxygen carrier solids to convert the devolatilized solid fuel to an intermediate gas.

Abstract: A method and system for generating a three-dimensional tomograph of a vessel interior or other object using a sensor having a plurality of electrodes and active control segments that are electrically isolated from the electrodes.

Abstract: A system for converting fuel is provided and includes a first reactor comprising a plurality of ceramic composite particles, the ceramic composite particles comprising at least one metal oxide disposed on a support, wherein the first reactor is configured to reduce the at least one metal oxide with a fuel to produce a reduced metal or a reduced metal oxide; a second and reactor configured to oxidize at least a portion of the reduced metal or reduced metal oxide from the said first reactor to produce a metal oxide intermediate; a source of air; and a third reactor communicating with said source of air and configured to regenerate the at least one metal oxide from the remaining portion of the solids discharged from the said first reactor and the solids discharged from the said second reactor for by oxidizing the metal oxide intermediate.

Abstract: Novel redox based systems for fuel and chemical production with in-situ CO2 capture are provided. A redox system using one or more chemical intermediates is utilized in conjunction with liquid fuel generation via indirect Fischer-Tropsch synthesis, direct hydrogenation, or pyrolysis. The redox system is used to generate a hydrogen rich stream and/or CO2 and/or heat for liquid fuel and chemical production. A portion of the byproduct fuels and/or steam from liquid fuel and chemical synthesis is used as part of the feedstock for the redox system.

Abstract: High efficiency electricity generation processes and systems with substantially zero CO2 emissions are provided. A closed looping between the unit that generates gaseous fuel (H2, CO, etc) and the fuel cell anode side is formed. In certain embodiments, the heat and exhaust oxygen containing gas from the fuel cell cathode side are also utilized for the gaseous fuel generation. The systems for converting fuel may comprise reactors configured to conduct oxidation-reduction reactions. The resulting power generation efficiencies are improved due to the minimized steam consumption for the gaseous fuel production in the fuel cell anode loop as well as the strategic mass and energy integration schemes.

Abstract: An electrical capacitance tomography sensor comprised of a sensor having a plurality of electrodes, where each electrode is further comprised of a plurality of capacitance segments. Each of the capacitance segments of each electrode can be individually addressed to focus the electric field intensity or sensitivity to desired regions of the electrodes and the sensor.

Abstract: A system for converting fuel is provided and includes a first reactor comprising a plurality of ceramic composite particles, the ceramic composite particles comprising at least one metal oxide disposed on a support, wherein the first reactor is configured to reduce the at least one metal oxide with a fuel to produce a reduced metal or a reduced metal oxide; a second reactor configured to oxidize at least a portion of the reduced metal or reduced metal oxide from the said first reactor to produce a metal oxide intermediate; a source of air; and a third reactor communicating with said source of air and configured to regenerate the at least one metal oxide from the remaining portion of the solids discharged from the said first reactor and the solids discharged from the said second reactor by oxidizing the metal oxide intermediate.

Abstract: High efficiency electricity generation processes and systems with substantially zero CO2 emissions are provided. A closed looping between the unit that generates gaseous fuel (H2, CO, etc) and the fuel cell anode side is formed. In certain embodiments, the heat and exhaust oxygen containing gas from the fuel cell cathode side are also utilized for the gaseous fuel generation. The resulting power generation efficiencies are improved due to the minimized steam consumption for the gaseous fuel production in the fuel cell anode loop as well as the strategic mass and energy integration schemes.

Abstract: A direct-electrochemical-oxidation fuel cell for generating electrical energy includes a cathode provided with an electrochemical-reduction catalyst that promotes formation of oxygen ions from an oxygen-containing source at the cathode, a solid-state reduced metal, a solid-state anode provided with an electrochemical-oxidation catalyst that promotes direct electrochemical oxidation of the solid-state reduced metal in the presence of the oxygen ions to produce electrical energy, and an electrolyte disposed to transmit the oxygen ions from the cathode to the solid-state anode. A method of operating a solid oxide fuel cell includes providing a direct-electrochemical-oxidation fuel cell comprising a solid-state reduced metal, oxidizing the solid-state reduced metal in the presence of oxygen ions through direct-electrochemical-oxidation to obtain a solid-state reducible metal oxide, and reducing the solid-state reducible metal oxide to obtain the solid-state reduced metal.

Abstract: An electrical capacitance tomography sensor comprised of a sensor having a plurality of electrodes, where each electrode is further comprised of a plurality of capacitance segments. Each of the capacitance segments of each electrode can be individually addressed to focus the electric field intensity or sensitivity to desired regions of the electrodes and the sensor.

Abstract: A system and method for distribution and treatment of secondary solids in packed moving bed reactors is provided. The system includes a packed moving bed reactor and a regeneration reactor downstream of the packed moving bed reactor. The packed moving bed reactor having a primary solid introduction section configured to receive a primary solid material, a primary solid constriction section downstream of the primary solid introduction section, a secondary solid inlet, and a mixing section for primary solid material and secondary solid material downstream of the primary solid constriction section. The primary solid constriction section has a recessed zone, wherein the secondary solid inlet is configured to deliver secondary solid material into the packed moving bed reactor at the recessed zone. The regeneration reactor is operable to regenerate the primary solid material reduced in the packed moving bed reactor.

Abstract: A method for producing an oxygen carrying material may include forming a mixture that includes powders of active mass precursor, support material precursor, and inert structure precursor, and producing the oxygen carrying material by heating the mixture at a temperature of greater than 1300° C. for a time sufficient to sinter the inert structure precursor to form a high-strength inert structure. The inert structure precursor may be one or more refractory ceramic components.

Abstract: A system for converting carbonaceous fuels is provided. The system includes a gaseous fuel conversion reactor, a solid fuel conversion reactor, and a fuel pretreatment fluidized bed reactor disposed between the gaseous fuel conversion reactor and the solid fuel conversion reactor. The fuel pretreatment fluidized bed reactor devolatilizes a solid fuel using heat to produce an off-gas and a devolatilized solid fuel. The gaseous fuel conversion reactor converts the off-gas from the fuel pretreatment fluidized bed reactor to a product gas stream comprising carbon dioxide and water. The solid fuel conversion reactor receives a mixture of oxygen carrier solids and devolatilized solid fuel from the pretreatment reactor discharge and reduces the devolatilized solid fuel with the oxygen carrier solids to convert the devolatilized solid fuel to an intermediate gas.

Abstract: In one embodiment described herein, fuel may be converted into syngas by a method comprising feeding the fuel and composite metal oxides into a reduction reactor in a co-current flow pattern relative to one another, reducing the composite metal oxides with the fuel to form syngas and reduced composite metal oxides, transporting the reduced composite metal oxides to an oxidation reactor, regenerating the composite metal oxides by oxidizing the reduced composite metal oxides with an oxidizing reactant in the oxidation reactor, and recycling the regenerated composite metal oxides to the reduction reactor for sub-sequent reduction reactions to produce syngas. The composite metal oxides may be solid particles comprising a primary metal oxide and a secondary metal oxide.

Abstract: A process for producing hydrogen comprising the steps of: (i) gasifying a fuel into a raw synthesis gas comprising CO, hydrogen, steam, sulfur and halide contaminants in the form of H2S, COS, and HX, wherein X is a halide; (ii) passing the raw synthesis gas through a water gas shift reactor (WGSR) into which CaO and steam are injected, the CaO reacting with the shifted gas to remove CO2, sulfur and halides in a solid-phase calcium-containing product comprising CaCO3, CaS and CaX2; (iii) separating the solid-phase calcium-containing product from an enriched gaseous hydrogen product; and (iv) regenerating the CaO by calcining the solid-phase calcium-containing product at a condition selected from the group consisting of: in the presence of steam, in the presence of CO2, in the presence of synthesis gas, in the presence of H2 and O2, under partial vacuum, and combinations thereof.

Abstract: A system used for converting multiple fuel feedstocks may include three reactors. The reactor system combination can be so chosen that one of the reactors completely or partially converts the fuel while the other generates the gaseous product required by utilizing the gaseous product from the second reactor. The metal-oxide composition and the reactor flow-patterns can be manipulated to provide the desired product. A method for optimizing the system efficiency where a pressurized gaseous fuel or a pressurized utility is used for applications downstream can be used to any system processing fuels and metal-oxide.

Abstract: Methods and systems for sequestering carbon dioxide and generating hydrogen are disclosed. In some embodiments, the methods include the following: dissolving an iron based material that includes a carbonate-forming element into a solution including the carbonate-forming element and iron; increasing a pH of the solution to cause precipitation of iron oxide from the solution thereby generating a first source of Fe2O3; reacting the carbonate-forming element in the solution with a first source of carbon dioxide to produce a carbonate thereby sequestering the carbon dioxide; oxidizing the first source of Fe2O3 with a carbonaceous fuel thereby generating a second source of carbon dioxide and iron; and oxidizing the iron with steam thereby generating hydrogen and an iron oxide. Some embodiments include producing iron-based catalysts.

Abstract: A system for converting fuel is provided and includes a first reactor comprising a plurality of ceramic composite particles, the ceramic composite particles comprising at least one metal oxide disposed on a support, wherein the first reactor is configured to reduce the at least one metal oxide with a fuel to produce a reduced metal or a reduced metal oxide; a second reactor configured to oxidize at least a portion of the reduced metal or reduced metal oxide from the said first reactor to produce a metal oxide intermediate; a source of air; and a third reactor communicating with said source of air and configured to regenerate the at least one metal oxide from the remaining portion of the solids discharged from the said first reactor and the solids discharged from the said second reactor by oxidizing the metal oxide intermediate.

Abstract: Methods and systems for sequestering carbon dioxide and generating hydrogen are disclosed. In some embodiments, the methods include the following: dissolving an iron based material that includes a carbonate-forming element into a solution including the carbonate-forming element and iron; increasing a pH of the solution to cause precipitation of iron oxide from the solution thereby generating a first source of Fe2O3; reacting the carbonate-forming element in the solution with a first source of carbon dioxide to produce a carbonate thereby sequestering the carbon dioxide; oxidizing the first source of Fe2O3 with a carbonaceous fuel thereby generating a second source of carbon dioxide and iron; and oxidizing the iron with steam thereby generating hydrogen and an iron oxide. Some embodiments include producing iron-based catalysts.