Abstract: A burner is provided which includes a plurality of burner subunits that each share a single air supply, a single fuel supply and a single control system. Each burner subunit has a plurality of air orifices and a plurality of fuel orifices of sufficient quantity and of a cross-sectional area to control a transverse heat flux profile of the burner. The burner subunits are spaced with respect to one another to control a longitudinal heat flux profile of the burner. The single air supply and said single fuel are adapted to provide an air-fuel mix that ensures the transverse and the longitudinal heat flux profiles are maintained at different fuel and air input rates. A burner of similar design using premixed air and fuel is also disclosed.

Abstract: An apparatus for a hydrocarbon reforming process includes a combustion chamber, a convection chamber in fluid communication with the combustion chamber, at least one burner disposed in the combustion chamber, a reaction chamber, a means for flowing a first mixed-feed through a first part of the reaction chamber, and a means for flowing a second mixed-feed through an annular portion of a second part of the reaction chamber, the second part being a tube-in-tube in fluid communication with the first part. The burner(s) generates a flow of a flue has having a sensible heat from the combustion chamber to the convection chamber. The flow of the flue has in the convection chamber is counter-currently with the flow of the second mixed-feed.

Abstract: A process is provided for simultaneously producing a syngas product having a H2/CO ratio of less than 2.5 and a hydrogen gas product. The process includes increasing an amount of carbon dioxide being fed to a secondary reformer with carbon dioxide extracted from: (a) an effluent from a primary reformer and (b) an effluent from the secondary reformer. An apparatus for performing the process is also provided.

Abstract: An apparatus for heating a fluid in a process having a process heat requirement includes a shell, at least one tube having a design temperature inside the shell, a plurality of burners adjacent the inner wall of the shell, and transfer means whereby flue gas flows from a first interior region to a second interior region of the shell. A first portion of the tube is in the first interior region and a second portion of the tube is in the second interior region. The first and second portions of the tube are adapted to contain a flow of the fluid. The burners produce the flue gas in the first interior region and a variable heat flux approximating the process heat requirement and simultaneously maximizing the heat flux to the first portion of the tube while maintaining substantially all of the first portion of the tube at the design temperature.

Abstract: This invention relates to an improved process for the coincineration of municipal solid waste and municipal sewage sludge by dewatering the sludge, breaking it up into sufficiently small particles and employing oxygen enrichment of the combustion process. These small particles of sludge are introduced into the combustion zone above the grate in the combustion zone but at a distance above the grate no higher than that of the point of introduction of secondary air. This is accomplished without undesired excursions of flue gas flow rate and temperature.

Abstract: A process for the stabilization of heavy metals in the ash produced by the combustion of a heavy metals containing fuel, such as municipal solid waste, by introducing into the combustion system a phosphorous oxide specie or elemental yellow phosphorus. The additive can be introduced at any point in the system upstream of the particulate removal device employed in the system. If elemental phosphorus is used, it must be introduced at a point in the system where it will be exposed to an elevated temperature and oxygen, so as to be converted to a phosphorus oxide specie. When elemental phosphorus is introduced into the system downstream of the combustion zone, it is also effective to reduce the NO content of the flue gas.

Abstract: A method is disclosed for producing ammonia synthesis gas by splitting a methane stream, combusting a portion of the methane with steam and oxygen-enriched air, converting a second portion of the methane with steam in a reformation heated by the combustion products of the first portion and combining the two portions for the water gas shift reaction followed by adsorptive separation of contained carbon dioxide.

Abstract: Carbon black is produced from a pyrolyzed hydrocarbon wherein pyrolysis is effected by combusting a synthesis gas containing hydrogen and carbon monoxide. The synthesis gas is produced from reforming a hydrocarbon fuel, wherein the reformation is heated by combusting carbon black effluent tail gas or indirect heat exchange of the hot tail gas.

Abstract: A method and apparatus are described for reforming hydrocarbons, particularly natural gas, to form hydrogen wherein the reformation is performed in a reactor in which the heat of reformed products are utilized to reform the hydrocarbons in a catalytic tube reformer. The reformer can be used in conjunction with a traditional steam reformer to produce hydrogen with less energy consumption, lower steam production and less capital cost.

Abstract: An integrated process for producing higher alcohols, methanol and ammonia is set forth wherein two parallel reformations of methane are utilized to produce synthesis gas for the feed to the alcohol production and hydrogen for the ammonia production.

Abstract: High yields of hydrogen of high purity are obtained from a methane-rich gas stream, such as natural gas, by a particular combination of operations wherein the methane-rich gas undergoes primary steam reforming under less severe operating conditions including lower steam to carbon ratio, supplemented by secondary reforming with oxygen, the obtained hydrogen is separated from accompanying carbon dioxide in the reformer effluent by a special five step pressure swing adsorption sequence having the steps of selective CO.sub.2 adsorption at superatmospheric pressure, rinsing with desorbed carbon dioxide, depressuring and then evacuating without additional rinsing, followed by repressuring the bed with part of the recovered pure hydrogen.

Abstract: An ammonia synthesis gas mixture comprised of substantially pure hydrogen and nitrogen in approximately 3/1 molar ratio is obtained form two stage reforming of a methane-rich hydrocarbon charge such as natural gas. About 40% of the fresh natural gas is charged to primary steam reforming and the obtained primary reformate product, containing about 17 volume percent of unreacted methane, is mixed with the other 60% of the fresh natural gas and the mixture is subjected to oxidative reforming with enriched air containing 30 to 35 of O.sub.2, said enriched air being supplied in an amount to produce a secondary reformate containing principally hydrogen and nitrogen, accompanied by a minor amount of oxides of carbon (CO and CO.sub.2). The secondary reformate subjected to shift reaction with steam results in conversion of contained CO to CO.sub.2, thereby releasing hydrogen in an amount which together with the hydrogen previously present in said reformate obtains a H.sub.2 /N.sub.2 molar ratio of about 3/1.

Abstract: An energy efficient process for the direct reduction of iron ore is disclosed. The process utilizes a combination of primary steam methane reforming and secondary (autothermal) reforming, along with the use of oxygen for soot generation to achieve a greater than 11 percent reduction in the energy requirement to produce sponge iron from iron ore.