Including Decomposing Water Patents (Class 423/652)
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Patent number: 7041271Abstract: A method is disclosed a method for recovering olefins and for producing hydrogen from a refinery off-gas stream in which such stream is conventionally pretreated and separated to obtain a light ends stream that contains nitrogen, hydrogen and carbon monoxide and a heavy ends stream that contains the olefins. The light ends stream is subjected to reforming and a water gas shift reactions after addition of a natural gas stream. The addition of the natural gas increases the hydrogen recovery from the light ends and also stabilizes the hydrocarbon content in the stream to be subjected to the reforming and water gas shift reactions. The heavy ends can be further treated to recover olefins such as ethylene and propylene. The rate of natural gas addition is controlled so that the concentration of the nitrogen in a stream exiting the water gas shift reactor is less than about 5 percent by volume so that hydrogen separation from such stream becomes practical.Type: GrantFiled: October 10, 2002Date of Patent: May 9, 2006Assignee: Praxair Technology, Inc.Inventors: Raymond Francis Drnevich, Jeffrey O. Herzog
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Patent number: 7041272Abstract: A process and system for providing a hydrogen-containing gas stream to a fuel cell anode that includes providing a hydrogen-containing gas stream that includes carbon monoxide, introducing the hydrogen-containing gas stream into a pressure swing adsorption module that includes at least one carbon monoxide-selective adsorbent to produce a purified hydrogen-containing gas stream, and introducing the purified hydrogen-containing gas stream to the fuel cell anode. The pressure swing adsorption module can also include a second adsorbent and/or catalyst. Also disclosed is a fuel cell system coupled to an internal combustion engine and a fuel cell system that utilizes fuel cell waste heat for vaporizing a hydrocarbon/water mixture.Type: GrantFiled: October 26, 2001Date of Patent: May 9, 2006Assignee: QuestAir Technologies Inc.Inventors: Bowie G. Keefer, James A. Sawada, Erik P. Johannes, Surajit Roy, Michael J. Brown
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Patent number: 7037485Abstract: A steam methane reforming method in which a feed stream is treated in a reactor containing a catalyst that is capable of promoting both hydrogenation and partial oxidation reactions. The reactor is either operated in a catalytic hydrogenation mode to convert olefins into saturated hydrocarbons and/or to chemically reduce sulfur species to hydrogen sulfide or a catalytic oxidative mode utilizing oxygen and steam to prereform the feed and thus, increase the hydrogen content of a synthesis gas produced by a steam methane reformer. The method is applicable to the treatment of feed streams containing at least 15% by volume of hydrocarbons with two or more carbon atoms and/or 3% by volume of olefins, such as a refinery off-gas. In such case, the catalytic oxidative mode is conducted with a steam to carbon ratio of less than 0.5, an oxygen to carbon ratio of less than 0.25 and a reaction temperature of between about 500° C. and about 860° C.Type: GrantFiled: June 14, 2005Date of Patent: May 2, 2006Assignee: Praxair Technology, Inc.Inventors: Raymond Francis Drnevich, Vasilis Papavassiliou
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Patent number: 7025947Abstract: The present invention provides a method of producing a CuZnAlZr oxide catalyst consisting of reacting an aqueous NaOH solution and aqueous Na2CO3 solution with a mixture of aqueous solutions of each nitrate of Cu, Zn, Al, and Zr, producing a precipitate by coprecipitation, aging, filtering, washing and drying this precipitate to prepare a catalyst precursor consisting of a CuZnAlZr layered double hydroxide, and then obtaining a CuZnAlZr oxide by calcining this precursor in an air ambient atmosphere, a CuZnAlZr oxide catalyst, a CuZnZrCe oxide catalyst, a CoCuZnAl oxide catalyst for producing hydrogen by oxidative steam reforming a methanol, and methods of producing hydrogen gas consisting of converting methanol to hydrogen gas by oxidative steam reforming in the presence of air and steam using these oxide catalysts.Type: GrantFiled: July 26, 2004Date of Patent: April 11, 2006Assignee: Japan as represented by the Seccretary of Agency of Industrial Science and TechnolopgyInventors: Kenzi Suzuki, Velu Subramani, Toshihiko Osaki
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Patent number: 7025903Abstract: A process for removing contaminants from a reformer comprises removal of particulate matter under operating, or stand-by conditions, or at the start of a shutdown procedure, by introducing a gas mixture to the reformer system having an oxidant-to-fuel ratio concentration leaner than a normal oxidant-to-fuel ratio concentration and at a gas flow rate less than a peak flow rate. The process produces elevated temperatures at the reformer inlet and elevated levels of carbon dioxide and water that combine to remove the contaminants. Another embodiment includes removal of particulate matter during a shutdown procedure by cycling the flow of fuel and air on and off; monitoring an exit temperature of a catalyst substrate and alternatively, cycling the oxidant flow on and off when the exit temperature is less than or greater than a threshold temperature such that the exit temperature of the catalyst substrate is maintained below the temperature at which aging of the catalyst and/or a washcoat material may occur.Type: GrantFiled: November 29, 2001Date of Patent: April 11, 2006Assignee: Delphi Technologies, Inc.Inventors: Malcolm James Grieve, Juergen T. Kammerer, Amanda M. Weiss, David Robert Schumann
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Patent number: 7025940Abstract: A process heater is provided utilizing flameless combustion, the process heater having: an oxidation reaction chamber, the oxidation reaction chamber having an inlet for oxidant, an outlet for combustion products, and a flow path between the inlet and the outlet; a fuel conduit capable of transporting a fuel mixture to a plurality of fuel nozzles within the oxidation reaction chamber, each nozzle providing communication from within the fuel conduit to the oxidation chamber, with each nozzle along the flowpath between the inlet and the outlet; a preheater in communication with the oxidation chamber inlet, the preheater capable of increasing the temperature of the oxidant to a temperature resulting in the combined oxidant and fuel from the fuel nozzle closest to the oxidation chamber inlet being greater than the autoignition temperature of the combined oxidant and fuel from the fuel nozzle closest to the oxidation chamber inlet; and a process chamber in a heat exchange relationship to the oxidation reaction chaType: GrantFiled: October 8, 1998Date of Patent: April 11, 2006Assignee: Shell Oil CompanyInventors: Rashmi K Shah, Thomas Mikus, Pettai Krishna Shankar
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Patent number: 7014835Abstract: The invention is a process and device for exchanging heat energy between three or more streams in a microchannel heat exchanger which can be integrated with a microchannel reactor to form an integrated microchannel processing unit. The invention enables the combining of a plurality of integrated microchannel devices to provide the benefits of large-scale operation. In particular, the microchannel heat exchanger of the present invention enables flexible heat transfer between multiple streams and total heat transfer rates of about 1 Watt or more per core unit volume expressed as W/cc.Type: GrantFiled: August 15, 2002Date of Patent: March 21, 2006Assignee: Velocys, Inc.Inventors: James Allen Mathias, G. Bradley Chadwell, Dongming Qiu, Anna Lee Y. Tonkovich, Steven T. Perry, Matthew B. Schmidt
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Patent number: 7011807Abstract: Supported reactive catalysts having a controlled coordination structure and methods for their production are disclosed. The supported catalysts of the present invention are useful for the preparation of hydrogen peroxide with high selectivity in addition to other chemical conversion reactions. The supported catalyst comprises catalyst particles having top or outer layer of atoms in which at least a portion of the atoms exhibit a controlled coordination number of 2. The catalyst and methods may be used for the concurrent in situ and ex situ conversion of organic compounds. In addition, a process is provided for catalytically producing hydrogen peroxide from hydrogen and oxygen feeds by contacting them with the catalysts of the invention and a suitable organic liquid solvent having a Solvent Selection Parameter (SSP) between 0.14×10?4 and 5.0×10?4.Type: GrantFiled: July 14, 2003Date of Patent: March 14, 2006Assignee: Headwaters Nanokinetix, Inc.Inventors: Bing Zhou, Michael Rueter, Sukesh Parasher
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Patent number: 6984372Abstract: This invention relates to a sulfur tolerant, dynamic, compact, lightweight fuel process and system that is capable of converting sulfur bearing carbonaceous fuels to hydrogen rich gases suitable for fuel cells or chemical processing applications. The process and system is based on the AHR and WGS reactions, followed by cleanup of byproduct sulfur-containing gases and carbon oxides that would otherwise poison the fuel cell electrocatalyst. Advantageously, this is accomplished via an ASMS and a methanator or an AWMR. The process and system preferably uses a special sulfur tolerant catalysts and hardware designs that enable the conversion in an energy efficient manner while maintaining desirable performance characteristics such as rapid start-stop and fast response to load change capabilities.Type: GrantFiled: September 6, 2002Date of Patent: January 10, 2006Assignees: Unitel Technologies, Inc., University of Kentucky Research FoundationInventors: Surjit Randhava, W. S. Winston Ho, Richard L. Kao, Elias H. Camara
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Patent number: 6977067Abstract: Provided is a method of generating a hydrogen-rich reformate from a hydrocarbon feed stream comprising olefins and alkanes (e.g., LPG). An inlet gas stream containing the hydrocarbon feed stream and an oxygen containing gas stream, is preheated to a temperature of from 180 to 300° C. The preheated inlet gas stream is then contacted with a sulfur tolerant partial oxidation catalyst to form a pre-reformed gas stream, which is preferably maintained below about 400° C. The pre-reformed gas stream is then subjected to a reforming process to form the hydrogen-rich reformate.Type: GrantFiled: February 12, 2003Date of Patent: December 20, 2005Assignee: Engelhard CorporationInventors: Shinn H. Hwang, Robert J. Farrauto
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Patent number: 6976354Abstract: Inlet air (15) humidified in an air bubbling (or other) humidifier (35) that receives water from a tank (36) is sent to a hydrogen generator (27) along with vaporized (23) diesel fuel (22) to produce hydrogen and carbon monoxide (28) for either (a) mixing with the mainstream of exhaust (18) fed to a catalytic converter (30) or (b) regenerating a pair of NOx adsorption traps (38, 39), thereby reducing oxides of nitrogen (NOx), to provide system exhaust (32) which may have less than 0.40 grams/bhp/hr of NOx and 0.28 grams/bhp/hr of non-methane hydrocarbons. In other embodiments, unhumidified air mixed with fuel feeds a homogeneous non-catalytic partial oxidizer (27) to provide the required hydrogen and carbon monoxide.Type: GrantFiled: February 26, 2004Date of Patent: December 20, 2005Assignee: HydrogenSource LLCInventor: Ke Liu
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Patent number: 6972119Abstract: A hydrogen producing apparatus comprising: a reforming section having a reforming catalyst which causes a reaction between a carbon-containing organic compound as a feedstock and water; a feedstock supply section for supplying the feedstock to the reforming section; a water supply section for supplying water to the reforming section; a heating section for heating the reforming catalyst; a shifting section having a shift catalyst which causes a shift reaction between carbon monoxide and water contained in a reformed gas supplied from the reforming section; and a purifying section having a purifying catalyst which causes oxidation or methanation of carbon monoxide contained in a gas supplied from the shifting section, wherein the shift catalyst comprises a platinum group metal and a metal oxide.Type: GrantFiled: December 27, 2000Date of Patent: December 6, 2005Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.Inventors: Kiyoshi Taguchi, Takeshi Tomizawa, Kunihiro Ukai, Toshiyuki Shono, Koichiro Kitagawa, Tetsuya Ueda, Seiji Fujihara, Yutaka Yoshida
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Patent number: 6969505Abstract: This invention relates to a process for conducting an equilibrium limited chemical reaction in a single stage process channel. A process for conducting a water shift reaction is disclosed. A multichannel reactor with cross flow heat exchange is disclosed.Type: GrantFiled: August 15, 2002Date of Patent: November 29, 2005Assignee: Velocys, Inc.Inventors: Anna Lee Tonkovich, Wayne W. Simmons, Kai Tod Paul Jarosch, Terry Mazanec, Eric Daymo, Ying Peng, Jennifer Lynne Marco
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Patent number: 6969506Abstract: Integrated Combustion Reactors (ICRs) and methods of making ICRs are described in which combustion chambers (or channels) are in direct thermal contact to reaction chambers for an endothermic reaction. Superior results were achieved for combustion chambers which contained a gap for free flow through the chamber. Particular reactor designs are also described. Processes of conducting reactions in integrated combustion reactors are described and results presented. Some of these processes are characterized by unexpected and superior results.Type: GrantFiled: February 14, 2002Date of Patent: November 29, 2005Assignee: Battelle Memorial InstituteInventors: Anna Lee Tonkovich, Gary L. Roberts, Steven T. Perry, Sean P. Fitzgerald
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Patent number: 6969562Abstract: A hydrogen-containing gas suitable for use in a fuel cell, especially in a proton exchange membrane fuel cell, is produced from a digestion gas (b) yielded in methane fermentation of organic matter (a), and is then supplied to the fuel cell to generate electricity. A fuel cell power generation method comprises a methane fermentation step (A) for subjecting organic matter to methane fermentation, a pretreatment step (B) for pretreating digestion gas yielded in the methane fermentation step, a hydrogen production step (C) for producing hydrogen-containing gas (c) from the gas which has been pretreated in the pretreatment step, and a fuel cell power generation step (D) for supplying the hydrogen-containing gas produced in the hydrogen production step to a fuel cell to generate electricity.Type: GrantFiled: March 2, 2001Date of Patent: November 29, 2005Assignee: Ebara CorporationInventors: Qingquan Su, Kazuo Kinoshita, Yasuo Tanaka, Tomohiro Togo
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Patent number: 6967063Abstract: A method for reforming a sulfur-containing carbonaceous fuel in which the sulfur-containing carbonaceous fuel is mixed with H2O and an oxidant, forming a fuel/H2O/oxidant mixture. The fuel H2O/oxidant mixture is brought into contact with a catalyst composition comprising a dehydrogenation portion, an oxidation portion and a hydrodesulfurization portion, resulting in formation of a hydrogen-containing gas stream.Type: GrantFiled: May 18, 2001Date of Patent: November 22, 2005Assignee: The University of ChicagoInventors: Michael Krumpelt, John P. Kopasz, Shabbir Ahmed, Richard Li-chih Kao, Sarabjit Singh Randhava
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Patent number: 6946113Abstract: A method for processing separate fluid flows in a micro component system for the production of hydrogen gas used in fuel cells in which a first fluid flow is directed to micro channels formed on one side of a conductive separator maintained in an enclosure, a second fluid flow is directed to micro channels formed on the opposite side of the separator, and laminar flow is maintained in the fluids such that heat transfer between the fluids on the opposite sides of the micro channels is by conduction through the separator and heat transfer within the fluids on the opposite sides of the micro channels is predominantly by convection within the fluids.Type: GrantFiled: November 12, 2002Date of Patent: September 20, 2005Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.Inventors: James Seaba, Lea-Der Chen
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Patent number: 6946016Abstract: Contemplated configurations and methods include a hydrogen pressure swing adsorption unit that receives a feed gas comprising a hydrogen production stream and a non-recycled hydrogen-containing waste stream.Type: GrantFiled: December 17, 2002Date of Patent: September 20, 2005Assignee: Fluor Technologies CorporationInventor: Satish Reddy
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Patent number: 6936237Abstract: The present invention provides catalysts, reactors, and methods of steam reforming alcohols over a catalyst. Surprisingly superior results and properties obtained in methods and catalysts of the present invention are also described.Type: GrantFiled: February 16, 2001Date of Patent: August 30, 2005Assignee: Battelle Memorial InstituteInventors: Yong Wang, Anna Lee Y. Tonkovich, Jianli Hu
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Patent number: 6936238Abstract: A compact autothermal (partial oxidation and steam reforming) fuel reactor is provided for implementation with a fuel cell system. The reactor includes a premixing chamber for premixing a volume of air, steam and fuel into an effluent, a thermal POX reactor, a first stage reforming segment, a post-premix chamber, and a second stage reforming segment. Further provided are a water/fuel vaporizer for supplying steam and fuel as a gas to the premix chamber and an airflow cavity disposed about the reactor for pre-heating air supplied to the premix chamber. The thermal POX segment operates during an initial start-up period for pre-heating the other components of the reactor. Once the other components achieve an operation temperature, the first and second stage reforming segments catalytically reform the effluent. The premix and post-premix chambers enable variance in the O/C and S/C ratios to be achieved as the effluent is reformed through the multiple stages.Type: GrantFiled: September 6, 2002Date of Patent: August 30, 2005Assignee: General Motors CorporationInventors: Mohammed E. H. Sennoun, William H. Pettit, Rodney L. Borup, Gerald E. Voecks
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Patent number: 6932958Abstract: A fuel processor for producing a hydrogen-rich product gas suitable for direct use in fuel cell applications includes a housing, an annular shift/methanator reactor vessel at least one reactor vessel wall disposed within the housing and forming an outer annular space between the at least one reactor vessel wall and the housing. A combustion chamber having at least one combustion chamber wall and forming a first inner annular space between the at least one combustion chamber wall and the at least one reactor vessel wall is disposed in the interior space formed by the annular shift/methanator reactor vessel, and a reformer reactor vessel having at least one reformer vessel wall and forming a second inner annular space between the at least one reformer vessel wall and the at least one combustion chamber wall is disposed within the combustion chamber.Type: GrantFiled: March 26, 2003Date of Patent: August 23, 2005Assignee: Gas Technology InstituteInventors: James R. Wangerow, Alvie R. Meadows, Andy H. Hill, Michael Onischak
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Patent number: 6919062Abstract: Overall permreactor-separator process designs and effective permreactor designs with increased mass and heat transfer, reactant conversion, product yield and optional recycling for processing methane, hydrocarbons, alcohols, carbon monoxide, natural gas, acidic natural gas, cool gas, biomass gas, and mixtures of hydrocarbons with carbon dioxide, based on the reforming reactions of these feedstocks with steam and carbon dioxide and the dehydrogenation reactions of saturated hydrocarbons. Final exit streams from these gas phase processors contain pure hydrogen, hydrogen and carbon monoxide mixture, hydrogen and carbon dioxide mixture, and can be used as a direct feed in molten carbonate, solid oxide, proton exchange membrane, alkaline, phosphoric acid and other types of hydrogen driven fuel cells.Type: GrantFiled: March 14, 2000Date of Patent: July 19, 2005Assignees: Ph.D. Chemical EngineeringInventors: Savvas Vasileiadis, Zoe Ziaka
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Patent number: 6908602Abstract: Method for producing hydrogen and a hydroprocessed product from a hydrocarbonaceous feedstock by subjecting it to a catalytic hydrocracking treatment using hydrogen which has been at least partly produced from hydrocracked feedstock and subjecting at least pan of the hydrocracked feedstock, after having subjected it to a separation treatment in the event that hydroprocessed product is to be recovered, to a treatment to produce hydrogen in a single operation which hydrogen is at least partly recovered as product.Type: GrantFiled: May 9, 2000Date of Patent: June 21, 2005Assignee: Shell Oil CompanyInventors: Johan Willem Gosselink, Michiel Jan Groeneveld, Andreas Karl Nowak, Antonius Adrianus Maria Roovers
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Patent number: 6905998Abstract: In a reforming catalyst apparatus provided with a reforming catalyst for forming a hydrogen rich reformed gas by a reforming reaction of the fuel with water, the catalyst performance can be recovered by heating the catalyst within a temperature ranging from 500° C. to 800° C. while supplying said fuel and air to the catalyst. This method allows recovery of the catalyst performance without demounting the catalyst from the reforming catalyst apparatus and allows providing the reforming catalyst with a long service life.Type: GrantFiled: March 26, 2002Date of Patent: June 14, 2005Assignees: Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha, Mitsubishi Gas Chemical Co., Inc.Inventors: Takahiro Naka, Osamu Usaka, Shoji Isobe, Yasushi Hiramatsu, Mikio Yoneoka
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Patent number: 6899859Abstract: The present invention concerns a method for preparing a CO2-rich gas stream for injection purposes or deposition, and a hydrogen rich gas stream, the method comprising the following steps: a) natural gas and H2O are fed into a one-step reforming process for preparing a gas mixture comprising CO2 and H2 under supercritical condition for water from about 400° C. to about 600° C. and pressure from about 200 to about 500 bar in the reforming reactor; b) the gas mixture from a) is separated into a H2-rich and CO2-rich gas stream, respectively. The invention also comprises use of CO2-rich gas stream for injection into marine formations, and use of H2-rich stream for hydrogenation, as a source of energy/fuel in fuel cells and for production or electricity.Type: GrantFiled: September 15, 1999Date of Patent: May 31, 2005Assignee: Den Norske Stats Oljeselskap A.S.Inventor: Ola Olsvik
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Patent number: 6881394Abstract: Preferred embodiments of the present invention generate a synthesis gas with a molar ratio of hydrogen to carbon monoxide of approximately 2:1 required for Fischer-Tropsch synthesis. Additional hydrogen produced in the steam reforming of methane beyond the requirements for the Fischer-Tropsch reaction is separated from the product gases of the reformer by the use of a hydrogen permeable membrane. Air is passed over the outside of the tube. As the hydrogen contacts the air, it is combusted with oxygen in the air to form water and release the heat necessary to drive the steam reforming reaction.Type: GrantFiled: June 11, 2002Date of Patent: April 19, 2005Assignee: ConocoPhillips CompanyInventor: Alfred E. Keller
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Patent number: 6849247Abstract: A gas generating process, which is for the continuous production of energy and hydrogen for rocket and other propulsion and is also for the continuous production of hydrogen, utilizes the reaction of metallic materials, particularly aluminum, with organic materials, particularly hydrocarbons provided as jet fuel, and with water or an oxidizer which is predominantly water. In comparison with related reactions, the reaction produces hot gases containing more hydrogen and the products have a lower temperature for the same specific impulse. The process incorporates organic liquids with metallic powders to produce desirable, lower molecular weight exhaust gas products; and the increased hydrogen is desirable for use with a fuel cell and in connection with propulsion of a super-cavitating underwater device. The process is advantageous in that a metal, in powdered form, and a hydrocarbon liquid may be provided together as a slurry or gel for effective metering.Type: GrantFiled: July 10, 2002Date of Patent: February 1, 2005Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the NavyInventors: Kerry L. Wagaman, Douglas J Elstrodt
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Patent number: 6838071Abstract: The present invention comprises a method for production of a CO2-rich gas stream and a H2-rich gas stream, the method comprising the following steps: a) natural gas and water are fed to a reforming reactor and are converted to synthesis gas under supply of a O2-containing gas: b) the gas stream from a) is shifted, whereby the content of CO is reduced and the amounts of CO2 and H2 are increased by reaction of H2O; c) the gas stream from b) is separated in a separation unit into a CO2-rich and a H2-rich gas stream, respectively. The invention also concerns the use of a CO2-rich gas stream for injection into marine formations, and the use of a H2-rich gas stream for hydrogenation, as a source of energy/fuel in fuel cells or for production of electricity.Type: GrantFiled: September 14, 1999Date of Patent: January 4, 2005Assignee: Den Norske Stats Oljeselskap A.S.Inventors: Ola Olsvik, Roger Hansen, Arne Grislingås, Erling Rytter
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Publication number: 20040265225Abstract: The present invention provides catalysts, reactors, and methods of steam reforming over a catalyst. Surprisingly superior results and properties obtained in methods and catalysts of the present invention are also described. For example, a coated catalyst was demonstrated to be highly stable under steam reforming conditions (high temperature and high pressure of steam). Methods of making steam reforming catalysts are also described.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 13, 2004Publication date: December 30, 2004Inventors: Junko M. Watson, Francis P. Daly, Yong Wang, Anna Lee Tonkovich, Sean P. Fitzgerald, Steven T. Perry, Laura J. Silva, Rachid Taha, Enrique Aceves de Alba, Ya-Huei Chin, Robert Rozmiarek, XiaoHong Li
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Publication number: 20040262167Abstract: A heat exchanger design is provided for optimal transfer of thermal energy between a primary reactor-out reformate and a primary reactor-in steam and air. In particular, one embodiment of the present invention comprises a prime-surface true counterflow heat exchanger positioned around the primary reactor. It is emphasized that this abstract is provided to comply with the rules requiring an abstract, which will allow a searcher or other reader to quickly ascertain the subject matter of the technical disclosure. It is submitted with the understanding that is will not be used to interpret or limit the scope or meaning of the claims.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 2, 2004Publication date: December 30, 2004Inventors: Steven D. Burch, Matthew J. Beutel, Kevin Stukey
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Patent number: 6833126Abstract: A gas mixture containing a fuel, water and air is supplied to one end of a reforming room, and a reformed gas containing hydrogen is discharged from the other end thereof. Two or more such reforming units are connected in series, and the upstream part of each reforming room is filled with a first catalyst which catalyzes a partial oxidation reaction in an oxygen-rich environment, and the downstream part is filled with a second catalyst which performs the reforming reaction. The gas mixture which has been heated in a heating unit passes through a distribution tube and is distributed evenly to the reforming units. The reforming room is composed of a reforming tube in which a reforming catalyst is charged, or two or more such reforming tubes, parallel to each other. After being reformed the high-temperature reformed gas is passed wound the reforming tubes, and fed back to a manifold.Type: GrantFiled: August 29, 2001Date of Patent: December 21, 2004Assignee: Industries Co., Ltd.Inventors: Hideaki Komaki, Kunio Matsui
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Patent number: 6833013Abstract: Process for the production of synthesis gas, by means of catalytic partial oxidation or autothermal reforming of light hydrocarbons, which comprises partially oxidizing the hydrocarbon with oxygen coming from the reduction of at least one metal oxide selected from hexavalent chromium oxide, supported on an inert carrier and modified with an alkaline and/or earth-alkaline metal, and metal oxides capable of autonomously sustaining the catalytic partial oxidation reaction by means of redox cycles.Type: GrantFiled: April 25, 2000Date of Patent: December 21, 2004Assignee: Snamprogetti S.p.A.Inventors: Domenico Sanfilippo, Alberto Paggini, Ivano Miracca, Carlo Rescalli
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Publication number: 20040253176Abstract: Ammonia synthesis gas production having a shift reaction stage employing a copper-based catalyst, wherein the air supplied to the process is passed through an absorber that removes sulphur and/or halide contaminants, is described. The absorber comprises a support carrying an absorbent for sulphur compounds and/or an absorbent for halide compounds. The removal of said contaminants improves the lifetime of. e.g. copper-zinc low temperature shift catalysts.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 29, 2004Publication date: December 16, 2004Inventors: Andrew Mark Ward, Alan Bruce Briston
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Patent number: 6821501Abstract: Disclosed is a new process and apparatus for steam reforming of any vaporizable hydrocarbon to produce H2 and CO2, with minimal CO, and no CO in the H2 stream, using a membrane steam reforming (MSR) reactor and flameless distributed combustion (FDC) which provides great improvements in heat exchange efficiency and load following capabilities to drive the steam reforming reaction. The invention also pertains to a zero emission hybrid power system wherein the produced hydrogen is used to power a high-pressure molten carbonate fuel cell. In addition, the design of the FDC-MSR powered fuel cell makes it possible to capture good concentrations of CO2 for sequestration or use in other processes.Type: GrantFiled: March 5, 2002Date of Patent: November 23, 2004Assignee: Shell Oil CompanyInventors: Andreas Nikolaos Matzakos, Scott Lee Wellington, Thomas Mikus, John Michael Ward
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Patent number: 6818189Abstract: A continuous flow chemical reaction apparatus comprises a tubular reactor having a length and having a first fluid reactant inlet at a first end and a product outlet at a second end, said tubular reactor having a central tube/interior conduit extending lengthwise within said tubular reaction zone, said conduit having at least one injector within the length of said conduit, said injector capable of introducing a controlled amount of a second fluid reactant into said tubular reactor.Type: GrantFiled: May 5, 2000Date of Patent: November 16, 2004Assignee: Saudi Basic Industries CorporationInventors: Alaa Eldin Mostafa Adris, Friedrich Gutlhuber
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Patent number: 6818198Abstract: Recycling a portion of autothermal reformer effluent into the steam-hydrocarbon feed stream with a thermo-compressor ejector is disclosed, using the preheated feed mixture as motive fluid. Syngas recycle-motive fluid molar ratios are 0.2-1.0, selected to optimize the overall configuration. The recycle introduces hydrogen and steam into the feed, and elevates the feed temperature, for operating the reformer in a soot-free regime. There is some pressure drop between the raw feed steam-natural gas mixture and the reformer feed, which requires the raw feed mixture to be supplied at a higher pressure, but this is offset by the lower pressure drop in the process heater and other upstream and downstream equipment due to lower quantities of steam. The feed pre-heater can have a lower duty, and the upstream and downstream equipment can be reduced in size, while the size of the autothermal reformer is about the same compared to the size needed for operation without effluent recycle.Type: GrantFiled: September 23, 2002Date of Patent: November 16, 2004Assignee: Kellogg Brown & Root, Inc.Inventors: Shashi Prakash Singh, Avinash Malhotra
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Publication number: 20040209131Abstract: A process and apparatus for producing hydrogen for a fuel cell by (a) reacting a fuel comprising a hydrocarbon and/or an oxygenate with steam, under steam reforming conditions in a reforming reactor to produce a product stream comprising hydrogen, (b) feeding at least part of the hydrogen produced in step a) to a fuel cell, to produce electric power and a waste stream comprising hydrogen, (c) reacting at least part of the waste stream from step b) with an oxygen-containing gas in a combustion reactor, and (d) using the heat energy produced in step c) to supply energy to the steam reforming reaction in step a) in which the combustion reactor is positioned within the reforming reactor to facilitate heat transfer between the stages.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 4, 2004Publication date: October 21, 2004Inventors: Leslie William Bolton, William Terence Woodfin
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Patent number: 6805721Abstract: An improved fuel processor thermal management system for use with a fuel cell is disclosed. The process includes supplying an air stream and a fuel stream into a auto thermal reactor (ATR) and forming reformate gas therein. Then, preferentially oxidizing the reformate gas and the air stream in the preferential oxidizer reactor (PrOx). The temperature of the preferential oxidizer reaction is controlled with a water stream by vaporizing the water stream to form a first portion of vaporized water. Then, reacting the air stream with the reformate gas exiting the PrOx is reached in a fuel cell to form an anode exhaust stream which is subsequently combined with the air stream to heat the water stream to form a second portion of vaporized water. The first portion of vaporized water and the second portion of vaporized water form a steam fluid.Type: GrantFiled: January 10, 2002Date of Patent: October 19, 2004Inventors: Steven D. Burch, Steven G. Goebel, William H. Pettit
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Patent number: 6803029Abstract: The present invention provides a process for suppressing the formation of metal-containing coke during processing of a hydrocarbonaceous material, such as for example a hydrocarbon conversion processes. The process involves using a feed comprising CO2 and steam in combination with equipment comprising high nickel and/or cobalt alloy metallurgy including aluminum or an aluminum coating in order to reduce metal catalyzed coking at process temperatures above about 800 degrees F. The process is particularly useful in the reforming of a hydrocarbon material to make hydrogen for operation in a fuel cell.Type: GrantFiled: February 21, 2003Date of Patent: October 12, 2004Assignee: Chevron U.S.A. Inc.Inventor: Gunther H. Dieckmann
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Publication number: 20040187386Abstract: A fuel processor for producing a hydrogen-rich product gas suitable for direct use in fuel cell applications includes a housing, an annular shift/methanator reactor vessel -at least one reactor vessel wall disposed within the housing and forming an outer annular space between the at least one reactor vessel wall and the housing. A combustion chamber having at least one combustion chamber wall and forming a first inner annular space between the at least one combustion chamber wall and the at least one reactor vessel wall is disposed in the interior space formed by the annular shift/methanator reactor vessel, and a reformer reactor vessel having at least one reformer vessel wall and forming a second inner annular space between the at least one reformer vessel wall and the at least one combustion chamber wall is disposed within the combustion chamber.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 26, 2003Publication date: September 30, 2004Inventors: James R. Wangerow, Alvie R. Meadows, Andy H. Hill, Michael Onischak
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Publication number: 20040191166Abstract: The invention provides a method for generating high pressure hydrogen at improved thermal efficiencies. First a synthesis gas stream at a first pressure is produced in a pressure swing reformer. Next the synthesis gas stream is subjected to a high temperature water gas shift process to produce a hydrogen enriched stream from which high pressure hydrogen is obtained. Specific embodiments of the invention involve: regenerating the reformer at a pressure lower than the synthesis gas generation; operating the synthesis gas generation step at conditions sufficient to provide a syn gas stream at a temperature in the range used in the water gas shift reaction; and using pressure swing adsorption to separate the hydrogen.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 4, 2004Publication date: September 30, 2004Inventors: Frank Hershkowitz, Robert L. Segarich
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Patent number: 6797253Abstract: A new cost effective and thermally efficient process for converting nearly valueless resources, such as “static,” lower quality sour natural gas containing hydrogen sulfide, to useable fuels and chemicals, such as hydrogen, methanol and high cetane diesel fuel. The preferred method and apparatus can be used to treat conventional sour gas, i.e., gas having a ratio of H2S to CH4 of at least 0.1 moles and preferably of at least 0.33 moles/mole, using a reforming catalyst and a sulfur capture agent. The process nominally can be carried out using two reactors that repeatedly cycle reactants between two basic process steps—reforming, and air regeneration.Type: GrantFiled: November 26, 2001Date of Patent: September 28, 2004Assignee: General Electric Co.Inventor: Richard K. Lyon
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Patent number: 6793698Abstract: This invention relates to a compact apparatus for generating hydrogen. More particularly, this invention relates to a compact hydrogen generating apparatus suitable for use in conjunction with a fuel cell. The compact hydrogen generating apparatus comprises a fuel processor reactor having an integrated pre-reforming zone embedded within a secondary reforming zone.Type: GrantFiled: March 9, 2001Date of Patent: September 21, 2004Assignee: UOP LLCInventors: Robert J. Sanger, Kurt M. Vanden Bussche, Daniel R. Sioui
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Patent number: 6790247Abstract: An apparatus for carrying out a multi-step process of converting hydrocarbon fuel to a substantially pure hydrogen gas feed includes a plurality of reaction zones arranged in an insulated, box-shaped, compact fuel processor. The multi-step process includes preheating the hydrocarbon fuel utilizing integration with the inherent exothermic processes utilized with the fuel processor, reacting the preheated hydrocarbon fuel to form the hydrogen rich gas, and purifying the hydrogen rich gas to produce a gas that is suitable for consumption in a fuel cell.Type: GrantFiled: April 26, 2002Date of Patent: September 14, 2004Assignee: Texaco Inc.Inventors: Robert Childress, John R. Farrell, Wendell B. Leimbach, James W. Marshall
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Publication number: 20040175326Abstract: The present invention provides an improvement in the process of producing hydrogen from hydrocarbon-containing streams. A cyclic reforming process, referred to as pressure swing reforming, provides an efficient means for producing a hydrogen containing synthesis gas for fuel cell applications. Pressure swing reforming may be integrated with shift reactions, preferential oxidation, and membrane separation, achieving thermal and material efficiencies relative to conventional hydrogen production. In one embodiment, at least some synthesis gas which is first produced in the pressure swing reforming process is combusted with air to provide the heat for the regeneration step of the pressure swing reforming process.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 13, 2004Publication date: September 9, 2004Inventors: Frank Hershkowitz, Paul J. Berlowitz, Randall D. Partridge
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Publication number: 20040170558Abstract: The invention provides a method for producing liquid hydrocarbons by first generating in a pressure swing reformer a synthesis gas stream having a mole ratio of H2:CO greater than 2:1. Then, a portion of the hydrogen is separated to produce a synthesis gas stream having a mole ratio of H2:CO of about 2:1 which steam is then introduced into a hydrocarbon synthesis reactor for conversion to liquid products.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 13, 2004Publication date: September 2, 2004Inventor: Frank Hershkowitz
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Publication number: 20040170559Abstract: The invention provides a method for generating high pressure hydrogen at improved thermal efficiencies. First a synthesis gas stream at a first pressure is produced in a pressure swing reformer. Next the synthesis gas stream is subjected to a high temperature water gas shift process to produce a hydrogen enriched stream from which high pressure hydrogen is obtained. Specific embodiments of the invention involve: regenerating the reformer at a pressure lower than the synthesis gas generation; operating the synthesis gas generation step at conditions sufficient to provide a syn gas stream at a temperature in the range used in the water gas shift reaction; and using pressure swing adsorption to separate the hydrogen.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 13, 2004Publication date: September 2, 2004Inventors: Frank Hershkowitz, Robert L. Segarich
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Publication number: 20040170557Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for manufacturing a hydrogen- and nitrogen containing gas mixture, where a mixture of steam and a carbon containing gas is fed to the retentate side of at least one hydrogen transport membrane syngas and sweep gas generator where said gas and steam are converted to synthesis gas. A part of the hydrogen in said synthesis gas is transported through the membrane to the permeate side in said generator where it reacts with oxygen in an air stream fed to said permeate side to generate heat and a nitrogen and steam containing gas.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 6, 2003Publication date: September 2, 2004Inventors: Knut Ingvar Asen, Henrik Solgaard Andersen
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Patent number: 6783750Abstract: A method of producing hydrogen in which oxygen is separated from an oxygen containing stream to produce an oxygen permeate which is mixed with a hydrocarbon containing stream and steam. Steam, one or more hydrocarbons and permeated oxygen is reacted to produce a synthesis gas. Hydrogen is separated from the synthesis gas by a hydrogen transport membrane to produce a hydrogen permeate which after cooling is used to form a hydrogen product stream. The hydrogen-depleted crude synthesis gas is then combusted to heat the incoming oxygen containing feed.Type: GrantFiled: August 22, 2001Date of Patent: August 31, 2004Assignee: Praxair Technology, Inc.Inventors: Minish Mahendra Shah, Raymond Francis Drnevich, Christian Friedrich Gottzmann, Bart Antonie van Hassel
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Publication number: 20040166056Abstract: The invention provides active, affordable, durable, and sulfur-tolerant catalysts and related precursors and processes useful in hydrogen production. The catalysts have a wide applicability. For example, in one embodiment, the invention provides sulfur-tolerant catalysts which, when used in a catalytic fuel processor, will facilitate sufficient hydrogen generation within 30 seconds or so of automobile start-up to generate around 50 kW of fuel cell power.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 20, 2003Publication date: August 26, 2004Inventors: Darrell P. Eyman, Christopher Brooks