1. A process comprising:
a) providing a gasification reactor;
b) partially oxidizing a carbonaceous feedstock in said reactor to produce a product gas comprising H2, CO, and methane;
c) utilizing the product gas as feedstock for a chemical synthesis reactor to thereby produce a reaction product and an off-gas stream;
d) separating the off-gas stream into a hydrogen-rich gas stream, and a methane-rich purge gas stream;
e) compressing the methane-rich purge gas stream, then routing said stream back to the gasification reactor,
wherein said methane-rich purge gas stream serves as carbonaceous feedstock for additional production of said product gas of part b).
2. The process of claim 1, wherein the separation of part d) is performed by a selective membrane.
3. The process of claim 1, wherein the gasification reactor comprises a first reaction zone and a second reaction zone, and wherein a partial oxidation of the feedstock is the predominant reaction occurring within the first reaction zone, while pyrolysis of the feedstock is the predominant reaction occurring within the second reaction zone.
4. The process of claim 3, wherein the methane-rich purge gas stream is compressed, then routed to the first reaction zone of the gasification reactor.
5. The process of claim 1, wherein the methane-rich purge gas stream of part e) is converted to carbon monoxide and hydrogen gas in the gasification reactor via the steam-methane reforming reaction: CH4+H2O\u2192CO+3H2.
6. The process of claim 1, wherein said hydrogen-rich gas stream is utilized as a feedstock for a chemical production process that may comprise a Fischer-Tropsch process, or a process for the production of methanol, methyl acetate, urea, urea ammonium nitrate, ammonia or hydrogen.
7. The process of claim 1, wherein the overall rate of carbonaceous feedstock consumption is decreased by about 2% (by weight) or more.
8. The process of claim 1, wherein the amount of oxygen required for partially oxidizing said carbonaceous feedstock is decreased.
9. The process of claim 1, wherein the methane content of the product gas of part a) is between about 0.5% and 10% by weight.
10. The process of claim 1, wherein the molar fraction of methane in the methane-rich purge gas is between about 10% and about 75%.
11. The process of claim 1, wherein the molar fraction of methane in the methane-rich purge gas is between about 25% and about 65%.
12. A process comprising:
a) providing a gasification reactor;
b) partially oxidizing a carbonaceous feedstock in said reactor to produce a product gas comprising H2, CO, and methane;
c) utilizing the product gas as feedstock for a chemical synthesis reactor to thereby produce a reaction product and an off-gas stream;
d) separating the off-gas stream into a hydrogen-rich gas stream, and a methane-rich purge gas stream,
wherein said separation is performed by a selective membrane;
e) compressing the methane-rich purge gas stream, then routing said stream back to the gasification reactor,
wherein said methane-rich purge gas stream serves as carbonaceous feedstock for additional production of said product gas of part b), and
wherein the methane-rich purge gas stream is converted to carbon monoxide and hydrogen gas in the gasification reactor via the steam-methane reforming reaction:
CH4+H2O\u2192CO+3H2.
13. A process comprising:
a) providing a gasification reactor;
wherein the gasification reactor comprises a first reaction zone and a second reaction zone,
and wherein a partial oxidation of the feedstock is the predominant reaction occurring within the first reaction zone, while pyrolysis of the feedstock is the predominant reaction occurring within the second reaction zone.
b) partially oxidizing a carbonaceous feedstock in said reactor to produce a product gas comprising H2, CO, and methane;
c) utilizing the product gas as feedstock for a chemical synthesis reactor to thereby produce a reaction product and an off-gas stream;
d) separating the off-gas stream into a hydrogen-rich gas stream, and a methane-rich purge gas stream,
wherein said separation is performed by a selective membrane;
e) compressing the methane-rich purge gas stream, then routing said stream back to the gasification reactor,
wherein said methane-rich purge gas stream serves as carbonaceous feedstock for additional production of said product gas of part b), and
wherein said methane-rich purge gas stream is routed to the first reaction zone of the gasification reactor, and
wherein the methane-rich purge gas stream is converted to carbon monoxide and hydrogen gas in the gasification reactor via the steam-methane reforming reaction:
CH4+H2O\u2192CO+3H2.
14. The process of claim 12 or 13, wherein the overall rate of carbonaceous feedstock consumption by said gasification reactor is decreased by about 2% (by weight) or more.
15. The process of claim 12 or 13, wherein the amount of oxygen required for partially oxidizing said carbonaceous feedstock is decreased.
16. The process of claim 12 or 13, wherein said hydrogen-rich gas stream is utilized as a feedstock for a chemical production process that may comprise a Fischer-Tropsch process, or a process for the production of methanol, methyl acetate, urea, urea ammonium nitrate, ammonia or hydrogen.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
1. An apparatus for enabling reformatting of media, wherein the apparatus is located at a server on a network, comprising:
logic for indicating that a media object in a first format is available for conversion into a second format;
logic for receiving, over the network, a representation of the media object in the second format;
logic for associating the media object in the second format with the media object in the first format; and
logic for making the representation available to at least one recipient.
2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the logic for receiving is operable to receive the representation over the network from a format converter.
3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the representation is the media object itself.
4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the representation is a link to the media object.
5. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising permissions logic for enabling a provider of the media object in the first format to grant permission to convert the media object in the first format.
6. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising permission logic for enabling a provider of the media object in the first format to approve for posting the media object in the second format.
7. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the permission logic is further operable to grant permission to a format converter based upon a reputation of the format converter.
8. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising rights management logic for associating authorized rights with the media object in the second format.
9. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising logic for allocating consideration for actions associated with the media object in the second format
10. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising recommendation logic for suggesting to a converter a media object for conversion, based upon a reputation of the converter.
11. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising recommendation logic for suggesting to a converter a media object for conversion, based upon at least one preference of the converter.
12. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising:
logic for receiving, over the network, information regarding a format of an advertisement;
matching logic for determining compatibility between the advertisement format and format capability of a playback device for playing back the media object in the second format, and for associating the advertisement with the media object in the second format if compatibility is determined; and
logic for making the association available to a recipient if compatibility is determined.
13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the matching logic is further operable to determine compatibility also based upon the second format.
14. The apparatus of claim 12, further comprising placement logic for determining placement of the advertisement with respect to presentation of the media object in the second format.
15. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the placement logic is operable to determine placement based upon metadata associated with the media object in the second format.
16. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the placement logic is operable to determine placement based upon metadata associated with the advertisement.
17. A method for enabling reformatting of media, comprising, at a server on a network:
indicating that a media object in a first format is available for conversion into a second format;
receiving, over the network, a representation of the media object in the second format;
associating the media object in the second format with the media object in the first format; and
making the representation available to at least one recipient.
18. The method of claim 17, wherein receiving comprises receiving the representation over the network from a format converter.
19. The method of claim 17, wherein the representation is the media object itself.
20. The method of claim 17, wherein the representation is a link to the media object.
21. The method of claim 17, further comprising enabling a provider of the media object in the first format to grant permission to convert the media object in the first format.
22. The method of claim 17, further comprising enabling a provider of the media object in the first format to approve for posting the media object in the second format.
23. The method of claim 22, wherein the permission logic is further operable to grant permission to a format converter based upon a reputation of the format converter.
24. The method of claim 17, further comprising associating authorized rights with the media object in the second format.
25. The method of claim 17, further allocating consideration for actions associated with the media object in the second format
26. The method of claim 17, further comprising suggesting, to a converter, a media object for conversion, based upon a reputation of the converter.
27. The method of claim 17, further comprising suggesting, to a converter, a media object for conversion, based upon at least one preference of the converter.
28. The method of claim 17 further comprising:
receiving, over the network, information regarding a format of an advertisement;
determining compatibility between the advertisement format and the second format;
associating the advertisement with the media object in the second format if compatibility is determined; and
making the association available to a recipient if compatibility is determined.
29. The method of claim 28, wherein determining compatibility comprises determining compatibility also based upon a format capability of a playback device for playing back the media object in the second format.
30. The method of claim 28, further comprising determining placement of the advertisement with respect to presentation of the media object in the second format.
31. The method of claim 30, wherein determining placement comprises determining placement based upon metadata associated with the media object in the second format.
32. The method of claim 30, wherein determining placement comprises determining placement based upon metadata associated with the advertisement.
33. A computer-readable medium comprising instructions for enabling reformatting of media, the instructions for causing performance of a method comprising:
indicating that a media object in a first format is available for conversion into a second format;
receiving, over the network, a representation of the media object in the second format;
associating the media object in the second format with the media object in the first format; and
making the representation available to at least one recipient.
34. The computer-readable medium of claim 33, wherein receiving comprises receiving the representation over the network from a format converter.
35. The computer-readable medium of claim 33, wherein the representation is the media object itself.
36. The computer-readable medium of claim 33, wherein the representation is a link to the media object.
37. The computer-readable medium of claim 33, the method further comprising: enabling a provider of the media object in the first format to grant permission to convert the media object in the first format.
38. The computer-readable medium of claim 33, the method further comprising: enabling a provider of the media object in the first format to approve for posting the media object in the second format.
39. The computer-readable medium of claim 33, the method further comprising: enabling a provider of the media object in the first format to grant permission to a format converter based upon a reputation of the format converter.
40. The computer-readable medium of claim 33, the method further comprising: associating authorized rights with the media object in the second format.
41. The computer-readable medium of claim 33, the method further comprising: allocating consideration for actions associated with the media object in the second format
42. The computer-readable medium of claim 33, the method further comprising: suggesting to a converter a media object for conversion, based upon a reputation of the converter.
43. The computer-readable medium of claim 33, the method further comprising: suggesting to a converter a media object for conversion, based upon at least one preference of the converter.
44. The computer-readable medium of claim 33, the method further comprising:
receiving, over the network, information regarding a format of an advertisement;
determining compatibility between the advertisement format and format capability of a playback device for playing back the media object in the second format;
associating the advertisement with the media object in the second format if compatibility is determined; and
making the association available to a recipient if compatibility is determined.
45. The computer-readable medium of claim 44, the method further comprising: determining compatibility also based upon the second format.
46. The computer-readable medium of claim 44, the method further comprising: determining placement of the advertisement with respect to presentation of the media object in the second format.
47. The computer-readable medium of claim 46, wherein determining placement comprises determining placement based upon metadata associated with the media object in the second format.
48. The computer-readable medium of claim 46, wherein determining placement comprises determining placement based upon metadata associated with the advertisement.