Systems and methods of pyrolyzing hydrocarbons

Hydrogen gas produced by a method comprising:

• introducing a gaseous hydrocarbon reactant material into an intake of a plenum operatively associated with a reaction chamber, the reaction chamber defining a plurality of apertures therein that are in fluid communication the plenum so that hydrocarbon reactant material in the plenum is introduced into the reaction chamber at multiple locations;
• introducing a particulate material into an intake of the reaction chamber, the particulate material mixing with the gaseous hydrocarbon reactant material from the plenum to form an aerosol;
• exposing the aerosol to electromagnetic radiation sufficient to raise the temperature of the particulate seed material to a range of about 400° C. to about 1200° C. to pyrolyze the gaseous hydrocarbon reactant material to produce
• an aerosol product;
• withdrawing the aerosol product via an offtake of the reaction chamber;
• recirculating a portion of the withdrawn aerosol product to the intake of the reaction chamber, the recirculated portion of the aerosol product mixing with additional quantities of the gaseous hydrocarbon reactant material from the plenum, the recirculated portion of the aerosol product comprising the particulate material that is introduced into the intake of the reaction chamber;
• filtering non-recirculated portions of the aerosol product to produce a filtrate substantially devoid of particulate matter;
• separating hydrogen gas from the filtrate;
• and
• diffusing the hydrocarbon reactant material through a porous felt material positioned adjacent the plurality of apertures defined by the reaction chamber.

A method of pyrolyzing a hydrocarbon reactant material to produce hydrogen, comprising:

• introducing the hydrocarbon reactant material into a reaction chamber at multiple locations, wherein said introducing comprises diffusing the hydrocarbon reactant material through a porous felt material provided within the reaction chamber;
• introducing a particulate material into an intake of the reaction chamber, the particulate material mixing with the hydrocarbon reactant material introduced via the multiple locations to form an aerosol;
• exposing the aerosol to electromagnetic radiation sufficient to raise the temperature of the particulate material to a level sufficient to initiate pyrolyzation of the gaseous hydrocarbon reactant material to produce an aerosol product;
• withdrawing the aerosol product via an offtake of the reaction chamber;
• recirculating a portion of the withdrawn aerosol product to the intake of the reaction chamber, the recirculated portion of the aerosol product mixing with additional quantities of the gaseous hydrocarbon reactant material introduced via the multiple locations, the recirculated portion of the aerosol product comprising the particulate material that is introduced into the intake of the reaction chamber;
• filtering non-recirculated portions of the aerosol product to produce a filtrate substantially devoid of particulate matter;
• separating a first gas constituent from the filtrate, the first gas constituent comprising hydrogen;
• separating a second gas constituent from the filtrate, the second gas constituent comprising unreacted amounts of the gaseous hydrocarbon reactant material;
• and
• recirculating the separated second gas constituent to the reaction chamber so that the separated second gas constituent is introduced into the reaction chamber via the multiple locations.

Hydrogen gas produced by a method comprising:

• introducing a gaseous hydrocarbon reactant material into a reaction chamber at multiple locations, wherein said introducing comprises diffusing the hydrocarbon reactant material through a porous felt material provided within the reaction chamber;
• introducing a particulate material into an intake of the reaction chamber, the particulate material mixing with the gaseous hydrocarbon reactant material introduced via the multiple locations to form an aerosol;
• exposing the aerosol to electromagnetic radiation sufficient to raise the temperature of the particulate seed material to a range of about 400° C. to about 1200° C. to pyrolyze the gaseous hydrocarbon reactant material to produce an aerosol product;
• withdrawing the aerosol product via an offtake of the reaction chamber;
• recirculating a portion of the withdrawn aerosol product to the intake of the reaction chamber, the recirculated portion of the aerosol product mixing with additional quantities of the gaseous hydrocarbon reactant material introduced via the multiple locations, the recirculated portion of the aerosol product comprising the particulate material that is introduced into the intake of the reaction chamber;
• filtering non-recirculated portions of the aerosol product to produce a filtrate substantially devoid of particulate matter;
• and
• separating hydrogen gas from the filtrate.