Patent ID: 8679439

Claim:
A method of producing ammonia, the method comprising: (a) gasifying a biomass in a biomass gasifier to generate biosyngas, wherein said biomass is gasified with the aid of oxygen (O 2 ) supplied from an air separation unit in fluid communication with said biomass gasifier; (b) directing said biosyngas from said biomass gasifier to an oxyblown autothermal catalytic reformer downstream of said biomass gasifier, wherein said oxyblown autothermal catalytic reformer is operated at a temperature from about 1500° F. to 1700° F.; (c) reforming said biosyngas using said oxyblown autothermal catalytic reformer to provide a gas stream comprising hydrogen (H 2 ), wherein said gas stream has a substantially lower hydrocarbon content than said biosyngas; (d) directing said gas stream comprising hydrogen to an ammonia synthesis reactor; and (e) generating ammonia in said ammonia synthesis reactor by reacting hydrogen produced from said biosyngas with nitrogen supplied from said air separation unit.