Catalytic membrane system for converting biomass to hydrogen

A process of converting biomass to H2 and CO2, the process comprising:

• step (1):
• introducing air into hollow fiber membranes that selectively allow O2, not N2, to continuously permeate therethrough, the hollow fiber membranes installed around the perimeter of a circle inside a gasification reactor and controlling the amount of O2 flowing into the gasification reactor;
• step (2):
• mixing the O2 continuously permeating through the hollow fiber membranes and steam to react with biomass to produce syngas, tar, and ash, wherein the syngas contains H2 and CO;
• step (3):
• reforming the tar in the presence of a first catalyst to produce more syngas;
• step (4):
• mixing the syngas produced in step (3) and steam to react in the presence of a second catalyst to generate H2 and CO2;
• and
• step (5):
• allowing H2 to selectively permeate through a hollow metal-based membrane, thereby separating the H2 from the CO2.