Syngas cleanup section with carbon capture and hydrogen-selective membrane

An apparatus using a hydrogen-selective membrane for carbon capture, comprising:

• a water-gas shift reactor configured to receive a syngas from a gasification unit;
• a first unit operation in flow communication with the water-gas shift reactor, the first unit operation including a first, high permeance membrane with H2/CO2 selectivity to produce a first, H2-rich permeate stream and a first, H2-poor, CO2-rich and CO-rich retentate stream;
• a second unit operation in flow communication with the first operation unit for receiving the first, H2-poor, CO2-rich and CO-rich retentate stream from the first unit operation, the second unit operation including a second, high permeance membrane with Knudsen selectivity for permeating H2, CO and CO2 to produce a second permeate stream and a second retentate stream, the second membrane recovering H2 and CO from the first retentate stream to produce a CO2-rich product stream;
• and
• a third unit operation comprising a catalytic oxidation unit for converting the CO in the second retentate stream into CO2 to produce the CO2-rich product stream,
• wherein the first, H2-rich permeate stream and the second permeate stream are combined to produce a H2 and CO-rich fuel stream capable of being used by a combined cycle power generation unit to produce electricity, and
• wherein an entire content of the CO2-rich product stream produced by the second operation unit has a minimum pressure of at least about 10.0 bar.

An apparatus using a hydrogen-selective membrane for carbon capture, comprising:

• a water-gas shift reactor configured to receive a syngas from a gasification unit;
• a first unit operation in flow communication with the water-gas shift reactor, the first unit operation including a first, high permeance membrane with H2/CO2 selectivity in flow communication with the water-gas shift reactor, the first membrane providing a first, H2-rich permeate stream and a first, H2-poor, CO2-rich and CO-rich retentate stream;
• and
• a second unit operation in flow communication with the first operation unit for receiving the first, H2-poor, CO2-rich and CO-rich retentate stream from the first unit operation, the second unit operation including a catalytic oxidation unit for converting the CO in the first retentate stream into CO2 to produce a CO2-rich product stream,
• wherein the first, H2-rich permeate stream is capable of being used by a combined cycle power generation unit to produce electricity, and
• wherein an entire content of the CO2-rich product stream produced by the second operation unit has a minimum pressure of at least about 10.0 bar.

A method for producing hydrogen gas, comprising:

• forming a syngas in a gasification unit;
• receiving the syngas from the gasification unit in a water-gas shift reactor;
• receiving the syngas from the water-gas shift reactor in a first unit operation that includes a first, high permeance membrane with H2/CO2 selectivity in flow communication with the water-gas shift reactor, the first membrane providing a first, H2-rich permeate stream and a first, H2-poor, CO2-rich and CO-rich retentate stream;
• and
• receiving the first, H2-poor, CO2-rich and CO-rich retentate stream from the first unit operation in a second unit operation, the second unit operation recovering H2 and CO from the first retentate stream to produce a CO2-rich product stream,
• whereby an entire content of the CO2-rich product stream produced by the second operation unit has a minimum pressure of at least about 10.0 bar.