Oxidative reforming and electrolysis system and process for hydrogen generation

A thermally integrated hydrogen generation system, comprising:

• an electrolyzer arranged to receive water and to generate hydrogen gas and oxygen gas therefrom;
• an oxygen storage vessel, arranged to receive the oxygen gas from the electrolyzer;
• a non-autothermal oxidative reforming system comprising a unitary adiabatic reactor arranged to receive oxygen gas from the oxygen storage vessel, feedstock fuel from a feedstock fuel source containing the feedstock fuel, and water from a water source, the unitary adiabatic reactor containing successive catalyst beds that are contacted in sequence in flow through the unitary adiabatic reactor, including (i) a first catalyst bed comprising a partial oxidation catalyst, (ii) a second catalyst bed comprising steam reforming catalyst, and (iii) a third catalyst bed comprising a high temperature water gas shift catalyst, so that the feedstock fuel from the feedstock fuel source with the oxygen from the oxygen storage vessel and the water from the water source is catalytically oxidatively reformed in the unitary adiabatic reactor to generate oxidatively reformed gas that is predominantly hydrogen, the unitary adiabatic reactor being arranged to discharge the generated oxidatively reformed gas,
• a first heat exchanger arranged to receive the generated oxidatively reformed gas from the unitary adiabatic reactor and remove heat therefrom, to produce a reduced temperature oxidatively reformed gas;
• a low temperature water gas shift reactor arranged to receive the reduced temperature oxidatively reformed gas from the first heat exchanger and convert at least a portion of carbon monoxide in the reduced temperature oxidatively reformed gas to carbon dioxide, to produce a low temperature water gas shift reaction gas of reduced carbon monoxide content, the low temperature water gas shift reactor including a fourth catalyst bed comprising a low temperature water gas shift catalyst;
• a hydrogen gas purifier arranged to receive the low temperature water gas shift reaction gas of reduced carbon monoxide content from the low temperature water gas shift reactor, and to produce a separated hydrogen gas, and carbon dioxide-containing waste gas;
• a hydrogen gas reservoir, arranged to receive the hydrogen gas from the electrolyzer and the separated hydrogen gas from the hydrogen gas purifier;
• a burner arranged to combust the carbon dioxide-containing waste gas produced by the hydrogen gas purifier, to yield a flue gas;
• a second heat exchanger arranged to receive the flue gas from the burner for heating of the oxygen gas from the oxygen storage vessel, the feedstock fuel from the feedstock fuel source, and the water from the water source prior to their introduction to the unitary adiabatic reactor;
• and
• a process controller configured and arranged to coordinate operation of the electrolyzer and the non-autothermal oxidative reforming system in the thermally integrated hydrogen generation system, and adjust throughput of each of the electrolyzer and the non-autothermal oxidative reforming system to control temperature in the unitary adiabatic reactor,
• wherein the feedstock fuel contained in the feedstock fuel source comprises fuel selected from the group consisting of oxygenates, hydrocarbons, and mixtures thereof, the feedstock fuel having a bio-derived content in a range of from 5% to 100% by volume, based on total volume of the feedstock fuel.