A process for producing a hydrogen-comprising product gas from a hydrocarbon

Process according to any of the preceding claims, wherein a pressure swing adsorption unit (8) is used to obtain the hydrogen-comprising product gas (9) from the reformate, from the shift reactor process gas or from the carbon-dioxide depleted process gas, optionally after a further treatment, preferably from the carbon-dioxide depleted process gas, in which unit further a tail gas is obtained, said hydrogen-comprising product gas (9) having an increased hydrogen content and the tail gas having a reduced hydrogen content compared to the reformate, shift reactor process gas or carbon dioxide-depleted process gas from which it has been obtained.

Process according to any of the preceding claims, wherein a hydrogen selective membrane separator (8) is used to obtain the hydrogen-comprising product gas (9) from the reformate, from the shift reactor process gas or from the carbon-dioxide depleted process gas, optionally after a further treatment, preferably from the carbon-dioxide depleted product, in which separator further a tail gas is obtained, said hydrogen-comprising product gas (9) having an increased hydrogen content and the tail gas having a reduced hydrogen content compared to the reformate, shift reactor process gas or carbon dioxide-depleted process gas from which it has been obtained.

Process according to any of the preceding claims, wherein an electrochemical compressor is used to obtain a hydrogen-comprising product gas (9) from the reformate, from the shift reactor process gas or from the carbon-dioxide depleted process gas, optionally after a further treatment, preferably from the carbon-dioxide depleted product, in which separator further a tail gas is obtained, said hydrogen-comprising product gas (9) having an increased hydrogen content and the tail gas having a reduced hydrogen content compared to the reformate, shift reactor process gas or carbon dioxide-depleted process gas from which it has been obtained.

Process according to any of the preceding claims wherein a part of the hydrogen-comprising product gas (9) is used as fuel in the radiant section.

Process according to any of the preceding claims, wherein reformate or shift reactor process gas, optionally after a further treatment, is subjected to a carbon dioxide removal treatment (20), wherein the carbon dioxide content is reduced, thereby obtaining a carbon dioxide-depleted process gas, comprising hydrogen and carbon monoxide, and subjecting the carbon dioxide-depleted process gas to a methanation reaction wherein carbon monoxide is converted into methane, thereby obtaining a hydrogen-comprising product gas (9), further comprising methane.

Process according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the obtained hydrogen-comprising product gas (9) comprises at least 90 mol % hydrogen, preferably 98-99.99 mol % hydrogen, in particular 99-99.8 mol % mol % hydrogen.

Process according to any of the preceding claims, wherein part or all of the hydrogen used as fuel in the radiant section is recovered from a process gas, downstream of the reformer system and upstream from a unit (8) wherein the hydrogen-comprising product gas is obtained—which process gas is preferably selected from the group consisting of reformate and shift reactor process gas—wherein the recovery of said fuel comprising hydrogen is preferably carried out using a hydrogen selective membrane separator, or an electrochemical compressor, or a pressure swing adsorption unit, thereby obtaining from said process gas a fuel gas which is enriched in hydrogen, compared to said process gas, and using thus obtained fuel gas enriched in hydrogen for said fuel in the radiant section.

Process according to any of the preceding claims, wherein reformate is subjected to a shift reaction in one shift reactor or two or more shift reactors in series, to obtain a shift reactor process gas, the shift reactor product is subjected to a carbon dioxide removal treatment (20) to obtain the carbon dioxide-depleted process gas and the gas enriched in hydrogen is recovered from the carbon dioxide-depleted process gas using the pressure swing adsorption treatment (8), or an electrochemical compressor (8), or the hydrogen-selective membrane (8), thereby obtaining the hydrogen-comprising product gas (9), of which part is used as fuel in the radiant section of the reformer system.

Process according to any of the preceding claims, wherein a further part of the hydrogen formed from the hydrocarbon and water, is recycled (2) to and combined with the hydrocarbon feedstock upstream of a hydrodesulphurization system, wherein the hydrocarbon feedstock is subjected to a hydrodesulphurization treatment.

Process according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the reformer system comprises a heat-recuperating reformer unit, preferably comprising an outer reactor channel and an inner heat recovery channel, configured to exchange heat with the outer reactor channel, said heat recovery extending coaxially inside the outer reactor channel, the outer reactor channel containing a catalyst bed catalysing the reaction between the hydrocarbon and the water under formation of reformate, wherein the outer reactor channel has a feed inlet (30) via which the hydrocarbon and the water are fed through the catalyst bed and an outlet (31) for reformate, which inlet and outlet are located at opposite ends of the catalyst bed, wherein the reformate is fed from outlet (31) into the inner channel (32, 34), heat is transferred from the reformate flowing through the inner channel to the contents of the outer reactor channel, and reformate leaves the heat-recuperating reformer unit via a gas outlet (33).

Process according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the reformer system comprises a heat-recuperating reformer reaction unit comprising a structured catalyst, preferably an annular structured catalyst.

Process according to any of the preceding claims, wherein hydrogen-comprising product gas (9) is obtained in a hydrogen recovery unit (8) in which hydrogen recovery unit reformate, shift reactor process gas or a process gas derived therefrom, comprising carbon dioxide is separated into the hydrogen-comprising product, having an increased hydrogen content compared to respectively the reformate, shift reactor process gas or other process gas derived therefrom before treatment in said hydrogen recovery unit (8) and a tail gas (10) having a reduced hydrogen content compared to respectively the reformate, shift reactor process gas or process gas derived therefrom before treatment in said hydrogen recovery unit (8), and

• wherein said tail gas is subjected to a carbon dioxide removal treatment, wherein the carbon dioxide content of the tail gas is reduced.

Process according to any of the preceding claims, wherein in the carbon dioxide removal treatment (20) further a gas enriched in carbon dioxide is obtained and part or all of said gas or part or all carbon dioxide recovered from said gas is recycled to one or more of said reformer reaction units (5, 22) to serve as further reactant.

Process to any of the preceding claims, wherein the further reactant selected from the group consisting of steam, carbon dioxide and mixtures thereof is steam or contains steam.

Process according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the further reactant selected from the group consisting of steam, carbon dioxide and mixtures thereof is carbon dioxide or contains carbon dioxide.