Hydrogen manufacturing system and method for manufacturing hydrogen

An apparatus for manufacturing hydrogen, the apparatus comprising:

• reformer reaction vessels configured to generate, based on a reaction of methane and water, a first gas comprising hydrogen and carbon monoxide;
• a water-gas shift reaction vessel configured to generate a second gas comprising hydrogen by reacting the carbon monoxide in the first gas with the water;
• a plurality of heat exchangers configured to exchange heat between a portion of supply gas supplied to the reformer reaction vessels and the first gas supplied to the water-gas shift reaction vessel;
• a temperature control circuit configured to control a methane shift rate by adjusting reaction temperatures in the reformer reaction vessels;
• and
• a control circuit configured to control flow rates of supply gas supplied to the plurality of heat exchangers, respectively, by operating valves associated with the respective heat exchangers.

An apparatus for hydrogen production, the apparatus comprising:

• a reformer reaction vessel configured to receive a gas comprising methane and steam, and react the gas to produce a first gas comprising hydrogen, carbon monoxide, and at least a portion of the methane;
• a sensor configured to determine that a methane-conversion rate has decreased, wherein the methane-conversion rate corresponds to a rate at which the methane in the gas is converted to the hydrogen and the carbon monoxide in the reformer reaction vessel;
• a temperature control circuit configured to increase, based on a determination that the methane-conversion rate has decreased, a reaction temperature in the reformer reaction vessel;
• a plurality of heat exchangers configured to receive the first gas from the reformer reaction vessel and transfer heat from the first gas to at least a portion of the gas, wherein the at least the portion of the gas is directed through the plurality of heat exchangers;
• a flow control valve assembly coupled to the plurality of heat exchangers and configured to control, based on the reaction temperature in the reformer reaction vessel, a flow rate of the at least the portion of the gas directed through the plurality of heat exchangers;
• and
• a water-gas shift reaction vessel configured to receive the first gas from the plurality of heat exchangers and convert carbon monoxide in the first gas to additional hydrogen.