Steam-Hydrocarbon Reforming with Reduced Carbon Dioxide Emissions
AssigneeAir Products and Chemicals, Inc.
InventorsSonia Farrokhpanah, Kelly Ann Forester, David Ross Graham, Michelle Schoonover, Donald E. Henry
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A low carbon-emission hydrogen production process may be achieved by first separating carbon dioxide from a reformer syngas stream, followed by purifying the carbon dioxide-depleted syngas stream to produce a hydrogen product and a hydrogen-depleted tail gas stream. The hydrogen-depleted tail gas stream is then separated using a semi-permeable membrane after which the hydrogen-enriched permeate is used as fuel in the reformer burners and the hydrogen-depleted retentate is recycled to the feed.
Claims24
A process for producing a hydrogen-enriched product stream, the process comprising:
- reacting a reformer feed stream comprising a hydrocarbon feestock and a reactant selected from the group consisting of water and carbon dioxide in the presence of a reforming catalyst to produce a syngas stream comprising hydrogen, carbon monoxide, and carbon dioxide;
- separating the syngas stream or a stream derived from the syngas stream to produce a carbon dioxide-enriched stream and a carbon dioxide-depleted stream;
- separating the carbon dioxide-depleted stream to produce the hydrogen-enriched product stream and a hydrogen-depleted tail gas stream;
- separating the hydrogen-depleted tail gas stream by selective permeation to produce a hydrogen-enriched permeate stream and a hydrogen-depleted retentate stream;
- combusting a fuel gas to supply heat to the reaction of the reformer feed stream;
- wherein the fuel gas comprises at least a portion of the hydrogen-enriched permeate stream.
An apparatus for producing a hydrogen-enriched product stream, the apparatus comprising:
- a reformer comprising a reforming catalyst and one or more burners, wherein the reformer is configured to accept a reformer feed stream comprising methane and a reactant selected from the group consisting of water and carbon dioxide to contact the reforming catalyst and produce a syngas stream comprising hydrogen, carbon monoxide, and carbon dioxide;
- wherein the one or more burners are configured to combust a fuel gas and transfer heat energy to the reformer feed stream in the presence of the reforming catalyst;
- a carbon dioxide removal system configured to accept the syngas stream or a stream derived from the syngas stream to produce a carbon dioxide-enriched stream and a carbon dioxide-depleted stream;
- a product purification system comprising an inlet port, a product outlet port, and a tail gas outlet port, configured to accept the carbon dioxide-depleted stream to produce a hydrogen-depleted tail gas stream and the hydrogen-enriched product stream;
- a membrane separation system comprising an inlet port, a permeate outlet port, and a retentate outlet port, configured to accept the hydrogen-depleted tail gas stream to produce a hydrogen-enriched permeate stream and a hydrogen-depleted retentate stream;
- a tail gas conduit in fluid flow communication with the tail gas outlet of the product purification system and the inlet port of the membrane separation system;
- and
- a fuel gas conduit in fluid flow communication with the one or more burners and the permeate outlet port of the membrane separation system.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.