Integrated flameless distributed combustion/steam reforming membrane reactor for hydrogen production and use thereof in zero emissions hybrid power system

A process for the production of high purity hydrogen and the use thereof in generating electricity which comprises:

• a) reacting steam with a vaporizable hydrocarbon at a temperature of about 200° C. to about 700° C. and a pressure of from about 1 to about 200 bar in a reaction zone containing reforming catalyst to produce a mixture of primarily hydrogen and carbon dioxide, with a lesser amount of carbon monoxide;
• b) providing heat to said reaction zone by employing flameless distributed combustion comprising passing a fuel gas through a fuel tube having a plurality of openings or nozzles spaced along the length of the fuel tube thereby driving said reaction;
• c) conducting said reaction in the vicinity of a hydrogen-permeable and hydrogen selective membrane, whereby hydrogen formed in said reaction zone permeates through said selective membrane and is separated from said carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide;
• and
• d) directing said separated hydrogen to the anode of a fuel cell.

A steam reforming process for producing high purity hydrogen and CO2 which comprises:

• a) providing a generally tubular reforming chamber having one or more inlets for a vaporizable, hydrocarbon and steam and one or more corresponding outlets for byproduct gases, including H2O, and CO2, with a flow path in between said inlet and outlet, and
• one or more inlets for sweep gas and corresponding outlets for sweep gas and hydrogen, with a flow path between said inlet and outlet, and one or more inlets for preheated oxidant and corresponding inlets for fuel gas mixtures, with a flow path between said inlets containing a plurality of flameless distributed combustion heaters,
• Wherein said flow path for vaporizable hydrocarbon and flow path for sweep gas forms two concentric sections with an annulus between having a reforming catalyst therein and including a permeable membrane on the inside or outside of the concentric sections;
• b) Feeding into said reforming chamber through said one or more inlets a stream of vaporizable hydrocarbon and steam;
• c) Flowing said vaporizable hydrocarbon over a reforming catalyst;
• d) Causing steam reforming to take place in said reforming chamber;
• and
• e) Conducting said reforming in the vicinity of a hydrogen permeable and hydrogen-selective membrane, whereby pure hydrogen permeates said membrane;
• f) Wherein heat to drive said reaction is provided by said flameless distributed combustion heaters.

A process for the production of pure hydrogen and the use thereof in a zero emission hybrid power system which comprises:

• a) Providing a generally tubular reforming chamber having one or more inlets for a vaporizable hydrocarbon and steam and one or more corresponding outlets for byproduct gases, including H2O and CO2, with a flow path in between said inlet and outlet, and one or more inlets for and corresponding outlets for sweep gas and hydrogen, with a flow path between said inlet and outlet, and an inlet for preheated air and a corresponding inlet for fuel gas mixtures, with a flow path between said inlets containing a plurality of flameless distributed combustion heaters, wherein said flow path for vaporizable hydrocarbon and flow path for sweep gas form two concentric sections with an annulus between having a reforming catalyst therein and a hydrogen permeable membrane on the inside or outside of one of the concentric sections;
• b) Feeding into said reforming chamber through said inlets a vaporizable hydrocarbon and steam;
• c) Flowing said vaporizable hydrocarbon over said reforming catalyst;
• d) Causing steam reforming to take place in said reforming chamber;
• e) Conducting said reforming in the vicinity of a hydrogen permeable and hydrogen-selective membrane, whereby pure hydrogen permeates said membrane;
• f) directing said pure hydrogen to the anode of a fuel cell and directing by-product gases to the cathode of said fuel cell;
• g) Wherein heat to drive the reaction in said reforming chamber is provided by said flameless distributed combustion.