Patent ID: 6162267
Filing Date: 2000-12-19
Classification: B01J,C01B,H01M,Y02E,Y02P

Abstract:
A process for the generation of hydrogen for producing electric power from a fuel cell, said process comprising:a) admixing a feedstream and a water stream to provide a feed admixture and passing the feed admixture to a heat exchange zone to heat the feed admixture by indirect heat exchange to provide a heated admixture;b) passing the heated admixture at effective steam reforming conditions including a reforming temperature of between about 650 and about 950.degree. C. to a feed inlet of a steam reforming zone at an inlet temperature to convert the heated feed admixture and produce a steam reforming effluent stream comprising hydrogen and carbon monoxide, said steam reforming zone comprising a compartment provided by a middle space within one or more hollow walls defining a vessel having a dome shape and being vertically aligned having an open-end base and a closed-end top, the compartment containing a steam reforming catalyst to define a catalyst zone having an inlet into the compartment about the open-end base and an outlet out of the compartment about the closed-end top;c) burning a fuel gas mixture in the presence of a first oxygen-containing stream within a combustion zone defined by a combustion tube that contains a flame zone and that extends vertically within the interior of said vessel to provide radiant heat to the steam reforming zone and to produce a fuel exhaust stream;d) circulating the fuel exhaust stream downwardly from the upper interior of the vessel over the inside surface of the vessel and upwardly over the outside surface of the vessel to heat the catalyst zone by convection with the fuel exhaust stream and to maintain the steam reforming catalyst at said effective steam reforming conditions;e) withdrawing the steam reforming effluent stream from the outlet at an outlet temperature that differs by no more than about 50 degrees Celsius from the inlet temperature;f) passing the steam reforming effluent stream at effective conditions to a shift reaction zone and therein contacting the steam reforming effluent stream with a second water stream and a shift catalyst to produce a shift reaction zone effluent stream comprising less than about 0.5 mol-% carbon monoxide; andg) passing the shift reaction zone effluent stream at effective oxidation conditions to an oxidation zone containing an oxidation catalyst in the presence of a second oxygen-containing stream to produce a hydrogen product stream comprising water and less than about 100 ppm-mol carbon monoxide.