Patent ID: 8192716
Filing Date: 2012-06-05
Classification: C01B,C10J,C10K,C10L

Abstract:
1. A process for converting a carbonaceous feedstock into a plurality of gaseous products contained in a gas stream, and for separating hydrogen and methane from the other gaseous products in the gas stream, the process comprising the steps of: (a) supplying a first carbonaceous feedstock to a reactor; (b) at least partially combusting the first carbonaceous feedstock in the reactor in the presence of oxygen and under suitable temperature and pressure so as to generate (i) heat energy and (ii) a combustion gas stream comprising hydrogen, carbon monoxide, and carbon dioxide; (c) using the heat energy from the combustion of the first carbonaceous feedstock to generate steam; (d) introducing at least a portion of the steam, at least a portion of the combustion gas stream, a second carbonaceous feedstock, and a gasification catalyst to a gasification reactor; (e) reacting the second carbonaceous feedstock in the gasification reactor in the presence of steam and the gasification catalyst, and under suitable temperature and pressure to form a first gas stream comprising methane, hydrogen, carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, and one or more additional gaseous by-products; (f) contacting the first gas stream with an aqueous medium to convert a substantial portion of the carbon monoxide in the first gas stream into carbon dioxide and generate hydrogen, thereby forming a carbon monoxide-depleted gas stream comprising methane, hydrogen, carbon dioxide, and one or more additional gaseous by-products; (g) removing a substantial portion of the carbon dioxide and a substantial portion of the one or more gaseous by-products from the carbon monoxide-depleted gas stream to form a second gas stream comprising methane and hydrogen; and (h) at least partially separating the hydrogen in the second gas stream and the methane in the second gas stream from each other to form at least a hydrogen-enriched gas stream and a first methane-enriched gas stream.