Patent ID: 9145300
Filing Date: 2015-09-29
Classification: C01B,C12P,Y02E,Y02P

Abstract:
1. An integrated hydrogen production process comprising: (i) providing a purge gas stream obtained from a process comprising the steps of: (ii) fermenting the purge gas stream, or a portion thereof, with microorganisms in one or more bioreactors to produce a fermentation product; (iii) providing a fermentation exhaust gas stream from the one or more bioreactors, said exhaust gas stream comprising one or more combustible gases; (iv) generating heat from the exhaust gas stream and using the heat to provide energy for the reforming unit; (v) generating additional heat from a fuel gas stream and using the heat produced from the fuel gas stream to provide energy for the reforming unit, wherein the rate of fuel gas used to provide such additional heat is at least the rate of production of product energy associated with the fermentation product produced in step (ii), and wherein the rate of production is the heat of combustion of the fermentation product produced times the quantity of fermentation product produced measured in BTU/hr; and (vi) wherein the fermentation product is recovered.