Patent ID: 8088185

Claim:
A system, comprising: a reforming reactor; first and second heat exchangers; a first-pass water-gas shift reactor and a second-pass water-gas shift reactor; and and a hydrogen gas separation unit; where (a) the reforming reactor has first and second feed inlets, first and second flow paths, first and second reforming reactor outlets, at least one reforming catalyst, and a heat source, wherein the first and second flow paths are separate and distinct; where (1) the first feed inlet is in gas/fluid communication with the first flow path; (2) the first flow path is in gas/fluid communication with at least one reforming catalyst and the first reforming reactor outlet, and is in heat transfer communication with the heat source; (3) the second feed inlet is in gas/fluid communication with the second flow path; and (4) the second flow path is in gas/fluid communication with at least one reforming catalyst and the second reforming reactor outlet, and is in heat transfer communication with the heat source; (b) the first reforming reactor outlet of the reforming reactor is in gas/fluid communication with the first heat exchanger; (c) the first heat exchanger is in gas/fluid communication with the first-pass water-gas shift reactor; (d) optionally, an additional first-pass water-gas shift reactor is in gas/fluid communication with the first-pass water-gas shift reactor; (e) the first-pass water-gas shift reactor is in gas/fluid communication with the hydrogen gas separation unit or, if an additional first-pass water-gas shift reactor is present in the system, the additional first-pass water-gas shift reactor is in gas/fluid communication with the hydrogen gas separation unit; (f) the hydrogen separation unit has a hydrogen gas outlet and a hydrogen-depleted gas outlet, where the hydrogen-depleted gas outlet of the hydrogen separation unit is in gas/fluid communication with the second feed inlet of the reforming reactor through the second heat exchanger; (g) the second reforming reactor outlet of the reforming reactor is in gas/fluid communication with the second heat exchanger; and (h) the second heat exchanger is in gas/fluid communication with the second-pass water-gas shift reactor.