Patent ID: 8728202

Claim:
A method for generating an oxidation product gas comprising (a) providing an ion transport membrane oxidation system comprising (1) two or more membrane oxidation stages, each stage comprising a reactant zone, an oxidant zone, one or more ion transport membranes separating the reactant zone from the oxidant zone, a reactant gas inlet region, a reactant gas outlet region, an oxidant gas inlet region, an oxidant gas outlet region wherein the one or more ion transport membranes are mixed conductor membranes; (2) an interstage reactant gas flow path disposed between each pair of membrane oxidation stages, wherein the interstage reactant gas flow path is adapted to place the reactant gas outlet region of a first stage of the pair in flow communication with the reactant gas inlet region of a second stage of the pair such that interstage reactant gas can flow from the first stage to the second stage; and (3) one or more reactant interstage feed gas lines, each line being in flow communication with any interstage reactant gas flow path or with the reactant zone of any membrane oxidation stage receiving interstage reactant gas; (b) introducing one or more reactant feed gases into the reactant gas inlet region of a first stage of the two or more membrane oxidation stages; (c) introducing an oxidant gas into any of the oxidant gas inlet regions of the two or more membrane oxidation stages; (d) introducing a reactant interstage feed gas into any of the interstage reactant gas flow paths disposed between adjacent membrane oxidation stage or into any reactant zone of any stage receiving interstage reactant gas wherein the reactant interstage feed gas has a different composition than the one or more reactant feed gases introduced into the reactant gas inlet region of the first stage; and (e) withdrawing an oxidation gas product from the reactant gas outlet region of a last stage of the two or more membrane oxidation stages.