Patent ID: 7510696

Claim:
A method for producing hydrogen rich gas comprising: producing synthesis gas in a catalytic steam reformer wherein the catalytic steam reformer has a reformer feed with a steam-to-carbon molar ratio of 1.7 to 2.8; withdrawing an effluent stream comprising the synthesis gas from said catalytic steam reformer wherein the effluent stream from said catalytic steam reformer has a CO-to-CO 2 molar ratio greater than 1.61; directly or indirectly introducing a first gaseous stream comprising at least a portion of the effluent stream from said catalytic steam reformer into a first shift catalyst region; directly or indirectly introducing a first oxidative stream comprising CO 2 into said first shift catalyst region wherein said first oxidative stream is derived at least in part from at least one of a side stream from the first shift catalyst region, a product stream from the first shift catalyst region after cooling in a heat exchanger, an effluent stream from a second shift catalyst region, an enriched CO 2 stream from a CO 2 separation unit, an effluent stream from a combustion process, a selective oxidation reactor effluent stream, a hydrogen pressure swing adsorption purge gas stream, a hydrogen pressure swing adsorption feed gas stream, a CO 2 -rich stream from a hydrogen plant, a CO 2 -rich stream from a refinery, a CO 2 -rich stream from a chemical plant, and a CO 2 -rich stream from a nearby process; reacting CO and H 2 O in said first shift catalyst region to produce additional H 2 and CO 2 thereby forming a product stream; and withdrawing the product stream from the first shift catalyst region; wherein the effluent stream from the second shift catalyst region is formed by: directly or indirectly introducing a second gaseous stream comprising CO and optionally H 2 O into the second shift catalyst region; directly or indirectly introducing a second oxidative stream comprising at least one of H 2 O and CO 2 into said second shift catalyst region; and reacting CO and H 2 O in the second shift catalyst region to produce additional H 2 and CO 2 thereby forming said effluent stream from the second shift catalyst region.