Patent ID: 6919062

Claim:
A process for conducting catalytic reforming of hydrocarbons and alcohols with steam and carbon dioxide for the production of pure hydrogen which includes the use of: a far outer impermeable hollow tubular cylinder nesting two more concentric permeable tubular cylinders, a next inner and a most inner one, having the most inner permeable cylinder nested within the next inner permeable cylinder thus defining three different annular zones for the catalytic reforming reactions of said components, including next inner membrane and most inner membrane, with the most inner permeable cylinder filled with a reforming catalyst in pellet or particle from which comes in contact with the reactant hydrocarbons, alcohols, steam and carbon dioxide, and including gas heating tubes located along the most inner axis for heating the catalyst to the temperature of said reforming reaction, with the hydrogen product coming from the reforming reactions between hydrocarbons or alcohols with steam and carbon dioxide continuously removed via permeation along the most inner membrane, wherein most inner membrane is made from an inorganic or composite material, with the remaining reaction species partially permeating as well via the most inner membrane, with the permeated species diluted by an inert carrier gas flowing along the next inner annular zone, with hydrogen only continuously removed via permeation along the next inner membrane and continuously withdrawn as well out of the most inner catalytic zone causing for the continuous equilibrium shift of said catalytic reforming reactions evolving within this zone, with next inner membrane made from a metal or non-porous inorganic material permeable only to hydrogen, and with pure hydrogen permeating through the next inner membrane and withdrawn along the far outer cylindrical zone.