Patent ID: 7879119

Claim:
A process for producing syngas, comprising the steps of: splitting a syngas to provide at least a first portion of syngas and a second portion of syngas; adding water to the first portion of syngas to provide an at least partially saturated syngas having a water vapor to syngas ratio less than 1.0; converting at least a portion of carbon monoxide in the at least partially saturated syngas to carbon dioxide to provide a shifted syngas, the first portion of syngas having a first hydrogen to carbon monoxide ratio and a first temperature, and the shifted syngas having a second hydrogen to carbon monoxide ratio and a second temperature, both greater than the first; separating a condensed water from the shifted syngas; at least partially vaporizing the condensed water; separating one or more contaminants from the at least partially vaporized condensed water to produce a contaminant-lean water, wherein the contaminant-lean water contains less contaminants than the at least partially vaporized condensed water; at least partially saturating the first portion of syngas with the contaminant-lean water; gasifying the one or more separated contaminants to produce additional syngas; and combining the shifted syngas with the second portion of syngas to provide a product gas.