Patent ID: 7419648

Claim:
A process for the production of hydrogen and carbon dioxide from hydrocarbons comprising: a) supplying a first gaseous stream of hydrocarbons, substantially pure oxygen and, optionally, steam to a first reaction zone comprising a fluidized bed of partial oxidation catalyst, wherein substantially pure oxygen is supplied to the first reaction zone through a nonporous, dense layer of mixed ionic electronic conductor that is located in the first reaction zone, the dense layer forming a tube having a retentate side at the inside of the tube and a permeate side facing the catalyst bed, wherein air is fed to the inside of the tube via an air supply conduit that extends through a second reaction zone and the oxygen-depleted air is discharged from the inside of the tube via a discharge conduit that extends through the second reaction zone; b) catalytically partially oxidizing the hydrocarbons in the first gaseous stream in the first reaction zone at a temperature in the range of from 800° C. to 1100° C., to form a first effluent comprising carbon oxides, steam, and hydrogen; c) supplying a second gaseous stream of hydrocarbons, steam and the first effluent to the second reaction zone comprising a fluidized bed of steam reforming catalyst; d) catalytically reforming the hydrocarbons fed to the second reaction zone in the second reaction zone at a temperature in the range of from 200° C. to 700° C., to produce a reformed gas comprising hydrogen and carbon dioxide; e) separating hydrogen from the reformed gas by a hydrogen-permeable selective membrane that is located in the second reaction zone; and, f) removing a gaseous stream rich in carbon dioxide from the second reaction zone as the second effluent.