Patent ID: 8375725

Claim:
A process for the co-production of hydrogen and power comprising: supplying a feed stream to a hydrogen production unit comprising a gas heated reformer, a water gas shift reactor, and a hydrogen separator, said feed stream comprising a first portion of a high-BTU hydrocarbon fuel and steam; producing a hydrogen-containing stream and a low-BTU hydrocarbon fuel stream in said hydrogen production unit, said low-BTU hydrocarbon fuel having an average BTU content per SCF that is lower than that of said high-BTU hydrocarbon fuel; supplying a second portion of said high-BTU hydrocarbon fuel and an oxygen-containing gas to a power generation unit comprising a combustion gas turbine engine and combusting said second portion of high-BTU hydrocarbon fuel within said engine to generate power; extracting a portion of compressed oxygen-containing gas from said combustion gas turbine engine, passing said portion of compressed oxygen-containing gas through a compressor to increase the pressure thereof, and directing said portion of compressed oxygen-containing gas from said compressor to a pressurized partial combustion unit contained within said hydrogen production unit; combusting said low-BTU hydrocarbon fuel and, a third portion of said high-BTU hydrocarbon fuel, in said pressurized partial combustion unit to produce a high-pressure partial combustion gas stream; and using said high-pressure combustion gas stream as a heat source for said gas heated reformer.