Patent ID: 7566441

Claim:
A method of reacting a fuel composition, comprising: in a reactor with three zones positioned such that a gas can travel from a first zone to a second zone and then to a third zone; passing a first gas composition comprising 60-90 parts (by mole) hydrocarbon, 35-60 parts CO, 100-160 parts H 2 and 90-140 parts O 2 ; reacting the first gas composition in the first zone over a first solid catalyst in the first zone to form a first product gas comprising H 2 O and CO; wherein oxygen conversion in the first zone is greater than 90%, wherein oxygen selectivity for the conversion of H 2 to H 2 O is less than 80% and wherein, in the first zone, oxygen selectivity for the conversion of hydrocarbon to CO is the same as or greater than the oxygen selectivity for the conversion of CO to CO 2 ; passing the first product gas into the second zone; reacting a second gas composition in the second zone over a second solid catalyst in the second zone to form a second product gas comprising H 2 O and CO; wherein the second gas composition comprises 10-70 parts (by mole) hydrocarbon, 40-80 parts CO, 20-100 parts H 2 and 30-90 parts O 2 ; wherein the hydrocarbon conversion at the end of the second zone is 50% or greater, the CO conversion is 30% or less, wherein oxygen selectivity for oxidation of hydrocarbon is 40% or greater; passing the second product gas into the third zone; reacting a third gas composition in the third zone over a third solid catalyst in the third zone to form a third product gas comprising H 2 O and CO 2 ; wherein the third gas composition comprises 2-30 parts (by mole) hydrocarbon, 10-40 parts CO, 20-70 parts H 2 ; and wherein the hydrocarbon conversion at the end of the third zone is 95% or greater, the CO conversion is 95% or greater.