Patent ID: 7837973

Claim:
A hydrogen production method comprising: generating hydrogen in a gasifier thereby forming a gasifier effluent; forming a hydrogen-containing mixture and a first adsorber feed from at least a portion of the gasifier effluent; introducing steam, catalytic reformer feedstock, and optionally the hydrogen-containing mixture into a catalytic steam reformer and generating hydrogen in the catalytic steam reformer at a first hydrogen production rate thereby forming a catalytic steam reformer effluent, wherein the hydrogen-containing mixture is introduced at a first hydrogen-containing mixture volumetric flow rate which may be zero; and introducing steam, catalytic reformer feedstock, and the hydrogen-containing mixture into the catalytic steam reformer and generating hydrogen in the catalytic steam reformer at a second hydrogen production rate, wherein the hydrogen-containing mixture is introduced at a second hydrogen-containing mixture volumetric flow rate; wherein the second hydrogen production rate is 5% to 50% of the first hydrogen production rate and wherein the second hydrogen-containing mixture volumetric flow rate is greater than the first hydrogen-containing mixture volumetric flow rate, such that there is a greater volumetric flow rate of the hydrogen-containing mixture into the catalytic steam reformer when generating hydrogen in the catalytic steam reformer at the lesser, second hydrogen production rate than when generating hydrogen in the catalytic steam reformer at the greater, first hydrogen production rate.