Hydrogen process

Claim 1

THE METHOD OF PRODUCING CO-FREE H2 FROM A GAS MIXTURE CONTAINING SUBSTANTIAL AMOUNTS OF H2, CO, CO2 AND H2O, WHICH METHOD COMPRISES INTRODUCING SAID MIXTURE AT AN INTERMEDIATE LEVEL OF AN ADSORPTION ZONE INTO A DOWNWARDLY FLOWING COLUMN OF A GRANULAR SOLID ADSORBENT CAPABLE OF ADSORBING CO, CO2 AND H2O, PASSING SAID INTRODUCED GASES UPWARDLY COUNTER-CURRENT TO THE DOWNWARDLY FLOWING ADSORBENT UNDER CONDITIONS FOR ADSORBING SUBSTANTIALLY ALL CO AND CO2 FROM THE H2 IN A COUNTERCURRENT PORTION OF THE ADSORPTION ZONE, REMOVING UNADSORBED H2 FROM THE UPPER PART OF SAID ADSORPTION ZONE, SELECTIVELY DESORBING CO FROM THE DOWNWARDLY FLOWING ADSORBENT AT A LEVEL SUBSTANTIALLY BELOW THE LEVEL AT WHICH THE GAS MIXTURE IS INTRODUCED, ADDING TO THE DESORBED CO AN AMOUNT OF H2O WHICH IS AT LEAST 1 MOL OF H2O PER MOL OF CO, BUT NOT SUBSTANTIALLY MORE THAN ABOUT 2 MOLS OF H2O PER MOL OF CO, CONTACTING SAID CO-H2O MIXTURE AT A CONVERSION TEMPERATURE NOT HIGHER THAN ABOUT 850* F. WITH A SHIFT CATALYST TO CONVERT MOST, BUT NOT ALL, OF THE CO-H2O TO CO2-H2, COOLING THE EFFUENT FROM THE CONTACTING STEP AND RETURNING THE COOLED EFFLUENT TO A LEVEL IN THE ADSORPTION ZONE WHICH IS ABOVE THE CO-DESORPTION LEVEL AND BELOW THE COUNTERCURRENT PORTION OF THE ADSORPTION ZONE WHEREBY H2 PRODUCED IN THE CONTACTING STEP PASSES UPWARDLY IN THE ADSCRPTION ZONE AND IS REMOVED WITH THE INITIALLY INTRODUCED HYDROGEN COMPONENT AND UNREACTED CO FROM THE CONTACTING STEP PASSES DOWNWARDLY FOR DESORPTION AND FURTHER CONTACTING WITH H2O IN THE PRESENCE OF THE SHIFT CATALYST SO THAT CO IS THUS RECYCLED TO EXTINCTION, PASSING ADSORBENT CONTAINING INITIALLY INTRODUCED CO2 AND CO2 FROM THE CONTACTING STEP DOWNWARDLY TO A CO2 DESORPTION ZONE AND REMOVING CO2 FROM THE ADSORBENT IN SAID CO2 DESORPTION ZONE, HEATING THE CATALYST TO REMOVE SUBSTANTIALLY ALL ADSORBED IS DENUDED AND RETURNING WHEREBY THE ADSORBENT IS DENUDED AND RETURNING SAID DENUDED ADSORBENT TO THE UPPER PART OF SAID ADSORPTION ZONE FOR REPEATING ITS CYCLE.

Claim 2

THE METHOD OF PRODUCING CO-FREE H2 FROM A GAS MIXTURE CONTAINING SUBSTANTIAL AMOUNTS OF H2, CO, CO2 AND H2O, WHICH METHOD COMPRISES INTRODUCING SAID MIXTURE AT AN INTERMEDIATE LEVEL OF AN ADSORPTION ZONE INTO A DOWNWARDLY FLOWING COLUMN OF A GRANULAR SOLID ADSORBENT CAPABLE OF ADSORBING CO, CO2 AND H2O, PASSING SAID INTRODUCED GASES UPWARDLY COUNTER-CURRENT TO THE DOWNWARDLY FLOWING ADSORBENT UNDER CONDITIONS FOR ADSORBING SUBSTANTIALLY ALL CO AND CO2 FROM THE H2 IN A COUNTERCURRENT PORTION OF THE ADSORPTION ZONE, REMOVING UNADSORBED H2 FROM THE UPPER PART OF SAID ADSORPTION ZONE, SELECTIVELY DESORBING CO FROM THE DOWNWARDLY FLOWING ADSORBENT AT A LEVEL SUBSTANTIALLY BELOW THE LEVEL AT WHICH THE GAS MIXTURE IS INTRODUCED, ADDING TO THE DESORBED CO AN AMOUNT OF H2O WHICH IS AT LEAST 1 MOL OF H2O PER MOL OF CO, BUT NOT SUBSTANTIALLY MORE THAN ABOUT 2 MOLS OF H2O PER MOL OF CO, CONTACTING SAID CO-H2O MIXTURE AT A CONVERSION TEMPERATURE NOT HIGHER THAN ABOUT 850* F. WITH A SHIFT CATALYST TO CONVERT MOST, BUT NOT ALL, OF THE CO-H2O TO CO2-H2, COOLING THE EFFUENT FROM THE CONTACTING STEP AND RETURNING THE COOLED EFFLUENT TO A LEVEL IN THE ADSORPTION ZONE WHICH IS ABOVE THE CO-DESORPTION LEVEL AND BELOW THE COUNTERCURRENT PORTION OF THE ADSORPTION ZONE WHEREBY H2 PRODUCED IN THE CONTACTING STEP PASSES UPWARDLY IN THE ADSCRPTION ZONE AND IS REMOVED WITH THE INITIALLY INTRODUCED HYDROGEN COMPONENT AND UNREACTED CO FROM THE CONTACTING STEP PASSES DOWNWARDLY FOR DESORPTION AND FURTHER CONTACTING WITH H2O IN THE PRESENCE OF THE SHIFT CATALYST SO THAT CO IS THUS RECYCLED TO EXTINCTION, PASSING ADSORBENT CONTAINING INITIALLY INTRODUCED CO2 AND CO2 FROM THE CONTACTING STEP DOWNWARDLY TO A CO2 DESORPTION ZONE AND REMOVING CO2 FROM THE ADSORBENT IN SAID CO2 DESORPTION ZONE, HEATING THE CATALYST TO REMOVE SUBSTANTIALLY ALL ADSORBED IS DENUDED AND RETURNING WHEREBY THE ADSORBENT IS DENUDED AND RETURNING SAID DENUDED ADSORBENT TO THE UPPER PART OF SAID ADSORPTION ZONE FOR REPEATING ITS CYCLE.