Process for simultaneously producing hydrogen and a carbon monoxide hydrogen mixtureand a plant for carrying out the process

Claim 2

THE PROCESS OF SIMULTANEOUSLY PRODUCING SEPARATE HYDROGEN GAS AND MIXED CARBON MONOXIDE-HYDROGEN GAS, COMPRISING THE STEPS OF PASSING FIRST AND SECOND STREAMS OF CRUDE GAS CONTAINING CARBON MONOXIDE THROUGH FIRST AND SECOND HUMIDIFYING MEANS, RESPECTIVELY, ADDING FRESH STEAM TO EACH OF SAID HUMIDIFIED STREAMS TO FORM FIRST AND SECOND CRUDE GAS-STREAM MIXTURES, PASSING SAID FIRST AND SECOND CRUDE GAS-STREAM MIXTURES OVER FIRST AND SEC-OND CATALYSTS AND THROUGH FIRST AND SECOND CONTACT FURNACE MEANS, RESPECTIVELY, TO CONVERT THE CARBON MONOXIDE IN SAID FIRST CRUDE GAS-STREAM MIXTURE SUBSTANTIALLY COMPLETELY INTO HYDROGEN AND CARBON DIOXIDE AND TO CONVERT THE CARBON MONOXIDE IN SAID SECOND CRUDE GAS-STREAM MIXTURE ONLY PARTIALLY INTO HYDROGEN AND CARBON DIOXIDE, PASSING THE SUBSTANTIALLY COMPLETELY CONVERTED FIRST MIXTURE THROUGH DEHUMIDIFYING MEANS TO REMOVE MOISTURE IN THE FORM OF WATER, CIRCULATING SAID WATER FROM SAID DEHUMIDIFYING MEANS TO SAID FIRST HUMIDIFYING MEANS FOR CONTACT IN THE SAME WITH SAID FIRST CRUDE GAS STREAM AND THENCE BACK TO SAID DEHUMIDIFYING MEANS FOR CONTACT THEREIN WITH SAID SUBSTANTIALLY COMPLETELY CONVERTED FIRST MIXTURE, SIMULTANEOUSLY TRANSFERRING A PORTION OF SAID WATER LEAVING SAID FIRST HUMIDIFYING MEANS TO SAID SECOND HUMIDIFYING MEANS FOR CONTACT IN THE LATTER WITH SAID SECOND CRUDE GAS STREAM AND THENCE TO SAID DEHUMIDIFYING MEANS, FINALLY DEHYDRATING BOTH SAID SUBSTANTIALLY COMPLETELY CONVERTED FIRST MIXTURE AND SAID PARTIALLY CONVERTED SECOND MIXTURE, AND THEREAFTER EXTRACTING THE RESULTANT HYDROGEN GAS FROM SAID SUBSTANTIALLY COMPLETELY CONVERTED FIRST MIXTURE, AND THE RESULTANT MIXED CARBON MONOXIDEHYDROGEN GAS FROM SAID PARTIALLY CONVERTED SECOND MIXTURE.

Claim 3

IN A PLANT FOR PRODUCING SEPARATELY AND SIMULTANEOUSLY FROM FIRST AND SECOND STREAMS OF CARBON MONOXIDECONTAINING CRUDE GAS A QUANTITY OF HYDROGEN GAS AND A QUANTITY OF MIXED CARBON MONOXIDE-HYDROGEN GAS: A FIRST SYSTEM COMPRISING FIRST HUMIDIFYING MEANS, FIRST CATALYSTIC CONVERTER MEANS, DEHUMIDIFYING MEANS, FIRST CONDUIT MEANS ESTABLISHING COMMUNICATION BETWEEN SAID FIRST HUMIDIFYING MEANS AND SAID FIRST CATALYTIC CONVERTER MEANS AND BETWEEN THE LATTER AND SAID DEHUMIDIFYING MEANS FOR PASSAGE OF SAID FIRST CRUDE GAS STREAM SEQUENTIALLY THROUGH SAID FIRST HUMIDIFYING MEANS FOR CONTACT IN THE SAME WITH FIRST HUMIDIFICATION WATER, THROUGH SAID FIRST CATALYTIC CONVERTER MEANS FOR SUBSTANTIALLY COMPLETE CONVERSION OF THE CARBON MONOXIDE IN SAID FIRST STREAM INTO HYDROGEN AND CARBON DIOXIDE, AND THROUGH SAID DEHUMIDIFYING MEANS FOR CONTACT IN THE LATTER WITH DEHUMIDIFICATION WATER TO REMOVE EXCESS MOSITURE IN THE FORM OF WATER, FIRST PIPE MEANS INCLUDING FIRST PUMP MEANS FOR TRANSFERRING THE WATER RESULTING FROM THE DEHUMIDIFICATION DIRECTLY FROM SAID DEHUMIDIFYING MEANS TO SAID FIRST HUMIDIFYING MEANS TO CONSTITUTE SAID FIRST HUMIDIFICATION WATER, SECOND PIPE MEANS INCLUDING SECOND PUMP MEANS FOR TRANSFERRING THE WATER REMAINING AFTER THE HUMIDIFICATION FROM SAID FIRST HUMIDIFYING MEANS TO SAID DEHUMIDIFYING MEANS TO CONSTITUTE SAID DEHUMIDIFACTION WATER, AND MEANS COMMUNICATING WITH SAID FIRST CONDUIT MEANS AT A LOCATION BETWEEN SAID FIRST HUMIDIFYING MEANS AND SAID FIRST CATALYTIC CONVERTER MEANS FOR INTRODUCING FRESH STEAM INTO SAID FIRST CONDUIT MEANS, AND A SECOND SYSTEM COMPRISING SECOND HUMIDIFYING MEANS, SECOND CATALYTIC CONVERTER MEANS, SECOND CONDUIT MEANS ESTABLISHING COMMUNICATION BETWEEN SAID SECOND HUMIDIFYING MEANS AND SAID SECOND CATALYTIC CONVERTER MEANS FOR PASSAGE OF SAID SECOND CRUDE GAS STREAM SEQUENTIALLY THROUGH SAID SECOND HUMIDIFYING MEANS FOR CONTACT THEREIN WITH SECOND HUMIDIFICATION WATER, AND THROUGH SAID SECOND CATALYTIC CONVERTER MEANS FOR PARTIAL CONVERSION OF THE CARBON MONOXIDE IN SAID SECOND STREAM INTO HYDROGEN AND CARBON DIOXIDE, THIRD PIPE MEANS COMMUNICATING WITH SAID SECOND PIPE MEANS AT A LOCATION BETWEEN SAID SECOND PUMP MEANS AND SAID DEHUMIDIFYING MEANS FOR TRANSFERRING A PORTION OF SAID WATER FLOWING IN SAID SECOND PIPE MEANS INTO SAID SECOND HUMIDIFYING MEANS TO CONSTITUTE SAID SECOND HUMIDIFICATION WATER, AND FOURTH PIPE MEANS INCLUDING THIRD PUMP MEANS COMMUNICATING WITH SAID SECOND PIPE MEANS AT A LOCATION BETWEEN AND THIRD PIPE MEANS AND THE JUNCTION OF SAID SECOND AND THIRD PIPE MEANS FOR RETURNING TO SAID SECOND PIPE MEANS AND THERETHROUGH TO SAID DEHUMIDIFYING MEANS ANY WATER REMAINING FROM THE HUMIDIFICATION IN SAID SECOND HUMIDIFYING MEANS.

Claim 4

IN A PLANT FOR PRODUCING SEPARATELY AND SIMULTANEOUSLY FROM FIRST AND SECOND STREAMS OF CARBON MONOXIDECONTAINING CRUDE GAS A QUANTITY OF HYDROGEN GAS AND A QUANTITY OF MIXED CARBON MONOXIDE-HYDROGEN GAS: A FIRST SYSTEM COMPRISING FIRST HUMIDIFYING MEANS, FIRST CATALYSTIC CONVERTER MEANS, DEHUMIDIFYING MEANS, FIRST CONDUIT MEANS ESTABLISHING COMMUNICATION BETWEEN SAID FIRST HUMIDIFYING MEANS AND SAID FIRST CATALYTIC CONVERTER MEANS AND BETWEEN THE LATTER AND SAID DEHUMIDIFYING MEANS FOR PASSAGE OF SAID FIRST CRUDE GAS STREAM SEQUENTIALLY THROUGH SAID FIRST HUMIDIFYING MEANS FOR CONTACT IN THE SAME WITH FIRST HUMIDIFICATION WATER, THROUGH SAID FIRST CATALYTIC CONVERTER MEANS FOR SUBSTANTIALLY COMPLETE CONVERSION OF THE CARBON MONOXIDE IN SAID FIRST STREAM INTO HYDROGEN AND CARBON DIOXIDE, AND THROUGH SAID DEHUMIDIFYING MEANS FOR CONTACT IN THE LATTER WITH DEHUMIDIFICATION WATER TO REMOVE EXCESS MOSITURE IN THE FORM OF WATER, FIRST PIPE MEANS INCLUDING FIRST PUMP MEANS FOR TRANSFERRING THE WATER RESULTING FROM THE DEHUMIDIFICATION DIRECTLY FROM SAID DEHUMIDIFYING MEANS TO SAID FIRST HUMIDIFYING MEANS TO CONSTITUTE SAID FIRST HUMIDIFICATION WATER, SECOND PIPE MEANS INCLUDING SECOND PUMP MEANS FOR TRANSFERRING THE WATER REMAINING AFTER THE HUMIDIFICATION FROM SAID FIRST HUMIDIFYING MEANS TO SAID DEHUMIDIFYING MEANS TO CONSTITUTE SAID DEHUMIDIFACTION WATER, AND MEANS COMMUNICATING WITH SAID FIRST CONDUIT MEANS AT A LOCATION BETWEEN SAID FIRST HUMIDIFYING MEANS AND SAID FIRST CATALYTIC CONVERTER MEANS FOR INTRODUCING FRESH STEAM INTO SAID FIRST CONDUIT MEANS, AND A SECOND SYSTEM COMPRISING SECOND HUMIDIFYING MEANS, SECOND CATALYTIC CONVERTER MEANS, SECOND CONDUIT MEANS ESTABLISHING COMMUNICATION BETWEEN SAID SECOND HUMIDIFYING MEANS AND SAID SECOND CATALYTIC CONVERTER MEANS FOR PASSAGE OF SAID SECOND CRUDE GAS STREAM SEQUENTIALLY THROUGH SAID SECOND HUMIDIFYING MEANS FOR CONTACT THEREIN WITH SECOND HUMIDIFICATION WATER, AND THROUGH SAID SECOND CATALYTIC CONVERTER MEANS FOR PARTIAL CONVERSION OF THE CARBON MONOXIDE IN SAID SECOND STREAM INTO HYDROGEN AND CARBON DIOXIDE, THIRD PIPE MEANS COMMUNICATING WITH SAID SECOND PIPE MEANS AT A LOCATION BETWEEN SAID SECOND PUMP MEANS AND SAID DEHUMIDIFYING MEANS FOR TRANSFERRING A PORTION OF SAID WATER FLOWING IN SAID SECOND PIPE MEANS INTO SAID SECOND HUMIDIFYING MEANS TO CONSTITUTE SAID SECOND HUMIDIFICATION WATER, AND FOURTH PIPE MEANS INCLUDING THIRD PUMP MEANS COMMUNICATING WITH SAID SECOND PIPE MEANS AT A LOCATION BETWEEN AND THIRD PIPE MEANS AND THE JUNCTION OF SAID SECOND AND THIRD PIPE MEANS FOR RETURNING TO SAID SECOND PIPE MEANS AND THERETHROUGH TO SAID DEHUMIDIFYING MEANS ANY WATER REMAINING FROM THE HUMIDIFICATION IN SAID SECOND HUMIDIFYING MEANS.