Process for the production of hydrogen

Claim 1

IN THE PROCESS OF MAKING HYDROGEN BY THE REACTION OF STEAMAND HYDROCARBONACEOUS SOLIDS IN THE PRESENCE OF CARBON DIOXIDE ACCEPTOR PARTICLES IN A STEAM-CARBON REACTION ZONE WHEREBY A GASEOUS MIXTURE OF UNREACTED STEAM AND A PRODUCT GAS COMPRISING PRIMARILY HYDROGEN WITH SOME METHANE, CARBON MONOXIDE AND CARBON DIOXIDE IS OBTAINED, THE IMPROVEMENT WHICH COMPRISES (A) CONDUCTING AT LEAST A PORTION OF SAID GASEOUS MIXTURE TO A CATALYTIC STEAM-METHANE REACTION ZONE CONTAINING CARBON DIOXIDE ACCEPTOR PARTICLES, WHERE THE METHANE IS CONVERTED TO CARBON MONOXIDE AND HYDROGEN, THE CARBON MONOXIDE IS CONVERTED TO CARBON DIOXIDE AND HYDROGEN, AND THE CARBON DIOXIDE IS ABSORBED BY THE ACCEPTOR PARTICLES, (B) REGULATING THE STEAM TO CARBON RATIO IN THE STEAMCARBON REACTION ZONE SO THAT SUBSTANTIALLY ALL THE STEAM REQUIRED FOR THE STEAM-METHANE REACTION ZONE IS SUPPLIED BY THE UNREACTED STEAM OF THE GASEOUS MIXTURE CONDUCTED FROM THE STEAM-CARBON REACTION ZONE, AND (C) RECOVERING HYDROGEN-RICH GAS FROM THE STEAMMETHANE REACTION ZONE.