Process for production of hydrogen

Claim 1

IN THE PROCESS OF PRODUCING HYDROGEN FROM HYDROCARBONS BY THE STEPS OF CATALYTIC REFORMING OF THE HYDROCARBONS WITH STEAM TO PRODUCE HYDROGEN, CARBON MONOXIDE AND CARBON DIOXIDE, CATALYTIC SHIFT CONVERSION WITH STEAM OF THE PRODUCT FROM THE AFORESAID CATALYTIC REFORMING TO CONVERT MOST OF SAID CARBON MONOXIDE TO CARBON DIOXIDE AND ADDITIONAL HYDROGEN, COOLING THE PRODUCT FROM THE AFORESAID SHIFT CONVERSION TO CONDENSE THE STEAM THEREIN AND SEPARATE IT AS CONDENSATE FROM THE HYDROGEN, AND REMOVAL OF CARBON DIOXIDE FROM THE HYDROGEN, THE IMPROVEMENT WHICH COMPRISES CONVERTING IN SAID STEP OF CATALYTIC REFORMING ABOUT 50% TO ABOUT 85% OF THE HYDROCARBONS TO HYDROGEN AND OXIDES OF CARBON, BY MAINTAINING IN SAID STEP OF CATALYTIC REFORMING A STEAM TO CARBON RATION OF ABOUT 3.0 TO ABOUT 7.0 A PRESSURE OF ABOUT 300 P.S.I.A. TO ABOUT 700 P.S.I.A. AND A TEMPERATURE SUFFICIENT TO GIVE SUCH CONVERSION, AND, AFTER SAID STEP OF REMOVAL OF CARBON DIOXIDE, CRYOGENICALLY SEPARATING FROM THE HYDROGEN MOST OF THE UNCONVERTED HYDROCARBONS TO GIVE HYDROGEN OF A HIGH PURITY, SIAD CRYOGENIC SEPARATION BEING CONDUCTED SUBSTANTIALLY IN THE RANGE OF APPROXIMATELY -- 200*F. TO APPROXIMATELY -310*F.