Process and reactor for the production of hydrogen and carbon dioxide and a fuel cell system

1. A process for the production of hydrogen and carbon dioxide from a hydrocarbonaceous feedstock, comprising:

a) supplying a gaseous hydrocarbonaceous feedstock and steam to a reaction zone comprising a bed of steam reforming catalyst and catalytically reforming the hydrocarbonaceous feedstock to produce a reformed gas comprising hydrogen and carbon dioxide in said reaction zone;

b) supplying a molecular oxygen-comprising gas to the permeate side of a first hydrogen separation membrane which is present within the bed of steam reforming catalyst;

c) contacting a part of the hydrogen of the reformed gas with the first hydrogen separation membrane, allowing the hydrogen to permeate through the first hydrogen separation membrane and combusting the thus-permeated hydrogen with the molecular oxygen at a permeate side of the first hydrogen separation membrane to produce heat necessary for catalytic reforming the hydrocarbonaceous feedstock, wherein the produced heat is transferred to the reaction zone through the hydrogen separation membrane;

d) contacting the remainder of the hydrogen of the reformed gas with a second hydrogen separation membrane, which is separate from the first hydrogen separation membrane and which is also present within the bed of steam reforming catalyst, and allowing the hydrogen to permeate through the second hydrogen separation membrane to obtain a first effluent comprising a substantially pure stream of hydrogen; and

e) removing a stream rich in carbon dioxide from the reaction zone as a second effluent.

2. A process according to claim 1 , wherein the molar ratio of molecular oxygen to molecular hydrogen at the permeate side of the first hydrogen separation membrane is at least 0.5.

3. A process according to claim 1 , wherein the temperature in the reaction zone is in the range of from 200 to 800° C.

4. A process according to claim 1 , wherein the pressure in the reaction zone is the range of from 1 to 100 bara.

5. A process according to claim 1 , wherein any hydrogen separation membrane comprises palladium, platinum or a palladium or platinum alloy.

6. A process according to claim 1 , wherein the reaction zone comprises the bed of steam reforming catalyst in a fluidised state.

7. A reactor for the production of hydrogen and carbon dioxide from a hydrocarbonaceous feedstock comprising a reaction zone, wherein the reaction zone comprises a bed of steam reforming catalyst and at least a first and a second hydrogen separation membrane, the first and second hydrogen separation membranes each having a retentate side in open communication with the catalyst bed and a permeate side, wherein the first and second hydrogen separation membranes each extend into and/or through the bed of steam reforming catalyst which reactor further comprises:

inlets for introduction of the hydrocarbonaceous feedstock and steam into the reaction zone;

an inlet for introduction of molecular oxygen-comprising gas to the permeate side of the first hydrogen separation membrane;

an outlet for discharging oxygen depleted gas from the permeate side of the first hydrogen separation membrane;

an outlet for discharging hydrogen from the permeate side the second hydrogen separation membrane; and

an outlet for discharging a stream rich in carbon dioxide from the reaction zone.

8. A reactor according to claim 7 , wherein the bed of steam reforming catalyst is in a fluidised bed arrangement.

9. A reactor according to claim 7 , wherein the second hydrogen separation membrane is separate from the first hydrogen separation membrane.

10. A fuel cell system comprising in series a reactor according to claim 7 and a fuel cell having an inlet for hydrogen, wherein the inlet for hydrogen of the fuel cell is in fluid communication with the outlet for hydrogen of the reactor.