Process for generating hydrogen-rich gas

摘要

A process for catalytically generating a hydrogen-rich gas from a hydrocarbon feed. A stream comprising the hydrocarbon feed, water and air is preheated to a temperature sufficiently high to initiate catalytic partial oxidation of the hydrocarbon feed. The preheated stream is then introduced into an autothermal reactor containing a layered catalyst member at a temperature sufficient to initiate and sustain both catalytic partial oxidation and catalytic steam reforming. At least part of the hydrocarbon feed is catalytically partially oxidized to produce a hydrogen-rich gas comprising hydrogen and carbon oxides and hydrocarbons remaining in the feed are steam reformed to produce further quantities of the hydrogen-rich gas. The layered catalyst member comprises a monolith substrate containing at least one layer of a steam reforming catalyst in contact with at least one layer of a catalytic partial oxidation catalyst. The steam reforming catalyst comprises one or more platinum group metal components and the catalytic partial oxidation catalyst comprises palladium components.