Steam reforming is an important technology for converting refined natural gas, which we take here to be methane, into a synthesis gas that can be used to produce a variety of other chemical compounds. For example, consider a reformer to which natural gas and steam are fed in a ratio of 3.5 moles of steam per mole of methane. The reformer operates at 18 atm, and the reaction products leave the reformer in chemical equilibrium at 875°C. The steam reforming reaction is 

and the water–gas shift reaction also occurs in the reformer. 

The equilibrium constants for these two reactions are given by the expressions 

At 875°C, K_R = 872:9 atm2 and K_WG = 0:2482. The process is to produce 100.0 kmol/h of hydrogen. Calculate the feed rates (kmol/h) of methane and steam and the volumetric flow rate (m3/min) of gas leaving the reformer.

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CH4 + H20 = CO + 3H2 (1)