Method of thermally-stabilizing an oxygen transport membrane-based reforming system

A method for thermally-stabilizing an oxygen transport membrane-based reforming system during operation, wherein said system comprises at least one reforming reactor pack assembly, said assembly comprising two or more panel array modules, wherein each panel array module comprises a reforming panel comprising an array of reforming catalyst containing reforming reactors and an oxygen transport membrane panel comprising an array of catalyst-containing oxygen transport membrane reactors, the method comprising the steps of:

• partially-reforming a combined feed stream comprising a hydrocarbon-containing feed stream and steam in the presence of heat in said reforming catalyst containing reforming reactor to produce a partially-reformed synthesis gas stream comprising hydrogen, carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, steam and unreformed hydrocarbon gas;
• feeding the partially-reformed synthesis gas stream to a reactant side of a reactively-driven and catalyst-containing oxygen transport membrane reactor, wherein the oxygen transport membrane reactor is configured to separate oxygen from an oxygen-containing stream, to produce an oxygen permeate and an oxygen-depleted retentate stream;
• reacting a portion of the partially-reformed synthesis gas stream with oxygen permeated through the at least one oxygen transport membrane reactor to produce the difference in oxygen partial pressure across the at least one oxygen transport membrane reactor and generate a steam-containing heated reaction product stream and heat;
• transferring the heat generated as a result of the reaction via convection to the oxygen-depleted retentate stream and via radiation and convection to at least one catalyst-containing reforming reactor configured to produce a synthesis gas stream;
• and
• reforming the unreformed hydrocarbon gas in the partially-reformed synthesis gas stream in the presence of one or more catalysts contained in the oxygen transport membrane reactor and the heat to produce a synthesis gas product stream;
• wherein the flow and temperature of the oxygen-containing stream to said oxygen transport membrane reactor is controlled such that the oxygen-to-carbon ratio of the produced syngas is in a target range of from about 0.45 to about 0.75 .

A method for thermally-stabilizing an oxygen transport membrane-based reforming system during operation, wherein said system comprises at least one reforming reactor pack assembly, said assembly comprising two or more panel array modules, wherein each panel array module comprises a reforming panel comprising an array of reforming catalyst containing reforming reactors and an oxygen transport membrane panel comprising an array of catalyst-containing oxygen transport membrane reactors, the method comprising the steps of:

• partially-reforming a combined feed stream comprising a hydrocarbon-containing feed stream and steam in the presence of heat in said reforming catalyst containing reforming reactor to produce a partially-reformed synthesis gas stream comprising hydrogen, carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, steam and unreformed hydrocarbon gas;
• feeding the partially-reformed synthesis gas stream to a reactant side of a reactively-driven and catalyst-containing oxygen transport membrane reactor, wherein the oxygen transport membrane reactor is configured to separate oxygen from an oxygen-containing stream, to produce an oxygen permeate and an oxygen-depleted retentate stream;
• reacting a portion of the partially-reformed synthesis gas stream with oxygen permeated through the at least one oxygen transport membrane reactor to produce the difference in oxygen partial pressure across the at least one oxygen transport membrane reactor and generate a steam-containing heated reaction product stream and heat;
• transferring the heat generated as a result of the reaction via convection to the oxygen-depleted retentate stream and via radiation and convection to at least one catalyst-containing reforming reactor configured to produce a synthesis gas stream;
• reforming the unreformed hydrocarbon gas in the partially-reformed synthesis gas stream in the presence of one or more catalysts contained in the oxygen transport membrane reactor and the heat to produce a synthesis gas product stream;
• determining an oxygen-to-carbon ratio of the synthesis gas product stream from composition measurements of the hydrocarbon-containing feed stream and the synthesis gas product stream;
• wherein said method comprises feeding the combined feed stream to the reforming reactor at a flow rate and a steam-to-carbon ratio effective to maintain the oxygen-to-carbon ratio of the synthesis gas product stream in a target range of from about 0.45 to about 0.75.