Integrated plate-fin heat exchange reformation
AssigneeAir Products and Chemicals, Inc.
InventorsRodney J. Allam, John D. Bassett, Joseph M. Abrardo, Philip L. Da Prato
Life of this patent
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Abstract
The present invention is a reformation process using a compact, plate-fin heat exchanger with multi-stream, multi-passage capability to provide parallel juxtaposed heat exchange of the various process streams of a reformation process.
Claims24
A process for reforming a hydrocarbon stream into a synthesis gas product by heat exchanging the hydrocarbon stream against process streams at an elevated temperature in which heat exchange functions of the reforming process are effected in a plate-fin heat exchanger having multi-stream, multi-passage capability for parallel juxtaposed heat exchange of the various streams of the process, comprising:
- a) introducing said hydrocarbon stream into said plate-fin heat exchanger and heating said hydrocarbon stream to an elevated temperature by juxtaposed parallel heat exchange against said process streams;
- b) reforming said hydrocarbon stream at elevated temperature to produce a synthesis gas product;
- and
- c) cooling said synthesis gas product toward ambient temperature by passing said product through said plate-fin heat exchanger and heating said hydrocarbon stream and/or process streams by juxtaposed parallel heat exchange.
A process for reforming a hydrocarbon stream and water into a synthesis gas product by heat exchanging said hydrocarbon stream and water against a synthesis gas product and a flue gas at an elevated temperature in a plate-fin heat exchanger having multiple parallel heat exchange passageways juxtaposed to one another through which said hydrocarbon stream, said water, said synthesis gas product and said flue gas separately pass during heat exchange one with another, comprising:
- a) introducing said hydrocarbon stream into said plate-fin heat exchanger and heating said hydrocarbon stream to an elevated temperature by juxtaposed parallel heat exchange against said synthesis gas product and flue gas;
- b) introducing said water into a plate-fin heat exchanger and heating said water to an elevated temperature by juxtaposed parallel heat exchange against said synthesis gas product and flue gas;
- c) mixing said water with said hydrocarbon stream by contacting them in a separate saturator zone to saturate said stream with water;
- d) further heating the resulting hydrocarbon and water stream of step c) in said plate-fin heat exchanger to an elevated temperature by juxtaposed parallel heat exchange against said synthesis gas product and flue gas;
- e) reforming said hydrocarbon and water stream at elevated temperature to produce a synthesis gas product by heating said stream by the combustion of fuel to produce a flue gas;
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- f) cooling said synthesis gas product and said flue gas toward ambient temperature by passing said product and said gas separately through said plate-fin heat exchanger and heating said hydrocarbon stream and water to an elevated temperature by juxtaposed parallel heat exchange.
A process for catalytic reforming a hydrocarbon stream and water into a synthesis gas product by heat exchanging said hydrocarbon stream and water against a synthesis gas product and a flue gas at an elevated temperature in a plate-fin heat exchanger having multiple parallel heat exchange passageways juxtaposed to one another through which said hydrocarbon stream, said water, said synthesis gas product and said flue gas separately pass during heat exchange one with another, comprising:
- a) introducing said hydrocarbon stream into said plate-fin heat exchanger and heating said hydrocarbon stream to an elevated temperature by juxtaposed parallel heat exchange against said synthesis gas product and flue gas;
- b) separately introducing said water into said plate-fin heat exchanger and heating said water to an elevated temperature by juxtaposed parallel heat exchange against said synthesis gas product and flue gas;
- c) directly introducing said hydrocarbon stream from said plate-fin heat exchanger into a desulfurization zone and desulfurizing said hydrocarbon stream;
- d) mixing said water with said hydrocarbon stream by contacting them in a separate saturator zone to saturate said stream with water;
- e) further heating the resulting hydrocarbon and water stream of step d) in said plate-fin heat exchanger to an elevated temperature by juxtaposed parallel heat exchange against said synthesis gas product and flue gas;
- f) catalytically reforming said hydrocarbon and water stream at elevated temperature to produce a synthesis gas product by heating said stream by the combustion of fuel to produce a flue gas;
- g) cooling said synthesis gas product and said flue gas toward ambient temperature by passing said product and said gas separately countercurrently to the flow of said hydrocarbon stream through said plate-fin heat exchanger and heating said hydrocarbon stream and water to an elevated temperature by juxtaposed parallel heat exchanger;
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- h) directly introducing said synthesis gas product from said plate-fin heat exchanger into a water gas shift reaction zone to convert carbon monoxide and water in said synthesis gas product to hydrogen and carbon dioxide and the resulting product of said shift reaction zone is cooled toward ambient temperature by heating said hydrocarbon stream and water to an elevated temperature in said plate-fin heat exchanger by juxtaposed parallel heat exchange.
A process for reforming a hydrocarbon stream and water into a synthesis gas product by heat exchanging said hydrocarbon stream and water against a synthesis gas product and a flue gas at an elevated temperature in a plate-fin heat exchanger having multiple parallel heat exchange passageways juxtaposed to one another through which said hydrocarbon stream, said water, said synthesis gas product and said flue gas separately pass during heat exchange one with another, comprising:
- a) directly injecting water into said hydrocarbon stream to form a resulting hydrocarbon stream and water mixture;
- b) introducing said hydrocarbon stream and water into said plate-fin heat exchanger and heating said mixture to an elevated temperature by juxtaposed parallel heat exchange against said synthesis gas product and flue gas to form a hydrocarbon and steam stream;
- c) reforming said hydrocarbon and steam stream at elevated temperature to produce a synthesis gas product by heating said stream by the combustion of fuel to produce a flue gas;
- and
- d) cooling said synthesis gas product and said flue gas toward ambient temperature by passing said product and said gas separately through said plate-fin heat exchanger while heating said hydrocarbon stream and water mixture to an elevated temperature by juxtaposed parallel heat exchange.
A process for reforming a hydrocarbon stream into a synthesis gas product by heat exchanging said hydrocarbon stream against a synthesis gas product at an elevated temperature in a plate-fin heat exchanger having multiple parallel heat exchange passageways juxtaposed to one another through which said hydrocarbon stream and said synthesis gas product separately pass during heat exchange one with another and by partial oxidation of said hydrocarbon stream, comprising:
- a) introducing said hydrocarbon stream into said plate-fin heat exchanger and heating said hydrocarbon stream to an elevated temperature by juxtaposed parallel heat exchange against said synthesis gas product;
- b) introducing an oxidant and optionally additional feed components into a plate-fin heat exchanger and heating said oxidant and optionally additional feed components to an elevated temperature by juxtaposed parallel heat exchange against said synthesis gas product;
- c) mixing said oxidant and optionally additional feed components with said hydrocarbon stream;
- d) reforming said hydrocarbon stream by at least partial oxidation of said hydrocarbon stream to produce a synthesis gas product;
- and
- e) cooling said synthesis gas product toward ambient temperature by passing said product separately through said plate-fin heat exchanger and heating said hydrocarbon stream, oxidant and optionally additional feed components to an elevated temperature by juxtaposed parallel heat exchange.
A process for reforming a hydrocarbon stream and water into a synthesis gas product with only the in situ formation of steam necessary for reforming by heat exchanging said hydrocarbon stream and water against a synthesis gas product and a flue gas at an elevated temperature in a plate-fin heat exchanger having multiple parallel heat exchange passageways juxtaposed to one another through which said hydrocarbon stream, said water, said synthesis gas product and said flue gas separately pass during heat exchange one with another, comprising:
- a) introducing said hydrocarbon stream and said water into said plate-fin heat exchanger and heating them to an elevated temperature by juxtaposed parallel heat exchange against said synthesis gas product and flue gas, to form, in situ, only that steam necessary for reforming;
- b) reforming said hydrocarbon and steam at elevated temperature to produce a synthesis gas product by heating said hydrocarbon and steam by the combustion of fuel to produce a flue gas;
- and
- c) cooling said synthesis gas product and said flue gas toward ambient temperature by passing said product and said gas separately through said plate-fin heat exchanger and heating said hydrocarbon stream and water to an elevated temperature by juxtaposed parallel heat exchange.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.