Steam to carbon ratio control in steam reforming of hydrocarbons
AssigneeMicro Motion, Inc.
InventorJulie Ann Valentine
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A mass flowmeter system for use in steam reformation of hydrocarbons includes a Coriolis flowmeter in a hydrocarbon feedstock line. The feedstock carbon content is estimated by close approximation, which facilitates selective control operations governing the relative amounts of steam and hydrocarbon materials as they feed a hydrogen processing unit. The relative amounts of steam and hydrocarbon feedstock are adjusted on the basis of real time measurements.
Claims20
A flow metering system for use in controlling a reformation reaction in a hydrogen production system, said flow metering system comprising:
- a first flowmeter configured to measure a mass flow rate of a hydrocarbon feedstock from a hydrocarbon feedstock supply and to produce a hydrocarbon flow rate signal representing said mass flow rate of said hydrocarbon feedstock;
- a second flowmeter configured to measure a flow rate of steam from a steam supply and to produce a steam flow rate signal representing said flow rate of said steam;
- and
- a controller configured to receive said hydrocarbon flow rate signal and said steam flow rate signal, to receive an estimated carbon content factor, said estimated carbon content factor being based on at least one potential constituent of said hydrocarbon feedstock, to process said mass flow rate of said hydrocarbon feedstock and said estimated carbon content factor to determine an estimated carbon content of said hydrocarbon feedstock, to receive a carbon-to-steam ratio for said hydrogen production system, and to process said estimated carbon content of said hydrocarbon feedstock, said flow rate of said steam, and said carbon-to-steam ratio to control at least one of said flow rate of said steam and said flow rate of said hydrocarbon feedstock.
A method of operating a flow metering system for controlling a reformation reaction in a hydrogen production system, said method comprising the steps of:
- measuring a mass flow rate of a hydrocarbon feedstock delivered to said hydrogen production system to provide a hydrocarbon mass flow rate measurement;
- measuring a flow rate of steam delivered to said hydrogen production system to provide a steam flow rate measurement;
- identifying an estimated carbon content factor, said estimated carbon content factor being based on at least one potential constituent of said hydrocarbon feedstock;
- processing said mass flow rate of said hydrocarbon feedstock and said estimated carbon content factor to determine an estimated carbon content of said hydrocarbon feedstock;
- identifying a carbon-to-steam ratio for said hydrogen production system;
- and
- processing said estimated carbon content of said hydrocarbon feedstock, said flow rate of said steam, and said carbon-to-steam ratio to control at least one of said flow rate of said steam and said flow rate of said hydrocarbon feedstock.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.