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AssigneeAir Products and Chemicals, Inc.
InventorsXiang-Dong Peng, Derek Miller, Geoffrey Colling Achilles, Xianming Jimmy Li
Estimating the term…
Process for producing a hydrogen-containing product and one or more liquid water products using catalytic steam-hydrocarbon reforming. In the process, a portion of the make-up water is heated by the reformate and another portion of the make-up water is heated by the combustion product gas prior to introducing the make-up water to a deaerator. Water in the combustion product gas is condensed to form a liquid water product. The process may be integrated with a thermal water desalination process.
A process for producing a hydrogen-containing product and one or more liquid water products, the process comprising:
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.
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By distillation or evaporation: flash evaporation
Heating features: use of waste energy from other processes or sources, e.g. combustion gas
Flash distillation: multiple-effect flash distillation
Using catalysts: with external heating of the catalyst
About 7 years of term left · ends 23 Oct 2033 (estimated)
This patent application is related to U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/061,377, titled “Hydrogen Production Process with High Export Steam”, filed contemporaneously with the present application.
The catalytic steam-hydrocarbon reforming process is a large consumer of water. Roughly 5 kg of water is consumed for every kg of hydrogen produced. Efficient use of water is particularly important in regions where water is scarce.
Industry desires to reduce the amount of water imported (i.e. make-up water) by the catalytic steam-hydrocarbon reforming process, particularly in regions where water is scarce.
FIG. 1a is a process flow diagram for a steam-hydrocarbon reforming process showing a first portion of make-up water heated by combustion product gas and a second portion of make-up water heated by reformate, and also showing the option of providing heat energy to a thermal water purification process via a working fluid such as water/steam to transfer heat energy from the combustion product gas and/or reformate to the thermal water purification process.
FIG. 1b is a process flow diagram for a multi-stage flash process for integration with the steam-hydrocarbon reforming process of FIG. 1a.
FIG. 1c is a process flow diagram for a multiple effect distillation process for integration with the steam-hydrocarbon reforming process of FIG. 1a.
The ensuing detailed description provides preferred exemplary embodiments only, and is not intended to limit the scope, applicability, or configuration of the invention. Rather, the ensuing detailed description of the preferred exemplary embodiments will provide those skilled in the art with an enabling description for implementing the preferred exemplary embodiments of the invention, it being understood that various changes may be made in the function and arrangement of elements without departing from scope of the invention as defined by the claims.
The articles “a” and “an” as used herein mean one or more when applied to any feature in embodiments of the present invention described in the specification and claims. The use of “a” and “an” does not limit the meaning to a single feature unless such a limit is specifically stated. The article “the” preceding singular or plural nouns or noun phrases denotes a particular specified feature or particular specified features and may have a singular or plural connotation depending upon the context in which it is used.
The adjective “any” means one, some, or all indiscriminately of whatever quantity.