Process for reforming hydrocarbons
AssigneeHaldor Topsoe A/S
InventorsLari Bjerg Knudsen, Martin Frahm Jensen
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
The invention relates to the production of synthesis gas by means of particularly a series arrangement of heat exchange reforming and autothermal reforming stages, in which the heat required for the reforming reactions in the heat exchange reforming stage, is provided by hot effluent synthesis gas from the autothermal reforming stage. More particularly, the invention relates to optimisation of the operation and control of an arrangement of heat exchange reforming and autothermal reforming stages and introduction of an additional waste heat boiler.
Claims29
Process for the production of synthesis gas from a hydrocarbon feedstock, comprising the steps of:
- a. reforming at least a portion of said hydrocarbon feedstock in an endothermic reforming stage in a heat exchange reformer and withdrawing from the heat exchange reformer an effluent stream of primary reformed gas;
- b. passing the primary reformed gas from the heat exchange reformer through an autothermal reforming stage (ATR), catalytic partial oxidation stage (CPO) or partial oxidation stage (POX), and withdrawing a stream of hot effluent synthesis gas;
- and
- c. splitting the hot effluent synthesis gas into at least a first synthesis gas stream and a second synthesis gas stream, wherein said first synthesis gas stream is used as heating medium in indirect heat exchange in the heat exchange reformer of step (a) with an exit temperature in the range of from 450-800° C.;
- and wherein said second synthesis gas stream is directed to a second heat exchanger and cooled by indirect heat exchange to produce a cooled second synthesis gas stream.
Process for the production of synthesis gas from a hydrocarbon feedstock, comprising the steps of:
- a. dividing the hydrocarbon feedstock into at least a first and a second hydrocarbon feedstock stream;
- b. reforming said first hydrocarbon feedstock stream in an endothermic reforming stage in one or more heat exchange reformers and withdrawing from the heat exchange reformer an effluent stream of reformed gas;
- c. passing the second hydrocarbon feedstock stream through an autothermal reforming stage (ATR), catalytic partial oxidation stage (CPO) or partial oxidation stage (POX), and withdrawing a stream of hot effluent synthesis gas;
- characterised in that the process comprises the step of splitting said hot effluent synthesis gas into at least a first synthesis gas stream and a second synthesis gas stream,
- wherein said first synthesis gas stream is used as heating medium in indirect heat exchange in the heat exchange reformer of step (b)) with an exit temperature in the range of from 450-800° C.;
- and wherein said second synthesis gas stream is directed to a second heat exchanger and cooled by indirect heat exchange to produce a cooled second synthesis gas stream.
Process for starting up the hydrocarbon synthesis section of a gas-to-liquid process comprising:
- a. reforming at least a portion of a hydrocarbon feedstock in an endothermic reforming stage in a heat exchange reformer and withdrawing from the heat exchange reformer an effluent stream of primary reformed gas;
- b. passing the primary reformed gas from the heat exchange reformer through an autothermal reforming stage (ATR), catalytic partial oxidation stage (CPO) or partial oxidation stage (POX), and withdrawing a stream of hot effluent synthesis gas;
- characterised in that the process further comprises the step of splitting the hot effluent synthesis gas into at least a first synthesis gas stream and a second synthesis gas stream, wherein said first synthesis gas stream is used as heating medium in indirect heat exchange in the heat exchange reformer of step (a)) with an exit temperature in the range of from 450-800° C.;
- wherein said second synthesis gas stream is directed to a second heat exchanger in which it is cooled by indirect heat exchange to produce a cooled second synthesis gas stream;
- and wherein the process comprises a further step after the first synthesis gas stream has passed through the heat exchange reformer of:
- cooling the first synthesis gas stream to a temperature sufficiently low for steam to condense, separating the synthesis gas from said condensate, and recycling part or all of this synthesis gas to the ATR, CPO or POx.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.