Monitoring the activity of reforming catalyst
AssigneeAir Products and Chemicals, Inc.
InventorsAli Esmaili, Joshua David Isom, Suyash Singh
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method and system for determining changes in the catalytic activity of reforming catalyst where an outlet temperature of the catalytic reactor is measured and a temperature approach to equilibrium calculated based on the measured outlet temperature. The temperature approach to equilibrium is compared to an empirical model-based temperature approach to equilibrium calculated for the same operating conditions, the comparison showing changes in the catalytic activity of the reforming catalyst.
Claims19
A method for determining changes in the catalytic activity of reforming catalyst, the method comprising:
- (a) introducing a reformer feed gas mixture comprising at least one hydrocarbon and steam into one or more catalytic reactors in a reformer, each of the one or more reactors having an inlet and an outlet, reacting the reformer feed gas mixture in a steam-methane reforming reaction and water-gas shift reaction under reaction conditions effective to form a reformate comprising H2, CO, CH4, and H2O, and withdrawing the reformate from the one or more catalytic reactors;
- wherein for a plurality of times, the method comprises
- (b) measuring an outlet temperature, Toutlet, representative of a temperature at the outlet of the one or more catalytic reactors for each time of the plurality of times;
- (c) determining a temperature approach to equilibrium for the steam-methane reforming reaction at the outlet of the one or more catalytic reactors for each time of the plurality of times using the measured outlet temperature, Toutlet;
- (d) calculating an empirical model-based temperature approach to equilibrium from reformer operating data and an empirical model based on historical operating data for a model reformer for each time of the plurality of times, wherein the model reformer is the reformer or another reformer;
- and
- (e) comparing the temperature approach to equilibrium to the calculated empirical model-based temperature approach to equilibrium for each time of the plurality of times;
- wherein steps (b) through (e) are repeated for the plurality of times.
A system for determining changes in the catalytic activity of reforming catalyst in one or more catalytic reactors in a reformer, where a reformer feed gas mixture is reacted in a steam-methane reforming reaction and water-gas shift reaction to form a reformate comprising H2, CO, CH4, and H2O, the system comprising:
- a temperature sensor operable to measure an outlet temperature, Toutlet, representative of a temperature at the outlet of the one or more catalytic reactors, the temperature sensor configured to transmit temperature information relating to the measured outlet temperature;
- a computing device operable to receive operating information from the reformer including the temperature information from the temperature sensor, the computing device operable to determine a temperature approach to equilibrium for the steam-methane reforming reaction at the outlet of the one or more catalytic reactors over a period of time and for a plurality of times, the computing device operable to calculate an empirical model-based temperature approach to equilibrium from an empirical model based on historical operating data for the reformer or another reformer for each time of the plurality of times, the computing device capable of providing an output suitable for comparing the temperature approach to equilibrium to the calculated empirical model-based temperature approach to equilibrium for each time over the period of time in order to monitor for reduced activity of the reforming catalyst.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.