PARTIAL OXIDATION REFORMER-REFORMING EXCHANGER ARRANGEMENT

• Main Authors: MANN, DAVID, P, MALHOTRA, AVINASH, VAN SICKELS, MARTIN, J, KNEZ, STANISLAUS, A
• Format: Patent
• Language: English; French; German
• Published: 18.04.2012
• Subjects: CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROCESSES, e.g. CATALYSIS OR COLLOIDCHEMISTRY; CHEMISTRY; COMPOUNDS THEREOF; INORGANIC CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY; NON-METALLIC ELEMENTS; PERFORMING OPERATIONS; PHYSICAL OR CHEMICAL PROCESSES OR APPARATUS IN GENERAL; THEIR RELEVANT APPARATUS; TRANSPORTING

A method for retrofitting a syngas process entails converting a first hydrocarbon stream to a first reactor effluent through partial oxidation; cooling the first reactor effluent and producing steam with recovered heat; and receiving the cooled reactor effluent and producing a product syngas of enhanced hydrogen content. The downstream processing entails cooling the first reactor effluent to a temperature from about 650 to about 1000 degrees C. The first reactor effluent is diverted to a reforming exchanger. A second hydrocarbon portion with steam is passed through a catalyst zone in the reforming exchanger forming a second reactor effluent. The second reactor effluent is discharged from the catalyst zone forming an admixture with the first reactor effluent. The admixture is passed across the catalyst zone in indirect heat exchange therewith to cool the admixture and heat the catalyst zone. The cooled admixture is supplied back to the reforming exchanger.