Method of catalyst reduction in a hydrogen plant

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10294102-B2
Application number	US-201615379610-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 15, 2016
Priority date	Dec 15, 2016
Publication date	May 21, 2019
Grant date	May 21, 2019

Abstract

The present invention relates to a method of reducing a catalyst utilized in a hydrogen plant. More specifically, the invention relates the reduction of a catalyst employed in the steam methane reformer.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of starting up an integrated hydrogen or syngas plant including a reactor having a catalyst therein, comprising:
a first step of providing a catalyst reduction fluid selected from methanol, ammonia, and urea, and introducing the catalyst reduction fluid into a steam stream through liquid spray quench nozzles;
introducing the mixture of catalyst reduction fluid and steam stream and reducing a catalyst disposed within the reactor, until the catalyst is reduced; and
thereafter in a separate second step of admitting a reactor feedstock and steam stream into the reactor where reforming is carried out and wherein liquid water is introduced through the liquid spray quench nozzles utilized for introducing the mixture of catalyst reduction fluid into the steam stream in the first step as a means of controlling the temperature of a combined reactant feedstock and steam stream.

2. The method of claim 1 , where the feedstock is selected from natural gas, naphtha and LPG.

3. The method of claim 1 , where the reactor is a pre-reformer or a steam methane reformer having the catalyst therein.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the catalyst is nickel-based.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the temperature at an inlet of the reactor is in the range of 900−1300° F. during normal steady state operation the second step.

6. The method of claim 1 , comprising: removing a synthesis gas at the outlet of the reactor during the second step at a temperature in the range of 1400−1800° F.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein a minimum steam to reductant molar ratio in the range of 20:1 to 30:1 is attained.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein a minimum steam to reductant molar ratio in the range of 20:1 to 23:1 is attained.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the catalyst reduction fluid is stored in a vessel normally used for a plant feedstock.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the catalyst reduction fluid is pumped from storage using a pump utilized in normal operations for a plant feedstock.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the catalyst reduction fluid is further purified by routing said reductant fluid through an activated carbon bed filter.

12. The method of claim 1 , wherein a steam to carbon ratio of the reactor feedstock and steam stream is in the range of about 1.5 to 3.5 during the second step.

Assignees

• Warta Andrew M
• Raybold Troy M
• Barnes Jr David R
• Praxair Technology Inc

Inventors

• Warta Andrew M
• Raybold Troy M
• Barnes Jr David R

Classifications

• C01B3/38 Primary

  using catalysts · CPC title

• C01B2203/1604

  Starting up the process · CPC title

• B01J23/755

  Nickel · CPC title

• B01J7/02

  by wet methods · CPC title

• C01B2203/1235

  Hydrocarbons · CPC title