Method for the preparation of synthesis gas

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12415724-B2
Application number	US-202117800165-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 24, 2021
Priority date	Feb 28, 2020
Publication date	Sep 16, 2025
Grant date	Sep 16, 2025

Abstract

Method for the preparation of synthesis gas combining electrolysis of water, tubular steam reforming and autothermal reforming of a hydrocarbon feed stock in parallel.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. Method for the preparation of synthesis gas comprising the steps of:
(a) providing a hydrocarbon feed stock;
(b) preparing a separate hydrogen containing stream and a separate oxygen containing stream by electrolysis of water and/or steam;
(c) steam reforming a first part of the hydrocarbon feed stock from step (a) in a tubular steam reformer to a tubular steam reformed gas comprising hydrogen, carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide, including recovering carbon dioxide in flue gas from burners in the tubular steam reformer and adding the recovered carbon dioxide to the steam reforming process;
(d) autothermal reforming a second part of the hydrocarbon feed stock in an autothermal reformer with at least part of the oxygen containing stream obtained in step (b) to an autothermal reformed gas stream comprising hydrogen, carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide;
(e) combining the steam reformed gas from step (c) with the autothermal reformed gas from step (d);
(f) adding at least part of the separate hydrogen containing stream from step (b) into the hydrocarbon feed stock from step (a) and/or into the steam reformed gas stream from step (c) and/or into the autothermal reformed gas stream from step (d) and/or into the combined steam reformed gas and autothermal reformed gas stream from step (e); and
(g) withdrawing the synthesis gas.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the electrolysis of water and/or steam in step (b) is powered by renewable energy.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the hydrogen stream is added to the combined tubular steam reformed gas and autothermal reformed gas stream in an amount to provide a module M=(H 2 −CO 2 )/(CO+CO 2 ) in the synthesis gas withdrawn in step (g) of between 1.9 and 2.2.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the module M=(H 2 −CO 2 )/(CO+CO 2 ) in the synthesis gas withdrawn in step (g) is in the range from 2 to 2.1.

5. The method of claim 1 , comprising the further step of heat exchange reforming a part of the hydrocarbon feedstock from step (a) and/or the tubular steam reformed gas from step (c).

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the hydrocarbon feed stock comprises natural gas, methane, LNG, naphtha or mixtures thereof either as such or pre-reformed and/or desulfurized.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the synthesis gas withdrawn in step (g) is in a further step converted to a methanol product.

Assignees

• Topsoe As

Inventors

• Tjärnehov Emil Andreas
• Han Pat A

Classifications

• C25B1/042

  by electrolysis of steam · CPC title

• C25B1/04

  by electrolysis of water · CPC title

• C07C29/1518

  one step being the formation of initial mixture of carbon oxides and hydrogen for synthesis · CPC title

• C01B2203/1241

  Natural gas or methane · CPC title

• C01B2203/0833

  Heating by indirect heat exchange with hot fluids, other than combustion gases, product gases or non-combustive exothermic reaction product gases · CPC title