Hydrogen Production System and Process

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016017802-A1
Application number	US-201414332784-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jul 16, 2014
Priority date	Jul 16, 2014
Publication date	Jan 21, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

Hydrogen production process and apparatus using a combined stream of gas turbine exhaust from a gas turbine and combustion air from forced draft fan as combustion oxidant in a steam reforming furnace. A valve assembly for providing draft air is included to quickly provide additional combustion air to the reformer furnace when the gas turbine unexpectedly shuts down.

First claim

1 . An apparatus for producing a H 2 -containing product, the apparatus comprising:
a gas turbine having an outlet for withdrawing an exhaust stream from the gas turbine; a forced draft fan having an outlet for discharging an oxidant stream; a valve assembly for providing a draft air stream; a reformer furnace operatively connected to the gas turbine, the forced draft fan, and the valve assembly, and operatively disposed to receive at least a portion of the exhaust stream from the gas turbine, at least a portion of the oxidant stream from the forced draft fan, and the draft air stream from the valve assembly; and a heat exchanger operatively disposed between the forced draft fan and the reformer furnace, wherein the heat exchanger is operatively disposed to receive the at least a portion of the oxidant stream from the forced draft fan, and the reformer furnace is operatively disposed to receive the at least a portion of the oxidant stream from the heat exchanger.

2 . The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising:
a second forced draft fan having an outlet for discharging a second oxidant stream;
a second valve assembly for providing a second draft air stream; and
a second reformer furnace operatively connected to the gas turbine, the second forced draft fan, and the second valve assembly, and operatively disposed to receive a second portion of the exhaust stream from the gas turbine, at least a portion of the second oxidant stream from the second forced draft fan, and the second draft air stream from the second valve assembly; and
a second heat exchanger operatively disposed between the second forced draft fan and the second reformer furnace, wherein the second heat exchanger is operatively disposed to receive the at least a portion of the second oxidant stream from the second forced draft fan, and the second reformer furnace is operatively disposed to receive the at least a portion of the second oxidant stream from the second heat exchanger.

3 . The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the reformer furnace comprises a plurality of catalyst-containing reformer tubes wherein the plurality of catalyst-containing reformer tubes are operatively disposed to receive a reformer feed gas stream and the reformer furnace is operatively disposed to receive the at least a portion of the exhaust stream, the at least a portion of the oxidant stream, the draft air stream, and a fuel stream for combustion thereof in a combustion space external to the plurality of catalyst-containing reformer tubes, wherein the reformer furnace has a first outlet for withdrawing a reformate stream formed from the reformer feed gas stream in the plurality of catalyst-containing reformer tubes, and wherein the reformer furnace has a second outlet for withdrawing a combustion product gas stream from the combustion space, the combustion product gas stream formed by the combustion of the fuel stream.

4 . (canceled)

5 . The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising:
an induced draft fan operatively disposed to receive a combustion product gas stream from the reformer furnace.

6 . The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising:
a conduit operatively disposed to transport the at least a portion of the exhaust stream from the gas turbine, the at least a portion of the oxidant stream from the forced draft fan, and the draft air stream from the valve assembly to the reformer furnace;
a sensor responsive to a pressure in the conduit; and
a controller operatively connected to at least one of the valve assembly for providing the draft air stream and the valve assembly for controlling the exhaust stream, the controller operatively connected to the sensor and responsive to signals from the sensor.

7 . The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising:
a pressure swing adsorption unit operatively disposed to receive a reformate stream from the reformer to form a hydrogen product stream and a by-product stream from the reformate stream.

8 . The apparatus of claim 3 further comprising:
an induced draft fan operatively disposed to receive a combustion product gas stream from the reformer furnace;
one or more sensors wherein the one or more sensors are at least one of a sensor that is responsive to pressure in the combustion space of the reformer furnace, and a sensor that is responsive to oxygen concentration in the combustion product gas stream from the reformer furnace; and
a controller operatively connected to receive signals from the one or more sensors;
wherein the induced draft fan is operatively connected to receive signals from the controller responsive to the signals from the one or more sensors.

9 . The apparatus according to claim 2 wherein the second reformer furnace comprises a plurality of catalyst-containing reformer tubes wherein the plurality of catalyst-containing reformer tubes of the second reformer furnace are operatively disposed to receive a second reformer feed gas stream and the second reformer furnace is operatively disposed to receive the second portion of the exhaust stream, the at least a portion of the second oxidant stream, the second draft air stream, and a second fuel stream for combustion thereof in a combustion space external to the plurality of catalyst-containing reformer tubes of the second reformer furnace, wherein the second reformer furnace has a first outlet for withdrawing a second reformate stream formed from the second reformer feed gas stream in the plurality of catalyst-containing reformer tubes of the second reformer furnace, and wherein the second reformer furnace has a second outlet for withdrawing a second combustion product gas stream from the combustion space of the second reformer furnace, the second combustion product gas stream formed by the combustion of the second fuel stream;
the apparatus further comprising:
a second induced draft fan operatively disposed to receive the second combustion product gas stream from the second reformer furnace;
a valve assembly for controlling the exhaust stream from the gas turbine, the valve assembly operative to control the flow rate of the at least a portion of the exhaust stream and operative to control the flow rate of the second portion of the exhaust stream;
a second conduit operatively disposed to transport the second portion of the exhaust stream from the gas turbine, the at least a portion of the second oxidant stream from the second forced draft fan, and the second draft air stream from the second valve assembly to the second reformer furnace;
a second sensor responsive to a pressure in the second conduit;
a controller operatively connected to at least one of the second valve assembly for providing the second draft air stream and the valve assembly for controlling the exhaust stream, the controller operatively connected to the second sensor and responsive to signals from the second sensor;
a pressure swing adsorption unit operatively disposed to receive the second reformate stream to form a second hydrogen product stream and a second by-product stream from the reformate stream; and
one or more sensors wherein the one or more sensors are at least one of a sensor that is responsive to pressure in the combustion space of the second reformer furnace, and a sensor that is responsive to oxygen concentration in the combustion product gas stream from the second reformer furnace wherein the controller is operatively connected to receive signals from the one or more sensors;
wherein the induced draft fan is operatively connected to receive signals from the controller responsive to the signals from the one or more sensors.

10 . A process for producing a H 2 -containing product, the process comprising:
a primary operating mode, the primary operating mode comprising

Assignees

• Air Prod & Chem

Inventors

• Saloway Simon Craig
• Demaria David George
• Zagnoli David Anthony
• Snyder Iii Russell Ira

Classifications

• F02C6/10 Primary

  supplying working fluid to a user, e.g. a chemical process, which returns working fluid to a turbine of the plant · CPC title

• F02C6/18

  using the waste heat of gas-turbine plants outside the plants themselves, e.g. gas-turbine power heat plants (using waste heat as source of energy for refrigeration plants F25B27/02; using the waste heat of a gasturbine for steam generation or in a steam cycle see F01K23/10) · CPC title

• Y02E60/50

  Fuel cells · CPC title

• C01B2203/0233

  the reforming step being a steam reforming step · CPC title

• C01B2203/169

  Controlling the feed · CPC title