Click here to load reader
Date post: | 02-Nov-2014 |
Category: |
Technology |
Upload: | gerard-b-hawkins |
View: | 527 times |
Download: | 71 times |
Click here to load reader
Types of Reformer Design
Gerard B. Hawkins Managing Director
GBH Enterprises Ltd.
Four main types • Pre reformers • Primary reformers ◦ Main different designs
• Secondary reformers • Compact reformers
WWW.GBHENTERPRISES.COM
GBH Enterprises Ltd.
• Need ◦ To contain the catalyst - use tubes ◦ High heat transfer area - lots of narrow ID tubes ◦ To supply heat - combustion of fuel ◦ To distribute feed - headers ◦ To collect effluent - headers ◦ To supply fuel/combustion air - headers & duct ◦ To contain combustion gases - casing ◦ To recover heat - flue gas duct and coils
WWW.GBHENTERPRISES.COM
GBH Enterprises Ltd.
• Three main types considered ◦ Top Fired ◦ Foster Wheeler Terrace Wall ◦ Side Fired
• Many other types ◦ Not considered ◦ Not encountered frequently ◦ Same principles still apply
WWW.GBHENTERPRISES.COM
GBH Enterprises Ltd.
Top Bottom Side Wall
WWW.GBHENTERPRISES.COM WWW.GBHENTERPRISES.COM
GBH Enterprises Ltd.
Tube Support
Pigtail
Burner
Tube
Coffins
Exit Header
WWW.GBHENTERPRISES.COM
Transfer Line
Risers
Tubes WWW.GBHENTERPRISES.COM
GBH Enterprises Ltd.
Nearly all heat transfer is by radiation Radiation from the flue gas to
the tubes Little direct radiation from
refractory to tube Refractory acts as a reflector Radiation from flame to tube at
tube top
WWW.GBHENTERPRISES.COM
GBH Enterprises Ltd.
Top Fired Temperature Profiles
800900
1000110012001300140015001600
0 20 40 60
Distance Down Tube (ft)
Proc
ess
and
Out
side
Tu
be W
all
Tem
pera
ture
(°F)
1400
1600
1800
2000
2200
2400
2600
2800
Flue
gas
Tem
pera
ture
(°
F)
Outside Tube WallTemperatureProcess GasTemperatureFluegas Temperature
WWW.GBHENTERPRISES.COM
GBH Enterprises Ltd.
• The key advantages of this design are • Small catalyst volume • A relative small number of burners • Combustion air preheat is simple to install
• The key disadvantages of this design are ◦ High heat fluxes at the top of the tubes can lead to carbon
formation and hence to hot bands • The heat flux down the tube can not be varied • Burner control is coarse due to the low number of burners
used on top fired reformers • A temperature pinch between the flue gas and process gas at
the exit of the tubes
WWW.GBHENTERPRISES.COM
GBH Enterprises Ltd.
Air
BFW
MP Steam
HP Steam
Fuel
NG Feed
WWW.GBHENTERPRISES.COM
GBH Enterprises Ltd.
Upper Firing Level
Lower Firing Level
Convection Section
Fluegas Fans
Cell 1 Cell 2
Tubes
WWW.GBHENTERPRISES.COM
GBH Enterprises Ltd.
WWW.GBHENTERPRISES.COM
GBH Enterprises Ltd.
• Nearly all heat transfer is by radiation from flames and refractory ◦ Major portion is from
refractory ◦ Some from flame ◦ Some from flue gas
• Heat is transferred from flame to the walls ◦ By convection/radiation
Radiative heat flows
Convection
WWW.GBHENTERPRISES.COM
GBH Enterprises Ltd.
Foster Wheeler Temperature Profiles
800
1000
1200
1400
1600
1800
2000
0 20 40 60
Distance Down Tube (ft)
Tem
pera
ture
(°F)
Flue
gas
Tem
pera
ture
(°
F)
Outside Tube WallTemperatureProcess GasTemperatureFluegas Temperature
WWW.GBHENTERPRISES.COM
GBH Enterprises Ltd.
• The key advantages of this design are, ◦ Ability to alter the firing between the two levels to either, Reduce methane slip, Or increase the flue gas temperature and hence raise more
steam, ◦ A low heat flux which means carbon formation should not be
an issue. • The key disadvantages of this design are, ◦ Relatively high catalyst volume, ◦ The feed and fuel gases must be balanced between the two
cells, ◦ A large number of burners.
WWW.GBHENTERPRISES.COM
GBH Enterprises Ltd.
Convection section is placed above transfer duct
Elevated - makes modifications difficult
Long tubes in coil Multiple fans in some cases Can include auxiliary burners
WWW.GBHENTERPRISES.COM
GBH Enterprises Ltd.
Pigtail
Tube
Burner
Outlet Collector
Peephole
Burner
Burner Burner
Fluegas Extraction
WWW.GBHENTERPRISES.COM
GBH Enterprises Ltd.
Tubes
Peephole
Burners
WWW.GBHENTERPRISES.COM
GBH Enterprises Ltd.
Staggered
Single Lane
WWW.GBHENTERPRISES.COM
GBH Enterprises Ltd.
• Nearly all heat transfer is by radiation from flames and refractory ◦ Major portion is from
refractory ◦ Some from the flames - less
than for Foster Wheeler • Some from flue gas • Heat is transferred from flame
to the walls ◦ By convection/radiation
Convection
Radiative heat flows
WWW.GBHENTERPRISES.COM
GBH Enterprises Ltd.
Side Fired Temperature Profiles
800900
10001100120013001400150016001700
0 10 20 30 40
Distance Down Tube (ft)
Proc
ess
and
Out
side
Tu
be W
all
Tem
pera
ture
(°F)
140015001600170018001900200021002200
Flue
gas
Tem
pera
ture
(°
F)
Outside Tube WallTemperatureProcess GasTemperatureFluegas Temperature
WWW.GBHENTERPRISES.COM
GBH Enterprises Ltd.
• The key advantages of this design are, ◦ Ability to alter the firing between the burner levels to either, Reduce methane slip, Or increase the flue gas temperature and hence raise more
steam, ◦ A low heat flux which means carbon formation should not be
an issue. • The key disadvantages of this design are, ◦ Relatively high catalyst volume, ◦ The feed and fuel gases must be balanced between the two
cells, ◦ A large number of burners.
WWW.GBHENTERPRISES.COM
GBH Enterprises Ltd.
WWW.GBHENTERPRISES.COM
GBH Enterprises Ltd.
Issues • Variation of tube wall temperature • Tubes are at different distances from burners • Leads to high methane slip • Variability of tube life
WWW.GBHENTERPRISES.COM
GBH Enterprises Ltd.
WWW.GBHENTERPRISES.COM
GBH Enterprises Ltd.
WWW.GBHENTERPRISES.COM
GBH Enterprises Ltd.
• Most of these reformers are ◦ Upfired ◦ Upflow ◦ Therefore same as a top fired
reformer • Small plant capacities • Always have uneven heat flux and
therefore un-even temperatures • One side hotter than the other
WWW.GBHENTERPRISES.COM
GBH Enterprises Ltd.
Offered by • Howmar ◦ Now designing Top Fired furnaces
• Howe Baker ◦ Now designing Top Fired furnaces
• Chemico
WWW.GBHENTERPRISES.COM
GBH Enterprises Ltd.
WWW.GBHENTERPRISES.COM
GBH Enterprises Ltd.
• Use low grade heat from flue gas duct to preheat air
• Maximize efficiency as stack temperature is reduced
• Minimizes fuel used • No preheating in primary of
the combustion air • Must ensure symmetry ◦ Prevents mal-distribution
WWW.GBHENTERPRISES.COM
GBH Enterprises Ltd.
Burner Tube Feed Header
WWW.GBHENTERPRISES.COM
GBH Enterprises Ltd.
Burner Tube WWW.GBHENTERPRISES.COM
GBH Enterprises Ltd.
WWW.GBHENTERPRISES.COM
GBH Enterprises Ltd.
WWW.GBHENTERPRISES.COM
GBH Enterprises Ltd.
WWW.GBHENTERPRISES.COM
GBH Enterprises Ltd.
WWW.GBHENTERPRISES.COM
GBH Enterprises Ltd.
Burner Tube Fuel Header WWW.GBHENTERPRISES.COM
GBH Enterprises Ltd.
Burner Tube
WWW.GBHENTERPRISES.COM
GBH Enterprises Ltd.
WWW.GBHENTERPRISES.COM
GBH Enterprises Ltd.
WWW.GBHENTERPRISES.COM
GBH Enterprises Ltd.
Main types include • Gas Heated Reformer (GHR) • Advanced Gas Heat Reformer (AGHR) • Enhanced Heat Transfer Reformer (EHTR) • KRES
WWW.GBHENTERPRISES.COM
GBH Enterprises Ltd.
Aim is to • Minimize plot area ◦ Eliminate large fired box ◦ Eliminate convection section
• Maximise heat integration • Eliminate HP steam system
WWW.GBHENTERPRISES.COM
GBH Enterprises Ltd.
• Developed for ammonia process - LCA • Early 1980’s - Paper exercise • Mid 1980's - Sidestream unit at Billingham • Mid 1980's - LCA design developed • Late 1980's - ICI Severnside plants start up • 1991 - BHPP LCM plant designed • 1994 - BHPP plant start up • 1998 - AGHR Start Up • 1998 - MCC Start Up
WWW.GBHENTERPRISES.COM
GBH Enterprises Ltd.
Purifier
Saturator GHR Secondary
Converter
Preheater
Purge to fuel
Topping Column
Refining Column
Process condensate
water
Fusel oil
Natural gas
Oxygen Steam
Refined methanol
Purge
Crude methanol
WWW.GBHENTERPRISES.COM
GBH Enterprises Ltd.
Steam
Secondary Reformer
Steam + Gas
Air / Oxygen
GHR
WWW.GBHENTERPRISES.COM
GBH Enterprises Ltd.
SecondaryReformer
GHR
Syngas
Gas/steam425`C
701`C
975`C
515`C
742`C
21,000 Nm3/Hr
Oxygen30`C
1200`C
2,590 Nm3/Hr
43.7 Barg 39.2 Barg
38.6 Barg
37.9 Barg
22.0% Methane
16.6% Methane
0.4% Methane
40.6 Barg
WWW.GBHENTERPRISES.COM
GBH Enterprises Ltd.
• Shellside heat transfer usually poor • Minimize tube count with expensive alloys • Tubes are externally finned • Designed as double tubes
• Sheath tube • Produces much smaller tube bundle • Allows scale up to higher capacities
Catalyst tube Fins Double tube
Hot shellside gas WWW.GBHENTERPRISES.COM
GBH Enterprises Ltd.
Gas & Steam
Scabbard Tube Catalyst
Bayonet Tube
Support Grid End Cap
Hot Reacted Gas
WWW.GBHENTERPRISES.COM
GBH Enterprises Ltd.
Gas/Steam Hot gas Twin
tubesheets
Refractory
Syngas
WWW.GBHENTERPRISES.COM
GBH Enterprises Ltd.
WWW.GBHENTERPRISES.COM
GBH Enterprises Ltd.
• GHR operates in extremely corrosive duty • Metal dusting - catastrophic carburization • Need for materials research • Suitable high temperature alloys identified • Many years of operation in LCA plants • Also confirmed in Methanol plant
WWW.GBHENTERPRISES.COM
GBH Enterprises Ltd.
• Retain • Series reforming scheme • Shellside heat transfer enhancement • Mechanical & process design methods
• Change to • Non bayonet design • Hot end tubesheet • Sliding seal system
WWW.GBHENTERPRISES.COM
GBH Enterprises Ltd.
• Novel seal system • Prevents leakage from tubeside to shellside • Not sensitive to wear of sliding surfaces • Allows independent tube expansion • Proven in full scale pilot plant tests
WWW.GBHENTERPRISES.COM
GBH Enterprises Ltd.
• Easier to replace tubes • Easier to load catalyst • Capacity of up to 6,500 mtpd in single shell ◦ Would need 2 conventional primaries
WWW.GBHENTERPRISES.COM
GBH Enterprises Ltd.
WWW.GBHENTERPRISES.COM
GBH Enterprises Ltd.
• APCI / KTI • EHTR
• Kellogg • KRES
• Uhde • CAR
• GIAP • Tandem
• Johnston Matthey • GHR
WWW.GBHENTERPRISES.COM
GBH Enterprises Ltd.
Feed & Steam In
To Heat Recovery
Catalyst Tube
Perforated Distributor
Reformer Effluent
Cylindrical Distributor
WWW.GBHENTERPRISES.COM
GBH Enterprises Ltd.