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Method of thermally-stabilizing an oxygen transport membrane-based reforming system

  • US 10,118,823 B2
  • Filed: 12/15/2015
  • Issued: 11/06/2018
  • Est. Priority Date: 12/15/2015
  • Status: Active Grant
First Claim
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1. A method for thermally-stabilizing an oxygen transport membrane-based reforming system for the production of syngas, said system comprises at least one reforming reactor pack assembly, said assembly comprising two or more panel array modules, wherein each panel array module comprises a reforming panel comprising an array of reforming catalyst containing reforming reactors and an oxygen transport membrane panel comprising an array of catalyst-containing oxygen transport membrane reactors, said method comprising:

  • partially reforming a combined feed stream comprising a hydrocarbon-containing feed stream and steam in the presence of heat in said reforming catalyst containing reforming reactors to produce a partially-reformed synthesis gas stream comprising hydrogen, carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, steam and unreformed hydrocarbon gas;

    feeding the partially-reformed synthesis gas stream to a reactant side of a reactively-driven and catalyst-containing oxygen transport membrane reactor, wherein the oxygen transport membrane reactor is configured to separate oxygen from an oxygen-containing stream to produce an oxygen permeate and an oxygen-depleted retentate stream;

    reacting a portion of the partially-reformed synthesis gas stream with oxygen permeated through the at least one oxygen transport membrane reactor to produce a difference in oxygen partial pressure across the oxygen transport membrane reactor and generate a steam-containing heated reaction product stream and heat;

    transferring the heat generated as a result of the reaction via convection to the oxygen-depleted retentate stream and via radiation and convection to at least one catalyst-containing reforming reactor configured to produce a synthesis gas product stream; and

    reforming the unreformed hydrocarbon gas in the partially-reformed synthesis gas stream in the presence of one or more catalysts contained in the oxygen transport membrane reactor;

    wherein said method comprises modulating the flow rate of the combined feed stream to the reforming reactors by adjusting the flow rate of hydrocarbon-containing feed, or the flow rate of steam, or the flow rate of both the hydrocarbon-containing feed and the flow rate of steam while maintaining a steam-to-carbon ratio effective to thermally stabilize the temperature of said oxygen transport membrane-based reforming system in a target temperature range from about 750°

    C. to about 1000°

    C.

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