Process for obtaining a heating fluid as indirect heat source for carrying out endothermic reactions

• US 20010025449A1
• Filed: 03/12/2001
• Published: 10/04/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 03/22/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ammonia Casale, S.A.
• Original Assignee: Ammonia Casale, S.A.
• Inventors: Filippi, Ermanno
• Granted Patent: US 7,465,324 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 48/199FM
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2208/00389 using electric heating or cooling elements
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 8/0285 Heating or cooling the reactor for tubular reactors in furnaces B01J8/062
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 8/062 being installed in a furnace
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 8/067 Heating or cooling the reactor B01J8/062 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: C01B 2203/0811 by combustion of fuel
• CPC Class Codes: C01B 2203/0816 Heating by flames
• CPC Class Codes: C01B 2203/0822 the fuel containing hydrogen
• CPC Class Codes: C01B 2203/0827 at least part of the fuel being a recycle stream
• CPC Class Codes: C01B 2203/0866 by combination of different heating methods
• CPC Class Codes: C01B 3/384 the catalyst being continuously externally heated
• CPC Class Codes: C09K 5/18 Non-reversible chemical reactions
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 20/10 Process efficiency

Abstract

A process for obtaining a heating fluid as indirect heat source for carrying out endothermic reactions, wherein a flow comprising hydrocarbons and a gas flow comprising oxygen, which flows are suitably compressed, are fed to a combustor and then burnt thus obtaining a high temperature fluid, is distinguished by the fact of feeding a flow comprising water, preferably in the form of vapour, to the high temperature fluid and/or to the combustor.

Claims

1. Process for obtaining a heating fluid to be used as indirect heat source for carrying out endothermic reactions, comprising the steps of:

feeding a flow comprising hydrocarbons and a gas flow comprising oxygen to a combustor, wherein such flows are suitably compressed;

burning said hydrocarbons in presence of said oxygen in the combustor, thus obtaining a high temperature fluid comprising carbon dioxide and oxygen;

characterised in that it further comprises the step of feeding a flow comprising water, preferably in the form of vapour, to said high temperature fluid and/or to said combustor.

2. Process according to

claim 1

, characterised by the fact of feeding said water in an amount comprised between 0,1 and 0,7 times the flow comprising oxygen.

3. Process according to

claim 1

, characterised in that said flow comprising water is fed to said high temperature fluid and/or to said combustor as vapour obtained through evaporation of a water flow at a predetermined pressure.

4. Process according to

claim 1

, characterised in that said flow comprising water is fed in said combustor in the form of vapour together with said flow comprising oxygen.

5. Process according to

claim 4

, characterised in that it comprises the steps of:

feeding at a predetermined pressure said flow comprising water into the flow comprising oxygen upstream of said combustor;

heating the so-obtained flow in such a way to let the water at least partially evaporate and obtain a flow comprising oxygen and water vapour.

6. Process according to

claim 4

, characterised in that it comprises the steps of:

heating said flow comprising water;

feeding at a predetermined pressure the suitably heated flow comprising water into the flow comprising oxygen upstream of the combustor, in such a way to let the water at least partially evaporate and obtain a flow comprising oxygen and water vapour.

8. Process according to

claim 7

, characterised in that said heating fluid is obtained through a process according to any one of the claims from 1 to 6.

9. Process according to

claim 8

, characterised in that it further comprises the step of cooling down the heating fluid leaving the exchanger type reformer by indirect heat exchange with a flow comprising oxygen and/or water fed to said combustor.

7. Process for carrying out hydrocarbon reforming reactions in an exchanger type reformer, comprising the steps of:

feeding a gas flow comprising hydrocarbons and water vapour in a reaction space (25) comprising catalyst in said exchanger type reformer;

feeding a heating fluid in a space (26) adjacent to said reaction space (25) in said exchanger type reformer;

reacting in a catalytic way the gas flow comprising hydrocarbons by indirect heat exchange with the heating fluid, thus obtaining a gas flow comprising hydrogen;

characterised in that said heating fluid comprises water, preferably in the form of vapour.

10. Use of water, preferably in the form of vapour, in a process for obtaining a heating fluid to be used as indirect heat source for carrying out endothermic reactions, such as hydrocarbon reforming reactions.