Water Purification Using Energy from a Steam-Hydrocarbon Reforming Process
First Claim
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1. A process for producing a H2-containing product gas and for producing purified water, the process comprising:
- (a) introducing a reformer feed gas mixture into a plurality of catalyst-containing reformer tubes in a reformer furnace, reacting the reformer feed gas mixture in a reforming reaction under reaction conditions effective to form a reformate comprising H2, CO, CH4, and H2O, and withdrawing the reformate from the plurality of catalyst-containing reformer tubes;
(b) heating saturated boiler feed water from a steam drum by indirect heat transfer with the reformate withdrawn from the plurality of catalyst-containing reformer tubes in a first heat exchanger thereby forming high pressure steam having a pressure ranging from 1.5 to 12.5 MPa (absolute), wherein the reformer feed gas mixture comprises the high pressure steam;
(c) heating boiler feed water by indirect heat transfer with the reformate from the first heat exchanger in a second heat exchanger and introducing the heated boiler feed water into the steam drum;
(d) reacting the reformate from the second heat exchanger in the presence of a shift catalyst under reaction conditions effective to form additional hydrogen in the reformate;
(e) heating raw water by indirect heat transfer with the reformate from step (d) thereby heating the raw water for purification thereof by a thermal water purification process to produce purified water, and thereby cooling the reformate stream;
(f) heating make-up water by indirect heat transfer with the reformate from step (e) in a third heat exchanger thereby cooling the reformate to a temperature ranging from 25°
C. to 65°
C.;
(g) separating the reformate from step (f) to produce the H2-containing product and a by-product gas; and
(h) combusting a fuel with an oxidant gas in the reformer furnace external to the plurality of catalyst-containing reformer tubes under conditions effective to combust the fuel to form a combustion product gas and generate heat to supply energy for reacting the reformer feed gas mixture inside the plurality of catalyst-containing reformer tubes, and withdrawing a combustion product gas from the reformer furnace.
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Abstract
A process for producing a H2-containing product gas and purified water from an integrated catalytic steam-hydrocarbon reforming and thermal water purification process. Raw water, such as salt water, is heated by indirect heat transfer with reformate from the catalytic steam reforming process for purifying raw water in one of a multiple effect distillation process and a multi-stage flash process.
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Citations
17 Claims
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1. A process for producing a H2-containing product gas and for producing purified water, the process comprising:
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(a) introducing a reformer feed gas mixture into a plurality of catalyst-containing reformer tubes in a reformer furnace, reacting the reformer feed gas mixture in a reforming reaction under reaction conditions effective to form a reformate comprising H2, CO, CH4, and H2O, and withdrawing the reformate from the plurality of catalyst-containing reformer tubes; (b) heating saturated boiler feed water from a steam drum by indirect heat transfer with the reformate withdrawn from the plurality of catalyst-containing reformer tubes in a first heat exchanger thereby forming high pressure steam having a pressure ranging from 1.5 to 12.5 MPa (absolute), wherein the reformer feed gas mixture comprises the high pressure steam; (c) heating boiler feed water by indirect heat transfer with the reformate from the first heat exchanger in a second heat exchanger and introducing the heated boiler feed water into the steam drum; (d) reacting the reformate from the second heat exchanger in the presence of a shift catalyst under reaction conditions effective to form additional hydrogen in the reformate; (e) heating raw water by indirect heat transfer with the reformate from step (d) thereby heating the raw water for purification thereof by a thermal water purification process to produce purified water, and thereby cooling the reformate stream; (f) heating make-up water by indirect heat transfer with the reformate from step (e) in a third heat exchanger thereby cooling the reformate to a temperature ranging from 25°
C. to 65°
C.;(g) separating the reformate from step (f) to produce the H2-containing product and a by-product gas; and (h) combusting a fuel with an oxidant gas in the reformer furnace external to the plurality of catalyst-containing reformer tubes under conditions effective to combust the fuel to form a combustion product gas and generate heat to supply energy for reacting the reformer feed gas mixture inside the plurality of catalyst-containing reformer tubes, and withdrawing a combustion product gas from the reformer furnace. - View Dependent Claims (3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
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2. The process of aspect 1 wherein the raw water comprises salt water, the thermal water purification process is a desalination process, and the purified water is desalinated water.
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