Foil Supported Catalysts Deliver High

Performance in Steam Reformers

Matthew Humphrys

25 Mar 2015

Westin Hotel Gurgaon, India

CATACELJM SSRTM

Patented foil supported catalysts deliver major

performance improvements to steam reformers

What is it, how does it work?

How does it compare to conventional pellets?

How is it deployed?

What is our experience in real reformers?

What can I expect in my plant?

What can I expect in a new plant?

Catalyst Pellets Heat Transfer

Catalyst promotes turbulence at tube wall by passively breaking-up the laminar gas film

Smaller pellets create more points of contact at the tube wall

Small pellets give higher heat transfer

Limitations arise from pressure drop

Thick "film" - Low HTC

Thin "film" - High HTC

Large Pellets

Small

Pellets

Structured Catalyst Heat Transfer

Structured catalyst promotes turbulence at tube wall by actively jetting the gas onto the gas film at the wall

Jets do not need high velocity to create high heat transfer

Voidage of structured catalysts >90%

Lower pressure drop than pellets for improved heat transfer

Thick "film" - Low HTC

Thinnest "film" - High HTC

Pellets

Structured

Catalyst

Catalyst is delivered as a coating

High temperature alloy foils shaped into a flexible

fan

Usual steam reforming catalyst materials coated

on the surface

Two decades of experience coating

catalysts on foils

Excellent adhesion in severe emission control

applications

Fans in stacks

Fans and rings formed in stacks 0.25 - 1.0 m each

Patented structure in the center

Facilitates deployment & removal

Ensures correct relationship between fan edges and tube wall

Active surface ~1.5 x QUADRALOBE (Q) pellets

More activity and longer life

Pressure drop ~0.8 x Q pellets

Heat transfer ~1.3 x Q pellets

More throughput or less fuel

Properties readily configurable

Flow impinges on tube wall

Impingement confirmed by CFD

CFD Modelling

SSR pressure drop similar to GQ

SSR heat transfer 30% higher than GQ

SSR step change in performance

Installed using patented tool technology

Reduces temperature in can reformer

Reduces fuel in can reformer

High performance expected in wide

range of plants

Hydrogen plant uprate

Ammonia plant production increase

Methanol plant throughput increase

PRIMARY reformer model and other tools used to estimate performance

Hydrogen plant uprate

Plant designed to use naphtha, now on natural gas

Customer looking for 15% additional capacity

Limited by reformer Tube Wall Temperature (TWT) of 890C

Balance of plant is capable

Solution: CATACELJM SSR in the reformer

Higher heat transfer reduces TWT

Allows 15% feed increase

TWT at the original 890C

Pressure drop similar to current

Efficient only 12.5% increase in firing

Ammonia plant production increase

Customer looking for more ammonia production

Primary reformer limited by TWT 892C

Summer, also limited by combustion air flow

Solution: CATACELJM SSR in primary reformer

Higher activity reduces approach to equilibrium

Methane slip reduced, some TWT reduction

Higher heat transfer also reduces TWT

Allows 2% higher fuel firing (yearly average)

Same feed, slightly higher outlet temperature

Lower slip from primary reformer

2.6% increase in ammonia production

TWT much lower, 875C, tubes last longer

Methanol plant throughput increase

Customer with side-fired reformer wants more production

Limited by combustion air

Bottom row burners are throttled to limit TWT

Solution: CATACELJM SSR in reformer

Higher activity & higher heat transfer

Reduced approach, less slip, lower TWT

Allows a bias of the burners towards the bottom with same total firing

Burner system is more efficient, 50C lower flue gas temperature

Increase feed 4.5%, same slip, similar TWT

4.4% increase in methanol production

Slightly lower pressure drop

New reformers

What happens if we design a new reformer to take

full advantage of the unique properties of

CATACELJM SSR?

New reformers

Higher activity and heat transfer

For similar TWT

Allows tubes with thinner walls

Less tubes needed for same heat transfer duty

Lower pressure drop

Allows less tubes

Allows longer tubes

Up to 15% less capital for the reformer

Terrace wall hydrogen plant reformer

Catalyst QUADRALOBEJM CATACELJM SSR

Number tubes - 352 322

Number tube rows - 2 2

Tube ID mm 108.0 111.4

Tube OD mm 132.0 132.0

Tube wall thickness mm 12.0 10.3

Tube heated length m 13.72 14.00

Furnace length m 36.03 32.95

Furnace width m 2.00 2.00

Heat load MW 134 134

Catalyst pressure drop bar 3.31 3.31

Minimum tube wall margin C 34 34

Relative cost % 100.0 90.2

Conclusions

CATACELJM SSR brings a significant improvement in reforming catalyst technology

Catalyst coated on foil substrate

Higher heat transfer, more activity, similar pressure drop

Has been demonstrated in two plants

Others coming on-stream in near future

Delivers major performance benefits to steam reformers

More capacity, especially when plant is operating at a limit

Capital cost up to 15% less with new plant designs

Thank you