Steamreforming Typesofreformerdesign 130924133238 Phpapp02

GBH Enterprises Ltd.
Types of Reformer Design
Gerard B. Hawkins
Managing Director
Four main types

Pre reformers
Primary reformers
Main different designs
Secondary reformers
Compact reformers
WWW.GBHENTERPRISES.COM
Need
To contain the catalyst

High heat transfer area
To supply heat
To distribute feed
To collect effluent
To supply fuel/combustion air
To contain combustion gases
To recover heat
- use tubes
- lots of narrow ID tubes
- combustion of fuel
- headers
- headers
- headers & duct
- casing
- flue gas duct and coils
Three main types considered

Top Fired
Foster Wheeler Terrace Wall
Side Fired
Many other types

Not considered
Not encountered frequently
Same principles still apply
Side
Wall
Bottom
Top
Tube Support
Pigtail
Burner
Tube
Coffins
Exit Header
Transfer Line
Risers
Tubes
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
1600
2800
1500
2600
1400
2400
1300
2200
1200
2000
1100
1000
1800
900
1600
800
1400
0
20
40
Fluegas Temperature
(F)
Process and Outside

Tube Wall
Temperature (F)
Top Fired Temperature Profiles
Outside Tube Wall

Temperature
Process Gas
Temperature
Fluegas Temperature
60
Distance Down Tube (ft)
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
NG Feed
MP
Steam
Fuel
HP
Steam
Air
BFW
Fluegas Fans
Convection Section
Tubes
Upper Firing Level
Lower Firing Level
Cell 1
Cell 2

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
Convection
Radiative
heat flows
Foster Wheeler Temperature Profiles

Fluegas Temperature
(F)
Temperature (F)
2000
1800
1600
1400
1200
1000
Outside Tube Wall

Temperature
Process Gas
Temperature
Fluegas Temperature
800
0
20
40
60
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.
Convection section is placed

above transfer duct
Elevated - makes
modifications difficult
Long tubes in coil
Multiple fans in some cases
Can include auxiliary burners
Pigtail
Fluegas Extraction
Tube
Burner
Burner
Peephole
Burner
Burner
Outlet Collector
Tubes
Burners
Peephole
Staggered
Single Lane

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
2200
1700
1600
1500
1400
1300
1200
1100
1000
900
800
2100
2000
1900
1800
1700
1600
1500
Fluegas Temperature
(F)
Process and Outside

Tube Wall
Temperature (F)
Side Fired Temperature Profiles
Outside Tube Wall

Temperature
Process Gas
Temperature
Fluegas Temperature
1400
0
10
20
30
40
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.
Issues
Variation of tube wall temperature
Tubes are at different distances from burners
Leads to high methane slip
Variability of tube life
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
Offered by
Howmar
Now designing Top Fired furnaces
Howe Baker
Now designing Top Fired furnaces
Chemico
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
Burner
Tube
Feed Header
Burner
Tube
Burner
Tube
Fuel Header
Burner
Tube
Main types include

Gas Heated Reformer (GHR)
Advanced Gas Heat Reformer (AGHR)
Enhanced Heat Transfer Reformer (EHTR)
KRES
Aim is to
Minimize plot area
Eliminate large fired box
Eliminate convection section
Maximise heat integration

Eliminate HP steam system
Developed for ammonia process - LCA

Early 1980s - 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
Steam
Oxygen
Preheater
Purifier
Natural gas
Saturator
Refined
methanol
GHR
Converter
Purge
Refining
Column
Fusel oil
Secondary
Topping
Column
Purge
to fuel
Process
condensate
water
Crude methanol
Air / Oxygen
Steam + Gas
Secondary
Reformer
GHR
Steam
2,590 Nm3/Hr
Oxygen
30`C
22.0% Methane
43.7 Barg
21,000 Nm3/Hr
39.2 Barg
701`C
425`C
Gas/steam
37.9 Barg
1200`C
515`C
Syngas
0.4% Methane
38.6 Barg
975`C
GHR
742`C
40.6 Barg
16.6% Methane
Secondary
Reformer
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
Gas &
Steam
Hot Reacted
Gas
Scabbard
Tube
Catalyst
Bayonet
Tube
Support
Grid
End
Cap
Hot
gas
Gas/Steam
Twin
tubesheets
Syngas
Refractory
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
Retain
Series reforming scheme
Shellside heat transfer enhancement
Mechanical & process design methods
Change to
Non bayonet design
Hot end tubesheet
Sliding seal system
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
Easier to replace tubes

Easier to load catalyst
Capacity of up to 6,500 mtpd in single shell
Would need 2 conventional primaries
APCI / KTI
EHTR
Kellogg
KRES
Uhde
CAR
GIAP
Tandem
Johnston Matthey
GHR
Feed &
Steam In
Cylindrical
Distributor
To Heat
Recovery
Catalyst
Tube
Reformer
Effluent
Perforated
Distributor

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GBH Enterprises Ltd.

Types of Reformer Design

GBH Enterprises Ltd.

Four main types

GBH Enterprises Ltd.

To contain the catalyst

GBH Enterprises Ltd.

Three main types considered

Many other types

GBH Enterprises Ltd.

GBH Enterprises Ltd.

GBH Enterprises Ltd.

Nearly all heat transfer is by

GBH Enterprises Ltd.

Process and Outside

Top Fired Temperature Profiles

Outside Tube Wall

Distance Down Tube (ft)

GBH Enterprises Ltd.

The key advantages of this design are

GBH Enterprises Ltd.

GBH Enterprises Ltd.

GBH Enterprises Ltd.

GBH Enterprises Ltd.

Nearly all heat transfer is by

GBH Enterprises Ltd.

Foster Wheeler Temperature Profiles

Outside Tube Wall

Distance Down Tube (ft)

GBH Enterprises Ltd.

The key advantages of this design are,

GBH Enterprises Ltd.

Convection section is placed

GBH Enterprises Ltd.

GBH Enterprises Ltd.

GBH Enterprises Ltd.

GBH Enterprises Ltd.

Nearly all heat transfer is by

GBH Enterprises Ltd.

Process and Outside

Side Fired Temperature Profiles

Outside Tube Wall

Distance Down Tube (ft)

GBH Enterprises Ltd.

The key advantages of this design are,

GBH Enterprises Ltd.

GBH Enterprises Ltd.

GBH Enterprises Ltd.

GBH Enterprises Ltd.

GBH Enterprises Ltd.

Most of these reformers are

GBH Enterprises Ltd.

GBH Enterprises Ltd.

GBH Enterprises Ltd.

Use low grade heat from

GBH Enterprises Ltd.

GBH Enterprises Ltd.

GBH Enterprises Ltd.

GBH Enterprises Ltd.

GBH Enterprises Ltd.

GBH Enterprises Ltd.

GBH Enterprises Ltd.

GBH Enterprises Ltd.

GBH Enterprises Ltd.