Abstract: Systems and methods for improving the efficiency of plants that use a gas turbine engine to power a process air compressor are disclosed. Examples of such plants include ammonia production plants, wherein a gas turbine engine is used to power a process air compressor and wherein exhaust gas from the gas turbine engine is provided as combustion gas to a reformer furnace. The increase in efficiency is provided using a booster compressor to enhance the performance of the gas turbine engine. According to some embodiments, the booster compressor may also be used to reduce the power consumption of the process air compressor. According to some embodiments, a side stream from the booster compressor may be provided to the furnace to supplement the combustion gas provided by the gas turbine engine exhaust gas. The disclosed methods and systems increase the efficiency of the plant while maintaining the duty balance between the furnace and the process air compressor-driven process.

Abstract: Methods and systems for preparing acetone from cumene hydroperoxide (CHP) are disclosed. The disclosed methods involve cleaving CHP to form a cleavage product stream. In some embodiments, the cleavage product stream is separated into an overhead stream and a bottoms stream. The bottoms stream is neutralized, washed and then treated in a crude acetone column to provide a crude acetone stream. The overhead stream of the cleavage product is flashed forward in the process, bypassing the neutralization, washing, and crude acetone column and is then combined with the crude acetone stream. The combined acetone streams are provided to an acetone product column. According to some embodiments, the acetone product column comprises a side draw for obtaining a recycle acetone stream, which is recycled to the cleavage reactor(s). The recycle acetone side draw may be located lower on the acetone product column than the point from which product acetone is obtained.

Abstract: Co-production a product anode grade coke and a product fuel grade coke is done using a system configured to implement a method that includes: directing an anode grade coker charge material from a tower to a first coke drum set; generating the product anode grade coke using the first coke drum set while directing a first vapor stream from the first coker drum set to the tower; directing a fuel grade coker charge material from a fractionator to a second coke drum set; generating the product fuel grade coke using the second coke drum set while directing a second vapor stream from the second coke drum set to the fractionator; and directing a third vapor stream from the tower to the fractionator while generating the product anode grade coke using the first coke drum set and generating the product fuel grade coke using the second coke drum set.

Abstract: Systems and methods for producing synthetic gas are provided. The method can include gasifying a carbonaceous feedstock in the presence of an oxidant within a gasifier to provide a raw syngas. The raw syngas can be cooled within a cooler to provide a cooled syngas. The cooled syngas can be processed within a purification system to provide a treated syngas. The purification system can include a saturator adapted to increase a moisture content of the cooled syngas. The treated syngas and a first heat transfer medium can be introduced to a methanator to provide a synthetic gas, a second heat transfer medium, and a methanation condensate. At least a portion of the methanation condensate can be recycled from the methanator to the saturator.

Abstract: A syngas reforming reactor has a shell-and-tube configuration wherein the shell-side fluid flow path through the tube bundle has a longitudinal configuration. The reactor can include a shell-side inlet fluid distributor plate below the lower end of the tube bundle.