Abstract: A method for generating hydrogen is provided. In certain embodiments, the method can include the steps of: introducing a hydrocarbon feed stream, at a first temperature, into a first reaction zone under conditions effective for producing a first process stream, wherein the first process stream is at a second temperature that is greater than the first temperature; introducing a second feed stream into a second reaction zone under conditions effective for producing a hydrogen product stream, wherein heat needed for producing the hydrogen product stream from the second feed stream is at least partially provided by heat exchange with the first process stream; and withdrawing the hydrogen product stream from the second reaction zone.

Abstract: A method is provided for producing hydrogen in an steam methane reformer (SMR) via ammonia cracking, wherein the SMR can include a furnace, a pressure swing adsorption (PSA) unit, waste heat recovery sections, and a water scrubber, wherein the furnace has a plurality of SMR tubes and a plurality of burners. The method can include the steps of: withdrawing ammonia from an ammonia storage vessel; preheating the ammonia to form a warm ammonia stream; introducing the warm ammonia stream into the SMR tubes of the furnace under conditions effective for catalytically cracking the ammonia, thereby forming a crude stream comprising hydrogen, nitrogen, and unreacted ammonia; treating the crude stream with a water wash in order to remove the unreacted ammonia from the crude stream, thereby resulting in an aqueous ammonia stream and a washed crude stream; and introducing the washed crude stream into the PSA unit to produce a hydrogen product stream and a PSA off-gas.

Abstract: An apparatus is provided for producing hydrogen in an existing steam methane reformer (SMR) via ammonia cracking, the apparatus comprising: an ammonia storage vessel; a furnace having a plurality of reactor tubes and a plurality of burners, wherein the reactor tubes and the burners are in fluid communication with the ammonia storage vessel, such that the reactor tubes and the burners are configured to receive a flow of ammonia gas sourced from the ammonia storage vessel, and catalytically crack the ammonia within the reactor tubes to produce a crude process gas and a flue gas; a plurality of waste heat recovery sections; a boiler feed water preparation system; means for treating the crude process gas in order to reduce the amount of the unreacted ammonia in the crude process gas, thereby resulting in an aqueous ammonia stream and a washed crude stream; and a pressure swing adsorption (PSA) unit disposed downstream the means for treating the crude process gas.

Abstract: An apparatus for producing hydrogen using a retrofitted steam methane reformer (SMR) via ammonia cracking is provided. The apparatus can include: means for providing a pressurized and gaseous ammonia stream to a plurality of reactor tubes; a furnace having the plurality of reactor tubes and a plurality of burners, wherein the furnace is configured to catalytically crack the ammonia within the reactor tubes to produce a crude process gas and a flue gas; a plurality of waste heat recovery sections; and a pressure swing adsorption (PSA) unit disposed downstream the furnace, wherein the PSA unit is configured to receive the crude process gas, or a gas derived therefrom, and produce a hydrogen product stream and a PSA offgas.

Abstract: A method for retrofitting an existing steam methane reformer (SMR) for ammonia cracking is provided. In this embodiment, the existing SMR can include a pre-reformer, a desulfurization unit, a furnace, waste heat recovery sections, a water gas shift reactor, a pressure swing adsorption (PSA) unit, wherein the furnace has a plurality of SMR tubes and a plurality of burners. In certain embodiments, the method can include the steps of: providing the existing SMR; taking the desulfurization unit offline such that no fluid flows through the desulfurization during operation; taking the pre-reformer offline such that no fluid flows through the pre-reformer during operation; and adding means for providing a gaseous ammonia stream to the SMR tubes.

Abstract: A method of separating and reusing unconverted ammonia from cracked ammonia gas provided by an ammonia cracking unit is provided. The method includes introducing a cracked ammonia gas stream into a water wash column, thereby producing a clean gas stream and a water-containing effluent stream and introducing the water-containing effluent stream into a stripping column, thereby producing a cleaned wash water stream and a recovered ammonia stream. Wherein the cracked ammonia gas stream has an ammonia concentration of between 0.003 mol % and 10 mol %. Wherein the clean gas stream has an ammonia concentration of between 1 10 ppm and 2500 ppm. And wherein at least a portion of the recovered ammonia stream is used as fuel within the ammonia cracking unit.

Abstract: The invention relates to a process and an apparatus for cooling a flue gas stream from a reformer furnace of a steam reformer for steam reforming a hydrocarbon containing feed stream with a reforming steam stream to produce a crude synthesis gas stream. According to the invention, the flue gases are cooled by heat exchange with air in a combustion air preheater which comprises at least two separate heat exchange zones, and the temperature of the flue gas stream passing the separate heat exchange zones decreases stepwise in flow direction of the flue gas stream.

Abstract: A method for converting an existing steam methane reformer (SMR) to produce hydrogen via ammonia cracking is provided. The method can include the steps of: providing the existing SMR, wherein the SMR was formerly used to produce hydrogen from a hydrocarbon feedstock; and improving the nitridation resistance of the inner surface of the equipment by adding a protective layer to an inner surface of equipment to be used in the existing SMR, wherein the equipment is selected from the group consisting of a catalyst tube, feed piping, a feed preheater, process gas heat exchangers, and combination thereof.

Abstract: A hydrogen production facility having equipment with a nitridation protective layer is provided. The hydrogen production facility can include a reformer configured to catalytically convert a feed stream into a product stream comprising hydrogen, the reformer having a plurality of catalyst tubes and a plurality of burners configured to provide heat to the catalyst tubes; means for providing the feed stream to the reformer from an ammonia source, wherein the feed stream comprises at least 90% of ammonia, wherein the plurality of catalyst tubes comprise a nitridation protective layer on an inner surface of the catalyst tubes.

Abstract: Provided is a burner arrangement for producing synthesis gas by non-catalytic or catalytic partial oxidation of fluid or fluidized carbon-containing fuels in the presence of an oxidant and a moderator, including following assemblies: (a) a feeding means for separately feeding three fluid reaction media streams or two fluid and one fluidized reaction media stream into a burner, (b) at least one burner, (c) outer wall of the at least one burner is fluid-tightly connected to a burner mounting plate, (d) a reaction chamber, (e) the at least one burner is insertable into the reaction chamber, and (f) outer wall of the at least one burner and the side of the at least one burner mounting plate facing away from the interior of the reaction chamber are designed to allow cooling by indirect heat exchange with a cooling fluid.

Abstract: A process is proposed for producing pure hydrogen by steam reforming of a feed gas comprising hydrocarbons, preferably natural gas or naphtha, with a simultaneously low and preferably adjustable export steam flow rate. The process includes the steam reforming of the feed gas, for which the heat of reaction required is provided by combustion of one or more fuel gases with combustion air in a multitude of burners arranged within the reformer furnace. According to the invention, the combustion air, before being introduced into the burners, is heated by means of at least one heat exchanger in indirect heat exchange with the hot flue gas to temperatures of at least 530° C.

Abstract: A reformer tube for producing synthesis gas by steam reforming of hydrocarbon-containing input gases is proposed where an outer shell tube is divided by means of a separating tray into the reaction chamber and an exit chamber, a dumped bed of a steam-reforming-active, solid catalyst is arranged in the reaction chamber, at least one heat exchanger tube is arranged inside the reaction chamber and inside the dumped catalyst bed whose entry end is in fluid connection with the catalyst bed and whose exit end is in fluid connection with the exit chamber, wherein gas-contacted parts of the reformer tube, in particular the at least one heat exchanger tube, are fabricated from a nickel-based alloy and coated on their inside with an aluminum diffusion layer.

Abstract: A method for producing hydrogen in a steam methane reformer with reduced carbon emissions that can include the steps of: heating a feed stream comprising methane in a first heat exchanger to produce a heated feed stream, wherein the heated feed stream is at a temperature above 500° C.

Abstract: An apparatus for producing hydrogen in a steam methane reformer with reduced carbon emissions, the apparatus comprising: a first heat exchanger configured to heat a feed stream comprising methane to produce a heated feed stream that is at a temperature above 500° C.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method to prevent the fluidization of a catalytic fixed bed present in a tubular reactor operated in upward-flow configuration by estimating a pressure drop margin remaining before fluidization of the catalytic bed and adjusting the reactant gas flow in response. It relates also to a method to operate safely a furnace suitable for performing endothermic reactions containing a plurality of catalytic fixed bed reactors operated in upward-flow configuration, and to a method to debottleneck safely a catalytic fixed bed reactor involving a gas flowing in up flow direction.

Abstract: The invention relates to a reactor, in particular a reactor for purifying offgases. The reactor includes a plurality of housing openings which open into a housing shaft, wherein the housing shafts are fitted with catalyst units. The reactor includes a sealing housing per housing shaft which allows replacement of the catalyst units in the course of ongoing operation of the reactor by way of a suitable arrangement of sealing elements and covering elements without there being any air exchange between an external environment of the reactor and the respective housing shaft.

Abstract: A reformer tube for producing synthesis gas by steam reforming of hydrocarbon-containing feed gases, in which a structured stream reforming catalyst is used, is proposed. According to the invention, a heat exchanger tube is arranged in the interior of the structured catalyst, with the feed gas stream flowing firstly through the structured catalyst and subsequently in countercurrent through the heat exchanger tube. This improves the heat exchange between the synthesis gas product stream and the structured catalyst and the feed gas stream flowing through it, especially in the radial direction.

Abstract: Described herein are a measurement apparatus for measuring axial temperature profiles in a reactor tube, a connecting piece for connecting the reactor tube to a feed pipe configured as a thermal stress compensator for a reaction input stream and for lateral introduction of a multipoint thermocouple into the reactor tube, the use of the connecting piece/measurement apparatus for measuring axial temperature profiles in a reformer tube for steam reforming of hydrocarbons and a process for installing the measurement apparatus.

Abstract: A process is proposed for producing pure hydrogen by steam reforming of a feed gas comprising hydrocarbons, preferably natural gas or naphtha, with a simultaneously low and preferably adjustable export steam flow rate. The process includes the steam reforming of the feed gas, for which the heat of reaction required is provided by combustion of one or more fuel gases with combustion air in a multitude of burners arranged within the reformer furnace. According to the invention, the combustion air, before being introduced into the burners, is heated by means of at least one heat exchanger in indirect heat exchange with the hot flue gas to temperatures of at least 530° C.

Abstract: The invention relates to a plant for production of hydrogen, and to a method for operating this plant, comprising a steam reforming reactor having a furnace, in which reactor water and at least one carbonaceous energy carrier are reacted to form a hydrogen-containing crude synthesis gas, and at least one cleaning device for purifying the crude synthesis gas, to which the crude synthesis gas is fed from the steam reforming via at least one feed line. According to the invention, upstream of one of the at least one cleaning devices at least one return line branches off from the feed line, through which the crude synthesis gas is at least in part recirculated into the furnace of the steam reforming reactor.