Patent ID: 6025403
Filing Date: 2000-02-15
Classification: C01B,F23C,Y02E,Y02P

Abstract:
A process for heat integration of an autothermal reformer and a cogeneration power plant in which:said cogeneration power plant comprises a gas turbine equipped with an air compressor and a combustor;said autothermal reformer comprises two communicating fluid beds; a first fluid bed comprising a reformer reactor containing inorganic metal oxide capable of undergoing reduction-oxidation reaction cycles and which is used to oxidize hydrocarbons at conditions sufficient to produce a mixture comprising synthesis gas hydrogen, carbon monoxide, or carbon dioxide or mixtures thereof, a second fluid bed comprising a combustor-regenerator which receives spent inorganic metal oxide from the first fluid bed and which provides heat to heat the inorganic metal oxide by combusting fuel gas in direct contact with the inorganic metal oxide, also producing hot flue gas;and wherein a portion of compressed air is drawn off from a compressed air stream from the air compressor of the power plant gas turbine air compressor; the drawn off compressed air is introduced to the combustor-regenerator; the hot flue gas from the combustor-regenerator is mixed with the remainder of the power plant compressed air stream to produce a recombined gas stream and this recombined gas stream is fed to the combustor of the cogeneration gas turbine power plant;said process comprising circulating the inorganic metal oxide between the first-fluid bed and second fluid bed, wherein the inorganic metal oxide oxidizes the hydrocarbons and forms reduced inorganic metal oxide in said first fluid bed in said reformer reactor and the reduced inorganic metal oxide is regenerated, reoxidized and heated in said second fluid bed in said combustor-regenerator and regenerated, oxidized, heated inorganic metal oxide is returned to said first fluid bed.