Gas turbine fuel preparation and introduction method

Method of preparing and introducing fuel into the combustors of a gas turbine in which a hydrocarbon containing feed, oxygen and steam are introduced into a catalytic partial oxidation reactor to produce a product stream. The hydrocarbon containing feed contains no less than about 15 percent by volume on a dry basis of hydrocarbons with at least two carbon atoms and/or at least about 3 percent by volume of olefins. The reactant mixture formed of the hydrocarbon containing feed, oxygen and steam has an oxygen to carbon ratio of between about 0.08 and about 0.25 and a water to carbon ratio of between about 0.05 to about 0.5. The hydrocarbon containing feed is introduced into the reactor alone or with a steam at a temperature no greater than 600° C. and the product stream is produced at a temperature of between about 600° C. and 860° C. and contains less than about 0.5 percent of olefins and less than 10 percent of hydrocarbons with two or more carbon atoms on a dry basis. After cooling the product stream the product stream is introduced into the combustors of the gas turbine to form part or all of the fuel required to support combustion.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a method of preparing and introducing fuel into combustors of a gas turbine. More particularly, the present invention relates to such a method in which a hydrocarbon containing feed stream is reacted with steam and oxygen in a catalytic partial oxidation reactor to reduce the heavy hydrocarbon content of such stream to acceptable levels prior to introduction into combustors of a gas turbine.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Gas turbines are used in a variety of industrial settings to supply power to a load, generally an electrical generator. A gas turbine consists of a compressor to compress air and an expander to recover energy from the compressed air after having been heated. The compressed air is heated within a set of combustors located between the compressor and the expander.

Gas turbines are designed to burn a variety of fuels such as natural gas, liquefied petroleum gas and synthesis gases containing hydrogen and carbon monoxide as well as liquid fuels such as #2 fuel oil. Additionally, gases that are produced from steel production, such as blast furnace gases and coke oven gases are also utilized. Blast furnace gases are typically blended with other gases in that they do not have sufficient heating value to be used alone. Coke oven gases contain too much hydrogen to be used in connection with lean premix combustion systems.

Coke oven gases can be produced with a high content of hydrocarbons containing two or more carbon atoms or a high olefin content that can thermally crack and produce carbon deposits in gas turbine combustion components. While blending such gases will reduce the problems associated with thermal cracking, the degree to which such gases are blended also will act as a limitation on the utilization of such gases. There are other offgases produced in refineries, for instance, sweet refinery gases and fluidic catalytic cracker offgases that similarly contain a high content of hydrocarbons with two or more carbon atoms and have the potential for thermal cracking. Similar problems exist in using other types of offgases and byproducts produced in other chemical production facilities. A further problem is that the makeup of such gases can vary over time and as such, their use as gas turbine fuel can be highly problematical.

As will be discussed, the present invention provides a method in which fuels are pretreated at a catalytic partial oxidation reactor to lower the heavy hydrocarbon content of such gases, for example the hydrocarbons with two or more carbon atoms and/or unacceptably high olefin contents to acceptable levels so as to be utilized as a source of fuel for a gas turbine. Moreover, such treatment also dampens the effect of variability in the consistency of the hydrocarbon makeup of such gases.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention provides a method of preparing and introducing fuel into combustors of the gas turbine. In accordance with the method, a hydrocarbon containing feed stream is introduced into a catalytic partial oxidation reactor along with an oxygen containing stream and a steam stream. The hydrocarbon containing feed stream comprises no less than about 15 percent by volume in a dry basis of hydrocarbons with at least two carbon atoms and/or at least about 3 percent by volume of olefins. The hydrocarbon feed stream, oxygen containing stream and steam stream are introduced into the catalytic partial oxidation reactor so that a reaction mixture is obtained, prior to contact with catalyst, having an oxygen to carbon ratio of between about 0.08 and about 0.25 and a water to carbon ratio of between about 0.05 and about 0.5.

The hydrocarbon containing feed stream is introduced into the catalytic reactor alone or in combination with a steam stream at a temperature of no greater than about 600° C. The reactant mixture is reacted within the catalytic partial oxidation reactor so that a product stream is produced at a temperature of between about 600° C. and about 860° C. The product stream has a hydrocarbon content consisting of methane, less than about 0.5 percent of olefins by volume on a dry basis, less than about 10 percent of alkanes with two or more carbon atoms on a dry basis and a remaining hydrocarbon content of less than about 1.0 percent by volume on a dry basis of hydrocarbons other than methane, alkanes and olefins. The remaining content of the product stream comprises hydrogen, carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide and water vapor. The product stream is then cooled and introduced into the combustors of the gas turbine so that the product stream constitutes at least part of the fuel required to support combustion within the combustors.

The fuel stream can be formed by combining the product stream, as a first fuel stream, with a second fuel stream to form a combined fuel stream and thereby to at least in part cool the product stream. The second fuel stream can be natural gas.

The hydrocarbon containing feed stream can be combined with the steam stream to form a combined stream. The combined stream is introduced into the catalytic partial oxidation reactor to form the reactant mixture. Heat can be indirectly transferred from the product stream to the combined stream, thereby to preheat the combined stream and to at least in part cool the product stream.

An air stream can be compressed to form the oxygen-containing stream. A makeup water stream can be pumped to form a pressurized water stream. The product stream is then quenched with the pressurized water stream.

The steam stream can be produced by pumping a makeup water stream to form a pressurized water stream. Heat is indirectly transferred from the product stream to the pressurized water stream within a heat exchanger. This cools the product stream and thus, forms the steam stream. Additionally an oxygen containing stream can be formed by compressing an air stream, thereby to form a compressed air stream. Heat is indirectly transferred from the product stream to the pressurized air stream. This preheats the compressed air stream and also cools the product stream. The air stream can be a bleed air stream from a compressor section of the gas turbine.

In any embodiment, the combustors can be lean premix combustors and each of the lean premix combustors can have a primary mixing zone for mixing fuel and compressor air to obtain a combustible mixture and a downstream secondary combustion zone for combusting the combustible mixture. Each of the lean premix combustors can have primary fuel nozzles for feeding a primary fuel stream, constituting part of the fuel, to the primary mixing zone and a secondary fuel nozzle for introducing a secondary fuel stream, constituting a remaining part of the fuel, into the secondary combustion zone and downstream of the primary fuel nozzles to ensure combustion stability. Where the hydrogen within the product stream is present in an amount that is at least about 10 percent by volume, the secondary fuel stream introduced by the secondary fuel nozzle can constitute the product stream. The product stream can be cooled by pumping a makeup water stream to form a pressurized water stream and quenching the product stream with the pressurized water stream. Heat may also be indirectly transferred from the product stream to the second fuel stream. The primary fuel stream can be natural gas.

In any embodiment the hydrocarbon containing feed stream can be an FCC offgas, a coker offgas, coke oven gas, or a sweet refinery gas.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

With reference toFIG. 1a hydrocarbon containing feed stream10(“HC Stream”) is pretreated in a catalytic partial oxidation reactor12(“CPOX”) to produce a product stream14that is combined with a natural gas stream16(“NG”) or other fuel stream having a sufficient heating value, to form a fuel stream18that is introduced as fuel to a gas turbine20.

Gas turbine20has a compression section22that can be a series of stages. Compressor section22compresses an air stream24to form a compressor air stream26that is heated by combustion of fuel stream18in combustors28to produce an exhaust stream30. Exhaust stream30is introduced into a turbine section32that is connected to a load35that can be an electrical generator. Compressor section22and expander section32are mechanically coupled together. Combustors28can consist of combustors that are arranged around the compressor section22in a manner well known in the art. Expander32can be split into two independent sections. The first section is on the same shaft as compressor22and the second section is on a second shaft that is connected to load34.

Hydrocarbon containing feed stream10has a hydrocarbon content of at least 15 percent by volume on a dry basis of hydrocarbons with two or more hydrocarbons and/or at least about 3 percent by volume of olefins. For example, such stream could be a refinery offgas such as a fluidic catalytic cracker offgas, a coker offgas or a sweet refinery gas. Coke oven gases having a high hydrocarbon content is another possibility. As mentioned above, such a feed is unsuitable as a fuel to gas turbine20because the hydrocarbon content has a high potential for carbon cracking. In order to reduce the aforesaid hydrocarbon content to acceptable levels, hydrocarbon containing feed stream10is introduced into catalytic partial oxidation reactor12along with a steam stream35and an oxygen containing stream36to form a reactant mixture within the catalytic partial oxidation reactor12that is in turn contacted with a catalyst. It is to be noted that hydrocarbon containing feed stream10, steam stream35and oxygen containing stream are all at a sufficient pressure to allow for product stream14to be produced at a sufficient pressure for combination with natural gas stream16or for introduction alone into combustors28.

Steam stream35is added at a rate of between about 0.05 to about 0.5 water to carbon ratio within the reactant mixture. The ratio of steam addition is important since it helps with reformation of the olefins and other hydrocarbons with more than two carbon atoms. Too much steam is undesirable because excessive steam will also lower the temperature within catalytic partial oxidation reactor12and thus, prevent the decomposition of the higher order hydrocarbons to methane, carbon monoxide, hydrogen and etc. In addition, excess steam will dilute the volumetric fuel content of the product stream.

Oxygen containing stream36, which can be air, oxygen enriched air or other oxygen containing gas is added at a rate of between about 0.08 and about 0.25 oxygen to carbon ratio within the reactant mixture.

This can be done using a sparger or static mixer or reticulated metallic or ceramic foam monolith. The foam monolith provides a tortuous path that can provide safe and complete mixing of the oxygen at a relatively low pressure drop. The proportions of hydrocarbon, steam and oxygen can be controlled by controlling the flow rates of the aforementioned streams by, for example, by valves, not illustrated.

Hydrocarbon containing feed stream10and steam stream35are preferably combined to form a combined stream38that is introduced into catalytic partial oxidation reactor12at a temperature of no greater than 600° C. to prevent cracking of higher order hydrocarbons. As could be appreciated, the aforesaid streams could be introduced separately. Although not required, hydrocarbon containing feed stream10can be preheated to conserve oxygen. The temperature of the exit of catalytic partial oxidation reactor12is maintained at between about 600° C. and about 860° C. to preferentially reduce the content of olefins in the hydrocarbons with two or more carbon atoms to acceptable levels. At outlet temperatures below about 600° C. there is insufficient reactivity to reduce the olefin and heavy hydrocarbon content to acceptable levels. At outlet temperatures above about 860° C. there is too much oxygen or in other words, more than necessary and further, methane and other hydrocarbons will be oxidized to carbon oxides, hydrogen and water to reduce the heating value of product stream14and therefore, its usefulness as a fuel.

If the reaction takes place within the temperature limits discussed above and the feed conditions of the reactant mixture, the oxygen is totally consumed and the water is reduced to less than 15 percent by volume at the outlet of the partial oxidation reactor12. Under such conditions, saturated hydrocarbons in the feed will react but at a slower rate than the olefins. The higher molecular weight of hydrocarbons with more than two carbon atoms are also converted into hydrogen, carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide and methane. At the reaction conditions specified, the product stream14will contain less than about 0.5 percent olefins by volume on a dry basis and less than about 10 percent by volume on a dry basis of alkanes with two or more carbon atoms. At such temperatures, other hydrocarbons may exist but in trace amounts and in any case less than about 1 percent by volume on a dry basis. The remaining content will comprise methane, hydrogen, carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide and water vapor. Such a treated product stream14is suitable for use in part or alone as a fuel for gas turbine20.

Catalytic partial oxidation reactor12contains a partial oxidation catalyst which is preferably a metallic monolith coated with a catalytic layer that contains platinum, rhodium, palladium, nickel or ruthenium. The structure of the monolith can be reticulated foam, honeycomb or a corrugated foil wound in a spiral configuration. Catalyst coated ceramic beads or ceramic monoliths in the form of reticulated foam or honeycomb structure are other possibilities.

It is believed that the metallic supported catalyst has better performance than other supported catalysts in that it has better heat conductivity, a more uniform temperature profile than other catalyst forms and a lower operating temperature. All of these factors permit the more selective destruction of olefins without converting too much of the paraffins for instance, ethane, into olefins.

A useful catalyst can be obtained from Sud Chemie of Louisville, Ky., USA which is in the form of a monolith which is sold as PC-POX1on FECRALY. Experimental data has confirmed that space velocities of about 46,000 hours−1are effective for the reactive mixture with such catalyst to produce a product having olefin and other hydrocarbons with more than 2 carbon atom contents that are acceptable for use within a gas turbine. For such purposes, space velocity is defined as the ratio of the volumetric gas flow rate at standard temperature and pressure divided by the empty reactor value. Practically, longer residence time may be recorded and hence, space velocities of at least 10,000 hours−1may be required for certain feeds to be treated.

In order to operate any embodiment of the present invention, preliminary water to carbon and oxygen to carbon ratios and desired outlet temperatures to be obtained can be determined by known simulation techniques for a given feed. The makeup of the feed can be determined by gas chromatography. Finer adjustments to such ratios, feed rates and etc. can be made in the field by analysis of product stream14. Such finer adjustments can involve sampling and analyzing product stream14using gas chromatography. Preferably, sufficient data can be developed so that performance could be predicted without analysis by gas chromatography. There are possible applications for the present invention in which product stream14is used as the sole fuel to the gas turbine20. This would of course depend on its heating value and compatibility with the gas turbine combustor28. In most cases, product stream14will be used as an adjunct and therefore, blended with another fuel stream, for instance natural gas stream16. However, since potential coking hydrocarbons have been controlled to levels similar to those found in natural gas, such treated streams as product stream14can be used in greater amounts than contemplated in the prior art.

As mentioned above, gas turbines can be designed to run on process gases, such as coke oven gases, provided the heavier hydrocarbons are removed by scrubbing. High levels of higher molecular weight hydrocarbons, especially olefins, can form carbon within gas turbine combustors and result in erosion and fouling of gas turbine components and the emission of “smoke” in the gas turbine exhaust.

The amount of variation of the heating value for a given fuel system design is however limited. Fuel nozzles are designed to operate within a specific volumetric flow rates. Ranges in heating values can be accommodated by increasing or decreasing the fuel nozzle area or gas temperature. For an existing combustor designed for a fuel such as natural gas the fuel nozzle area is fixed. The temperature of the fuel can be adjusted to keep fuel stream18within the desire energy density for gas turbine control purposes. A measure of the inter-changeability of gas fuels for a given system design is the Wobbe Index. The Wobbe Index is equal to a ratio of the lower heating value of the fuel and the square root of a product of the specific gravity of the fuel relative to air and the temperature of the fuel. Typically, the fuel is supplied at a temperature that does not exceed plus or minus 5 percent of the Wobbe Index.

Therefore, in retrofit situations or situations in which the gas turbine is not modified, product stream14or a blend including product stream14, for example fuel stream18, is utilized in a manner to meet the design Wobbe Index of a particular gas turbine combustor. The degrees of freedom that will govern the use of product stream14are its composition and temperature and if blended, the composition and temperature of the blend or for example, fuel stream18. In a situation in which product stream14is to be used alone, its temperature can be adjusted through heat exchange with reactant streams for catalytic partial oxidation reactor12and if necessary, by further cooling. In case of blending, further or the sole temperature control may be obtained by controlling flow rates of the product stream14and the other fuel stream, for instance, natural gas stream16. The lower heating value of the blend can also be controlled by controlling flow rates.

In practice, the composition of the hydrocarbon containing feed stream10may vary to in turn vary the composition and temperature of product stream14and therefore any calculated Wobbe Index. As indicated above, if the composition and temperature of product stream14is controlled, then control of the blending of the streams is a simple and straight forward matter of controlling the flow rates of the two streams. In most operational situations the use of catalytic partial oxidation will dampen feed variations in that such a reaction preferably removes heavier hydrocarbons which are the most likely variables in the feed. Hence, generally, all that is required is to control the temperature of the blend once a blend ratio is selected by use of the turbine fuel preheat controls.

If further control is required due to variability in the composition of hydrocarbon containing feed stream10, a finer degree of control can be obtained limiting the amount of product stream14that is blended with natural gas stream16to less than about ten percent. This of course may be the least desirable course of action. A more desirable control is to dampen feed variations by operating catalytic partial oxidation reactor12with a slightly higher oxygen to carbon ratio than the minimum required to maintain olefins at less than 0.5 percent and other hydrocarbons with more than two carbon atoms less than 10 percent. The excess oxygen for such purposes can be between about 10 percent and about 15 percent higher than the minimum amount required. This is sufficient to control a 20 to 30 percent increase in composition of a single component, for instance ethylene, in the feed gas.

In addition, it is important to control the quantity of fuel delivered to the gas turbine to match the fuel requirements for a given gas turbine operating condition. This can be accomplished by monitoring the composition of hydrocarbon containing stream10, again by gas chromatography, and using the results of such monitoring to set the flow rate to match the gas turbine requirements. Such operation of the catalytic partial oxidation reactor12will essentially dampen feed variations so that they do not result in substantial differences in the Wobbe Index and the gas turbine fuel requirements can be consistently delivered.

A yet further strategy for controlling the reaction within catalytic partial oxidation reactor12in response to feed variations is to adjust the oxygen to carbon ratio and the steam to carbon ratio so that the exit temperature of catalytic partial oxidation reactor12is maintained within a very narrow window. Maintaining the temperature in a narrow window will result in a low variability of composition within product stream14. Feed variation can result in more or less carbon being present in the hydrocarbon containing feed10. If the carbon content in the hydrocarbon containing feed10increases, if for example, the feed ethylene concentration increases, and no corrective action is taken then the temperature of product stream14will decrease. The opposite will happen if the carbon content in hydrocarbon containing feed stream10decreases. Temperature variations will lead to composition fluctuations, which will effect the temperature and the heating value of the product stream14which will then be blended with turbine natural gas stream.

Practically, in order to maintain the steam to carbon and oxygen to carbon ratios constant, the flow rate of the hydrocarbon containing feed stream10can be controlled. For instance, if the carbon concentration of the feed increases, the flow of the hydrocarbon containing feed stream10can be decreased, for example, by a control valve, in order to keep the carbon to oxygen ratio and the steam to carbon ratio the same and ultimately the temperature of product stream14in the desired range. This action will counter the temperature decrease that the higher carbon feed concentration would have so that the temperature would remain within the narrow window. Maintaining the temperature within 5 to 15 degrees of a set point is sufficient. The set temperature point to be maintained is determined on a case by case basis since it will depend on the average composition of hydrocarbon containing feed stream10and as mentioned above will be between about 600° C. and about 860° C.

As can be appreciated by those skilled in the art, a combination of the different control schemes could be utilized. Further, such combination or any of the control schemes mentioned above could be manually implemented in that practically, feed variations occur over a sufficiently long period of time. Automated control is of course possible.

With reference toFIG. 2, an alternative embodiment ofFIG. 1is illustrated that has the advantage of preheating combined stream38while reducing the temperature of product stream14to acceptable levels and to help meet the Wobbe Index of the combustors28and thereby to enhance the degree to which product stream14can be utilized as makeup for fuel stream18. As illustrated, a heat exchanger46preheats combined stream38while cooling product stream14. The preheated combined stream38has the additional advantage of lowering the required oxygen usage to maintain reactor exit temperature and maintain the appropriate hydrocarbon content.

With reference toFIG. 3, an alternate temperature control is provided by pumping a makeup water stream48formed of de-ionized water (“DI”) with a pump50to produce a pressurized stream52that is at a sufficient pressure to be introduced into a quench tower54(“Quench”) along with product stream14. As a result, product stream14will be at a lower temperature upon its combination with natural gas stream16and will contain water vapor that will tend to lower NOx emissions of gas turbine20and provide slightly more mass to be expanded in turbine section32. The oxygen containing stream in this embodiment, as well as any embodiment, can be an air stream56that is compressed by a compressor58to produce a compressed air stream to serve as the oxygen containing stream36. Oxygen containing stream36is introduced along with hydrocarbon containing feed stream10and steam stream34into catalytic partial oxidation reactor12.

Compression of air stream56is required since, as indicated above, steam stream34and hydrocarbon containing feed stream10are obtained at pressure. Since the heat of compression is not removed from compressed air stream forming the oxygen containing stream36, it can help supply heat to the reactant mixture to be consumed within catalytic partial oxidation reactor12to help reduce oxygen utilization.

FIG. 4illustrates an embodiment of the present invention in which a makeup water stream62is pumped by pump64to produce a pressurized stream66that is of a sufficient pressure that when introduced into a boiler68or other heat exchange device, steam stream34will be at a sufficient pressure to in turn be combined with hydrocarbon containing stream10. The resulting combined stream38is introduced into catalytic partial oxidation reactor12. Product stream14indirectly exchanges heat with pressurized stream66within boiler68to raise the steam and as a result cool to form a partly cooled product stream14a. The partly cooled product stream14ais then further cooled within heat exchanger72to produce a cooled product stream14bthat is combined with natural gas stream16. At the same time, an air stream74is compressed by a compressor76to produce a compressed air stream78that is heated within heat exchanger80against the cooling of partly cooled product stream14ato produce oxygen containing stream36that is heated and thereby can serve to heat the reactant mixture to be reacted within catalytic partial oxidation reactor12.

FIG. 5illustrates an alternative embodiment ofFIG. 3in which a bleed air stream26ais extracted from compressor stream26. Bleed air stream26ais then further compressed by compressor58and introduced directly into catalytic partial oxidation reactor12. This embodiment helps reduce the compression duty of the separate compression provided by compressor58.

It is to be noted that the combustors28can be diffusion combustors or lean premix combustors also known as dry low NOx combustors. In diffusion combustors, the fuel/air mixing and combustion take place simultaneously in a primary combustion zone. In lean premix combustors the fuel and air are mixed in an initial or primary mixing stage. The resultant mixture is then fed into a secondary combustion stage where combustion takes place. There are a variety of known air and fuel staging techniques that are utilized in such combustors. Lean premix combustors are particularly sensitive to the hydrogen content and compositional variations of the fuel and the use of fuels with a hydrogen content at or above about ten percent by volume is problematical in such combustors.

With reference toFIG. 6, a further alternative embodiment is illustrated that is particularly suited for use with a lean premix combustor28′ where the hydrogen content of the product stream14is ten percent and greater. The illustrated embodiment is somewhat similar to that illustrated inFIG. 3except that the natural gas stream16is co-currently passed through a heat exchanger84that acts to cool product stream14while warming natural gas stream16. As will be further discussed, natural gas stream16and product stream14are separately fed to lean premix combustor28′.

With reference toFIG. 7, lean premix combustor28′ is provided with a primary mixing zone86in which air and fuel mix proportions that dilute the fuel. The fuel is combusted within a secondary combustion zone88and cooled within a cooling zone90. Lean premix combustor28′ is provided with a combustion liner92having slots94for introduction of air in the direction of the arrowheads. Part of the compressed air stream26enters lean premix combustor28′ as a stream “A” and typically, another part “B” is used for cooling purposes. Natural gas stream16is introduced into the primary fuel nozzles92. The product stream14is introduced into secondary fuel nozzle94where the hydrogen content of the stream is not particularly sensitive.

As mentioned above, combustors28could be lean premix combustors such as lean premix combustor28′ with parts of fuel stream18being introduced both into primary fuel nozzle92and secondary fuel nozzle94. Furthermore even in a case of product stream14having an unsuitably high hydrogen content, at and above about ten percent, blending product stream14with natural gas stream16could lower the hydrogen content of fuel stream18on a volumetric basis to allow such a blended stream to be injected in both the primary and secondary fuel nozzles92and94respectively.

A calculated example was performed for a typical lean premix combustor designed to operate with a natural gas fuel at a gas temperature of about 204° C. This calculated example will be discussed with respect to the embodiment of the present invention illustrated inFIG. 2.

The natural gas composition is given in the Table set forth below. The catalytic partial oxidation reactor12was simulated as a Gibbs reactor. The Wobbe Index of the natural gas at 100° C. is about 45.625 calculated by conventional means. As indicated above, a gas turbine can accept as gas with a Wobbe Index within 5 percent of the design value or in the range of between about 43.343 and about 47.907 in case of natural gas at the aforesaid temperature.

In the example, hydrocarbon containing feed stream10is formed of a typical refinery offgas produced by a fluidic catalytic cracker. Hydrocarbon containing feed stream10has a composition given in the Table, set forth below, and a flow rate of about 25 percent of the natural gas stream16volumetric flow rate. Steam stream34, having a flow rate of about 10 percent of hydrocarbon containing stream10volumetric flow rate and a temperature of about 250° C., is mixed with the hydrocarbon containing feed stream10to produce combined stream38which is in turn fed to catalytic partial oxidation reactor12that operates at a pressure of about 300 psig. An oxygen containing stream36of substantially pure oxygen which has a flow rate that is about 7 percent of hydrocarbon containing stream10volumetric flow rate and a temperature of about 21° C. is also introduced into catalytic partial oxidation reactor12.

The temperature of the product stream14is calculated at 720° C. and has a composition also set forth in Table 1. Product stream14is cooled in heat exchanger46and mixed with natural gas stream16having a temperature of about 20° C. to produce the fuel stream18to be fed as fuel into combustors28. The composition of the fuel stream18is listed in the far column of Table 1. Fuel stream18is controlled to a temperature of about 80° C., which would be above the condensation point for water in such stream and would possess a calculated Wobbe Index of 43.557, which is in the range of the natural gas Wobbe Index limits set forth above. As can be appreciated, such calculation could be used as a measure of the preliminary adjustment to the steam and oxygen to carbon ratios mentioned above.

While the present invention has been described with reference to a preferred embodiment, as will occur to those skilled in the art, numerous changes, additions and omissions can be made without departing from the spirit and the scope of the present invention.