Source: http://www.google.com/patents/US4865624?dq=7,134,016
Timestamp: 2016-05-05 05:26:34
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Patent US4865624 - Method for steam reforming methanol and a system therefor - Google PatentsSearch Images Maps Play YouTube News Gmail Drive More »Sign inPatentsThe present invention relates to a steam reforming method of methanol for obtaining hydrogen gas and a system therefor. The present method and present system utilizes a heat transfer medium for regulating the temperature at each step of the process. By optimizing the flow so that the heat transfer medium...http://www.google.com/patents/US4865624?utm_source=gb-gplus-sharePatent US4865624 - Method for steam reforming methanol and a system thereforAdvanced Patent SearchPublication numberUS4865624 APublication typeGrantApplication numberUS 07/212,671Publication dateSep 12, 1989Filing dateJun 28, 1988Priority dateJun 29, 1987Fee statusLapsedAlso published asCN1015432B, CN1031211APublication number07212671, 212671, US 4865624 A, US 4865624A, US-A-4865624, US4865624 A, US4865624AInventorsHidetake OkadaOriginal AssigneeNippon Sanso Kabushiki KaishaExport CitationBiBTeX, EndNote, RefManPatent Citations (10), Referenced by (64), Classifications (8), Legal Events (6) External Links: USPTO, USPTO Assignment, EspacenetMethod for steam reforming methanol and a system therefor
On the other hand, chemical plants for producing methanol are being constructed in oil-producing or natural gas-producing countries, and supply of methanol is expected to increase in the future. Therefore, a method for producing hydrogen gas using methanol as a raw material is becoming important. Methanol is convenient for using it as a raw material compared to other materials such as naphtha and butane because the reaction temperature of methanol is lower than that of the others. The reaction temperature of methanol is approximately between 250� C. and 300� C. while that of naphtha and butane is higher than 600� C. One of the strong points of this method is that the hydrogen gas is obtained where the gas is demanded by constructing a plant in that location so as to minimize the transportation cost. The amount of hydrogen gas to be obtained may be far larger than the above method in the light of the large amount of menthol to be produced.
The heat transfer medium is heated to 320� C. by a burner 16 in a heater 15, led to pass through a feed line 17, and separated to pass through either of control valves 37 and 38. The heat transfer medium passed through the control valve 37 is lead to the decomposition part 33a of the reformer 33 wherein the heat transfer medium heat-exchanges with the mixture of methanol and water through the reformer tubes 34 whereby the temperature of the heat transfer medium drops to 300� C. After passing through the decomposition part 33a, the heat transfer medium is led to a boundary of the superheating part 30c and the vaporizing part 30b of the heat exchanger 30 through a feed line 39 whereat the heat transfer medium merges with that fed through the control valve 38 and the superheating portion 30c. While passing through the vaporizing part 30b, temperature of the heat transfer medium is decreased to 270� C. by heating the vaporizing part 30b. A portion of the heat transfer medium is led, after passing through the vaporizing part 30b, to a pump 21 through a control valve 40 and a line 43. The rest of the heat transfer medium passes through a preheating part 30a of the heat exchanger 30, being cooled down to 130� C. by heating the preheating part 30a and led to the conversion part 33b of the reformer 33 through the control valve 41. While passing through the conversion part 33b, the heat transfer medium is heated to 200� C. by cooling the conversion part 33b and fed to the pump 21 through lines 42 and 43. The heat transfer medium is pumped out by the pump 21 and passes through the heater 15 in which that is heated again to 320� C. by the burner 16 to recirculate through the above-mentioned circuit.
By virtue of the above-mentioned flow of the heat transfer medium, temperature of the methanol-water mixture in the reformer tube 34 at the decomposition part 33a of reformer 33 is regulated between 250� C. and 300� C. so as to proceed the decomposition of methanol effectively. Also by the heat-exchange with the heat transfer medium, temperature of the reactant in the reformer tube 34 at the conversion part 33b is regulated between 150� C. and 200� C. so as to proceed practicing the maximum conversion of the by-product carbon monoxide to carbon dioxide and increase the production of hydrogen.
32Kg/h of methanol is supplied through the feed methanol line 1 and pressurized by the pump 2 to a pressure of 15 ata. At a same time, 18Kg/h of pure water supplied through the feed water line 3 and 5Kg/h of pure water recirculated through the line 11 are pressurized to 15 ata by the pump 4. A mixture of pure water and methanol, 1:1.3 in molecular gram, is supplied to the heat exchanger 30. While passing through the tubes 31 of the heat exchanger 30, through the preheating part 30a, the boiling part 30b and the super heating part 30c, the mixture becomes a super heated stream at a temperature of 300�. After passing through the heat exchanger 30, the mixture is supplied to the reformer 33.
In the reformer 33, the superheated mixture, first, passes through the reformer tubes 34 of the decomposition part 35 whereat the mixture is decomposed under effects of the catalyst and under a temperature between 250� C. and 300� C. to produce hydrogen and carbon dioxide according to the formula (1). Since a portion of methanol is decomposed according to the formula (2), a product gas contain small quantity of carbonoxide. The amount of the carbon monoxide gas is between 2 and 3 volumetric percent. The gas mixture proceeds further to the conversion part 33b of the reformer 33 of which the temperature is regulated between 150� C. and 200� C. By virtue of the temperature regulated by the temperature transfer medium, the conversion reaction (3) proceeds and the amount of the carbon monoxide decreases to between 0.5 and 1.0 volumetric percent to further produce hydrogen and carbon dioxide.
Thus obtained gas mixture containing mainly hydrogen and carbon dioxide at a temperature of 150� C. in reformer 33 is led to the cooler 8 and cooled down to 40� C. by heat-exchanging with the cooling water supplied through the line 9. By virtue of the cooling, surplus water is condensed. Then the gas mixture is led to a gas-liquid separator 10 and the condensed water is separated out of the gas mixture. The water separated by the separator 10, which is 5kg/h, is led through the line 11 to be merged in pure water fed by the feed water line 3 and re-circulates through the circuit. The 89Nm3 /h of gas mixture of hydrogen and carbon dioxide as main component separated from liquid at the separator 10 is led to an adsorption separator 12 and high purity hydrogen gas of 50Nm3 /h is obtained at 14 ata through the feed line 13 as a product gas. At a same time, gas mixture of remainder of waste containing hydrogen, carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide is led to the heater 15 to be burnt as fuel.
2,200 Kg/h of heat transfer medium to maintain each suitable temperature of decomposition part 33a and conversion part 33b of reformer 33 is heated by the heater 15 to a temperature of 320� C. 2,000 Kg/h of the heat transfer medium is led to the reformer 33 through the line 17 and the control valve 37. The heat transfer medium passes through the decomposition part 33a of the reformer 33 as heat-exchanging with the mixture gas passing through the reformer tube 34 and the temperature thereof is lowered to 300� C. at an outlet of the decomposition part 33a. The heat transfer medium is then led through line 39 to a boundary of the super heating part 30c and the vaporizing part 30b of the heat exchanger. The rest of the heat transfer medium which does not pass through the control valve 37, 200 Kg/h, is led to pass through the control valve 38 and to a superheating part of the heat exchanger 30. Temperature of the heat transfer medium is lowered to 280� C. while it passes through the superheating part 30c and merges into the heat transfer medium led through the decomposition part 33a of the reformer 33.
The heat transfer medium, of which the amount is again 2,200 Kg/h, passes through the vaporization part 30b of the heat exchanger 30 and cooled to 270� C. At a boundary of the vaporization part 30b and the preheating part 30a, the heat transfer medium is separated into two ways. 160 Kg/h of the heat transfer medium is led through the preheating part 30a of the heat exchanger 30, cooled down to 130� C., passes through the control valve 41 and led to the lower end of the conversion part 33b of the reformer 33. The heat transfer medium flow upwards in the reformer 33 as heat-exchanging with the counter current gas mixture passing through the transformer tubes 34. Temperature of the heat transfer medium is heated to 200� C. after the heat exchange and the heat transfer medium is led out of the conversion part 33b at an upper part thereof through the feed line 42. The rest of the heat transfer medium, which is 2,040 Kg/h separated at the boundary of the boiling part 30b and the preheating part 30a, is led to pass through the control valve 40 and merge into the heat transfer medium led out of the conversion part 33b. The heat transfer medium, now again 2,200 Kg/h circulates passing through the pump 21 and heated by the burner 16 in the heater 15 to a temperature of 320� C.
Table 1 shows the results obtained according to the present invention and the results of the conventional methods. The first conventional method was performed according to FIG. 3 as setting the temperature of the reformer to 250� C. The temperature was set to be 300� C. in the second conventional method.
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EventsDateCodeEventDescriptionJun 28, 1988ASAssignmentOwner name: NIPPON SANSO KABUSHIKI KAISHA, 16-7, NISHISHINBASHFree format text: ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST.;ASSIGNOR:OKADA, HIDETAKE;REEL/FRAME:004902/0545Effective date: 19880620Owner name: NIPPON SANSO KABUSHIKI KAISHA, JAPANFree format text: ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST;ASSIGNOR:OKADA, HIDETAKE;REEL/FRAME:004902/0545Effective date: 19880620Feb 4, 1993FPAYFee paymentYear of fee payment: 4Jan 24, 1997FPAYFee paymentYear of fee payment: 8Apr 3, 2001REMIMaintenance fee reminder mailedSep 9, 2001LAPSLapse for failure to pay maintenance feesNov 13, 2001FPExpired due to failure to pay maintenance feeEffective date: 20010912RotateOriginal ImageGoogle Home - Sitemap - USPTO Bulk Downloads - Privacy Policy - Terms of Service - About Google Patents - Send FeedbackData provided by IFI CLAIMS Patent Services