Patent Description:
Heat integration and optimization are imperative in the chemical industry for improving energy efficiency and lowering production costs. Generally, at least a portion of heat needed by endothermic chemical reactions and/or processes can be provided by other exothermic chemical production processes, such that the need for heat via directly burning fuel is mitigated.

Steam reforming is an endothermic chemical production process that can be used to produce various chemicals including methanol, ammonia, <NUM>-ethylhexanol, and steel. Currently, the energy efficiency for conventional steam reforming processes is limited due to poor heat recovery and heat integration. For instance, the conventional steam reformer generally uses air that is compressed by a forced draft fan and preheats the compressed air in an air preheater when the system includes induced and forced draft fans in the furnace design. In cases where the system does not include the draft fan or the induced draft fan, a natural draft is directly taken from the atmosphere. Thus, either way, conventional steam reforming systems utilize air at ambient temperature as source of combustion gas and have low energy efficiency and high production cost.

Overall, while systems and methods for providing heat for endothermic processes (e.g., a steam reforming process) exist, the need for improvements in this field persists in light of at least the aforementioned drawback for the conventional systems and methods.

A solution to at least the above mentioned problem associated with the systems and methods for providing heat to endothermic chemical processes is discovered. The solution resides in a method for producing one or more compounds by an endothermic reaction that includes providing heat and an oxidant to the endothermic reaction from an exhaust gas emanating from a catalyst regeneration process. This can be beneficial for at least recovering heat from the catalyst regeneration process, thereby improving energy efficiency for producing the one or more compounds. Additionally, the method can include recovering at least some heat from hot gas from a waste air vent of an MTBE production unit, further recovering heat from waste streams and increasing the energy efficiency for producing the compounds. Furthermore, the disclosed systems and methods can include a fixed damper installed upstream of a heat boiler stack for heating combustion gas of the endothermic chemical production processes. The fixed damper is configured to provide a back pressure, which in turn transports the combustion gas the furnace uses for the endothermic chemical production processes, resulting in reduced energy consumption for transporting the combustion gas. Therefore, the methods of the present invention provide a technical solution to the problem associated with the conventional systems and methods for providing heat for endothermic chemical production processes.

The method according to the invention is defined in claim <NUM>.

Embodiments of the invention include a method of producing heat and an oxidant for an endothermic chemical production process. The method comprises combusting, in a gas turbine unit, a mixture of (<NUM>) a fuel and (<NUM>) a first stream comprising air to produce a turbine exhaust gas stream. The method comprises regenerating a catalyst of a catalytic reactor using the turbine exhaust gas stream as a regeneration gas stream to produce a regeneration exhaust gas stream. The method comprises processing the regeneration exhaust gas stream and/or the turbine exhaust gas stream to produce at least a portion of a combustion gas stream for the endothermic chemical production process.

Embodiments of the invention include a method of producing heat and an oxidant for an endothermic chemical production process. The method comprises combusting, in a gas turbine unit, a mixture of (<NUM>) a fuel and (<NUM>) a first stream comprising air to produce a turbine exhaust gas stream. The method comprises compressing a hot gas (e.g., hot gas from a waste air vent of an MTBE production unit) to produce a high pressure gas stream. The method comprises combusting a fuel in the high pressure gas stream to produce a regeneration gas stream. The method comprises regenerating, using the regeneration gas stream, a catalyst of a hydrocarbon dehydrogenation unit to produce an exhaust gas stream. The method comprises processing the exhaust gas stream and/or the turbine exhaust gas stream to produce at least a portion of a combustion gas comprising the oxidant for the endothermic chemical production process.

Embodiments of the invention include a method of producing heat and an oxidant for an endothermic chemical production process. The method comprises flowing a first stream comprising air and at least some fuel to a gas turbine unit. The method comprises combusting, in the gas turbine unit, the fuel in the first stream to (<NUM>) produce a turbine exhaust gas stream and (<NUM>) drive an air compressor. The method comprises processing hot gas stream from a waste air vent of an MTBE production unit to produce a regeneration gas stream. The processing of the first regeneration gas stream includes compressing the hot gas stream in the air compressor to produce a high pressure stream. The processing of the first regeneration gas stream further still includes combusting fuel in the high pressure gas stream to produce the regeneration gas stream. The method comprises regenerating, using the regeneration gas stream, a catalyst of a hydrocarbon dehydrogenation unit to produce a regeneration exhaust gas stream. The method comprises processing the regeneration exhaust gas stream and/or the turbine exhaust gas stream to produce at least a portion of a combustion gas comprising the oxidant for the endothermic chemical production process.

The terms "wt. %" or "mol. %" refer to a weight, volume, or molar percentage of a component, respectively, based on the total weight, the total volume, or the total moles of material that includes the component. In a non-limiting example, <NUM> moles of component in <NUM> moles of the material is <NUM> mol. % of component.

The terms "inhibiting" or "reducing" or "preventing" or "avoiding" or any variation of these terms, when used in the claims and/or the specification, include any measurable decrease or complete inhibition to achieve a desired result.

The term "primarily," as that term is used in the specification and/or claims, means greater than any of <NUM> wt. %, <NUM> mol. %, and <NUM> vol. For example, "primarily" may include <NUM> wt. % to <NUM> wt. % and all values and ranges there between, <NUM> mol. % to <NUM> mol. % and all values and ranges there between, or <NUM> vol. % to <NUM> vol. % and all values and ranges there between.

Currently, combustion air for a reformer is either provided by compressing ambient air using a forced draft fan and preheated in an air preheater, or directly flowing ambient air into the furnace by natural draft. In both cases, the combustion air is obtained directly from the atmosphere at an ambient temperature without any heat recovery from other units or processes. The energy efficiency for the conventional reformer is relatively low. The present invention provides a solution to this problem. The solution is premised on a method of producing one or more compounds by an endothermic reaction that includes providing heat and an oxidant to the endothermic reaction from at least an exhaust gas from a catalyst regeneration process. Furthermore, at least some heat of the exhaust gas can be recovered from (<NUM>) a hot gas from an exhaust vent of an MTBE production unit and (<NUM>) the catalyst regeneration process. Hence, the disclosed method is capable of improving energy cost for heating up the combustion air used for the endothermic reaction compared to conventional methods, which do not include a substantial heat recovery process. These and other non-limiting aspects of the present invention are discussed in further detail in the following sections.

The system for producing one or more compounds by an endothermic reaction includes a gas turbine, a dehydrogenation unit, an air waste heat boiler stack, and a forced draft fan. Notably, the system is capable of reducing energy consumption and increasing efficiency for producing one or more compounds by an endothermic reaction compared to conventional systems. With reference to <FIG>, a schematic diagram is shown for system <NUM>, which is used for producing one or more compounds by an endothermic reaction.

The system <NUM> includes gas turbine unit <NUM>(combination of <NUM> and <NUM>) configured to combust a fuel of first fuel stream <NUM> and first stream <NUM> to produce turbine exhaust gas stream <NUM>. Gas turbine unit <NUM> may include a single turbine, or two or more gas turbines operated in parallel or in series. Gas turbine unit <NUM> is further configured to drive process air compressor <NUM> via shaft <NUM>. First stream <NUM> can include air. The air of first stream <NUM> may be under ambient conditions. In embodiments of the invention, the fuel of first fuel stream <NUM> includes natural gas, hydrogen, methane, ethane, carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, or combinations thereof. The hydrogen of first fuel stream <NUM> may be produced and recovered from a hydrocarbon dehydrogenation process.

Process air compressor <NUM> can be an air compressor of a hydrocarbon dehydrogenation unit. The dehydrogenation unit can include an n-butane dehydrogenation unit, an isobutane dehydrogenation unit, a propane dehydrogenation unit, an isopentane dehydrogenation unit, a propane dehydrogenation unit, or combinations thereof. Process air compressor <NUM> is configured to compress inlet gas stream <NUM> to form high pressure gas stream <NUM>. Inlet gas stream <NUM> may include an air stream. The air may comply with international standard with <NUM> to <NUM>% relative humidity. Inlet gas stream <NUM> may be at ambient temperature. Inlet gas stream <NUM> may be a hot gas stream from a waste air vent of an MTBE production unit. According to embodiments of the invention, the hot gas stream from a waste air vent of an MTBE production unit comprises oxygen, nitrogen, carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, oxides of sulfur and/or nitrogen, or combinations thereof. High pressure gas stream <NUM> may be at a pressure of <NUM> to <NUM> bar (abs) and all ranges and values there between.

According to embodiments of the invention, an outlet of process air compressor <NUM> is in fluid communication with an inlet of air heater <NUM> such that high pressure gas stream <NUM> flows from process air compressor <NUM> to air heater <NUM>. Air heater <NUM> may be configured to combust a fuel and high pressure gas stream <NUM> to produce regeneration stream <NUM>. In embodiments of the invention, regeneration gas stream <NUM> is at a temperature of <NUM> to <NUM> and all ranges and values there between including ranges of <NUM> to <NUM>, <NUM> to <NUM>, <NUM> to <NUM>, <NUM> to <NUM>, <NUM> to <NUM>, <NUM> to <NUM>, <NUM> to <NUM>, <NUM> to <NUM>, <NUM> to <NUM>, <NUM> to <NUM>, <NUM> to <NUM>, <NUM> to <NUM>, and <NUM> to <NUM>. In embodiments of the invention, regeneration gas stream <NUM> includes <NUM> to <NUM> vol. % oxygen gas, <NUM> to <NUM> vol. % nitrogen gas, <NUM> to <NUM> vol. % CO<NUM>, <NUM> to <NUM> vol. % water vapor, and minor amount of argon.

In embodiments of the invention, an outlet of air heater <NUM> is in fluid communication with an inlet of catalytic reactor <NUM> such that regeneration gas stream <NUM> flows from air heater <NUM> to catalytic reactor <NUM>. Catalytic reactor <NUM> comprises a catalyst disposed therein. Catalytic reactor <NUM> can include a dehydrogenation reactor configured to catalytically dehydrogenate a hydrocarbon to produce one or more unsaturated hydrocarbons. The dehydrogenation reactor can include an n-butane dehydrogenation reactor, an isobutane dehydrogenation reactor, a propane dehydrogenation reactor, and/or an isopentane dehydrogenation reactor.

In embodiments of the invention, catalytic reactor <NUM> is in regeneration mode and regeneration gas stream <NUM> is configured to regenerate spent catalyst of catalytic reactor <NUM> to produce regenerated catalyst and regeneration exhaust stream <NUM>. In embodiments of the invention, regeneration exhaust stream <NUM> is at a temperature in a range of <NUM> to <NUM>. Regeneration exhaust stream <NUM> may include <NUM> to <NUM> vol.

According to embodiments of the invention, an outlet of catalytic reactor <NUM> is in fluid communication with air waste heat boiler and NOX removal unit <NUM> such that regeneration exhaust stream <NUM> flows from catalytic reactor <NUM> to air waste heat boiler and NOX removal unit <NUM>. In embodiments of the invention, air waste heat boiler and NOX removal unit <NUM> is configured to heat boiler feed water by using at least a portion of regeneration exhaust stream <NUM> and/or at least a portion of turbine exhaust gas stream <NUM> as a heating medium to produce steam and/or superheated steam, and/or remove nitrogen oxides from regeneration exhaust stream <NUM> to produce first cooled exhaust gas stream <NUM>. In embodiments of the invention, air waste heat boiler and NOX removal unit <NUM> comprises selective catalytic NOx removal system for removing nitrogen oxides. In embodiments of the invention, air waste heat boiler and NOX removal unit <NUM> further comprises a boiler coil, an economizer coil, a heat exchanger, or combinations thereof.

As an alternative to, or in addition to using at least a portion of turbine exhaust gas stream <NUM> as a heating medium for air waste heat boiler and NOX removal unit <NUM>, at least a portion of turbine exhaust gas stream <NUM> may be flowed into catalytic reactor <NUM> as regeneration gas for regenerating the catalyst therein. In embodiments of the invention, gas turbine unit <NUM> can include two gas turbines operated in parallel. The two gas turbines can be configured to supply turbine exhaust gas stream <NUM> to catalytic reactor <NUM> as a regeneration gas.

An outlet of air waste heat boiler and NOX removal unit <NUM> is in fluid communication with an inlet of air waste heat boiler stack <NUM> such that at least a portion of first cooled exhaust stream <NUM> flows from air waste heat boiler and NOX removal unit <NUM> to air waste heat boiler stack <NUM>. In embodiments of the invention, at least a portion of first cooled exhaust gas stream <NUM> can form flue gas stream <NUM>. Flue gas stream <NUM> may be at a temperature of <NUM> to <NUM>. Flue gas stream <NUM> may include <NUM> to <NUM> vol. In embodiments of the invention, process air compressor <NUM>, air heater <NUM>, catalytic reactor <NUM>, air waste heat boiler and NOX removal unit <NUM>, and/or air waste heat boiler stack <NUM> may be part of a hydrocarbon dehydrogenation unit.

According to embodiments of the invention, baffle damper <NUM> may be installed between an outlet of air waste heat boiler and NOX removal unit <NUM> and an inlet of air waste heat boiler stack <NUM>. Baffle damper <NUM>, in embodiments of the invention, is configured to generate a back pressure for flue gas stream <NUM>. The back pressure can be configured to flow flue gas stream <NUM> from baffle damper <NUM> to an outlet (duct from an outlet) of forced draft fan <NUM>. In embodiments of the invention, forced draft fan <NUM> is configured to compress third combustion gas stream <NUM> to form compressed third combustion gas stream <NUM>. Third combustion gas stream <NUM> may include air. Compressed third combustion gas stream <NUM> may be at a pressure of <NUM> to <NUM> mmH<NUM>O, and a temperature of <NUM> to <NUM>. Flue gas stream <NUM> may be combined with compressed third combustion gas stream <NUM> to form fourth combustion gas stream <NUM>.

In embodiments of the invention, fourth combustion gas stream <NUM> is flowed to a steam reformer to provide an oxidant and at least some heat for one or more steam reforming reactions. The steam reformer may include a steam reformer for producing methanol, ammonia, <NUM>-ethylhexanol, steel, or combinations thereof. Fourth combustion gas stream <NUM> may be flowed to a furnace of the steam reformer. In embodiments of the invention, fourth combustion gas stream <NUM> may be flowed to a cracker. The cracker may be configured to crack ethane, propane, butanes, pentanes, or combinations thereof to produce olefins and/or other unsaturated hydrocarbons. In embodiments of the invention, the cracker may include a steam cracker. According to embodiments of the invention, system <NUM> further comprises steam turbine driver <NUM> configured to drive forced draft fan <NUM> to pressurize third combustion gas stream <NUM>. According to embodiments of the invention, a switch mechanism can be installed between system <NUM> and the steam reformer. The switch mechanism can be configured to ensure the steam reformer and system <NUM> can each be individually operated, if needed. The switch mechanism can include one or more valves.

Methods of producing one or more compounds by an endothermic reaction have been discovered. As shown in <FIG>, embodiments of the invention include method <NUM> for producing heat and an oxidant for an endothermic chemical production process with improved energy efficiency and reduced production cost compared to conventional methods. Method <NUM> may be implemented by system <NUM>, as shown in <FIG> and described above.

According to embodiments of the invention, as shown in block <NUM>, method <NUM> includes flowing first stream <NUM> and some fuel of first fuel stream <NUM> to gas turbine unit <NUM>. In embodiments of the invention, first stream <NUM> includes ambient air. Fuel stream <NUM> may include natural gas, hydrogen gas, carbon monoxide, methane, ethane, carbon dioxide, or combinations thereof. In embodiments of the invention, the hydrogen gas of first fuel stream <NUM> is recovered from a catalytic dehydrogenation process.

According to embodiments of the invention, as shown in block <NUM>, method <NUM> may include combusting, in gas turbine unit <NUM>, the fuel and first stream <NUM> to drive process air compressor <NUM> and produce turbine exhaust gas stream <NUM>. In embodiments of the invention, turbine exhaust gas stream <NUM> is at a temperature of <NUM> to <NUM> and all ranges and values there between including ranges of <NUM> to <NUM>, <NUM> to <NUM>, <NUM> to <NUM>, <NUM> to <NUM>, <NUM> to <NUM>, <NUM> to <NUM>, <NUM> to <NUM>, <NUM> to <NUM>, <NUM> to <NUM>, <NUM> to <NUM>, <NUM> to <NUM>, <NUM> to <NUM>, <NUM> to <NUM>, <NUM> to <NUM>, and <NUM> to <NUM>. Turbine exhaust gas stream <NUM> may include <NUM> to <NUM> vol. % CO<NUM>, <NUM> to <NUM> vol. % nitrogen, <NUM> to <NUM> vol. % oxygen, <NUM> to <NUM> vol. % water vapor.

According to embodiments of the invention, as shown in block <NUM>, method <NUM> includes processing inlet gas stream <NUM> in air compressor <NUM> and air heater <NUM> to produce regeneration gas stream <NUM>. Inlet gas stream <NUM> can include air, and/or a hot gas from a waste air vent of an MTBE production unit. The hot gas stream from a waste air vent of an MTBE production unit comprises oxygen, nitrogen, carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, oxides of sulfur and/or nitrogen, or combinations thereof. In embodiments of the invention, regeneration gas stream <NUM> is at a temperature of <NUM> to <NUM> and all ranges and values there between including ranges of <NUM> to <NUM>, <NUM> to <NUM>, <NUM> to <NUM>, <NUM> to <NUM>, <NUM> to <NUM>, <NUM> to <NUM>, <NUM> to <NUM>, <NUM> to <NUM>, <NUM> to <NUM>, <NUM> to <NUM>, <NUM> to <NUM>, <NUM> to <NUM>, and <NUM> to <NUM>. In embodiments of the invention, regeneration gas stream <NUM> includes <NUM> to <NUM> vol. % oxygen gas, <NUM> to <NUM> vol. % nitrogen gas, <NUM> to <NUM> vol. % CO<NUM>, and <NUM> to <NUM> vol. % water vapor.

Processing at block <NUM> may include compressing inlet gas stream <NUM> in process air compressor <NUM> to produce high pressure gas stream <NUM>. In embodiments of the invention, high pressure gas stream <NUM> may be at a pressure of <NUM> to <NUM> bar (abs). Processing at block <NUM> may further include combusting, in air heater <NUM>, some fuel with high pressure gas stream <NUM> to produce regeneration gas stream <NUM>. Regeneration gas stream <NUM> may be at a temperature of <NUM> to <NUM> and all ranges and values there between including ranges of <NUM> to <NUM>, <NUM> to <NUM>, <NUM> to <NUM>, <NUM> to <NUM>, <NUM> to <NUM>, <NUM> to <NUM>, <NUM> to <NUM>, <NUM> to <NUM>, <NUM> to <NUM>, <NUM> to <NUM>, <NUM> to <NUM>, <NUM> to <NUM>, and <NUM> to <NUM>. Regeneration gas stream <NUM> may include <NUM> to <NUM> vol. Regeneration gas stream <NUM> may be at a pressure of <NUM> to <NUM> bar (abs).

According to embodiments of the invention, as shown in block <NUM>, method <NUM> includes regenerating, using regeneration gas stream <NUM>, a catalyst of catalytic reactor <NUM> to produce at least a portion of regeneration exhaust stream <NUM>. In embodiments of the invention, the catalyst includes spent catalyst in need of regeneration. Regenerating at block <NUM> may be conducted at temperature of <NUM> to <NUM>. Regeneration exhaust stream <NUM> may be at a temperature in a range of <NUM> to <NUM>. Regeneration exhaust stream <NUM> may include <NUM> to <NUM> vol. Regeneration exhaust stream <NUM> may further include <NUM> to <NUM> vol. % CO<NUM>, <NUM> to <NUM> vol. % water vapor and minor amounts of argon. As an alternative or in addition to block <NUM>, as shown in block <NUM>, method <NUM> includes regenerating, using at least a portion of turbine exhaust gas stream <NUM>, the catalyst of catalytic reactor <NUM> to produce at least a portion of regeneration exhaust stream <NUM>.

According to embodiments of the invention, as shown in block <NUM>, method <NUM> includes processing regeneration exhaust stream <NUM> to produce at least a portion of fourth combustion gas stream <NUM>. In embodiments of the invention, processing at block <NUM> includes using regeneration exhaust stream <NUM> to heat boiler feed water and produce steam and/or superheated steam (and thereby cool regeneration exhaust stream <NUM>) and/or removing nitrogen oxides from regeneration exhaust stream <NUM> and/or turbine exhaust gas stream <NUM> in air waste boiler and NOX removal unit <NUM> to produce first cooled exhaust gas stream <NUM>. In embodiments of the invention, first cooled exhaust gas stream <NUM> comprises less than <NUM> ppmy/y (dry) at <NUM>% reference oxygen content of nitrogen oxides. First cooled exhaust gas stream <NUM> may be at a temperature of <NUM> to <NUM>. At least a portion of first cooled exhaust gas stream <NUM> can form flue gas stream <NUM>. Flue gas stream <NUM> may be at a temperature of <NUM> to <NUM>. Processing at block <NUM>, in embodiments of the invention, includes generating, by baffle damper <NUM>, a back pressure in flue gas stream <NUM> such that flue gas stream <NUM> flows to (<NUM>) an outlet of forced draft fan <NUM> for a steam reformer and/or (<NUM>) duct work of a cracker (e.g., duct work of a furnace of a steam cracker). Flue gas stream <NUM> can form at least a portion fourth combustion gas stream <NUM> for one or more endothermic reactions, for providing at least some heat for the endothermic reactions and oxygen for supporting combustion of a fuel in the furnace of the steam reformer and/or a steam cracker. The steam reformer may include a steam reformer for producing methanol, ammonia, <NUM>-ethylhexanol, steel, or combinations thereof. The cracker may be a steam cracker configured to crack ethane, propane, butanes, pentanes, or combinations thereof. Fourth combustion gas stream <NUM> may be flowed to a furnace of the steam reformer and/or the steam cracker. In embodiments of the invention, the back pressure is in a range of about <NUM> to <NUM> millimeter of water column (mmH<NUM>O) and all ranges and values there between including ranges of <NUM> to <NUM> mmH<NUM>O, <NUM> to <NUM> mmH<NUM>O, <NUM> to <NUM> mmH<NUM>O, <NUM> to <NUM> mmH<NUM>O, <NUM> to <NUM> mmH<NUM>O, and <NUM> to <NUM> mmH<NUM>O.

In embodiments of the invention, flue gas stream <NUM> may be combined with third combustion gas stream <NUM> to form fourth combustion gas stream <NUM>. In embodiments of the invention, third combustion gas stream <NUM> is produced by compressing third combustion gas stream <NUM> in forced draft fan <NUM>. Third combustion gas stream <NUM> can include air. According to embodiments of the invention, flue gas stream <NUM> may be combined with third combustion gas stream <NUM> to form fourth combustion gas stream <NUM> so that flue gas stream <NUM> is at a <NUM> vol. % of fourth combustion gas stream <NUM>. In embodiments of the invention, fourth combustion gas stream <NUM> comprises <NUM> to <NUM> vol. Fourth combustion gas stream <NUM> may further include less than <NUM>% CO<NUM>, about <NUM> to <NUM>% water vapor, and <NUM> to <NUM>% nitrogen. Fourth combustion gas stream <NUM> may be at a temperature of <NUM> to <NUM> and all ranges and values there between including ranges of <NUM> to <NUM>, <NUM> to <NUM>, <NUM> to <NUM>, <NUM> to <NUM>, <NUM> to <NUM>, <NUM> to <NUM>, <NUM> to <NUM>, <NUM> to <NUM>, <NUM> to <NUM>, and <NUM> to <NUM>. Fourth combustion gas stream <NUM> may include <NUM> to <NUM> vol. % oxygen and all ranges and values there between including ranges of <NUM> to <NUM> vol. %, <NUM> to <NUM> vol. %, <NUM> to <NUM> vol. %, <NUM> to <NUM> vol. %, <NUM> to <NUM> vol. %, and <NUM> to <NUM> vol. Fourth combustion gas stream <NUM> may be at a pressure of <NUM> to <NUM> mmH<NUM>O and all ranges and values there between including ranges of <NUM> to <NUM> mmH<NUM>O, <NUM> to <NUM> mmH<NUM>O, <NUM> to <NUM> mmH<NUM>O, <NUM> to <NUM> mmH<NUM>O, <NUM> to <NUM> mmH<NUM>O, <NUM> to <NUM> mmH<NUM>O, <NUM> to <NUM> mmH<NUM>O, <NUM> to <NUM> mmH<NUM>O, <NUM> to <NUM> mmH<NUM>O, and <NUM> to <NUM> mmH<NUM>O. According to embodiments of the invention, fourth combustion gas stream <NUM> is used to provide oxidant and/or heat for a furnace of a steam reformer and/or steam cracker.

Although embodiments of the present invention have been described with reference to blocks of <FIG>, it should be appreciated that operation of the present invention is not limited to the particular blocks and/or the particular order of the blocks illustrated in <FIG>. Accordingly, embodiments of the invention may provide functionality as described herein using various blocks in a sequence different than that of <FIG>.

The systems and processes described herein can also include various equipment that is not shown and is known to one of skill in the art of chemical processing. For example, some controllers, piping, computers, valves, pumps, heaters, thermocouples, pressure indicators, mixers, heat exchangers, and the like may not be shown.

As part of the disclosure of the present invention, specific examples are included below. The examples are for illustrative purposes only and are not intended to limit the invention. Those of ordinary skill in the art will readily recognize parameters that can be changed or modified to yield essentially the same results.

Table <NUM> shows comparison of process stream compositions of (A) a conventional methanol reformer and (B) a system and a method according to embodiments of the invention. The <NUM> columns on the right side of Table <NUM> shows the simulated operating data for the system according to embodiments of the invention. The <NUM> columns on the left of Table <NUM> shows experimental operating data of a conventional reformer. Purge in Table <NUM> means purge gas from synthesis loop. NG in Table <NUM> means natural gas that is fired into the reformed fire box as fuel (not shown in <FIG>). Air in Table <NUM> means third combustion gas stream <NUM> of <FIG>. GT exhaust in Table <NUM> means gas turbine exhaust stream <NUM>. Hot air and hot mixed air in Table <NUM> means inlet gas stream <NUM>. Flue gas in Table <NUM> means flue gas emanating from reformer fire box that is not shown in <FIG>. The results show that, compared to conventional methanol reformer, the system and method according to embodiments of the invention were capable of reducing fuel gas (natural gas, NG in Table <NUM>) consumption for heating the furnace of methanol reformer by heat recovery from operation of a hydrocarbon dehydrogenation unit.

Claim 1:
A method of producing heat and an oxidant for an endothermic chemical production process, the method comprising:
combusting a mixture of a fuel (<NUM>) and a first stream (<NUM>) in a gas turbine unit (<NUM>) to produce a turbine exhaust gas stream (<NUM>), which gas turbine unit (<NUM>) is configured to drive a process air compressor (<NUM>), wherein the process air compressor (<NUM>) is configured to compress an inlet gas stream (<NUM>) to form a high pressure gas stream (<NUM>) and wherein the process air compressor (<NUM>) is in fluid communication with an inlet of an air heater (<NUM>), wherein the air heater (<NUM>) is configured to combust a fuel and the high pressure gas stream (<NUM>) to produce regeneration stream (<NUM>);
regenerating, using the regeneration stream (<NUM>) , a catalyst of a hydrocarbon dehydrogenation unit to produce a regeneration exhaust stream (<NUM>); and
processing the regeneration exhaust stream (<NUM>) to produce at least a portion of a combustion gas comprising the oxidant for the endothermic chemical production process.