Produce hydrogen and/or H2/CO-rich gas using advanced steam-reforming methods.
Feedstock: Natural gas, refinery offgas, LPG/butane and light naphtha.
Product: Synthesis gas for hydrogen, ammonia, methanol, Fischer-Tropsch-synfuel, oxo-synthesis products, etc.
The steam-reforming process comprises the high-temperature reaction of methane or light hydrocarbons over a nickel catalyst that produces hydrogen and carbon monoxide (CO). The reforming occurs in tubes packed with catalyst and arranged vertically in gas-fired steam reformers. A nickel catalyst is used and applied to a supporting structure. The operating conditions of the steam reformer vary and depend on the application, with discharge temperatures ranging from 740°C to 950°C and pressures up to 50 bar. This wide range of operating conditions necessitates a versatile reformer design.
The Uhde steam reformer is a top-fired reformer which has tubes made of centrifugally cast alloy steel and a proprietary “cold” outlet manifold system. The reformer and outlet system design have proved its suitability over the past decades. It satisfies the demands of various applications and permits constructing and operating world-scale reformers with unrestricted reliability. The largest reformer, based on Uhde technology, consisted of 960 tubes.
Licensor: Uhde GmbH, Dortmund, Germany
