Catalytic gasoline reforming reactor

It is under development for various fuels such as methanol, ethanol, LPG and gasoline. The complete fuel processor was composed of a catalytic autothermal reformer reactor, a heat exchanger for cooling the reformate downstream of the CAR,... 

Well over 50 large-scale EO model-based RTO applications have been deployed for petroleum refining processes. These model applications have been deployed in petroleum refineries Liporace et al., 2009 Camolesi et al., 2008 Mudt et al., 1995, both on separation units (crude atmospheric and vacuum distillation units) and on reactor units (including fluidized catalytic crackers (FCC), gasoline reformers, and hydrocrackers). 

The catalytic reforming process is, together with catalytic cracking, one of the most important processes in modem refinery schemes. It is used to convert low octane n-alkanes and cycloalkanes with 5 to 10 carbon atoms contained in the petroleum naphtha into high-octane isoalkanes and aromatics gasoline components and hydrogen. Typically, reformer reactors operate at temperatures of 425-525 °C and hydrogen pressures of 0.5-3.0 MPa. 

Figure 5.58 Dynamic simulation of the start-up behaviour of an autothermal gasoline reformer coupled to a heat-exchanger for feed pre-heating and a water-gas shift reactor. Left catalytic combustion phase (5-65s) 8-kW,, power input S/C = 0 ...

Figure 2-16 Several reactor configurations for catalytic reforming to produce high-octane gasoline.

Catalytic reformers upgrade low octane naphthas into gasoline in the presence of hydrogen to retard deposition of carbon on the catalyst. Temperatures to 500°C and pressures to 35 atm are necessary. Representative reactors are shown in Figure 17.25. 

Steam reforming refers to the endothermic, catalytic conversion of light hydrocarbons (methane to gasoline) in the presence of steam [see Eq. (5.1)]. The reforming reaction takes place across a nickel catalyst that is packed in tubes in an externally-fired, tubular furnace (the Primary Reformer). The lined chamber reactor is called the secondary reformer , and this is where hot process air is added to introduce nitrogen into the process. Typical reaction conditions in the Primary Reformer are 700°C to 830°C and 15 to 40 bar46. 

The feedstock consists of a mixture of C8 aromatics typically derived from catalytically reformed naphtha, hydrotreated pyrolysis gasoline oran LPG aromatization unit. The feed may contain up to 40% ethylbenzene, which is converted either to xylenes or benzene by the Isomar reactor at a high-conversion rate per pass. Feedstocks may be pure solvent extracts or fractional heartcuts containing up to 25% nonaromatics. Hydrogen may be supplied from a catalytic reforming unit or any suitable source. Chemical hydrogen consumption is minimal. 

---