Reformed gasolines

Gasoline reformate Gasoline, reformulated Gasolines Gas permeation Gas-phase adsorptu... 

In Europe naphtha is the preferred feedstock for the production of synthesis gas, which is used to synthesize methanol and ammonia (Chapter 4). Another important role for naphtha is its use as a feedstock for steam cracking units for light olefins production (Chapter 3). Heavy naphtha, on the other hand, is a major feedstock for catalytic reforming. The product reformate containing a high percentage of Ce-Cg aromatic hydrocarbons is used to make gasoline. Reformates are also extracted to separate the aromatics as intermediates for petrochemicals. 

The catalyst (0.15 g) was loaded into a quartz tube reactor (internal diameter = 4 mm). The catalyst was pretreated in nitrogen at 400°C. Simulated gasoline reformate was used for the activity test of the catalyst. The composition of the simulated reformate was 36 wt% H2, 17 wt% CO2, 28 wt% N2, 17 wt% H2O, 1 wt% CO, and air was added additionally as the oxidant. The total flow rate was maintained at 100 ml/min. The test was performed over the temperature range of 120 280°C at various flow rates of inlet air. 

Gasoline fuel cell vehicles (FCVs) could be an interim step. Their main advantage is the use of an available fuel. An affordable gasoline reformer could allow a market for fuel cell vehicles without a hydrogen infrastructure. 

DaimlerChrysler s efforts to make a gasoline reformer work was slightly disappointing so the carmaker announced it would concentrate its efforts on methanol, signing on to a program advanced by its partners in the Alliance. Since then, DaimlerChrysler demonstrated a gasoline-powered fuel cell Jeep. 

Onboard gasoline reforming could serve as an interim step and accelerate the commercialization of PEM fuel cells. It does not require a hydrogen infrastructure. Onboard methanol reformers are likely to be even less efficient than gasoline reformers. For the immediate future, increases in methanol production are likely to come from overseas natural gas. 

POX reactor exit temperatures vary widely. Noncatalytic processes for gasoline reforming require temperatures in excess of 1,000°C. These temperatures require the use of special materials and significant preheating and integration of process streams. The use of a catalyst can substantially reduce the operating temperature allowing the use of more common materials such as steel. Lower temperature conversion leads to less carbon monoxide (an important consideration for low temperature fuel cells), so that the shift reactor can be smaller. Lower temperature conversion will also increase system efficiency. 

Gasoline, Reformed. A high-octane gasoline obtd from low-oCtane gasoline by heating the vapors to a high temperature or by passing the vapors thru a suitable catalyst Ref CondChemDiet (1961), 528-R (1971), 411-R... 

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 most recent conceptual commercial COGAS plant, Figure 2, produces 265 MM standard cubic feet of 950 Btu/scf pipeline gas per day, from bituminous coal plus 16,800 barrels per day of light (No. 4) fuel oil and 3800 barrels per day of gasoline reformer feedstock grade naphtha. Nitrogen content of this naphtha is less than 1 ppm. The combined gas and oil output from one such plant will permit a reduction of oil imports by as much as 22 MM bbl/yr. Coal feed rate is 26,000 tons per day or... 

In May 2003, Nuvera Fuel Cells announced that in conjunction with the U.S. Department of Energy (doe) and a European automaker, the company had demonstrated a 75 kW gasoline reformer with more than 80 percent efficiency.18 This device cannot start up in less than a minute, but the company is working on a next-generation device aimed at beating a thirty-second start time. Since the 75 kW reformer is not a commercial product, the company did not announce its price. Prashant Chintawar, Nuvera s executive director for business development and strategic r d, has told me that it would be at least ten years before the device would achieve a cost of 25- 3o/kW, the range needed for an affordable car. 

These are reasonable questions. Several additional questions need to be answered before we pursue a path of generating large volumes of hydrogen from gasoline reformers on board fuel cell vehicles ... 

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