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ISSN: 2278-0181
Vol. 2 Issue 12, December - 2013
Hagos Meleake
Department of Chemical Engineering
Eritrea Institute of Technology,Asmara,Eritrea, N.E.Africa
Aineta Gebreyonas
Department of Chemical Engineering
Eritrea Institute of Technology, Asmara, Eritrea, N.E.Africa
Abstract Introduction
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Hydrogen has received increased attention Hydrogen is the most abundant element in
as renewable and environmentally friendly the universe making up to 75% of the
option to help today’s energy needs. We know normal matter by mass and over 90% by
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well that the usage of hydrogen is enormous. number of atoms. Hydrogen can be used as a
The road leading to an understanding of fuel for powering internal combustion
hydrogen energy potential represents a engines or electric motors via hydrogen fuel
fascinating tour through scientific discovery cell (hydrogen gas vehicles). This has been
and industrial applications. Our goal is mainly suggested as one approach to shift
to design a plant which is able to produce economies of the world from the current
hydrogen economically. Though several states of almost complete dependence up on
methods of hydrogen production are there, hydrocarbons for energy. Hydrogen can be
steam reforming is the most economical means used in major industries such as food,
of converting fossil fuels to hydrogen at large petrochemicals and explosives. Natural gas
scale especially from natural gas. We is a gas consisting primarily of methane. It is
discussed clearly about the operation and found associated with other fossil fuels, in
design of a plant for producing hydrogen from coal beds, as methane clathrates, and is
natural gas with our engineering views. Eritrea created by methanogenic organisms in
has plentiful of natural gas reserves and thus marshes, bogs, and landfills. It is an
this paper is aiming to introduce the process of important fuel source; a major feed stock for
producing hydrogen from natural gas. fertilizers and potent greenhouse gas. It was
proved that there are more natural gas
Keywords: pressure swing adsorption, reserves. The following are the currently
reforming, shift conversion, space velocity. available processes for hydrogen production
I and enters at a shift converter. In this reactor and a small amount of hydrogen are adsorbed.
the carbon monoxide is converted in to carbon Most of the hydrogen passes through, leaving as
dioxide over an iron and chromium oxide a very pure gas. After some time the molecular
catalyst. To slow down (but not eliminate) over sieve adsorber becomes saturated, and the feed
reduction of catalyst into iron, steam: carbon is switched to another vessel, containing a
ratio is maintained above 7 and the catalyst can freshly regenerated molecular sieve. The
be doped with copper, which acts by saturated vessel is depressurized very slowly to a
accelerating the conversion of carbon monoxide. low pressure of approximately 3-5psi. The gas is
then swept out using smallest possible quantity
PURIFICATION (PSA) of hydrogen product. The vessel is then re
PSA is a technology used to separate some gas pressurized by hydrogen, and it is ready to be
species from a mixture of gases under pressure swung on line for its next period as absorber.
occurring to the species molecular Commercial systems have a minimum of three
characteristics and affinity for an adsorbent or four vessels to a smooth operation. But in our
material. It operates near ambient temperature case using four vessels of PSA above 75% of
and so differs from cryogenic distillation hydrogen in the raw gas can be recovered. The
techniques of gas separation. Special adsorptive purge gas flow is intermittent and of vary
materials (example zeolite) can be used as a composition over the cycle. A surge vessel is
molecular sieve, preferentially adsorbing the required to ensure good mixing and even out
target gas species at high pressure points. The flow. The purge gas is used as a fuel in the
reforming furnace. The cost of the PSA system
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process then swings to low pressure to desorb
the adsorbent material. is relatively insensitive to capacity. This makes
PSA more economic at larger capacities, while
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3. Control system, which is normally located in Table 2: Operating Conditions in the Shift
a remote control room and contains the cycle Converter
controls with distributed control system.
Pressure in Pa 24.65×105
[estimated H2]
Fig 3:
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Void fraction = 0.45, Bulk density of a catalyst Estimation of the speed of feed through the
= 1123.6Kg/m3 , Volume of packing = 22.2m3 voids:
Total volume of the reactor = [n π D2 L]/4 Speed of the feed through the empty vessel:
n = number of tubes V = U0/Ɛ Where V = Speed through the voids
Type = tubular reactor of diameter = 10cm and Ɛ = void fraction, U0 = Superficial velocity
=V × Ɛ = 0.45×1.3094 = 0.59m/sec
and L = 7m ,[ n= 4× VR/Π D2 L] , n= 4×40.36/Π
× 0.122× 7 we get n = 510 tubes
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PRESSURE SWING ADSORPTION (PSA) Estimation of length of the PSA:
DESIGN PROCEDURES
sectional area = 254.02m3/14.11m2 = 17.9m
Estimation of volume packing:
Length of single column= 17.9/4 = 4.49m
Volume of packing = Volume flow rate of
hydrogen/Space velocity=50804.87/ 200 hr-1= GENERAL DESCRIPTION OF PSA
254.02m3
PSA feed conditions
Estimation of the diameter of column (voids):
H2 concentration = 25 %, Pressure = 0.3Mpa –
Assume hydrogen velocity through the pores = 2.1Mpa, Temperature = 4 ○C – 50○C
1m/sec = 3600m/hr
PSA product gas Flow range = 4166.66Kg/hr
Total cross sectional area of PSA voids = Flow =50804.87m3/hr, Hydrogen concentration =
rate of hydrogen/ V = 50804.87/ 360 = 14.11m2 99.99% or higher, Pressure drop = <
0.05MpaTemperature = feed temp ± 10○C
Cross sectional area of voids of single PSA=
Total cross sectional area/ 4 PSA exhaust Pressure = 0.014Mpa for optimal
=14.11m2/4 = 3.58m2 performance.
Diameter of voids = √ ((C.A×4)/Π) = √ Adsorber dimensions = 2.5m - 3.5m by 4.49m
(3.58×4/Π) = 2.1m
Power = standard 220V - 110V/ single phase/50
or 60HZ or modified to suit local requirements.
Material of Alloy steel Alloy Stainless steel Alloy steel Stainless steel Alloy steel
construction steel
A spent reformer catalyst was treated with In Eritrea, hydrogen was being produced in
caustic soda solution of varying concentration at Assab petroleum refining plant in the reforming
temperature 90-1000C for different times to step which is then supplied for the
dissolve aluminum as sodium aluminates. The desulphurization, hydro treating and hydro
recovery of aluminum was 97.4%. The recovery cracking of the petroleum fractions but in the
future as hydrogen application would gain more
of nickel obtained 95-96% in the form of
NiSO47H2O.They are generally supported on importance. We prepared a complete operational
porous materials like alumina and silica through and design of plant for producing hydrogen by
precipitation or impregnation process. In many steam reforming of natural gas. We gave a
suggestion of our production process is far better
of the cases the metals are in the form of oxides.
than the existing hydrogen production process
Hydrogen storage: using reforming and absorption system in the
refinery. Recommending a state of the art
The liquefaction process, involving pressurizing technique of PSA system is our major goal in
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and cooling steps is energy intensive. The hydrogen production process.
liquefied hydrogen has low energy density by
volume than gasoline by approximately a factor Reference
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