This presentation highlights some of the retrofits that can be applied to Improve efficiency Increase production

1. Revamps for Ageing Hydrogen Plants
By
Gerard B. Hawkins
Managing Director, CEO

2. Introduction
 This presentation highlights some of
the retrofits that can be applied to
• Improve efficiency
• Increase production
Safety
Efficiency
Reliability
Throughput
Environment

3. Introduction
 For older hydrogen plants, efficiency
is worse than for a modern plant
 To maximize profit must improve
either
• Plant efficiency
• Plant production rate

4. Site Circumstances
 Hydrogen plants have a wide range of
site circumstances
 Is there value for steam on the site ?
 What are the downstream users ?
 What is the contract basis for the H2
supply
 When conducting a revamp these need
to be carefully considered
 GBHE is in a unique position to fully
understand these issues and design
revamps accordingly

5. Plant Limitations
 Need to address plant limitations,
such as
• Process side pressure drop
• Maximum tube wall temperature
• Coil design temperatures in duct
• Steam balance
• Fan capacity

6. Basis for Study
 Old style plant with
• Top Fired SMR - 500 tubes
• Steam to carbon of 3.9
• Duct heat recovery is feed preheat and
steam raising
• HTS
• LTS
• Wet CO2 system
• Methanation

7. Plant Limitations
 Three areas that can limit plant
performance
SMR

8. Plant Limitations
 Three areas that can limit plant
performance
SMR
Convection Section

9. Plant Limitations
 Three areas that can limit plant
performance
SMR
Convection Section
Cooling, Shifts
and CO2 Removal

10. Change Catalyst Shape and Size
 By optimizing catalyst size can
• Reduce pressure drop by up to 27%
• Reduce carbon formation potential
 By changing to VULCAN Series VSG-Z101
can
• Reduce CH4 slip and increase production by
5%
• Reduce Tube Wall Temperatures by 10°C
• Reduce carbon formation potential
• Reduce pressure drop by 29%

11. Reduce Steam to Carbon Ratio
 By reducing SC ratio by 0.6 can
• Reduce steam addition by 19 mtphr
• Increase steam export by 9 mtphr
• Reduce pressure drop by 23%
• Reduce TWT by 14°C
• Gain 5.3 GJ/mmSCF

12. Reduce Steam to Carbon Ratio
 Or increase plant rate
• Reduced DP
• Gain 1.8 GJ/mmSCF
• In some cases can increase rate above
base case
 But must be aware of
• Metal dusting of WHB
• Increased potential for carbon
formation

13. Raise Outlet Reformer Temperature
 Many operators run to a false tube
wall or outlet header temperature
 By analysis of reformer operation,
this limitation can be eliminated
 Improves production by 2-5%
 At margin loss of efficiency
 Some of this efficiency can be
recouped by other revamps

14. Rebalancing Firing
 One Terraced Wall or Side Fired reformers,
the firing can be rebalanced
 Either improves efficiency or steam raising
capacity on in some cases can increase rate
Parameter Units Case A Case B Case C
Firing at Top % 50 40 60
Firing at Bottom % 50 60 40
Steam Export Mt/hr 0 -15 +11
Efficiency GJ/mmSCF 452 443 463

15. Reformer Re-tubes
 The reformer tubes do have to be
replaced and therefore have to be
considered as a consumable
 By replacing with an improve
metallurgy, a thinner wall tube can
be used
 This provides a wide range of
process and operability benefits

16. Reformer Re-tubes
Parameter Units Case A
Base
Case B
New Tubes
Case C
Uprate
Tube material N/A HK40 HP Mod HP Mod
Tube OD mm 114 114 114
Tube ID mm 84 96.4 96.4
Catalyst “P”
“P”
“P” “P”
H2 Production mmSCF 100 101 109
Efficiency GJ/mmSCF 430 428 433

17. Addition of a Pre-Reformer
MP Steam
Existing
Reformer
Natural Gas
Synthesis Gas
Pre-reformer
New Reheat
Coil

18. Addition of a Pre-Reformer
 To obtain maximum benefit requires
• Reheat of effluent - an achieve very high
preheat and reheat temperature with latest
generation of pre-reforming catalyst can
recover more heat from duct and reduce
furnace duty significantly
• Must model effect on duct to ensure that
existing demands for heat are fulfilled (HP
Steam Raising)
 Can allow for efficiency improvements of
up to 24 GJ/mmSCF
 Or rate increases of up to 9%

19. Addition of an ATR
Existing
Reformer
NG Preheater NG/Steam
Preheater
MUG Cooler
Oxygen Preheater
Steam Drum
MP Boiler
Natural Gas Make Up Gas
Condensate

20. Addition of an ATR or Secondary
 Either in parallel (ATR) or in series
(secondary)
• Parallel ATR has less impact on the main
plant
• Main plant can run when ATR off line
 Can increase production rate by 22%
• More can be achieved depending on plant
design
 Require an oxygen plant (9 mt/hr)
 Energy efficiency improved by 13
GJ/mmSCF

21. Addition of an AGHRPR
 Can add a AGHR as a post reformer
 Reduces steam export capacity significantly
 Depending on plant design allows for plant
rate increases of between 20-40%
 Also potential energy efficiency gains
Steam
Hydrocarbon
Feed HDS
Fuel
Steam
Generation
and
Superheating
Steam
Generation
and
Superheating
Combustion
Air
Pre-heat
Reformed
Gas
Process
Additional gas + steam feed
Gas
Heated
Post-
Reformer
Waste
Heat
Boiler
HDS
Preheat
Mixed
Feed
Preheat

22. Addition of Saturator
 Recovers low grade heat into the process
 Maximizes quality and quantity
 Up to 13 mt/hr of export steam can be
generated
 Link with CO2 solution change

23. Addition of a Saturator
MP Steam
Existing
Reformer
Natural Gas
Synthesis Gas
Heater
Saturator

24. Combustion Air Preheat
 Allows for improvement in heat recovery
from the duct
 Most suitable for top fired furnaces but can
be applied to side fired furnaces
• Cost is higher due to complexity of
ducting
 Will reduce fluegas flow and therefore heat
available in the duct - must model this
carefully
 Improve plant efficiency by 30 GJ/mmSCF
 Can allow for rate increase

25. VULCAN SG Delta Retrofit for Shift
Vessels
 By installing a specialized support
system can reduce pressure drop
significantly
 GBHE can offer the VULCAN SG Delta
which can reduce pressure drop by
around 50%
 Allows plant rate increases of up to 3%

26. Other Options
 Use ROG or other streams as a feed
 Use low methanol LTS catalyst
 Preheat fuel
 Change CO2 solution
 Install quench upstream of LTS
 Reduction in excess air in reformer

27. Hydrogen Plant Revamp Capacity
Increases
What capacity
increase is required ?
>15%
Front End
Catalyst size
change
VULCAN SG Delta
SC Reduction
LTS Quench
<5%
Front End
Catalyst shape and
size change
Pre-reformer
Re-tube
Change reformer
exit temperature
5-15%
Front End
ATR
AGHRPR

28. Hydrogen Plant Revamp Efficiency
Improvements
What efficiency improvement
is required ?
>15 GJ/mmSCF<5 GJ/mmSCF
Front End
ATR
SC ratio change
Fuel preheat
Excess air
optimisation
5-15 GJ/mmSCF
Front End
Pre-reformer
Saturator
CA preheat
Front End
Optimised reformer
catalyst loading
Re-tube
VULCAN SG Delta

29. Problems and Pitfalls
Contractor and Contract
 Must carefully select partners
• Must have domain knowledge
 Design and operations
• Must have correct tools
• Must be able to supply correct level of detail
for study
 Must select appropriate contract type
• LSTK or Reimbursable
• Both have advantages and disadvantages

30. Problems and Pitfalls
Modelling Capability
 Must use correct tools
 Model the whole plant using a
flowsheeting package
• Must include all unit operations
• Must develop a robust base case
• Must validate against plant data
• Must understand deviations
• Then develop the retrofit case

31. Problems and Pitfalls
Retrofit Details
 The customer and engineering contractor
must determine
• Precise scope for retrofit
• Responsibilities
• Key deliverables
• A detailed and consistent design basis
• Time scale and milestones
• Review schedules
 Summarize as Good Project Management

32. Problems and Pitfalls
Design Basis
 Engineering contractor must conduct on
site visit
• Must work with client
• Collect representative plant data
• Model and understand plant data
• Discuss discrepancies and eliminate
• Identify bottlenecks
• Identify opportunities for improvement
 These form the core of the design basis

33. Problems and Pitfalls
HAZOPs and Commissioning
 Must use systematic review method to
highlight potential problems with retrofit
• HAZOPs are a well proven system
• Requires time and buy in from all parties
• Results as good as quality of people !
 Retrofit will change plant parameters
• Must update PFDs and P&IDs
• Must update operating instructions
• Must take additional care during start up

34. What Can GBHE Catalysts Offer?
 Detail catalyst unit operation models
such as the world leading VULCAN
REFORMER SIMULATION program
• Also models for other catalyst unit
operations
 Detail non-catalyst unit operation
models such as
• Heat exchange programs
• Finite Element Analysis
• CFD modelling
 One stop shop

35. What Can GBHE Catalysts Offer?
 Domain Knowledge
• Operations
 Many staff have operations
background
 Troubleshooting clients plants
• Design
 Many staff have detailed
engineering background
 Engineers work on design daily
 Work with leading contractors
on front end and detailed
design issues
Catalysts
Consulting
Services
Domain
Knowledge

36. What Can GBHE Catalysts Offer?
 Can supply any level of detail for
retrofit
 Scoping studies
• Front End
• What are the best options
 Front End Engineering
• Flowsheets and design of key components
 Detailed Engineering
• Design of all components of retrofit
 A one stop shop for your revamp
requirements

37. One Stop Shop Case Study
Re-tube – Present Model
Plant
Operator
Concept
Engineer
Tube
Supplier
Catalyst
Vendor
Tube
Installer
Catalyst
Handler
No Communication
Detailed
Engineer

38. One Stop Shop Case Study
Re-tube – “One Stop Shop” Model
Plant
Operator
GBHE
Concept Engineer
Tube
Supplier
Tube
Installer
Catalyst
Handler
Detailed
Engineer
Seamless
Minimum Cost
Maximum Benefit

39. Case Study
How GBHE Catalysts Works
 Strong position due to credibility from previous
work
 Uprate projects
• Feasibility Process Uprate study on Naphtha 115%,
130% or 150% cases
• FEEP (Front End Engineering Package, what would be
needed?)
 115% FEEP adopted
• Option evaluations and natural gas feed conversion
 Followed by full Engineering Detail Design
 Also additional design work on Desulfurization
Design Study

40. Conclusions
 A number of retrofits have been
presented that are suitable for
application to hydrogen plants
 They address all the key limitations that
hydrogen plants typically suffer from
 To take full benefit from some of these
retrofits, others may also be required
 GBHE Catalysts has all the right
expertise and knowledge to develop and
design retrofits