Production of hydrogen from refinery acid gas and sour water stripper

By using high oxygen enrichment and rapid quenching technology in a Claus reactor, the problem of hydrogen recombination was solved, enabling the production of high-purity hydrogen and reducing greenhouse gas emissions, thus providing an efficient method for hydrogen production.

CN116848062BActive Publication Date: 2026-07-24LINDE AG
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Patent Information

Authority / Receiving Office
CN · China
Patent Type
Patents(China)
Current Assignee / Owner
LINDE AG
Filing Date
2022-02-02
Publication Date
2026-07-24

AI Technical Summary

Technical Problem

Existing technologies for extracting hydrogen from the exhaust gas stream generated in the Claus reactor suffer from hydrogen recombination and hydrogen sulfide recombination, resulting in low hydrogen purity and requiring a large amount of carbon-intensive technology to generate additional hydrogen, thus increasing greenhouse gas emissions.

Method used

Using a high oxygen enrichment level and rapid quenching technology, hydrogen sulfide is partially oxidized in a Claus reactor to form hydrogen gas. The reactor gas is then cooled to a low temperature within milliseconds by a rapid quenching device to avoid recombination reactions. High-purity hydrogen gas is then recovered through a catalytic stage and pressure swing adsorption or membrane process.

Benefits of technology

It increased the purity and yield of hydrogen, reduced the use of carbon-intensive technologies, lowered greenhouse gas emissions, and produced high-purity "blue hydrogen" for desulfurization in refineries.

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Abstract

The invention relates to the production of hydrogen (5) from a first feed stream (1) containing hydrogen sulfide and ammonia, comprising: (a) oxidizing a portion of the hydrogen sulfide content of the first feed stream (1) in a flame zone in a Claus furnace (C) to form sulfur dioxide, and reacting the hydrogen sulfide and sulfur dioxide in the furnace (C) and in downstream catalytic reactors (K) to form sulfur; (b) introducing pure oxygen or oxygen-enriched air as a second feed stream (2) into the Claus furnace (C) to achieve temperatures in the range of 1300°C - 1500°C, and to provide conditions for high levels of hydrogen sulfide dissociation into hydrogen and sulfur; (c) controlling the Claus furnace temperature so as not to cause refractory damage; (d) quenching the Claus reaction furnace off-gas (7) upstream of the catalytic reactors (K) to a temperature of less than 150°C in less than 6 milliseconds; (e) extracting sulfur from the gas downstream of the quench and downstream of the catalytic reactors (K); (f) hydroprocessing the sulfur-lean gas (8) in a hydrodesulfurization unit (H) to form a hydroprocessed gas (9), and (g) separating hydrogen (5) from the hydroprocessed gas (9).
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Citation Information

Patent Citations

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    EP0974552A2

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    EP1240460A1

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    EP1483199A1

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