Combustion of tail gas using enriched air produced by electrolytic process

Abstract

A chemical plant is provided in which an electrolysis section is provided for receiving at least a portion of a first steam feed and electrolyzing it to provide a hydrogen stream and an oxygen-enriched stream. At least a portion of the oxygen-rich gas stream and at least a portion of the exhaust gas stream are provided for combustion in at least one combustor, thereby providing a combusted gas stream. A first heat exchanger is configured to receive at least a portion of the combusted gas stream and the water stream. The first heat exchanger is configured to transfer heat from at least a portion of the combusted gas stream to the water stream to provide a cooled combusted gas stream and a steam stream. A method of producing a steam stream using a combustible tail gas stream in a chemical plant is also provided.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a chemical engineering apparatus and a method for producing a steam stream using a combustible tail gas stream. Background Art

[0002] When producing, for example, ammonia or methanol in a chemical engineering apparatus, a purge gas (referred to as a "purge stream" or "tail gas stream") of combustible gas is discharged from a synthesis loop. In a conventional natural gas apparatus, these purge streams are typically used as fuel for a reformer or a flame heater.

[0003] In an electrolysis-based chemical engineering apparatus (which may not include a flame heater), these purge streams are currently treated as waste streams / exit streams. There is a desire to effectively utilize the purge streams in a chemical engineering apparatus, which would improve the efficiency of the apparatus and utilize resources that might otherwise become waste streams. Summary of the Invention

[0004] By burning the purge stream with enriched air from an electrolysis process in a pipeline burner, the present invention utilizes the calorific value of the purge stream. This improves the efficiency of the apparatus and also effectively utilizes a stream that was otherwise considered a waste stream.

[0005] Accordingly, a first aspect of the present invention relates to a chemical engineering apparatus, the apparatus comprising:

[0006] - a combustible tail gas stream,

[0007] - an electrolysis section,

[0008] - a first steam feed,

[0009] - at least one burner,

[0010] - a first heat exchanger,

[0011] - a water stream,

[0012] wherein the electrolysis section is configured to receive at least a portion of the first steam feed and electrolyze it to provide a hydrogen gas stream and an oxygen-enriched gas stream;

[0013] wherein at least a portion of the oxygen-enriched gas stream and at least a portion of the tail gas stream are configured to be burned in the at least one burner, thereby providing a burned gas stream;

[0014] wherein the first heat exchanger is configured to receive at least a portion of the burned gas stream and the water stream, and the first heat exchanger is configured to transfer heat from at least a portion of the burned gas stream to the water stream, thereby providing a cooled burned gas stream and a steam stream,

[0015] Wherein the device includes a steam drum configured to receive at least a portion of the steam stream from the first heat exchanger and supply a portion of the steam stream to the electrolysis section as at least a portion of the first steam feed.

[0016] In another aspect, the present invention provides a method for producing a steam stream using a combustible tail gas stream in the chemical equipment described herein, the method comprising the steps of:

[0017] - Providing the device described herein;

[0018] - Supplying at least a first portion of the first steam feed to the electrolysis section and electrolyzing the first portion to provide a hydrogen gas stream and an oxygen-rich gas stream;

[0019] - Supplying at least a portion of the oxygen-rich gas stream and at least a portion of the tail gas stream to at least one burner to provide a combusted gas stream;

[0020] - Supplying at least a portion of the combusted gas stream and the water stream to the first heat exchanger and transferring heat from at least a portion of the combusted gas stream to the water stream to provide a cooled combusted gas stream and a steam stream; and

[0021] - Supplying at least a portion of the steam stream from the first heat exchanger to the steam drum and providing a portion of the steam stream as at least a portion of the first steam feed to the electrolysis section.

[0022] Other aspects of the present invention are set forth in the following specification text, drawings, and appended claims.

[0023] Brief Description of the Drawings

[0024] The present technology is illustrated by the following schematic diagrams, wherein:

[0025] Figure 1 Shows a simple layout of one aspect of the system of the present invention.

[0026] Figure 2 Shows a more complete layout of the system of the present invention.

[0027] Figure 3 Shows a further improved layout of the system of the present invention.

[0028] Figure 4 Shows a further improved layout of the system of the present invention.

[0029] Figure 5 Shows a further improved layout of the system of the present invention.

[0030] Figure 6 Shows a further improved layout of the system of the present invention. Detailed Description of the Invention

[0032] Unless otherwise specified, the percentage of any given gas content is by volume. All feeds are preheated as required.

[0033] A "stage" includes one or more "units" that change the chemical composition of the feed, and may additionally include elements such as heat exchangers, mixers, or compressors that do not change the chemical composition of the feed or stream.

[0034] The term "synthesis gas" (abbreviated as "syngas") refers to a gas that contains hydrogen, carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, and small amounts of other gases, such as argon, nitrogen, methane, steam, etc.

[0035] In a first aspect, there is provided a chemical engineering apparatus, the chemical engineering apparatus comprising:

[0036] - A combustible tail gas stream,

[0037] - An electrolysis section,

[0038] - A first steam feed,

[0039] - At least one burner,

[0040] - A first heat exchanger,

[0041] - A water stream, and

[0042] - A steam drum.

[0043] Combustible tail gas stream

[0044] A combustible tail gas stream refers to a tail gas stream that contains at least one combustible component, wherein the tail gas stream is generated within the chemical engineering apparatus, such as a purge gas stream or a waste gas stream from a purification unit. A typical combustible tail gas stream composition may include, for example, CO, CO2, H2, CH4, and inert gases (N2, Ar, etc.). Optionally, the tail gas stream may further include unsaturated hydrocarbons, such as olefins or alkenes (C n H 2n ; n≥2). The specific composition of the combustible tail gas stream may vary depending on the production purpose of the chemical engineering apparatus.

[0045] In one embodiment, the combustible tail gas stream may comprise 15 - 70 mol% of H2, such as 20 - 70 mol%. In one embodiment, the combustible tail gas stream may comprise less than 25 mol% of CO. In one embodiment, the combustible tail gas stream may comprise 0 - 25 mol% of CO, such as 0.1 - 5 mol% or 10 - 25 mol%. In one embodiment, the combustible tail gas stream may comprise less than 35 mol% of CH4. In one embodiment, the combustible tail gas stream may comprise 0 - 35 mol% of CH4, such as 0.1 - 5 mol% or 10 - 25 mol%. In one embodiment, the combustible tail gas stream may comprise less than 20 mol% of NH3. In one embodiment, the combustible tail gas stream may comprise 0 - 20 mol% of NH3, such as 0.1 - 10 mol%. The combustible tail gas stream may comprise any combination of one or more of the above combustible components, provided that the total amount of these combustible components is equal to or less than 100% of the total amount of the combustible tail gas stream. Thus, the total amount of these combustible components may account for 40 - 100 mol% of the total amount of the combustible tail gas stream, such as 50 - 90 mol% or 50 - 80 mol%. Other components may be present, such as CO2, argon, and / or N2.

[0046] In one aspect, the chemical processing equipment further comprises a synthesis gas stream and a synthesis section, wherein the synthesis section is configured to receive the synthesis gas stream and convert it into a product stream and a tail gas stream, and wherein the synthesis section is configured to supply at least a portion of the tail gas stream to the burner.

[0047] In one embodiment, the synthesis section (also referred to as the synthesis loop) is configured to supply at least a portion of the tail gas stream to the burner, wherein the tail gas stream is a purge gas stream. In this embodiment, the synthesis section partially converts the synthesis gas stream into a product stream and a recycle stream, wherein the recycle stream receives a second synthesis gas stream (referred to as a make-up synthesis gas stream), and subsequently the recycle stream is recycled to re-enter the synthesis section, such as into a synthesis reactor. To control the content of by-products and inert gases that may accumulate due to the recycle stream, at least a portion of the recycle stream is supplied to the burner as the tail gas stream, preferably before adding the make-up synthesis gas. In this way, the tail gas stream may comprise unconverted synthesis gas, by-products generated within the synthesis section, and inert gases.

[0048] In one aspect, the chemical processing equipment comprises a synthesis gas stream, a synthesis section, and a purification section; wherein, the synthesis section is configured to receive the synthesis gas stream and convert it into a product stream and a tail gas stream; and wherein, the purification section is configured to receive the product stream and convert it into a purified product stream and another tail gas stream; and wherein, the purification section is configured to supply at least a portion of the other tail gas stream to the burner.

[0049] In the above aspects, at least a portion of the tail gas stream is configured to be combusted in at least one burner and can be provided by: i) only one or more synthesis sections, ii) only one or more purification sections, or iii) a combination of tail gas streams from the synthesis section and the purification section, or iv) a combination of any of i - iii) above with one or more alternative streams. In such cases, the specific composition depends on conditions including: a) the composition of the feed provided (such as the synthesis gas stream); b) the type and combination of stages / sections / reactors, particularly the specifications of the synthesis section and thus optionally depending on the catalyst applied; c) the configuration of the optional purification section including recovery and / or separation sections or units (such as a CO2 recovery unit); and d) the process conditions throughout the chemical plant, such as temperature and pressure.

[0050] In some aspects, the chemical plant includes a synthesis gas stream. The synthesis gas stream can be a stream mainly containing hydrogen (H2) and nitrogen (N2). Alternatively, the synthesis gas stream can be a stream containing hydrogen, carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, and small amounts of other gases (such as argon, nitrogen, methane, vapor). The synthesis gas stream can be supplied as a feed to the synthesis section.

[0051] In one aspect, the chemical plant includes a synthesis section, where the synthesis section is an ammonia synthesis section, a methanol synthesis section, a methanol - to - olefins synthesis section, a methanol - to - gasoline (TIGAS) synthesis section, a methane chemical section, or a Fischer - Tropsch (FT) synthesis section.

[0052] In one embodiment, the chemical plant includes an ammonia synthesis section. In the said embodiment, the chemical plant contains a synthesis gas stream mainly composed of H2 and N2. The electrolysis section can provide H2, or H2 can come from a production facility where H2 is produced from natural gas or fossil fuels. The air separation unit can provide N2. The ammonia synthesis section can receive synthesis gas and provide a tail gas stream that is sent to the burner.

[0053] In other embodiments, the chemical plant includes a methanol synthesis section, a methanol - to - olefins synthesis section, a methanol - to - gasoline (TIGAS) synthesis section, a methane chemical section, or a Fischer - Tropsch (FT) synthesis section. In the said embodiments, the synthesis gas stream supplied to the synthesis can contain H2 and CO2. The electrolysis section can provide H2, or H2 can also be provided from the chemical plant such that H2 is produced from natural gas or fossil fuels. Generally, the CO2 provided is recovered from the flue gas generated by the combustion of fossil fuels or non - fossil biomass. The synthesis section receives synthesis gas and provides a tail gas stream that is sent to the burner.

[0054] In some embodiments, the chemical plant includes a purification section, and the purification section can include a CO2 recovery unit.

[0055] Electrolysis section

[0056] The electrolysis section is configured to receive at least a portion of the first steam feed and electrolyze it to provide a hydrogen gas stream and an oxygen-rich gas stream.

[0057] The first steam feed is required as the feed for the electrolysis section. Preferably, the first steam feed is a high-purity dry steam feed. To obtain a high-purity steam feed, it is common practice to perform some water treatment on the water stream before using it in an industrial system (which may be referred to as process steam). Untreated water may contain impurities that can cause system damage or wear. These impurities can cause scaling, corrosion, deposits, etc. In addition, oxygen in the process steam may be undesirable as it can cause corrosion, for example, in pipes and heat exchangers. Also, due to the high concentration of impurities in boiler water, droplets / entrainment are also undesirable.

[0058] One way to obtain a high-purity steam feed is to first treat the raw water with an ion exchanger to remove minerals. The demineralized water is then passed through a deaerator to produce deaerated water, which is then fed into a boiler with a steam drum to generate dry steam, which can be used as process steam. In the deaerator, the oxygen in the water is removed, and the deoxygenated water (stripped water) is collected in a surge vessel. In the boiler, the deaerated water is heated in a heat exchanger, and the heated water and steam mixture is then separated in the steam drum to produce dry steam for use as the feed.

[0059] The electrolysis section may include solid oxide electrolysis cell (SOEC) electrodes, enabling the decomposition of H2O to occur inside the SOEC. Multiple electrolytic cells can be combined into an SOEC stack, and multiple stacks can be combined into an SOEC device. A solid oxide cell (SOC) is an electrochemical conversion device with two chambers (anode side and cathode side), separated by an electrolyte material made of solid oxide or ceramic. Such a cell is fully reversible, for example, for the components H2O <-> H2.

[0060] The first steam feed can enter the process side of the SOEC, where it is (partially) converted into a hydrogen gas stream, i.e., a fuel stream and an oxygen-rich gas stream. The oxygen generated during the conversion on the fuel side is transported through the electrochemical cell to the oxygen side of the SOEC, where it recombines into gaseous oxygen. Typically, the gaseous oxygen is transported away from the SOEC through a purge stream.

[0061] In one aspect, the device includes a purge stream that is configured to be supplied to the anode of the electrolysis section as a purge stream for purging oxygen, and thereby provides an oxygen-rich stream. In one aspect, the purge stream is air, a nitrogen-rich stream, or a CO2-rich stream.

[0062] In one aspect, at least a portion of the hydrogen stream provided by the electrolysis section is configured to be supplied as a feed to the synthesis section, optionally mixed with a synthesis gas stream.

[0063] Burner

[0064] At least a portion of the oxygen-rich stream and at least a portion of the tail gas stream are configured to be burned in at least one burner, thereby providing a burned gas stream. In one aspect, at least one burner is a duct burner configured in the enriched air duct of the electrolysis section.

[0065] The tail gas with high calorific value can be burned alone. The tail gas with low calorific value may require additional auxiliary fuel, such as H2 and / or syngas. Therefore, if needed, it can be configured to provide an additional fuel stream to at least one burner, and the additional fuel stream is preferably a part of the hydrogen stream or a part of the synthesis gas stream.

[0066] When the purge stream is air or no purge stream is used, then no additional air is needed. If the purge stream does not contain oxygen, additional oxygen may be required. Therefore, in one aspect, at least one burner is configured to receive an additional oxygen-containing stream.

[0067] Heat exchanger

[0068] The first heat exchanger is configured to receive at least a portion of the burned gas stream and the water stream. The first heat exchanger is configured to transfer heat from at least a portion of the burned gas stream to the water stream, thereby providing a cooled burned gas stream and a steam stream.

[0069] In one aspect, at least a portion of the steam stream is supplied to the electrolysis section as at least a portion of the first steam feed supplied to the electrolysis section.

[0070] Steam drum and additional heat exchanger

[0071] The device includes a steam drum that is configured to receive at least a portion of the steam stream from the first heat exchanger and provide a portion of the steam stream as at least a portion of the first steam feed to the electrolysis section.

[0072] In one aspect, the device further includes a second heat exchanger configured to heat a second water stream to generate a second steam stream and supply the second steam stream to the steam drum. In this way, the second heat exchanger provides the remaining necessary heat to generate the steam stream.

[0073] In one aspect, the steam drum is configured to receive a first water stream, and the steam drum is configured to supply the water stream to at least the first heat exchanger and / or supply the second water stream to the second heat exchanger.

[0074] In one aspect, the second heat exchanger includes a plurality of heat exchanger units. Generally, the plurality of heat exchanger units are arranged in parallel. In one aspect, the second heat exchanger is heated by an electric heater, a steam combustion heater, recovering heat from a heat stream, and / or utilizing one or more heat pumps to recover heat. Each heat exchanger unit can have a different plurality of heat sources, either in series or in combination.

[0075] The steam drum is a standard component of a water-tube boiler. It is located at the upper end of the water tubes and serves as a storage container for water / steam. This drum stores the steam generated in the water tubes and acts as a phase separator for the steam / water mixture.

[0076] Method for producing a steam stream

[0077] In a second aspect, a method for producing a steam stream using a combustible tail gas stream in a chemical processing device is also provided. The method includes the following steps:

[0078] - Provide the device described herein;

[0079] - Supply at least a first portion of the first steam feed to the electrolysis section and electrolyze the first portion to provide a hydrogen gas stream and an oxygen-rich gas stream;

[0080] - Supply at least a portion of the oxygen-rich gas stream and at least a portion of the tail gas stream to at least one burner to provide a combusted gas stream;

[0081] - Supply at least a portion of the combusted gas stream and the water stream to the first heat exchanger and allow heat transfer from at least a portion of the combusted gas stream to the water stream, thereby providing a cooled combusted gas stream and a steam stream;

[0082] - And the method further includes supplying at least a portion of the steam stream from the first heat exchanger to the steam drum and providing a portion of the steam stream as at least a portion of the first steam feed to the electrolysis section.

[0083] In one aspect, the method further comprises the steps of: wherein at least a portion of the steam stream from the first heat exchanger is supplied to an electrolysis section as at least a portion of the first steam feed supplied to the electrolysis section.

[0084] In one aspect, the method further comprises supplying a first water stream to the steam drum to provide the water stream for at least the first heat exchanger.

[0085] In one aspect, the apparatus further comprises a second heat exchanger, and wherein the method comprises allowing heat transfer from the second heat exchanger to a second water stream provided by the steam drum to generate a second steam stream and supplying the second steam stream to the steam drum.

[0086] In one aspect, the method further comprises supplying a purge stream, such as air or a CO2-rich stream, to the anode of the electrolysis section and purging oxygen with the purge stream to provide an oxygen-rich stream. In a more specific aspect, the purge stream is oxygen-depleted, and the method further comprises supplying a separate oxygen-containing stream to at least one burner.

[0087] In one aspect, the chemical apparatus further comprises the syngas stream and the synthesis section, and wherein the method further comprises supplying the syngas to the synthesis section to provide a product stream and a tail gas stream, and wherein at least a portion of the tail gas stream is supplied as a feed to the burner.

[0088] In one aspect, the chemical apparatus further comprises a syngas stream, a synthesis section, and a purification section, and the method further comprises supplying the syngas to the synthesis section to provide a product stream and a tail gas stream, and comprises supplying the product stream to the purification section to provide a purified product stream and a tail gas stream, wherein at least a portion of the tail gas stream provided by the purification section is supplied as a feed to the burner.

[0089] In one aspect, the method further comprises feeding at least a portion of the hydrogen gas stream from the electrolysis section to the synthesis section, optionally mixed with the syngas stream. In another aspect, the method further comprises supplying an additional fuel stream to the at least one burner, the additional fuel stream preferably being a portion of the hydrogen gas stream or a portion of the syngas stream.

[0090] In one aspect, the apparatus further comprises a synthesis section, and the method further comprises supplying at least a portion of the steam stream to the synthesis section for use in a distillation process. The synthesis section can be a methanol synthesis section or other general synthesis section.

[0091] On the other hand, the apparatus includes the purification section, the purification section includes a CO2 recovery unit, and wherein the method includes supplying at least a portion of the steam stream to the purification section for regeneration of the CO2 recovery unit. Detailed Description

[0092] In a chemical apparatus (100) as Figure 1 shown, an electrolysis section (20) receives at least a portion of a first steam feed (5) and electrolyzes it to provide a hydrogen gas stream (22) and an oxygen-rich gas stream (21). In addition, the chemical apparatus (100) also provides a combustible tail gas stream (12). At least one burner (30) receives at least a portion of the oxygen-rich gas stream (21) and at least a portion of the combustible tail gas stream (12) such that these gas streams can be combusted within the at least one burner (30) to provide a combusted gas stream (31). A first heat exchanger (40) receives at least a portion of the combusted gas stream (31) and a water stream (51) such that the first heat exchanger (40) allows heat transfer from at least a portion of the combusted gas stream (31) to the water stream (51). In this way, the first heat exchanger (40) provides a cooled combusted gas stream (42) and a steam stream (52). Optionally, the electrolysis section (20) receives a portion (52a) of the steam stream (52), for example, mixed with the first steam feed (5).

[0093] In one embodiment, as Figure 2 shown, the chemical apparatus (100) is further improved. The first addition to the content described in the first specific embodiment includes: the electrolysis section (20) receives a flushing stream (6) such that the anode of the electrolysis section (20) receives the flushing stream (6) to flush oxygen, and thus the electrolysis section (20) provides an oxygen-rich gas stream (21). The second addition to the content described in the first specific embodiment includes: the combustible tail gas stream (12) comes from a synthesis section (10), where the synthesis section (10) receives a synthesis gas stream (1) and provides a product gas stream (11) and a combustible tail gas stream (12). As a third addition to the first specific embodiment, the chemical apparatus (100) further includes a steam drum (50) and a second heat exchanger (60). In this embodiment, the second heat exchanger (60) receives and heats a first water stream (51b) to generate a second steam stream (52c). The steam drum (50) receives at least a portion (52b) of the steam stream (52) and at least a portion of the second steam stream (52c) and generates a steam stream (52). Optionally, the electrolysis section (20) receives a portion (52a) of the steam stream (52), for example, mixed with the first steam feed (5).

[0094] In one embodiment, as Figure 3As shown, the chemical equipment (100) is configured such that the steam drum (50) receives a first water stream (51b) and supplies a water stream (51) to at least a first heat exchanger (40), and supplies the second water stream (51c) to a second heat exchanger (60).

[0095] In one embodiment, as Figure 4 shown, the first addition to the content described in the foregoing specific embodiment includes: the chemical equipment (100) further includes a purification section (15). The purification section (15) receives the product stream (11) from the synthesis section (10) and converts it into a purified product stream (16) and a tail gas stream (12b). In this way, at least one burner (30) can receive the combustible tail gas (12, 12b) from the synthesis section (10), the purification section (15), or both the synthesis section (10) and the purification section (15), and the latter is optionally as a mixed stream. The second addition to the content described in the foregoing specific embodiment includes: at least a part (22a) of the hydrogen gas stream (22) from the electrolysis section (20) can be provided to the synthesis section (10) as additional syngas, optionally mixed with the synthesis gas stream (1). The third addition to the content described in the foregoing specific embodiment includes: at least one burner (30) receives a separate oxygen-containing gas stream (7). If the purge stream (6) is oxygen-deficient, it may be preferred.

[0096] In one embodiment, as Figure 5 shown, at least one burner (30) receives an additional fuel stream (8), which is preferably a part (22b) of the hydrogen gas stream from the electrolysis section (20) or a part (1a) of the synthesis gas stream.

[0097] In one embodiment, as Figure 6 shown, the chemical equipment (100) includes a synthesis section (10), and the synthesis section (10) receives at least a part (52d) of the steam stream (52) for the distillation process. As Figure 6 shown, one embodiment of the chemical equipment (100) includes a purification section (15) that includes a CO2 recovery unit (15a), such that the purification section (15) receives at least a part (52d) of the steam stream (52) for the regeneration of the CO2 recovery unit (15a).

[0098] Examples

[0099] As Figure 3The first example shown includes process simulations related to ammonia synthesis. When burner 30 is added to the system and stream 12 is supplied to burner 30, the load (energy transfer) of heat exchanger (40) in the oxygen-rich stream (31) increases from 3.46 MW to 4.32 MW (25%). The electricity used to produce the process steam (52a) required in the electrolysis section (20) decreases from 3.3 MW to 2.4 MW (a part of 60). This is equivalent to (26.5%). Scope of use:

[0100] Tail gas [NH3] [mol%]

[0101]

[0102] As Figure 3 The second example shown includes process simulations related to methanol synthesis. The load (energy transfer) of heat exchanger (40) in the oxygen-rich stream (31) increases from 1.8 MW to 2.3 MW (27.7%). The electricity used to produce the process steam (52a) required in the electrolysis section (20) decreases from 7.0 MW to 6.5 MW (a part of 60). This is equivalent to (7.3%).

[0103] Tail gas (MeOH) [mol%]

[0104]

[0105] Conclusion: Utilizing waste streams reduces the energy consumption of chemical equipment.

[0106] As Figure 3 The third example shown includes process simulations related to Fischer-Tropsch synthesis. The load (energy transfer) of heat exchanger (40) in the oxygen-rich stream (31) increases from 1.96 MW to 2.62 MW (33.2%). The electricity used to produce the process steam (52a) required in the electrolysis section (20) decreases from 7.0 MW to 6.35 MW (a part of 60). This is equivalent to (9.3%).

[0107] Tail gas (F-T) [mol%]

[0108]

[0109] Conclusion: Utilizing waste streams reduces the energy consumption of chemical equipment.

[0110] Although the present invention has been described with reference to multiple embodiments and aspects, the overall scope of the present invention is defined by the appended claims. Those skilled in the art can combine the various embodiments and aspects as needed within the scope of the present invention. All documents mentioned herein are incorporated herein by reference.

Claims

1. A chemical equipment (100), the equipment (100) comprising: - A combustible tail gas stream (12) - An electrolysis section (20) - A first steam feed (5) - At least one burner (30) - A first heat exchanger (40) - A water stream (51) Wherein the electrolysis section (20) is configured to receive at least a portion of the first steam feed (5) and electrolyze it to provide a hydrogen gas stream (22) and an oxygen-rich gas stream (21); Wherein at least a portion of the oxygen-rich gas stream (21) and at least a portion of the tail gas stream (12) are configured to burn in the at least one burner (30), thereby providing a burned gas stream (31); Wherein the first heat exchanger (40) is configured to receive at least a portion of the burned gas stream (31) and the water stream (51), and the first heat exchanger (40) is configured to transfer heat from at least a portion of the burned gas stream (31) to the water stream (51), thereby providing a cooled burned gas stream (42) and a steam stream (52), Wherein the equipment includes a steam drum (50), the steam drum (50) being configured to receive at least a portion (52b) of the steam stream from the first heat exchanger (40) and supply a portion (52a) of the steam stream to the electrolysis section (20) as at least a portion of the first steam feed (5).

2. The chemical equipment according to claim 1, wherein the chemical equipment includes a second heat exchanger (60), the second heat exchanger (60) being configured to heat a second water stream (51c) to produce a second steam stream (52c) and supply the second steam stream (52c) to the steam drum (50).

3. The chemical equipment according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the steam drum (50) is configured to receive a first water stream (51b), and the steam drum (50) is configured to supply the water stream (51) to at least the first heat exchanger (40) and / or supply the second water stream (51c) to the second heat exchanger (60).

4. The chemical equipment according to claim 3, wherein the second heat exchanger (60) includes a plurality of heat exchanger units.

5. The chemical equipment according to claim 3 or 4, wherein the second heat exchanger (60) is heated by means of an electric heater, a steam combustion heater, recovering heat from a heat stream, and / or using one or more heat pumps to recover heat.

6. The chemical equipment according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the equipment includes a flushing stream (6), the flushing stream (6) being configured to be supplied to the anode of the electrolysis section (20) as a flushing stream for flushing oxygen, thereby providing an oxygen-rich gas stream (21).

7. The chemical equipment according to claim 6, wherein the flushing stream (6) is air, a nitrogen-rich gas stream, or a CO2-rich gas stream.

8. The chemical equipment according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the at least one burner (30) is configured to receive an additional oxygen-containing gas stream (7).

9. The chemical engineering equipment according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the chemical engineering equipment further comprises a synthesis gas stream (1) and a synthesis section (10), wherein the synthesis section (10) is configured to receive the synthesis gas stream (1) and convert it into a product stream (11) and a tail gas stream (12), and wherein the synthesis section (10) is configured to supply at least a part of the tail gas stream (12) to the burner (30).

10. The chemical engineering equipment according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the chemical engineering equipment comprises a synthesis gas stream (1), a synthesis section (10) and a purification section (15), wherein the synthesis section (10) is configured to receive the synthesis gas stream (1) and convert it into a product stream (11) and a tail gas stream (12), and wherein the purification section (15) is configured to receive the product stream (11) and convert it into a purified product stream (16) and another tail gas stream (12b), and wherein the purification section (15) is configured to supply at least a part of the another tail gas stream (12b) to the burner (30).

11. The chemical engineering equipment according to any one of claims 9 or 10, wherein the synthesis section is an ammonia synthesis section, a methanol synthesis section, a methanol-to-olefins synthesis section, a methanol-to-gasoline (TIGAS) synthesis section, a methane chemical section or a Fischer-Tropsch (FT) synthesis section.

12. The chemical engineering equipment according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the at least one burner (30) is a duct burner disposed in the enriched air duct of the electrolysis section (20).

13. The chemical engineering equipment according to any one of claims 9-12, wherein at least a part of the hydrogen gas stream (22a) provided by the electrolysis section (20), optionally mixed with the synthesis gas stream (1), is configured to be supplied as a feed to the synthesis section (10).

14. The chemical engineering equipment according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein an additional fuel stream (8) is configured to be supplied to the at least one burner (30), and the fuel stream (8) is preferably a part of the hydrogen gas stream (22b) or a part of the synthesis gas stream (1a).

15. A method for producing a steam stream (52) using the combustible tail gas stream (12) in the chemical engineering equipment (100) according to any one of the preceding claims, the method comprising the following steps: - Providing the equipment according to any one of the preceding claims; - Supplying at least a first part of the first steam feed (5) to the electrolysis section (20) and electrolyzing the first part to provide a hydrogen gas stream (22) and an oxygen-enriched gas stream (21); - Supplying at least a part of the oxygen-enriched gas stream (21) and at least a part of the tail gas stream (12) to the at least one burner (30) to provide a combusted gas stream (31); - Feed at least a portion of the burned gas stream (31) and the water stream (51) to the first heat exchanger (40) to transfer heat from at least a portion of the burned gas stream (31) to the water stream (51), thereby providing a cooled burned gas stream (42) and a steam stream (52); and - Feed at least a portion (52b) of the steam stream from the first heat exchanger (40) to the steam drum (50), and provide a portion (52a) of the steam stream as at least a portion of the first steam feed (5) to the electrolysis section (20).

16. The method according to claim 15, wherein the method includes feeding a first water stream (51b) to the steam drum (50) to provide the water stream (51) for at least the first heat exchanger (40).

17. The method according to any one of claims 15 or 16, wherein the apparatus includes a second heat exchanger (60), and wherein the method includes transferring heat from the second heat exchanger (60) to a second water stream (51c) provided by the steam drum (50) to generate a second steam stream (52c), and feeding the second steam stream (52c) to the steam drum (50).

18. The method according to any one of claims 15-17, wherein the method includes supplying a purge stream (6), such as an air stream or a CO2-rich stream, to the anode of the electrolysis section (20), and purging the oxygen with the purge stream (6) to provide an oxygen-rich stream (21).

19. The method according to claim 18, wherein the purge stream (6) is oxygen-depleted, and the method further includes feeding a separate oxygen-containing stream (7) to at least one burner (30).

20. The method according to any one of claims 15-19, wherein the chemical plant includes the synthesis gas stream (1) and the synthesis section (10), and wherein the method includes feeding the synthesis gas (1) to the synthesis section (10) to provide a product stream (11) and a tail gas stream (12), and wherein at least a portion of the tail gas stream is fed as a feed to the burner (30).

21. The method according to any one of claims 15-20, wherein the chemical plant includes a synthesis gas stream (1), a synthesis section (10), and a purification section (15), and wherein the method includes feeding the synthesis gas (1) to the synthesis section (10) to provide a product stream (11) and a tail gas stream (12), and including feeding the product stream (11) to the purification section (15) to provide a purified product stream (16) and a tail gas stream (12b), wherein at least a portion (12b) of the tail gas stream from the purification section (15) is fed as a feed to the burner (30).

22. The method according to any one of claims 15 - 21, wherein the tail gas stream comprises 15 - 70 mol% hydrogen (H2), less than 25 mol% carbon monoxide (CO) and less than 35 mol% methane (CH4).

23. The method according to any one of claims 20 - 22, wherein the method comprises feeding at least a portion (22a) of the hydrogen gas stream from the electrolysis section (20), optionally mixed with the synthesis gas stream (1), to the synthesis section (10).

24. The method according to any one of claims 20 - 23, wherein the method comprises feeding an additional fuel stream (8) to the at least one burner (30), the additional fuel stream preferably being a portion (22b) of the hydrogen gas stream or a portion (1a) of the synthesis gas stream.

25. The method according to any one of claims 20 - 24, wherein the apparatus comprises a synthesis section (10), and wherein the method comprises feeding at least a portion (52d) of the steam stream (52) to the synthesis section (10) for a distillation process.

26. The method according to any one of claims 20 - 25, wherein the apparatus comprises the purification section (15), the purification section (15) comprising a CO2 recovery unit (15a), and wherein the method comprises feeding at least a portion (52d) of the steam stream (52) to the purification section (15) to regenerate the CO2 recovery unit (15a).

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