Reforming system connected with a raw material gas vaporization system
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional reforming systems face inefficiencies due to the combustion of excess Boil Off Gas (BOG) and the presence of carbon dioxide in off-gas, which increases energy requirements and heat exchanger capacity, leading to energy wastage and reduced efficiency.
Innovation Solution
A reforming system integrated with a raw material gas vaporization system that includes a CO2 separation device to liquefy carbon dioxide from off-gas, utilizing the liquefied CO2 as a refrigerant to cool and separate CO2, and using the remaining gas as fuel for the burner, thereby reducing CO2 emissions and utilizing excess BOG to produce hydrogen instead of combusting it.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of energy
If carbon dioxide is removed from off-gas by liquefaction, then energy efficiency of the reformer is improved, but the device complexity increases due to the CO2 separation device and heat exchange system
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the CO2 separation function with the existing raw material gas vaporization system by integrating a heat exchanger that serves dual purposes: vaporizing raw material gas and cooling off-gas for CO2 liquefaction. This merging approach achieves energy recovery and CO2 removal without adding completely separate systems, thereby improving energy efficiency while limiting the increase in device complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses the cold energy from the raw material gas (which needs to be vaporized anyway) to cool and liquefy CO2 from the off-gas. The raw material gas serves its own vaporization needs while simultaneously providing the cooling duty for CO2 separation, creating a self-service energy exchange that improves overall efficiency without requiring external energy inputs for both functions.
2Volume of stationary object
If CO2 is removed from off-gas, then the required capacity of heat exchanger is reduced, but the device complexity increases due to additional CO2 separation equipment
Solution Approach 1:
The patent integrates the CO2 separation function into the existing heat exchange infrastructure by using the raw material gas vaporization heat exchanger to also perform off-gas cooling. This dual-function heat exchanger reduces the need for separate CO2 cooling equipment and minimizes the overall heat exchanger capacity required while achieving effective CO2 removal through liquefaction.
Solution Approach 2:
The heat exchanger system is designed to perform multiple functions simultaneously: vaporizing raw material gas, cooling off-gas for CO2 liquefaction, and potentially pre-cooling other process streams. This multi-functionality allows the system to achieve CO2 removal and reduce heat exchanger capacity requirements without proportionally increasing device complexity, as the same equipment serves multiple purposes.
3Reliability
If excess BOG is combusted, then the storage tank pressure is controlled, but energy is wasted due to combustion of chemical energy
Solution Approach 1:
The patent converts the previously harmful excess BOG (which needed to be combusted for pressure control) into a beneficial resource by routing it to the reformer for hydrogen production. The BOG that would have been wasted through combustion is now utilized as feedstock for valuable hydrogen generation, transforming an energy loss into an energy gain while maintaining storage tank pressure control through the reformer's consumption of the gas.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of discarding excess BOG through combustion, the system recovers its chemical energy by feeding it to the reformer where it is converted into hydrogen fuel. This recovery approach captures the energy value that would otherwise be lost, converting a waste stream into a valuable product while still achieving the necessary pressure management in the storage tank.
4Ease of operation
If CO2 is present in off-gas used for combustion, then the fuel supply is maintained, but energy efficiency decreases due to increased energy requirements for combustion
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts CO2 from the off-gas stream through liquefaction before the gas is supplied to the burner. By removing CO2 from the fuel mixture, the system maintains continuous fuel supply operation while improving combustion efficiency, as the remaining hydrocarbon-rich gas burns more efficiently without the energy penalty of heating and combusting inert CO2.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the compositional parameters of the fuel gas by removing CO2 through liquefaction. This parameter change (reducing CO2 concentration in the fuel supply) improves the energy efficiency of combustion while maintaining adequate fuel supply continuity, as the enriched hydrocarbon gas provides sufficient fuel for burner operation without the energy waste associated with combusting CO2.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This approach enhances the efficiency of the reforming system by reducing CO2 emissions, minimizing heat wastage, and optimizing the use of BOG to produce hydrogen, resulting in improved energy economy and reduced environmental impact.
Implementation Method 1
remove by liquefying CO2 by exchanging heat with the transfer line of the raw material gas vaporization system
Implementation Method 2
liquefying CO2 by exchanging heat
Implementation Method 3
raw material gases are continuously and naturally vaporized in the storage tank to generate Boil Off Gas
Implementation Method 4
producing hydrogen by reacting the raw material gas with water
Implementation Method 5
steam reforming reaction is a strong endothermic reaction
Implementation Method 6
Pressure Swing Adsorption (PSA) for separating the hydrogen from the mixed gas
Implementation Method 7
combusting fuel gas in a burner to heat the reformer
Data Source
AI summary
A raw material gas vaporization system includes: a storage tank for storing raw material gas and a transfer line for transferring the raw material gas; a reforming system including a reformer for producing hydrogen by reacting the raw material gas with water, a burner for applying heat to the reformer, and Pressure Swing Adsorption (PSA) for separating the hydrogen in the mixed gas generated from the reformer; a CO2 separation device for receiving off-gas in which the hydrogen has been removed in the mixed gas from the PSA to remove by liquefying CO2 by exchanging heat with the transfer line of the raw material gas vaporization system; and a gas supply line for supplying the remaining gas in which the CO2 has been removed in the CO2 separation device to a burner as fuel.