Page 25 - Industrial Plants 2014

team reforming for syngas membranes for hydrogen separation.
production is one of the most Moving from these first significant steps in pure
attractive applications of Pd based hydrogen production, KT looked at alternative
membrane reactors. Indeed, the markets for membrane reactors application, gaining
possibility to substantially lower also experience in synthetic fuels and chemicals
S the reaction temperature of about production, thus becoming a well recognized leader
350 °C with respect to traditional values ranging at European level in design and operation of pilot
from 850-880 °C, could result in several benefits plants where membrane plays essential role for
such as the use of less expensive materials for the process intensification.
fabrication of the catalytic tubes, an overall process
efficiency increase, a saving of combustion fuel.
Nevertheless, despite the very huge amount of Pure hydrogen production

scientific work on lab scale available in the literature The plant has been designed according to an open
on this process, a lack of information is observed on architecture based on two stages of reaction and
pilot or higher scale, being the scale up of the membrane separation whit the aim to enhance feed
technology and the long term stability of such conversion at lower reaction temperature. Moving
materials two of the main challenges to be addressed towards a non integrated approach, a more easy
for an actual assessment of the technology on and flexible pilot plant operation and management,
industrial level. together with a thermal and fluidynamic optimization
KT – Kinetics Technology experience in membrane of reaction and separation environments, may be
reactors for pure hydrogen obtained with respect to the more
production started almost ten years traditional integration approach in
ago in the framework of the Italian The plant has been which the membrane is put in direct
Research Project FISR “Pure designed according to contact with the catalyst in reaction
an open architecture
hydrogen from natural gas to total based on two stages of environment [1]. Figure 1 reports a
conversion obtained integrating reaction and membrane bird eye view of the overall pilot unit
chemical reaction and membrane separation with the covering an area of about 1000 m
2
separation”, the which main aim to enhance feed fully equipped with utilities such as
question, up to that moment still conversion at lower natural gas lines, demi water, cooling
unsolved, was: is it possible to reaction temperature and fire water circuits, nitrogen
obtain pure hydrogen by membrane storage, instrument air, steam
separation on semi industrial scale? production and chemical laboratory
KT accepted the challenge and that vision became for gas sampling analysis.
a reality in 2009 when the facility in Chieti Scalo was The original scheme was based on two stages of
started up, with a capacity of 20 Nm /h of pure low temperature steam reforming reaction and
3
hydrogen, representing one of the only two membrane separation. Each reformer stage consists
applications available worldwide with this size. From essentially of two main sections: the radiant box,
that date, while the plant was collecting more than containing the reaction tube for an heated length of
2000 hours of operation, KT was gaining more and 3m (OD = 2-½”) and the convection section, where
more knowledge in membrane technology and heat is recovered from the hot flue gases for
development of novel process schemes, based on preheating and superheating feed and steam. One

Fig. 2 - Internal view
or reformer chamber
and reformer tube
(left). Internal detail of
structured foam
catalyst mounted
inside the reforming
tube (right)

IndustrIal Plants - May 2014
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