Page 29 - Industrial Plants 2014

Fig. 7 - CPO reactor
schematic
configuration and
onsite installed view

on the same time in terms of feed consumption and loss, reactor is also externally insulated with high
plant complexity, was the main aim of the project to density ceramic fiber (120 mm). Two couples of
better assess the potentiality of distributed GTL electrical cartridge heaters are installed at the inlet of
plants. catalysts bed and switched on only during heating
The use of membrane reactors coupled with novel cycle to adjust the inlet gas temperature if needed.
routes for syngas production such as Catalytic Reactor was properly designed to
Partial Oxidation (CPO) [5] were the bases for the accommodate catalyst both in the The experimental
developed novel process scheme [6, 7]. The form of pellets and monoliths. assessment was
experimental assessment was performed by KT in The operation of the reactor was performed by KT in
the facility at Chieti Scalo, where a CPO reactor was performed in a standalone the facility at Chieti
installed downstream the first membrane separation configuration and integrated one in Scalo, where a CPO
module and fed, after pure oxygen addition, with the the overall process scheme. In reactor was installed
retentate from the steam reformer operating at low particular, in the first option the CPO downstream the frst
temperature, thus acting as a sort of prereformer. reactor was fed with a dedicated membrane separation
The core of the activity was the design and natural gas stream. The comparison module and fed, after
construction of CPO reactor, reported in figure 7 in between the two options was carried pure oxygen addition,
a schematic configuration as well as the onsite out in order to evaluate the potentiality with the retentate from
installed view. of the overall novel process scheme the steam reformer
Here the main challenge was represented by the to contribute to a reduction in oxygen operating at low
design and operation of CPO in a safe manner, feed consumption (figure 8). temperature, thus
ensuring a proper mixing between the hydrocarbon Experimental test showed that for a acting as a sort of
feedstock and the oxygen, thus avoiding the risk to total feed conversion of 40% for prereformer
ignite the hot mixture (Maximum temperature = 300 example, the integrated architecture
°C) outside the catalytic bed but just in front of it. allows to reduce oxygen consumption over 50%
The proper flow distribution was performed through with a consequent reduction in process economics.
a non-catalytic SiC foam 20 ppi, into which three
tubes were inserted for oxygen supply. Chemical building blocks production
An axial multipoint thermocouple provided the Olefinic compounds (alkenes) are so widely used in
temperature profile along the catalytic bed and a number of chemical industries to be named
along the static mixer. Furthermore, the external “chemical building blocks”. To name a few, for the
metal temperature is monitored by a continuous production of petrochemical products, such as
spiral thermocouple in order to assure safety synthetic rubbers, plastics, motor fuel blending
operation and prevent hot spot due to leaks in the additives. Among the olefins, propylene is the
internal insulation layer. To further reduce thermal world’s second largest petrochemical commodity,

IndustrIal Plants - May 2014
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