Hydrogen Plant
The Hydrogen Plant produced the majority of the hydrogen consumed by the Hydrocracker, Kerosene Hydrotreater and FCC Feed Hydrotreater. Click on the tabs below to display more information:
The plant produces 18.5 MMSCFD of 96-mol percent hydrogen at 245 psig. Carbon dioxide is produced as a by-product at a rate of 23,350 lb/hr. The Hydrogen Plant also produced 22,000 lb/hr (net) 640 lb superheated steam for refinery use.
- Foster Wheeler licenses the Reformer Furnace.
- Union Carbide licenses the Benfield Carbon Dioxide Removal Process.
- Designed and built by Fluor in 1982. Idle since 1995.

The Hydrogen Plant is a Steam/Methane Reformer with High and Low Temperature Shift Reactors.
Treated refinery fuel gas and commercial natural gas are used as feed. There are two zinc oxide beds for removal of trace sulfur compounds. A hydrotreating catalyst converts sulfur compounds to hydrogen sulfide and zinc oxide removes the hydrogen sulfide. Feed gas is compressed to 385 psig, heated to 650F in the furnace. The feed gas is hydrotreated and zinc oxide c, and mixed with 640 psi superheated steam. The mixture is heated to 900F and passed through 72 reformer catalyst tubes inside the furnace. Methane and other light hydrocarbons react with water to produce hydrogen and carbon monoxide.
The carbon monoxide and water react to produce hydrogen and carbon dioxide in the high and low temperature shift reactors. The HTS reactor (850F outlet) increases the shift rate and the LTS reactor (450F outlet) promotes high equilibrium conversion. CO2 present in the LTS gas is removed by contact with activated potassium carbonate solution in a continuous recirculating Benfield design system. The conversion of trace carbon oxides is the final step in the purification process. The methanator contains a nickel-based catalyst to react carbon oxides with hydrogen, producing methane and water.
Major Equipment Dimension
| Equipment Name: |
Length |
Diameter |
Internals |
| Zinc Oxide Drums (2) |
9'-0" |
4'-6" |
|
| Hydrotreating Reactor |
8'-8" |
4'-7" |
|
| High Temp. Shift Rx. |
13'-5" |
8'-0" |
|
| Low Temp. Shift Rx |
13'-5" |
8'-0" |
|
| CO2 Stripper |
100'-0" |
3'-6" x 5' |
Packing |
| Absorber |
141'-0" |
6'-6" |
Packing |
| Methanator |
47'- 6" |
3'-6" |
00 Trays |
| Feed Gas Compressors (2) |
5.2 MMSCFD (Each) |
|
|
- Major Turnarounds - 1990 & 1994
- Partial Turnarounds - 1988 & 1993
Significant Project Activities
- Re-tubed Reformer Effluent Cooler - 1990
- Re-tubed Reformer Furnace, upgraded metallurgy - 1993
- Upgraded Unit Capacity to 18.5 MMSCFD - 1994
- Repacked CO2 Absorber and Stripper Columns - 1994
- Installed Reformer Furnace CoMo Guard Bed Reactor - 1995
- S/C Ratio = 5.0
- Reformer Furnace Exit Temperature = 1515 F
- Absorbed Duty = 65.8 MMBTU/hr
- Feed Gas Flow Rate = 5.5 MMSCFD
- H2 Purity = 96%
- Hydrogen Production = 18.5 MSCFD
- Reformer Catalyst Volume = 294 cu. ft. / 22,000 lbs.
- Reformer Tubes = 72
- Reformer Tube Material Specification - Manaurite XM 5.33" OD
- Zinc Oxide Catalyst Volume = 190 cu. ft. / 14,000 lb
- High Temperature Shift Catalyst Volume = 402 cu. ft. / 25,000 lb
- Low Temperature Shift Catalyst Volume = 402 cu. ft. / 25,000 lb
- Methanator Catalyst Volume = 167 cu. ft. / 10,000 lb
- Hydrotreating Reactor Catalyst Volume = 100 cu. ft. / 5,000 lb
- Electrical Consumption = 650 kWh
- 600 psi Steam Production = 90,000 lb/hr
- 600 psi Steam Consumption = 60,000 lb/hr
- 50 psi Steam Consumption = 8,000 lb/hr
- Cooling Water circulation = 161 gpm
| Hydrogen Plant |
Part ID: HYD-PLT01 |
$1 600 000.00
|