48330. US 2018) ON cu») United States 2) Patent Application Publication co) Pub. No.: US 2018/0148330 Al Tamhankar et al. oy oy METHODS FOR STEAM MET REFORMING ANE, Applicans:Satish S, Tambankar, Scotch Plas, NJ (US): Raju Natarajan, Acworth, GA (US); Ramacha Krishnamurthy, Pisesta Rachid Mabrouk, Muaich (DE) (43) Pub. Date: May 31, 2018 mors 454 Bois 372 200501) (2006.01), CPC a. CNB 3740 (2013.01), COB 2208/1614 (2013.01); Bord 23/735 (2013.01): BOLT 28/462 (201301), BOLI 21/04 (2013.01) BOLL 23/745 (2013.01); BOLI 35/0006 (2013.01); BOLD 35/04 (2013.01); BOLT 37/0242 (2013.01): BOLI 37/0236 (201301); (72) Inventors: Satish S, Tamhankar, Scotch Plans, ‘COUB 2203/0233 (201301), COIB 2203085 NI (US): Raju Natarajan, Acwort, (2013.01); Co1B 2203/1082 (2013.01); COB GA (US); Ramachandran 37205/1058 (2013.01); COIB 2203/1064 Krishnamurthy, Piscataway. NI (1 (201301), C018 2203/1241 (2013.01); COLB Rachid Mabrouk, Munich (DE) 2203/1247 (2013.01); COB 3/384 (2013.01) 21) Appl. No: 15/364.888, ea ABSTRACT A method for producing hydrogen in a steam methane (22) Filed: Nov. 30, 2016 reformer is disclosed, The method provides for the steps of feeding a mixture of fucl and sir to a steam methane reformer, feeding a mixture of steam and hydrocarbons to ae the steam methane reformer; contacting the steam and (1) Ine cL hydrocarbons with a metal monolith supported catalyst; core 3740 (2006.01) providing an electric eurrent tothe metal monolith supports Con 338 (2006.01) catalyst; and recovering the hydrogen, The electric curent BOIS 237758 (2005.01) applied to the metal monolith supported catalyst will Bold 2346 (2005.01) encounter electrical resistance which will eeate heat. This Bors 21/04 (2005.01) het can supplement tht provided fa by dhe reation ofthe BOLI 237745 (2006.01) fuel and sie allowing for reduction in fueling costs as well Bois 35700 (2005.01) as treatment cont ofthe resultant ue gas Fuel ene Steam Hydrocarhons air Flue Gas,Patent Application Publication May 31, 2018 ‘US 2018/0148330 ALUS 2018/0148330 Al METHODS FOR STEAM METHANE REFORMING BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 10001}, The present invention relates to an improved method for performing steam methane reforming by using ‘excess electrical power to supply a portion of the reforming reaction hea. {0002} | Conventional hydrogen production plants that are based on steam methane reforming (SMR) typically operate ata temperature of 700" to 980° C. and ata pressure of 150 to 500 pig. One primary reasoa to operate at high pressure is to enable separation of hydrogen from the product syn- thesis ans using a pressure swing adsorption (PSA) metho. However, reforming equilibrium is lavored at lower pres- sures. Operation at high pressure and temperature further ‘demands the use of expensive alloys for the consaction of the reformer. Similar concerns arise for other types of hydrogen production processes, such as dy (carbon dioxide) reforming, calalytic or noncatalytie partial oxidation oF auto-thermal reforming. 10003] As part ofthe reaction process heat is required and the temperatures necessary for reformation will require 2 Jarge energy input. This energy input thereby increases the ‘cost ofthe reformation reaction, 10003] The present invention uses electrical power by means of resislance heating which provides part of the reaction heat required forthe reformation reaction. This will reduce operating costs of the reforming reaction due (© rexluced fuel consumption costs as well as @ reduction in ‘emissions such at carbon dioxide emissions associated with, the burning of Fl SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 10005] A method for producing hydrogen in a steam methane reformer comprising the steps: 10006] a) Feeding 2 mixture of fuel and air © a steam methane reformer: [0007]. b) Feeding a mixture of steam and bydracarbons to the steam methane refomner, 10008] ) Contacting the steam and hydrocarbons with a ‘metal monolith supported catalyst; 10009] 4) Providing an electric current to the metal mono- Tith supported catalyst axl 10010] ) Recovering the hydrogen. [0011] In an alternative embodiment of the invention, there is disclosed a method for reducing the amount of fuel and sir used in producing hydmgen in a steam methane reformer comprising the steps: [0012] a) Feeding 2 mixture of fuel and air © a steam shane reformer: [0013] 6) Fesding a mixture of steam and hytdrocarbons to the steam methane refomer 10014} ) Contacting the steam and hydrocarbons with a ‘metal monolith supported catalyst, [0015] Providing an electric curent to the metal mono- Tith supported catalyst; and 10016] ) Recovering the hydrogen. [0017] _Inanotheraltemative embodiment of the invention, there is disclosed an improved method for producing hydro- ‘gen in steam methane reformer comprising the steps: [0018] 2) Feeding 2 mixture of fuel and air to a steam ethane reformer: May 31, 2018 [0019] _b) Feeding a mixture of steam and hydrocarbons to the steam methane reformer [0020] e) Contacting the steam and hydrocarbons with & meal monolith supported catalyst; and [021] d) Recovering the hydrogen, the improvement ‘comprising feeding an electric current othe metal mono- lith supported eatalyst. [0022] The hydrogen that is formed is typically in a synthesis gas mixture with carbon monoxide so it ean be treated by a separation process such as a pressure swing adsorption process 10 recover pure hydrogen, The carbon ‘monoxide can be recovered and wtilized in other aspects 0023} ‘The steam methane reformers atypical reforming Unit allowing forthe input of fue andar as well a the ste and hydrocarbons used to produce hydrogen. The reloning ‘unit will also contain catalyst material which in this invention is a metal monolith supported catalyst 0024] The fuel that is combusted with aie is typically 2 ture of hydrocarbons such as those derived from tail sases and genorlly consists of the mixture of methane, ‘ethane, ethylene, propane, propylene, butanes, pentanes and hooxanes. [0025]. ‘The combustion process is typically performed at atmospheric pressure ce slighily negative presse, The air is ‘ypieally ambient ir drawn into the steam methane reformer ‘using @ fa. [0026] The air used for combustion is slightly compressed {o overcome the pressure drop as the reformer furnace is slightly below atstospheric pressure [027] Steam forthe reaction is typically made using the ‘waste heat from the process. The steam peneration peessnre is adjusted based on the reforming pressure, [0028} The syngas that exis the steam methane reformer js fed through a shift reactor fo convert some ofthe earbon sonoxide inthis syngas to hydrogen which i then cooled to separate the condensate. High pority hydrogen ean thea be recovered fm the syngas in the downstream purification syste. [0029] The heat in the fue gas is used to prefeat the reformer feed and the combustion ar and to proce steam. 0030} ‘Te steam will react with the hydrocarbons at the elevated temperatures of about 700° 10 100° C. in the presence of the catalyst material to protuce the hydrogen ‘and earbon monoxide per reaction (1) described below. [0031] In atypical steam methane reforming revetion, the heat roquired forthe reaction is provided by the reaction of the fuel and the air to reach the elevated temperatures of bout 700" to 950° C. Inthe present invention, an electrical ‘current is fed to the metal monolith supported! catalyst, The electrical resistance that results from the application of the current to the metal monolith supported catalyst will result in the generation of heat. This hest will supplement that ‘mount of heat tha i generated by the eaetion of the fuel fnd sir and thereby reduce the amount of hest that needs to be provided by this reaction [0032] The metal monolith supported catalyst is typically ‘made of low alloy stool such as D64A, 300M or 256A low alloy steels, The catalyst is wash coated oa the metalic support. This coating is typically performed in two stops: fins, the metal structure support is coated with a ceramic ‘material {ype alumina. This coating is dried and is then impregnated with a reforming material substrate selected from nickel or ruthenium type or any known refonming catalyst substrate,