Air Products and Chemicals, Inc.

John Dollin Bassett

Rodney John Allam

Howard C Rowles

Brian Alfred McNeil

Joseph M Abrardo

Eric William Scharpf

Dennis P Bernhard

Ramanathan R Tarakad

Philip L Da Prato

Howard Charles Rowles

Dennis Patrick Bernhard

The molar ratio of hydrogen and carbon monoxide in synthesis gas is changed by partially condensing at least a portion of the feed gas and separating the partially condensed feed mixture by non-fractionating phase separation. Preferably, the partially condensed feed mixture is separated by a first phase separation into a first liquid stream and a first vapor stream; the first vapor stream is partially condensed and separated by a second phase separation into a second liquid stream and a second vapor stream; the second vapor stream is warmed and expanded to provide refrigeration and partial condensation; and the expanded partially condensed stream is separated by a third phase separation to provide a third liquid stream and a third vapor stream. The synthesis gas product is at least partially derived from the third liquid stream and a portion of the third vapor stream.

Cryogenic adjustment of hydrogen and carbon monoxide content of syngas

Light components are stripped from a multicomponent liquid feed mixture in a core type plate-fin heat exchanger by heating and partially vaporizing the mixture during downward flow in one of a plurality of multichannel flow passageways in the exchanger. The vapor thus formed flows upward and promotes vaporization of dissolved light components from the liquid to yield a liquid product substantially free of lighter components. The passageways are disposed in indirect heat exchange with one or more additional groups of passageways, and heat for partial vaporization of the downward-flowing liquid feed mixture is provided by indirect heat exchange with a condensing process stream. Alternatively, this heat is provided by a bottoms stream recovered from distillation of the stripped liquid product withdrawn from the core type plate-fin heat exchanger.

Light component stripping in plate-fin heat exchangers

The present invention is a reformation process using a compact, plate-fin heat exchanger with multi-stream, multi-passage capability to provide parallel juxtaposed heat exchange of the various process streams of a reformation process.

Integrated plate-fin heat exchange reformation

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Surbiton, United Kingdom

John Dollin Bassett