Johnson Matthey Public Limited Company

Richard James Beavis

Peter Edward James Abbott

Gary Bevan Combes

Philip Charles Southerden

Process for increasing the hydrogen content of a synthesis gas containing one or more sulphur compounds, the synthesis gas including hydrogen, carbon oxides and steam, and having a ratio defined as R&#x2550;(H&#x2014;C0)/(CO+C0)&#x2266;0.6 and a steam to carbon monoxide ratio &#x2266;1.8, includes the steps of (i) adjusting the temperature of the synthesis gas; (ii) passing at least a portion of the heated synthesis gas adiabatically through a first bed of sulphur-tolerant water-gas shift catalyst disposed in a first shift vessel at a space velocity &#x2267;12,500 hourto form a pre-shifted gas stream; and (iii) forming a shifted gas stream by subjecting at least a portion of the pre-shifted gas stream to a second stage of water-gas shift in a second shift vessel containing a second bed of sulphur-tolerant water-gas shift catalyst that is cooled in heat exchange with a gas stream including the synthesis gas.

Process for increasing hydrogen content of synthesis gas

A process for increasing the hydrogen content of a synthesis gas containing one or more sulphur compounds, the synthesis gas including hydrogen, carbon oxides and steam, and having a ratio, R, defined as R=(H&#x2212;CO)/(CO+CO)&#x2266;0.6 and a steam to carbon monoxide ratio &#x2266;1.8, includes the steps of (i) adjusting the synthesis gas temperature, (ii) passing the temperature-adjusted synthesis gas through an adiabatic pre-shift vessel containing a bed of sulphur-tolerant water-gas shift catalyst at a space velocity &#x2267;12,500 hourto form a pre-shifted gas stream, and (iii) subjecting at least a portion of the pre-shifted gas stream to one or more further stages of water-gas shift.

Process for increasing the hydrogen content of a synthesis gas containing one or more sulphur compounds, the synthesis gas including hydrogen, carbon oxides and steam, and having a ratio defined as R=(H&#x2212;CO)/(CO+CO)&#x2266;0.6 and a steam to carbon monoxide ratio &#x2266;1.8, including the steps of (i) heating the synthesis gas; (iii) subjecting at least a portion of the heated synthesis gas to a first stage of water-gas shift in a first shift vessel containing a first sulphur-tolerant water-gas shift catalyst that is cooled in heat exchange with boiling water, to form a pre-shifted gas stream; and (iii) forming a shifted gas stream by subjecting at least a portion of the pre-shifted gas stream to a second stage of water-gas shift in a second shift vessel containing a second sulphur-tolerant water-gas shift catalyst that is cooled in heat exchange with a gas stream including the synthesis gas.

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Wokingham, United Kingdom

Richard James Beavis