Air Products and Chemicals, Inc.

Simon Craig Saloway

Vincent White

Andrew Shaw

David Anthony Zagnoli

Russell Ira Snyder, Iii

David George DeMaria

Russell Ira Snyder Iii

David George Demaria

Russell Ira Snyder

The present invention concerns a process and apparatus for cracking ammonia gas at super-atmospheric pressure in catalyst-filled reactor tubes in a furnace. The tubes each have an upstream layer of a first catalyst and a downstream layer of a second catalyst, the first catalyst being more active than the second catalyst. Having the more active catalyst upstream reduces the temperature of the outer walls of the tubes in the region of the burner flames and the temperature of the inner walls of the tubes in the region with the highest mole fraction of ammonia. Nitriding of the metal of the tubes in this region is thereby reduced.

Process and apparatus for cracking ammonia

Processes for cracking ammonia are improved by using heat generated in a compression unit that is used to compress PSA off gas being recycled to a PSA unit to pre-heat liquid ammonia prior to vaporization and cracking. The heat is transferred using a heat transfer fluid such as an aqueous solution comprising from about 50 wt. % to about 60 wt. % of a glycol, e.g., ethylene glycol or propylene glycol.

The invention concerns a process and apparatus for cracking ammonia in which heated ammonia gas at super-atmospheric pressure is partially cracked in at least two adiabatic reactors in series with interstage heating in which the feed temperature to a first reactor is higher than the feed temperature to a further reactor to produce a partially cracked ammonia gas which is then fed to catalyst-containing reactor tubes in a furnace to produce a cracked gas comprising hydrogen gas, nitrogen gas and residual ammonia gas. The use of the adiabatic reactors enables more efficient heat integration within the process and the higher temperature in the first reactor enables the use of a nickel-based catalyst in that reactor as an alternative solution to the potential problem of the presence of oil in the ammonia.

Process and apparatus for producing a hydrogen-containing product by steam-hydrocarbon reforming of multiple hydrocarbon feedstocks in a production facility utilizing a prereformer in addition to the primary reformer. The temperature of the reactant mixture introduced into the prereformer is controlled depending on the composition of the reactant mixture fed to the prereformer.

Method and apparatus for producing a hydrogen-containing product

Hydrogen production process and apparatus using a combined stream of gas turbine exhaust from a gas turbine and combustion air from forced draft fan as combustion oxidant in a steam reforming furnace. A valve assembly for providing draft air is included to quickly provide additional combustion air to the reformer furnace when the gas turbine unexpectedly shuts down.

Growing community of inventors

Surrey, United Kingdom

Simon Craig Saloway