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Simulation of a Natural Gas Steam Reforming Plant for Hydrogen Production Optimization
Author(s) -
Salem Manal,
Shoaib Abeer M.,
Ibrahim Amr F. M.
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
chemical engineering and technology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.403
H-Index - 81
eISSN - 1521-4125
pISSN - 0930-7516
DOI - 10.1002/ceat.202100123
Subject(s) - steam reforming , hydrogen production , natural gas , superheated steam , hydrogen , process engineering , process simulation , methane reformer , volumetric flow rate , methane , chemistry , petroleum engineering , waste management , engineering , process (computing) , thermodynamics , computer science , organic chemistry , boiler (water heating) , physics , operating system
A simulation study to predict and optimize a natural gas steam reforming plant in Suez was performed. The developed model was used to generate performance data that would map the relation between atthe operating variables and hydrogen productivity. A single objective optimization problem was then formulated to maximize hydrogen production in the subunits: hydrocarbon prereformer, steam methane reformer, and the medium‐temperature water‐gas‐shift reactor. The process temperature and pressure for the three subunits, total plant flow rate and total superheated steam flow rate were selected as decision variables. A good agreement was found between simulation results and plant data at steady‐state conditions in terms of hydrogen yield and chemical composition. The developed mathematical model for hydrogen productivity correctly predicts the effect of relevant process parameters.