Export steam
ID fan
Boiler feed water
Air
Econ.
Makeup fuel
Mix tee
SCR
Boiler
Steam methane reforming
Fuel
Steam superheater
Pressure swing absorption
Natural gas
Feed pretreat
Heat recovery
Hydrogen
Steam
Figure 6 The composition of the hydrocarbon feed gas into the steam methane reforming (SMR) unit can vary. Because the mass of the gas is more proportional to carbon content than the volume of the gas, controlling the steam to carbon ratio with Coriolis meters on the feed provides more consistency in the steam to carbon ratio, resulting in increased efficiency
• Increased safety • Increased throughput
with an abundant natural gas resource. Although there are a number of pathways for the production of blue hydrogen, at refineries the most common and likely scenario will be hydrogen production via a steam methane reformer followed by post- combustion carbon capture, as this is the scenario that is best suited for retrofit of existing hydrogen production facilities. Coriolis technology offers benefits in terms of energy efficiency on both the more mature part of blue hydrogen production in the steam methane reforming operation and in the carbon capture piece, as discussed earlier in this article. For the steam reforming process, the use of Coriolis meters helps to precisely control the steam to carbon ratio, affecting the efficiency of the process. Measuring the mass flow of the natural gas (or refinery fuel gas), which enables the process to run closer to the target steam to carbon ratio, will significantly reduce operating costs, with a potential payback period of less than a month. Possible results from replacing the existing hydrocarbon measurement technology with Coriolis includes: • Decrease capital investment for new units • Decreased energy costs • Decreased maintenance costs
Accurate flow measurements support refiners move to low carbon fuels production Regardless of the sustainability investment or action taken to reduce a refinery’s carbon footprint, Coriolis meters can significantly improve efficiency or process control by accurate flow measurement. Due to the versatility and proven accuracy of flow measurement and control delivered by Coriolis flow meters in applications ranging from traditional petroleum production, transportation, and storage to now the production of biofuels and emissions reductions efforts, the masses across the hydrocarbon value chain are moving to leverage this technology in new ways in order to meet their sustainability goals.
Meha Jha Meha.Jha@Emerson.com
Julie Valentine Julie.Valentine@Emerson.com
www.decarbonisationtechnology.com
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