This case study outlines the efficiency gains delivered to a hydrogen plant following installation of an innovative cleaning technology
This case study outlines the efficiency gains delivered to a hydrogen plant following installation of an innovative cleaning technology.
A new robotic convection section cleaning technology has demonstrated significant efficiency gains in Steam Methane Reformers (SMRs) since 2017.
SMRs are crucial in hydrogen production for refineries, with capacities ranging from 5,000 to over 300,000 nm3/h. The process involves desulfurisation, prereforming, and primary reforming in a radiant wall SMR, followed by CO shift reaction and purification.
The radiant wall SMR is the heart of the hydrogen plant, operating at high temperatures of up to 900°C. IGS offers free heater evaluations, studying possible changes in radiant and convection sections. Their services typically show benefits ranging from 1.5% to 5.0% in energy savings or production increase.
The following case study highlights how IGS’s Tube Tech’s robotic convection section cleaning technology delivered a 4.9% radiant efficiency gain, with efficiency enhancement from 40.3% to 42.3%, and a payback period of just three months.
The project, in Southern Europe, involved a twin-cell side-fired primary hydrogen reformer facing high bridgewall temperatures, limiting production. IGS Cetek high emissivity refractory coatings were applied to all radiant surfaces in 2017, increasing emissivity from 0.34 to 0.92 and allowing additional hydrogen production without approaching temperature limits.
The coating was reapplied in 2023 owing to its gradual loss of emissivity over time. Throughout the six-year run, the highest reported bridgewall temperature was only 1055°C under more than 110 knm3/hr hydrogen production rate, demonstrating the coating’s longevity and reliability.
The projects executed during the 2017 and 2023 turnarounds provided immediate payback and operational flexibility. Furnace performance evaluation revealed a significant radiant efficiency enhancement (40.3% to 42.3%) with a corresponding bridgewall temperature reduction of more than 50°C. This enhancement increased the hydrocracking unit’s capacity, resulting in an additional production margin of about €4.8m per year.
The 4.9% radiant efficiency gain led to less fuel firing required to produce the same amount of hydrogen, equivalent to an 18,400 MTPA CO2 emission reduction. The achieved radiant efficiency enhancement can be utilised to reduce fuel consumption and CO2 emissions or to increase throughput/severity under the same firing rate.
The IGS Cetek application brought an immediate radiant efficiency gain, as predicted, and post-project analysis corresponded with the pre-project technical evaluation. The refinery now has the option to save fuel or increase throughput under the same firing rate during high-demand periods. IGS continues to closely monitor the unit’s performance for the lifetime of the applied coating systems.
IGS Tube Tech’s technology had a significant impact on improving efficiency, reducing emissions, and increasing production capacity in SMRs, contributing to more sustainable and cost-effective hydrogen production across the entire refining industry.
