Study on integrating a gas turbine in steam methane reforming process

• A new route is proposed to improve the steam methane reforming process.
• Combined pinch and exergy is used to optimize the energy consumption.
• Global optimization is used to produce more turbine power.

Since only heat energy of synthesis gas is recovered in existing steam methane reforming process, locating a gas turbine at the outlet of reforming furnace is proposed as a new route to have the heat and pressure energy recovered simultaneously. A case with hydrogen yield of 7 × 104 Nm3h−1 shows the new gas turbine harvests power of 2262 kW. Questing for more power generation, the integration area is enlarged from the reforming furnace into the total route taking the transfer pressure (Pt) and operating pressure of H2 purifying PSA device (Pp) as variables. The study demonstrates the new gas turbine harvests the power of 5462 kW when Pt and Pp are stipulated as 3.63 MPa and 1.70 MPa, respectively. Consequently, the total energy consumption and CO2 emission are reduced by 2.5% and 735 gCO2/kgH2, respectively, and the process exergy loss of the synthesis gas is reduced by 5.15% as well.

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