Integration of a hot oxygen burner with an auto thermal reformer

Abstract

The present invention relates to integrating a hot oxygen burner with an auto thermal reformer of reducing in a system for generating synthesis gas.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A unit operation within a system for generating syngas, comprising:
 a hot oxygen burner assembly integrated with an auto thermal reactor for receiving a first stream of fuel and oxygen in the hot oxygen burner to combust said fuel and generate a hot oxygen jet;   introducing a hydrocarbon stream in proximity to the exit of the hot oxygen burner wherein said exit is disposed within the auto thermal reactor; igniting the hydrocarbon stream with hot oxygen, performing partial reforming of the hydrocarbon in a non-catalytic zone of the auto thermal reactor, and completing the reforming in a catalytic reaction zones of the of the auto thermal reactor, thereby forming a syngas which exits the reactor at a temperature below 2000° F. and with minimal soot formation.   
     
     
         2 . The unit operation of  claim 1 , wherein the first stream of fuel is an opportunity fuel. 
     
     
         3 . The unit operation of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 introducing a second stream of hydrocarbon upstream of the catalytic reaction zone in the reactor.   
     
     
         4 . An integrated system for generating syngas, comprising:
 providing a hydrocarbon feed stream without pre-reforming and/or heating said hydrocarbon feed stream;   splitting said hydrocarbon feed stream between a fuel stream directed to the hot oxygen burner assembly integrated with an auto thermal reactor and a hydrocarbon feed stream where said fuel stream is combusted with oxygen in the hot oxygen burner assembly of an autothermal reactor to form a hot oxygen jet;   mixing the hydrocarbon feed stream with steam, and introducing said mixture of hydrocarbon feed in a non-catalytic region of the auto thermal reactor wherein the mixture of hydrocarbon feed is substantially entrained in the hot oxygen jet; igniting the hydrocarbon stream with hot oxygen to create a reactive jet, thereby performing partial reforming of the hydrocarbon in a non-catalytic zone of the auto thermal reactor; and   further reforming the hydrocarbon in a catalyst bed of the auto thermal reactor to generate syngas.   
     
     
         5 . The integrated system of  claim 4 , wherein the fuel stream is an opportunity fuel. 
     
     
         6 . The integrated system of  claim 4 , wherein the syngas exiting the auto thermal reactor at a temperature below 2000° F. and at 350 to 550 psia. 
     
     
         7 . The integrated system of  claim 4 , wherein the fuel stream is about 5-10% by volume of the hydrocarbon feed stream. 
     
     
         8 . The integrated system of  claim 4 , wherein the syngas generated is routed to a process gas reboiler and further downstream unit operations. 
     
     
         9 . An integrated system for generating syngas, comprising:
 providing a main hydrocarbon feed stream without pre-reforming and/or heating said main hydrocarbon feed stream;   splitting the main hydrocarbon feed stream into three fractions, wherein the first fraction forms a fuel stream, the second fraction forms a first feed stream, and the third fraction forms a second feed stream;   directing the fuel stream to the hot oxygen burner assembly integrated with an auto thermal reactor and a hydrocarbon feed stream where said fuel stream is combusted with oxygen in the hot oxygen burner assembly of an autothermal reactor to form a hot oxygen jet;   routing the first feed stream to the exit of the hot oxygen burner wherein said exit is disposed within the auto thermal reactor, wherein the mixture of hydrocarbon feed is substantially entrained in the hot oxygen jet;   igniting the hydrocarbon stream with hot oxygen to create a reactive jet, performing partial reforming of the hydrocarbon in a non-catalytic zone of the auto thermal reactor,   mixing the second feed stream with steam and routing mixture such that second feed stream mixture is entrained into the reactive jet after the first stream is predominantly entrained; and   further reforming the hydrocarbon in a catalyst bed of the auto thermal reactor to generate syngas.   
     
     
         10 . The integrated system of  claim 9 , wherein the fuel stream is an opportunity fuel. 
     
     
         11 . The integrated system of  claim 9 , wherein the fuel stream is about 5-10%, the first feed stream is about 50-85% and the second feed stream is about 10-45% by volume of the main hydrocarbon feed stream, respectively. 
     
     
         12 . An integrated system for generating syngas, comprising:
 (a) providing a main desulfurized hydrocarbon feed stream split into at least two hydrocarbon streams wherein a first hydrocarbon stream is routed to the hot oxygen burner and utilized therein as a fuel which is mixed with oxygen to combust said fuel and generate a hot oxygen jet;   (b) routing the second hydrocarbon stream to a fired heater and pre-reforming the second hydrocarbon stream into a heated pre-reformed hydrocarbon stream;   (c) routing the heated pre-reformed hydrocarbon stream through the fired heater to increase the temperature further, and thereafter introducing the heated pre-reformed hydrocarbon stream in close proximity to the hot oxygen burner wherein heated pre-reformed hydrocarbon feed is substantially entrained in the hot oxygen jet to create a reactive jet, thereby performing partial reforming of the hydrocarbon in a non-catalytic zone of the auto thermal reactor; and   (d) completing the reforming in a catalytic reaction zones of the of the auto thermal reactor, thereby forming a syngas.   
     
     
         13 . The integrated system of  claim 12 , wherein the first hydrocarbon feed stream is an opportunity fuel. 
     
     
         14 . The integrated system of  claim 12 , further comprising:
 splitting a third hydrocarbon stream from the desulfurized hydrocarbon feed stream and introducing said third hydrocarbon stream in close proximity to the hot oxygen burner disposed in the auto thermal reformer and introducing said heated pre-reformed hydrocarbon feed, such that the heated pre-reformed hydrocarbon feed is entrained into the reactive jet after the second hydrocarbon stream is predominantly entrained.   
     
     
         15 . The integrated system of  claim 1 , the first and third hydrocarbon streams are low cost opportunity fuels. 
     
     
         16 . The integrated system of  claim 10 , wherein the heated pre-reformed hydrocarbon stream of step (b) is introduced directly in close proximity the hot oxygen burner thereby performing partial reforming of the hydrocarbon through partial oxidation reactions in the non-catalytic zone of the auto thermal reactor.