In one aspect, the present invention provides a method for recycling natural gas during a reformer startup in a methanol plant. The method comprises recycling natural gas from a point before entry into the natural gas saturator where the natural gas is recycled until the natural gas reaches a desired temperature.

A fuel cell module includes a fuel cell stack and FC peripheral equipment. The FC peripheral equipment includes an evaporator. At least one of evaporation pipes of the evaporator connects a water vapor discharge chamber and an inlet of a reformer to form an evaporation return pipe as a passage of water vapor. A raw fuel pipe is inserted into the evaporation return pipe for allowing a raw fuel to flow from the downstream side to the upstream side of the evaporation return pipe.

In an ammonia or hydrogen plant comprising a desulfurisation section, a reforming section and a shift section, where the shift section comprises a low temperature shift converter and a medium temperature shift converter, a vent line is arranged downstream from the low temperature shift converter and the medium temperature shift converter in order to allow the shift converters to be re-heated with process gas at a low pressure (typically 3-7 bar). This way condensation of water vapour in the process gas is avoided. By applying this vent line it becomes possible to save significant time, more specifically 8-24 hours, for restarting the production after temporary shut-down thereof, because a heat-up of the LTS/MTS converter in circulating nitrogen is avoided.

The invention discloses a start-up system for starting reforming hydrogen production device, the reforming hydrogen production device and the start-up system adopt methanol-water mixture as feedstock, comprising a feed riser pipe, a flame tray, an upper cover body and an igniter, The flame tray and the upper cover body are disposed on the feed riser pipe from the bottom up; the middle part of the upper cover body is provided with an aperture in communication with the feed riser pipe, the methanol-water mixture feedstock may flow from the feed riser pipe up to the aperture and be exuded from the aperture and spread around along the upper side surface of the upper cover body until flowing into the flame tray. The present invention has high ignition success rate, large methanol-water mixture burning areas and combustion flame, and can quickly restart the reforming hydrogen production device.

A method of operating a hydrogen generator includes: a step (a) of generating a hydrogen-containing gas by a hydrogen generation unit by using a raw material in the hydrogen generation unit; a step (b) of removing a sulfur compound from the raw material by a hydrodesulfurizer which is heated by heat transferred from the hydrogen generation unit; and a step (c) of performing an operation of supplying the raw material to the hydrogen generation unit after stopping the generating of the hydrogen-containing gas by the hydrogen generation unit. The step (c) is not performed unless, at least, a temperature of the hydrodesulfurizer is such a temperature at which carbon deposition from the raw material is suppressed.

This invention relates to a process and an apparatus for conducting simultaneous endothermic and exothermic reactions in a microchannel reactor. A start-up procedure for the microchannel reactor is disclosed.

A gaseous fuel catalytic partial oxidation (CPOX) reformer can include a plurality or an array of spaced-apart CPOX reactor units, each reactor unit including an elongate tube having a wall with internal and external surfaces, the wall enclosing an open gaseous flow passageway with at least a portion of the wall having CPOX catalyst disposed therein and/or comprising its structure. The catalyst-containing wall structure and open gaseous flow passageway enclosed thereby define a gaseous phase CPOX reaction zone, the catalyst-containing wall section being gas-permeable to allow gaseous CPOX reaction mixture to diffuse therein and hydrogen-rich product reformate to diffuse therefrom. At least the exterior surface of a CPOX reaction zone of a CPOX reactor unit can include a hydrogen barrier. The gaseous fuel CPOX reformer also can include one or more igniters, and a source of gaseous reformable fuel.

A fuel cell module includes a fuel cell stack and fuel cell peripheral equipment. The fuel cell module includes a first area where an exhaust gas combustor and a start-up combustor are provided, a second area where a reformer and an evaporator are provided, and a third area where a heat exchanger is provided. The fuel cell module further includes a condensed water recovery mechanism for recovering condensed water produced through condensation of water vapor contained in a combustion gas, by flowing the condensed water through the third area, the second area, and the first area in that order.

When the product gas producing operation is stopped, a stand-by operation is executed in which a product gas filling up a reforming processing unit is circulated, in a state in which an adsorbent of adsorption towers is maintained in a state in which adsorption target components are desorbed, and the heating of a reformer by a heating burner is maintained, and when the stand-by operation is stopped and the product gas producing operation is started, initial operation processing is executed in which immediately after the start, a source gas and steam are supplied to the reformer to produce a reformed gas, and the reformed gas from the reforming processing unit supplied to the adsorption towers to produce the product gas, and then the product gas producing operation in which the product gas is collected in a product gas tank is executed.

A cooler installed to cool NG supplied from a compressor to a pyrolysis reactor and configured to independently use multiple refrigerants is provided; a first refrigerant supply device provided to supply a first refrigerant for the cooler; and a second refrigerant supply device configured to supply, to the cooler, a fuel gas for a burner, including an off-gas and NG which has not passed through the compressor, as a second refrigerant for the cooler.