1. Air Separations and Syngas Plant Group Presentation #1 – January 29, 2013
Team Echo
Leader: Matt Levy
Members: Wen Zhang, Clint Vericker, and Helena Bliss
Mentor: Dennis O’Brien
CHE 397 – Senior Design II
University of Illinois at Chicago
Department of Chemical Engineering

2. Agenda Process Block Flow Diagram Air Separation Processes
Syngas Production from Methane
Report outline plan for semester

3. Overall class block flow diagram

4. Process Block Flow Diagram4

5. 3 Types of Air Separations
Membrane, Cryogenic, and Pressure Swing Adsorption
All 3 technologies cover a wide array of sizes, purity, cost and cost effectiveness
All 3 can be used to purify both N2 and O2 from compressed air
N2 and O2 gases are needed at least 90% by volume for NH3 production
O2 is also needed for Autothermal Reforming (ATR)

6. Membrane Separations
Membrane systems use differences in diffusion rates between N2 and O2 through the walls of specially designed materials
Driving force is the difference of each component on both sides of membrane
Low cost option limited in production purity and size

7. Pressure Swing Adsorption
Pressure Swing Adsorption (PSA) or Vacuum PSA
Generates N2 or O2 by passing compressed air through a sieve containing absorbent materials
Adsorption at high P and Desorption at low P
VPSA produce O2 on larger scale than PSA
Small to Medium size, Intermediate purity

8. Cryogenic Air Separation
Very low temperature distillation to separate and purify products
Can produce high purity N2, O2 and Ar gas or liquid
Medium to large scale plants
Most cost effective for large production at high purity

9. Pressure Swing Absorption 50% < O2 Purity < 94%
Membrane
N2 Purity > 99%
Pressure Swing Absorption
50% < O2 Purity < 94%
99% < N2 Purity < %
Cryogenic
High Volume or
O2 Purity > 94%
High Volume or N2 Purity > %
* Red Mountain Energy

10. Syngas Production from Methane
Syngas and Hydrogen are necessary chemicals in the chemical, oil and gas, and energy industries. They are essential as feedstock and building blocks for many processes.
Syngas Plant feeds Fischer-Tropsch plant and Syngas to Gas/Liquids Plant 10

11. 3 Methods Of Syngas Production from Methane
Steam Reforming
CH4 + H2O CO + 3H2
Autothermal Reforming
CH O2 CO + 2H2
Dry Reforming
CH4 + CO CO + 2H2 11

12. Side By Side Comparison Of All Methods
Steam
ATR
Dry
Needs a Catalyst
No Catalyst needed
Large Unit
Smaller unit than Steam -
3/1 Ratio
2/1 Ratio
1/1 ratio
Coke formation
Reduced coke formation
Coke formation is not an issue oC oC oC
1-20 bars
1-80 bars
25-80 bars 12

13. Source 13

14. Illustration of an ATR reactor
*Aasberg-Petersen et al. Natural gas to synthesis gas e Catalysts and catalytic processes. Journal of Natural Gas Science and Engineering.

15. The ATR reactor consists of a burner, a combustion chamber and a catalyst bed.
Steam reforming and water gas shift reactions take place non-catalytically due to the high temperature.
The final conversion of methane takes place in the catalyst bed according to reactions (2) and (3).
*Aasberg-Petersen et al. Natural gas to synthesis gas e Catalysts and catalytic processes. Journal of Natural Gas Science and Engineering. 15

16. Water Gas Shift
Syngas is passed through a fixed-bed, catalytic reactor to convert carbon monoxide (CO) and water into additional H2 and CO2 according to the reaction (3).
The shift reaction will operate with a variety of catalysts in order to alter the H2 to CO ratio of the syngas

17. Report Outline Design basis Block Flow Diagram Process Flow Diagram
Material & Energy Balances
Calculations
Annotated Equipment List
Economic Evaluation
Utilities
Conceptual Control Scheme
General Arrangement – Major Equipment Layout
Distribution and End-use issues review
Constraints Review
Applicable Standards
Project Communications File
Information Sources and References 17

18. Questions?