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Three Measures by Daqing Methanol Hydrogen Production Plant to Drive Improvement in Quality and Efficiency Author/Source: Daqing Methanol Date: 2022-05-28 Clicks: 11 To fully advance the initiatives aimed at improving quality and efficiency, the hydrogen production plant has taken active organizational actions and coordinated efforts through three specific measures to boost performance, thereby ensuring the safe and stable operation of the facility over extended periods. From January to April, a total of 40.823 million cubic meters of hydrogen were produced; the plant’s operational rate was 100%, its stability rate was also 100%, and its load factor was 60.63%. More than 400,000 yuan was saved in costs, with all expenses remaining within the designated limits. Production adjustments drive technological innovation in processes. In the hydrogen production process, issues such as complex climate conditions in the northern regions, high safety risks, fluctuations in the composition of natural gas, and severe blockages in water coolers are common, with no existing experience to draw upon. Since the beginning of the year, as the hydrogen demand from refining and chemical companies has declined, the plant has had to reduce its operating capacity on multiple occasions, from 75% down to a minimum of 42% – the lowest level ever recorded since the plant started operations, and this low-level operation persisted for an extended period. The plant’s operation at such low capacities meant that its process parameters were constantly under stress due to risks of overheating and overpressure. These complex operational conditions posed serious challenges to the technical skills required for operation. In response, the technical staff focused on these issues, conducted repeated trials based on actual production conditions, and optimized the process parameters of the converter system to achieve precise control. By using the data collected during operation at low capacities, they updated the operating procedures and improved monitoring of key equipment. As a result, the hydrogen production plant was able to operate at 100% capacity, with no unplanned shutdowns or production disruptions occurring. The specific consumption of raw material gas, fuel gas, demineralized water, and other materials was all lower than that in the same period last year; the hydrogen yield reached 93%, the highest level on record. By tapping into potential and enhancing efforts to achieve safety and efficiency, the process condensate heat exchanger (E05307) and the demineralized water preheater (E05304) in the 25,000 Nm3/h natural gas-based hydrogen production plant suffer from design flaws; as a result, the temperatures of the demineralized water and shift gas become too high, increasing the energy consumption required for cooling ； Additionally, the liquid-containing steam discharged from the deaerator causes roads within the plant area to freeze in winter, posing a risk to personnel safety. To completely resolve the aforementioned issues, the technicians added an existing heat exchanger to the process condensate system, thereby fully addressing the problem of overheating in the system. By reducing the temperature of the reformer gas and demineralized water, it is possible to reduce the number of fans operating in the reformer gas air coolers, thereby saving electrical energy (an annual savings of 112,100 yuan) ； On the other hand, it completely resolves the issue of liquid carried in the steam vent from the top of the deaerator, eliminates ice formation on road surfaces during winter, and prevents the risk of people slipping. Following the implementation of this technological innovation, various process parameters have become more optimal, and the operation of the equipment has become more stable. Aiming to reduce costs and improve efficiency, efforts are made to enhance safety and increase speed; technical advancements are continuously developed, equipment is upgraded more rapidly, complex production processes are simplified, and efforts are focused on achieving safer and more efficient solutions. Making use of local resources to boost internal efficiency: This year, with the implementation of measures aimed at improving quality and efficiency, the hydrogen production workshop has redefined its role. Through systematic diagnosis and further adjustments, it has managed to bring the defective equipment up to standards that ensure technical feasibility, operational safety, economic Rationality, and reliable quality. Oil leakage from the crankcase breather cap not only results in a waste of compressor oil, but also causes oil residue to accumulate increasingly on the surface of the crankcase, posing potential hazards to production. The crankcase is a core component of the compressor, and the breather cap located on its upper part is an important element for balancing the air pressure inside and outside the crankcase. It plays a crucial role in ensuring that the breather holes remain unobstructed, and it is key to preventing imbalances in pressure between the inside and outside. The maintenance staff and operators worked together on several occasions to analyze the cause of the problem and find a solution. Eventually, they decided to make a small hole at the bottom of the filter screen, and then block that hole with a wire brush; this allowed the oil from the outer part of the filter screen to flow back into the crankcase, while the oil and gas in the crankcase were prevented from passing through by the wire brush. After implementation, the equipment was operated for a period of time; it was observed that the crankcase was clean and there was no more oil leakage, confirming that this corrective action was successful. A simple trick is all it takes to solve the problem of oil leakage from the crankcase breather cap, reducing the workload for operators in terms of cleaning.