Issues with hydrogen production using liquefied gas

Among the various industrial hydrogen production technologies, the hydrocarbon steam reforming method is recognized as an advanced technology both domestically and internationally. In 1990, led by the Research Institute of Qilu Petrochemical Company, the Sinopec Hydrogen Production Technology Liaison Station was established to focus on the technical development and exchange related to hydrogen production through hydrocarbon conversion as well as catalysts in China. Over the past decade or so, the institute has first developed expertise in catalysts for the hydrogen production via steam reforming of heavy hydrocarbons such as naphtha, as well as related process technologies. It has since successfully expanded its efforts to light hydrocarbon steam reforming, developing steam reforming catalysts suitable for use with refinery gas, liquefied gas, and oil field gas as feedstocks; as a result, it now has more than 20 series of steam reforming catalysts tailored for different feedstocks and processes. The Southwest Research Institute began researching light oil pre-conversion catalysts in the 1980s, changing the one-stage conversion process to a two-stage one: first, the higher hydrocarbons are converted into methane-rich gas at low temperatures, and then methane is further converted into carbon oxides and hydrogen at high temperatures. The new low-temperature active steam pre-conversion catalyst CN-31 was successfully put into use at Sinopec Shanghai Gaqiao Petrochemical Company in August 2003. Researchers at the University of Wisconsin in the United States have developed a new catalytic process for producing hydrogen from oxygen-containing hydrocarbons derived from biomass, such as sorbitol or ethylene glycol. By using nickel-tin-based catalysts instead of platinum catalysts, the cost of hydrogen production is much lower than that of conventional natural gas steam reforming. This process generates hydrogen with low CO content under milder conditions (225°C, rather than 600–1000°C). The methanol cracking hydrogen production process is gradually gaining recognition in the industry due to the quality of the hydrogen it produces and its advantages in terms of production costs. This post was last edited by cswenhan on 2009-2-13 06:50]

It should be said that steam reforming for hydrogen production is a mature technology, whereas it is not an advanced technique compared to hydrogen production from liquefied gas. This post was last edited by cswenhan on 2009-2-14 at 10:20.]

The process for producing hydrogen from liquefied gas is essentially light hydrocarbon steam reforming technology; however, it’s probably not used these days for hydrogen production due to the high costs

Hydrogen production via liquefied gas involves the use of light hydrocarbons and steam for hydrogen generation; the conversion catalyst used is of the Z417/418 type. This process is not very different from the natural gas-based hydrogen production methods commonly used in China. The raw material consumption for producing hydrogen from liquefied petroleum gas is as follows: 0.29 kilograms of liquefied petroleum gas are required per cubic meter of hydrogen produced. Currently, the price of one ton of liquefied petroleum gas is around 3,000, whereas before the financial crisis it was over 6,000

The process for producing hydrogen from liquefied gas is essentially light hydrocarbon steam reforming technology; our hydrogen production facilities use liquefied gas to generate hydrogen, and the cost is high.

Reformed hydrogen is a by-product. Theoretically, LNG-based hydrogen production should have the lowest cost. Since LNG mainly contains CH4, it has a high hydrogen content, which results in a high H2 yield and thus lower costs. It’s different if it’s LPG.

Hydrogen production from liquefied gas essentially falls under the category of light hydrocarbon steam reforming; the choice of liquefied gas is a key factor here. We use reformed saturated liquefied gas to produce hydrogen, but liquefied gas serves as a backup feedstock, with PSA off-gases and natural gas being used in normal operations.

You can go to Shengli Petrochemical Complex to find out more; they have experience in producing hydrogen through the conversion of light oil

Typical hydrogenation coking units are designed with multiple methods for hydrogen production that complement each other: hydrogen production from coking dry gas, hydrogen production from liquid hydrocarbons, and hydrogen production from naphtha; generally, the latter two methods serve as supplements. So, under the current market conditions, which is more economical and practical: hydrogen production from liquid hydrocarbons or from naphtha?

Reply to 6# Zhang Jiahong: Hello, what are the main reaction processes and key equipment involved in hydrogen production using liquefied gas? Could you give a general overview? Can I learn it?