【Ten Years of Rapid Development in Chemical Engineering Equipment】From 2018 to 2023, China’s first prototype of a micro-sized natural gas hydrogen production reactor was successfully ignited on the first attempt

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Ten years of rapid development in chemical engineering technology – praise for China’s prosperity and strength. This is just a starting point; more participation from everyone will make things even more lively. HaiChuan becomes even better with your involvement; we welcome everyone to join in the forum discussions. The fragrance of rice flowers in August -------------------------------------------Recently, China National Offshore Oil Corporation announced that the first domestically developed prototype of a small-scale natural gas-based hydrogen production reactor was successfully ignited on its first attempt. This development fills a gap in China’s field of small-scale industrial hydrogen production. The efficiency and compactness of this prototype rank among the highest in the industry, indicating that China now possesses the key core technologies necessary for designing and constructing such reactors. Natural gas hydrogen production is the process of converting natural gas into hydrogen through chemical reactions. Large-scale natural gas hydrogen production reactors are relatively mature, but miniaturized natural gas hydrogen production reactors suitable for fuel cells require the high-level integration of multiple systems such as raw gas preheating, desalinated water heating and process steam generation, air preheating, fuel and burners, catalytic reforming, and heat exchange between flue gas and process gas; as a result, their design and manufacturing are quite challenging. To generate power with each or several solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) stacks, at least one micro or small natural gas hydrogen production reactor is required. At present, this device relies mainly on imports, as there are no commercial products available in the domestic market. In addition to their excellent compatibility with SOFC systems, small and micro natural gas hydrogen production reactors can also be further modified to fit proton exchange membrane fuel cell (PEFC) combined heat and power systems. They are suitable for use in small-scale industrial applications such as hydrogen supply for power plant cooling and in laboratories, offering broad prospects for market application. It is reported that the miniaturized natural gas hydrogen production reactor developed by CNOOC has a hydrogen production capacity of 5 cubic meters per hour. The prototype has a diameter of 40 centimeters and a height of 100 centimeters; it is capable of achieving efficient conversion of natural gas and effective utilization of heat using sources such as natural gas, liquefied petroleum gas, and city gas. Its conversion efficiency and compactness rank among the highest in this category. The outlet temperature and composition are more suitable for SOFC combined heat and power applications compared to similar foreign products. The overall power and heat generation efficiency exceeds 90%, enabling it to provide households and communities with independent, convenient, and affordable electricity and hot water. It is reported that CNPC has made a breakthrough in the field of small and micro natural gas-based hydrogen production, breaking the foreign technological monopoly. This advancement has resolved issues such as high import costs, long supply cycles, and difficulties in maintenance for such equipment. It has further expanded the range of hydrogen production equipment, extending its use from hydrogen for transportation purposes to downstream applications in fuel cell power generation. This marks a new stage in the development of China’s core technologies for natural gas-based hydrogen production, enabling their use on a larger scale across various applications. “Next, CNOOC will continue to intensify its efforts to promote the use of domestically developed small-scale hydrogen production equipment in the megawatt-class SOFC power generation projects in Zhejiang, expand its industrial applications in the field of hydrogen for power plant cooling, facilitate the transformation of research results and market promotion, and accelerate the process of making CNOOC’s natural gas-based hydrogen production equipment more branded, standardized, digitalized, and carbon-free, with the aim of creating high-end hydrogen production equipment with international influence. ”