Special Focus: Process/Project Optimization

No refinery can operate without hydrogen (H₂) because it is needed in all hydroprocessing technologies to remove sulfurous impurities and produce products at the correct specifications. With each passing day, the importance of H₂ in refineries is increasing as crude oil gets heavier and more sour while product specifications are simultaneously getting tighter.

This article presents a new procedure to clean the plate heat exchanger of a diesel hydrotreatment plant. Initially, a prediction model of the pressure differential of the plate heat exchanger of this process was developed analyzing data from 11 yr of operation using recurrent neural networks.

Operations must ensure the material grade in their sensors is appropriate for H₂. Multivariable sensors with a stainless-steel diaphragm will allow H₂ to pass through. Updating to modern sensors with gold plating will significantly improve performance.

The methane (CH₄) pyrolysis process [also known as CH₄ cracking or turquoise hydrogen (H₂) production] is a thermal (high-temperature) breakdown of CH₄ into H₂ gas and solid carbon. The process typically takes place above 800°C in the absence of oxygen.

Proton exchange membrane (PEM) electrolyzers pair well with intermittent electricity sources (e.g., wind, solar). However, the PEM electrolyzer industry faces a significant barrier to scale: its reliance on rare, expensive iridium catalyst materials.

Digital technologies are playing a critical role in these endeavors by providing the data sharing, analytics and visualization necessary to accelerate the transition in each area. Design firms and production enterprises must engineer faster, operate more reliably, and meet regulatory and end user demands.

In January, the Biden Administration announced a pause on all pending approvals for gas export facilities. The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) will stop approvals for liquified natural gas (LNG) exports to assess the effect on climate change and danger to surrounding communities.

March's H₂Tech: Tech Spotlight includes a mechatronic H₂ pressure regulator, a H₂ barrier coating system, polymer electrolyte membranes for H₂ fuel cell systems and using titanium oxide to drive green H₂ production.

IMI has appointed technical hydrogen expert Dr Cornelia Neumann as its new Sales and Business Development Manager. She will be responsible for growing the company’s portfolio of H₂ customers across Germany, in key sectors such as transport, power and industry.

H₂Tech (H₂T) sat down with Drake Hernandez (DH), Associate Principal of Energy and Infrastructure at Charles River Associates (CRA) for an exclusive Q&A about the primary drivers of the levelized cost of H₂, renewable energy credits and the geographic and temporal correlation between produced H₂ and the power to fuel the production.

A typical steam methane reformer (SMR), which is a major process unit, easily consumes half as much natural gas for fuel as it reforms. The vast bulk of H₂ produced today still uses this approach.