CHATPER

HYDROGEN GENERATION UNIT (HGU)

INTRODCTION
With increasing demand for diesel, more stringent product specifications for cleaner
fuels, reduced fuel oil demand and the economic advantages in processing heavier sourer
crudes, the demand for hydrogen in refineries continues to grow. This demand can be met by
applying a systematic, cost-effective approach to hydrogen management, including the
optimisation and revamp of existing hydrogen generation facilities.
Hydrogen Generation Unit (HGU) offers a very cost effective method to produce
hydrogen from hydrocarbons.

HGU PLANT IN REFINERY

Refineries can use different feedstocks to produce hydrogen, such as natural gas,
refinery gas, LPG, light naphtha, heavy naphtha and even straight run naphtha, depending on
their internal value and availability, to assure the availability of the most economical
feedstock to the hydrogen plant.
The characteristics of the feedstock will define the processing capability of the plant.
However, the correct selection of the hydrogen plant design and operating parameters
depends on the economic values attributed to the feedstock, the fuel and the steam produced,
these being the key process streams influencing the economics of the plant. Barauni Refinery
uses natural gas for the reforming process.

The overall process in HGU at Barauni Refinery can be divided into following sub
units.
1. Feedstock Treatment Section
2. Pre-Reforming Section
3. Steam Methane Reformer
4. Raw Hydrogen Purification
5. Compression of Hydrogen

1. FEEDSTOCK TREATMET SECTION

In this section sulphur and other contaminants are removed. The feedstock is first
hydrotreated and the resulting H2S is captured in a zinc oxide bed. There are different
desulphurisation schemes available, but the most commonly used is the lead-lag
arrangement eventually followed by a deep desulphurisation polishing bed. The reaction
temperatures are obtained by thermal exchange.

2. PRE REFORMIG SECTION

The pre-reforming section is generally installed to eliminate long-chain hydrocarbons
in heavier feedstocks before entering the reforming section, this allows the use of reduced
steam-to-carbon ratios.
When natural gas is used as feedstock, the use of a re-reforming section lowers the
reforming duty, thus reducing the cost of the steam reformer, which is the most expensive
part of the plant. For this reason, it is recommended that large-sized plants should have a pre-
reforming section.
3. STEAM METHANE REFORMER
This section converts feedstock and steam to syngas at high temperature and moderate
pressure. All the reactions are endothermic in nature. Nickel catalyst in vertical tubes in
radiant section of the furnace is used.

Reactions involved in this section are as follows:

1. Steam Methane Reforming
CH4 + H2O ⇌ CO + 3 H2
2. Water Gas Shift Reaction
Water gas shift reaction converts carbon monoxide and steam to carbon dioxide and
hydrogen.
CO + H2O ⇌ H2 + CO2

4. RAW HYDROGE PURIFICATION

The final product obtained from the reforming section is having Hydrogen, Carbon
Mono oxide, Carbon Dioxide and some unconverted Methane. So now, the objective of
further sections is to purify this product.
For the purification, Barauni Refinery is using Pressure Swing Adsorption Unit which
is also called PSA unit.

Working of Pressure Swing Adsorber:

The PSA purification unit removes by adsorption from the hydrogen the resulting CO,
CO2 and CH4 gases.
Pressure swing adsorption processes utilize the fact that under high pressure, gases
tend to be attracted to solid surfaces, or "adsorbed". The higher the pressure, the more gas is
adsorbed. When the pressure is reduced, the gas is released, or desorbed. PSA processes can
be used to separate gases in a mixture because different gases tend to be attracted to different
solid surfaces more or less strongly.
The mixture from the pre reformer is sent into the PSA. Carbon Mono oxide, Carbon
Dioxide and unconverted Methane gets adsorbed in the Adsorbent bed and pure hydrogen is
obtained at the outlet of the PSA.

5. COMPRESSION OF HYDROGEN
This process is not mandatory. Whenever high pressure hydrogen is needed,
compressors are used to increase the pressure of the hydrogen.

SMR is a mature technology and is now less likely to yield any large step-changes in
economic benefit from technological developments.