Catalytic Alloy Hydrogen Sensor Apparatus and Process

摘要

A process for controlling a refinery or chemical process has been developed. The process comprises flowing a feed stream to a process unit; operating on the feed stream in the process unit to generate an effluent stream; flowing the effluent stream away from the process unit; passing at least a portion of the feed stream or the effluent stream through a catalytic alloy hydrogen sensor and generating a signal corresponding to the concentration of hydrogen present in either the feed stream or the effluent stream; passing the signal to a display unit; and adjusting at least one operating parameter of the process in response to at least the signal generated by the catalytic alloy hydrogen sensor. The catalytic alloy hydrogen sensor may be a palladium-nickel catalytic alloy hydrogen sensor. The adjustments may be based on a calculated mole percent hydrogen.