STEAM METHANE REFORMING METHOD

摘要

A steam methane reforming method in which a feed stream (10) is treated in a reactor (30; 30') containing a catalyst that is capable of promoting both hydrogenation and partial oxidation reactions. The feed stream (10) may be a refinery off-gas. The reactor (30; 30') is either operated in a catalytic hydrogenation mode to convert olefins into saturated hydrocarbons and/or to chemically reduce sulfur species to hydrogen sulfide or a catalytic oxidative mode utilizing oxygen and steam to prereform the feed and thus, increase the hydrogen content of a synthesis gas produced by a steam methane reformer (52). The reactor (30; 32) may be operated in alternate modes to provide for increased hydrogen production during the catalytic oxidative mode of operation or exclusively in a single mode of operation involving either a catalytic hydrogenation mode or a catalytic oxidative mode.