Market forces and environmental legislation are
increasing demand for hydrogen in oil refineries,
while simultaneously restricting traditional hydrogen sources such as
catalytic reforming.
Effective recovery and efficient use of hydrogen are necessary if
refiners are to maintain feedstock
and product flexibility while avoiding unnecessary capital expenditure.
A methodology for
assessment of hydrogen resources is developed by analogy with the
problem of process heat
recovery. The effectiveness of hydrogen use is related to the cost
of hydrogen recovery and the
value added in hydrogen-consuming processes. The costs of hydrogen
recovery by pressure-swing adsorption and membrane permeation are described. The value
added in hydrogen-consuming processes and the availability of hydrogen are determined by
the process chemistry
and the prevailing economic conditions. A graphical display of the
availability and distribution
of hydrogen resources provides insight into refinery design and
operations that supplements
the information available from optimization by linear
programming.
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