Author(s)

Ali Ashour AL-Dhfeery, Ala’a Abdulrazaq Jassem

Department of Chemical Engineering, Basra University, Basra, Iraq.

In this paper, the effect of catalyst shape and characteristics has been investigated where five types of a catalyst were examined under the same operation conditions, where catalysts are similar in the chemical properties (Ni/MgOAl₂O₃) but it's different in their physical properties in the catalyst section of secondary reformer. The secondary reformer involves continuation of the methane reforming reaction that began in the primary reformer to produce Nitrogen and Hydrogen in the ammonia plant. In order to evaluate performance of various types of catalysts in the secondary reformer reactor, mathematical model have been created. The mathematical model covers all aspects of major chemical kinetics, heat and mass transfer phenomena in the secondary reformer in the ammonia plant at steady state conditions. It aims to optimize the best catalyst from five types of catalyst of the secondary reformer reactor in the State Company of Fertilizers South Region in the Basra/Iraq. The mathematical model allows calculating the axial variations of compositions, temperature and pressure of the gases inside two reactors in series by using the atomic molar balance and adiabatic flame temperature in the combustion section while, in the catalyst section, they are predicted by using a one-dimensional heterogeneous catalytic reaction model. The analysis evaluation performance of the catalyst (RKS-2-7H') have good results than other the catalyst types (RKS - 2, ICI 54 - 2, RKS-2-7H”, RKS-2-7H”’) in catalyst zone of the secondary reformer.

Fertilizers; Autothermal Reformer; Steam Reforming; Catalysis; Hydrogen Production

A. AL-Dhfeery and A. Jassem, "Evaluation Performance of Different Types Catalysts of an Industrial Secondary Reformer Reactor in the Ammonia Plants," Modern Research in Catalysis, Vol. 1 No. 3, 2012, pp. 43-51. doi: 10.4236/mrc.2012.13006.