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Email: sales@ventech-eng.com

The Ventech Reformer Units; VR-400, VR-750, VR-1500, and VR-2500, are complete, modularized, Naphtha processing units, consisting of a Naphtha Hydrotreater (HDS) and a Catalytic Reformer, ready for immediate installation. Each unit will handle up to 400, 750, 1500, and 2500 barrels of Straight Run Naphtha per day, respectively. All equipment is new and fully warranted for one full year. Ventech will have your Naphtha Hydrotreater and Catalytic Reformer Unit designed, manufactured and ready for shipment, F.O.B. Pasadena, Texas in as little as nine months from the funding of your executed contract. Reformer Units with larger processing capacities may also be custom designed.

Based on a typical 60° API (740 mg/l) Naphtha, with 35 Volume % Naphthenes, and 10 Volume % Aromatics, the Ventech Reformer Units will process the rated capacity and approximately 85 Volume % of the feed will be produced as Reformate. Actual product percentages will vary depending on the special characteristics of your Naphtha. Upon receipt of your Naphtha analysis, Ventech will furnish the yields that can be produced for your Reformate specifications. Ventech will make modifications to the Reformer Unit to meet your special product needs.

Ventech can also furnish any optional equipment needed for further processing of your product streams.

Each Naphtha Reformer Unit can operate at variable production rates to meet your needs. The nominal minimum and maximum charge rate for each unit is:

The Catalytic Reformer Unit will provide a motor fuel product consistent with the client's octane requirements at the following conditions:

Motor Fuel Specifications

Octane (RON): 90-99 dependent on client requirements

Temperature: 105°F (41°C)

  Fuel Gas Specifications

Heating Valve: 580 - 700 BTU/SCF [5159-6219 kcel/scm]

Temperature: 120°F (49°C)

  NAPHTHA HYDROTREATER (HDS)

Exchangers

Heaters

Tower, Drums, & Reactors

Pumps & Compressors

P-301 A/B HDS Feed Pumps

P-311 A/B HDS Stripper Reflux Pumps

P-312 A/B HDS Stripper Reboiler Pumps

C-301 A/B HDS Hydrogen Booster Compressors

Exchangers

Tower, Drums, Tanks, & Reactors

P-321 A/B Reformer Stabilizer Feed Pumps

P-323 Chloride Addition Pump

P-332 A/B Reformer Stabilizer Reflux Pumps

C-321 A/B Reformer Recycle Compressors

The Ventech Naphtha Reformer Units are designed to process varying Naphthas to produce a marketable high octane grade of gasoline. These units use a catalytic process to rearrange low octane hydrocarbon molecules in the Naphtha into high octane aromatic molecules. A byproduct of this reforming process is the production of hydrogen and some light hydrocarbons. Coke is formed during the normal operation of a Naphtha catalytic reformer unit. This coke stays on the catalysts and decreases the activity of the catalysts over time. The catalysts must therefore be regenerated. The Ventech Naphtha Reformer utilizes a semi-regenerative design which allows the unit to be taken off-stream periodically for catalyst regeneration. The Ventech Naphtha Reformers are designed to provide the optimum cycle life.

The feed to the Reformer is pretreated in the Naphtha Hydrotreater (HDS) section. Certain metals, hydrogen sulfide, ammonia and organic nitrogen and sulfur compounds will deactivate the Reformer catalyst. Therefore, the Naphtha feed is pretreated in the HDS Unit to remove the sulfur compounds normally found in straight run Naphtha. The HDS section of the Reformer is also a catalytic process. The fresh feed is preheated with hydrogen produced in the reformer section and passed over the catalyst. The hydrogen then reacts with the organic sulfur compounds and produces H₂S. The H₂S, hydrogen, and light hydrocarbons are then stripped away from the sweet Naphtha, and used for fuel. The sweet Naphtha is then processed in the Reformer section. Hydrotreating catalyst is selected to provide a stable operation throughout several reforming catalyst run cycles.

Ventech's units are constructed to ASME and API specifications, and all welding is to code. They are instrumented to allow minimal supervision during operation, and the modules are manufactured to allow easy access for maintenance. The units are designed to be energy efficient, and the products are properly cooled for storage.

Prior to shipment, Ventech fully tests all exchangers, motors, pumps, compressors, instrumentation and electrical components to ensure a trouble free operation.

The Naphtha Reformer can normally produce an octane number of 90-97 RON for most Naphthas with a three-reactor system. With the addition of an OPTIONAL fourth reactor and heater, octane numbers above 97 RON can be achieved.

The Hydrotreater and Reformer operate as an integral unit in which Naphtha feed is first contacted with hydrogen in the presence of a catalyst to convert sulfur compounds to hydrogen sulfide. The hydrogen sulfide is separated from the product and the sweet liquid is then fed to the Reformer.

In the Reformer, four major reactions occur in the presence of hydrogen and reforming catalyst to produce a high octane aromatic product that can be used as motor fuel or blended into motor fuel. Those reactions are:

The reactions are endothermic (requiring heat for the process). Coke and hydrogen are formed as byproducts. Hydrogen is separated from the Reformer effluent and recycled to the Naphtha Hydrotreater and the Reformer Reactors. The effluent is stabilized to control the vapor pressure of the high octane product (Reformate).

Naphtha feed, from the intermediate storage tank or surge drum pump, enters the unit at the suction of the Naphtha Feed Pumps. Hydrogen from the Reformer section is injected into the Naphtha feed. The combined Naphtha and hydrogen stream is preheated in the reactor Feed/Outlet Exchanger. The preheated feed then flows to the Naphtha Hydrotreater Heater. This Heater controls the temperature for optimum reaction of the sulfur compounds with hydrogen in the reactor.

The reactor effluent is first cooled in the Feed/Outlet Exchanger and is then cooled in the Outlet Cooler. The product enters the Flash Drum where a vapor containing hydrogen sulfide, hydrogen, and light hydrocarbons is separated from the liquid Naphtha. This vapor flows from the Flash Drum and is used as fuel gas. Caution must be used in handling this stream because of the toxic hydrogen sulfide.

The liquid Naphtha is preheated in the Feed/Bottoms Exchanger and enters the feed zone of the Stripper Tower. Light hydrocarbon vapor, hydrogen, hydrogen sulfide and water vapor are partially condensed in the air cooled overhead Condenser and enter the Reflux Drum. The liquid hydrocarbons collected in the Reflux Drum are pumped back to the top of the Stripper Tower as reflux.

The uncondensed vapor leaves the Reflux Drum and is used as fuel. Water that collects in the Reflux Drum is drained from the drum to a location away from the unit. The water and fuel gas contain trace quantities of hydrogen sulfide. Caution must be used in handling these streams because of the toxic hydrogen sulfide.

Most of the feed to the Stripper Tower leaves the tower as hot liquid from the bottom of the tower. External heat is added to the tower by pumping liquid from the bottom of the tower through the fired Reboiler and recycling the vapor/liquid mix to the tower. The heat vaporizes some of the hot liquid which in turn drives hydrogen sulfide to the overhead of the column, leaving less than 1 ppm (mass) hydrogen sulfide present in the tower bottoms.

Liquid leaving the Stripper, is cooled in the Feed/Bottoms Exchanger and enters the Reformer section of the plant.

The hydrotreated (desulfurized) Naphtha from the Hydrotreater mixes with the hydrogen from the Reformer Recycle Compressor. The feed Naphtha and hydrogen are preheated in the Feed/Outlet Heat Exchangers. The mix enters Heater No. 1 where the feed temperature is increased to approximately 900°F (482°C) to achieve the optimum Reformer operating conditions.

The Reformer reactions are endothermic. Consequently, the effluent from Reactor No. 1 is reheated to the appropriate reaction temperature in Heater No. 2, before entering Reactor No. 2 and a similar operation occurs with Heater No. 3 and Reactor No. 3.

Effluent from Reactor No. 3 is cooled in Feed/Outlet Exchanger No. 2, and is then further cooled in the Stabilizer Reboiler. This effluent stream is then cooled in Feed/Outlet Exchanger No. 1, and then cooled to product temperature in an Air Cooler. The product enters the Flash Drum, and hydrogen rich vapors separate from the liquid hydrocarbon. Hydrogen rich vapors flow from the Flash Drum to the suction of the Reformer Recycle Compressor, and HDS Booster Compressor. Excess hydrogen produced as a byproduct of the Reformer can be used as fuel gas in the Hydrotreater section and Reformer section or in another unit such as a Crude Unit or Boiler or burned in an offsite plant flare.

Liquid product leaving the Flash Drum is preheated in a Feed/Bottoms Exchanger and enters the feed section of the Stabilizer Tower. Light hydrocarbons leave the overhead of the tower and are partially condensed in the air cooled Condenser and enter the Reflux Drum. Liquid hydrocarbons collected in the Reflux Drum are pumped back to the top of the Stabilizer as reflux.

The major portion of the feed to the Stabilizer Tower leaves the bottom of the tower as hot liquid. Some of the hot liquid enters the Reboiler where it is heated by means of heat exchange with the reactor effluent. The heat vaporizes some of the hot liquid which in turn drives light hydrocarbons to the overhead of the column to stabilize the liquid.

The liquid product from the bottom of the Stabilizer Tower is cooled in the Feed/Bottoms Exchanger and further cooled in an Air Cooler. The cooled product leaves the Unit for storage and blending.

The Naphtha Hydrotreater and Reformer requires the use of specially designed catalysts. The overall performance and the service factor of the Unit is determined by the proper catalyst selection.

The purpose of the Naphtha Hydrotreater and the Hydrotreater catalyst is to remove elemental sulfur from the Naphtha. Since sulfur damages the expensive Reformer catalyst, it is imperative that an appropriate Hydrotreater catalyst be selected. Ventech will review each Naphtha quality, composition and contaminants and provide a Hydrotreater catalyst specification and recommendation.

The use of the proper Reformer catalyst is the key to the successful production of high octane motor fuel. The Reformer catalyst selected for the Unit must be designed to operate at the design operating conditions, provide the correct pressure drop, and have the necessary activity to achieve the predicted operating run time cycle. The catalyst contains platinum which must be furnished to the catalyst vendors for catalyst manufacture. The platinum can be recovered from used catalyst after its removal from the Catalytic Reformer.

Ventech offers to provide both the Naphtha Hydrotreater and the Catalytic Reformer catalysts at an additional price as an option to be selected by the client. If Ventech does not provide the catalyst, Ventech will provide catalyst specifications to assist the client with the purchase of the appropriate catalyst.

Email: sales@ventech-eng.com