COMPARATIVE PERFORMANCE
Table 1. Mexican plant has lowered gas use and reformer temperature by using new catalyst. "The initial reporting at 100% plant rate indicated a 13.5% reduction in natural gas consumption by the reformer burners over the nominal values of previous months and years of operation. Continued readings, however, taken in the following months and at various plant rates, clearly indicate burner fuel reductions of up to 30%, and reductions to furnace temperatures of 35–70° Celsius."Based on current natural gas pricing in Mexico, the estimated payback period for the entire SSR catalyst charge changeover is 2.1 years.An additional benefit to the SSR catalyst system is that it will not fracture, clump together, create space voids or increase tube pressure drop over time, as is typical with ceramic catalyst pellets. The SSR technology is expected to allow the catalyst to extend the life of the reformer tubes and remain active over the extended tube life.
WILLIAM WHITTENBERGER is president and chief technology officer of Catacel Corp., Garrettsville, Ohio. E-mail him at [email protected].