The production of high purity hydrogen involves a two-stage process of methanol reforming and PSA purification. Initially, a mixture of methanol and deionized water is vaporized in heat exchangers and directed to a heated catalyst reactor, which transforms the methanol/water vapor into a syngas containing hydrogen, carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, methane, and water vapor. This syngas is subsequently cooled in a heat exchanger, with the water vapor condensed and recycled to the storage tank. The cooled syngas is then fed to the PSA purification unit, which utilizes a molecular sieve to isolate the hydrogen to the desired purity. The tail gas from the PSA purification unit is sent to the buffer tank and used as fuel for the required process heat.

The process heat can be supplied either by utilizing our Principal’s distinctive circulation of hot inert gas or by using a thermal oil system. By using the circulation of inert gas instead of thermal oil as the heat transfer fluid for heating, the reformer renders a thermal oil system obsolete and avoids all associated expenses and issues related to handling thermal oil.

In scenarios where thermal oil is already accessible or for large MeOH-based reforming plants (exceeding approximately 2000 Nm³/h H2), a thermal oil heated plant may be more feasible. This is because the physical equipment size of the circulated inert gas-based plant increases disproportionally.