2 replies to this topic

[platinum_xp]

Good day! I'm a final year student working on design project for ammonia synthesis. I would like to ask if anyone has any recommendation on good books that I can refer to for Reformer design? I would like to look for calculation methods and also the mechanical design of the reformer. Thanks !

[Art Montemayor]

Aaron:

Good Luck on finding calculation methods and mechanical design for a steam reformer!

No, seriously - you won't find such information in the real world. People (professional engineers) who dominate the field and make a living from the expertise are not going to give it to you (or share it). Nothing personal - as the Mafia Godfather would say - just simply "business".

But that's OK. As a potential graduate in Chem E. I believe you are expected to come up with a decent, detailed, conceptual design - and not something that is actually going to be built and operated to make a profit. You should be able to do detailed research and come up with the required design data for catalyst types, reaction rates, kinetics, types of reformers, reformer tube alloys used (HK - Hastelloy), operating temperatures and even some drawings and photos. The boon years of steam reforming for ammonia production occurred in the 1960's and '70s. There is a lot of information available from that era - especially in the mid-west, around Iowa and Nebraska.

I had a lot of that information at one time, but I lent it to "friends" and never got it back. However, you should be able to generate a good stash of information through engineering libraries, AICHE, journals, and textbooks.

[platinum_xp]

Hi,

Thanks a lot for the information. I am also aware that as an undergraduate,it is not expected for me to be able to design a functional and profitable reformer. I just would like to explore the possibility of designing it although I have few other major equipment from ammonia synthesis process to choose for my individual design assignment. I will try and do more research on reformer before I decide which equipment to choose. Thanks again!

Regards,
Aaron