Revamping with TPR®

Exchanger reformer to perform plant capacity increase.
No primary reformer radiant box modification.
Capacity increase up to 30% per single TPR installed.
Steam system optimization.

The TPR® is an exchanger reformer manufactured by Technip and offered inside Casale ammonia plant revamping.

TPR® can be applied effectively in new plants or as a retrofit for existing plants. For retrofits, the technology offers an unmatched solution for Clients looking to increase steam reforming capacity by providing additional reformed gas with minimal or no modifications to the existing reformer, including the steam system. The installation of the TPR is going to reduce the primary reformer radiant box load (less firing), on the other hand the mixed feed coil, the process air coil as well as the natural gas coil load is going to increase due to the increased plant capacity.

According to the TPR® arrangement about 85% of the Natural gas and steam is supplied to the existing primary reformer radiant box, where the combustion heat is transferred from the hot flue gas to the tubes mainly through radiative heat transfer; the balance (about 15%) of gas is fed directly to the exchanger reformer (TPR) bypassing the radiant box. The steam reformed process gas is then routed to the secondary reformer together with process air in order to be further reformed.

At Secondary reformer outlet the process gas is fed to the TPR® or Technip Parallel Reformer (TPR®) as a convective–regenerative heat exchange reformer that:

  • optimizes the high-grade heat recycle
  • increases reforming capacity without additional firing

The TPR® is featured by an axial internal symmetry that makes this exchanger reformer the most efficient available on the market. Basically, considering the same design basis, this feature allows either to achieve a lower methane slip or smaller size for this equipment.

The production increase is up to more than 30%. The TPR® is providing also minor energy saving.

For plants producing an excess of steam and exporting it, another feature of the TPR® is to reduce such export to zero making the plant selfsustained.