What are the technical requirements and quality judgment for steam reforming catalyst loading?

(1) Technical Requirements:

Catalyst loading must be done on sunny days. Before filling, the catalyst should be sieved to remove powder. The furnace tubes should be cleaned with cotton yarn or cloth to ensure no oil stains or debris.

Confirm there are no blockages at the joint plate between the furnace tubes and the distribution and collection tubes, and check the empty tube pressure drop for compliance. If individual furnace tubes show a deviation in pressure drop exceeding 5% during catalyst loading, the catalyst should be removed and reloaded. Powder and fragments must be sieved out before loading the catalyst.

AM-2-412Q is the upper steam reforming catalyst, loaded in the upper section of the furnace tube, while AM-2-413Q is the lower steam reforming catalyst, loaded in the lower section of the furnace tube. During the loading process, start by loading the lower catalyst. After the entire lower section is loaded and the bed height and pressure drop adjustments are confirmed to be within specifications, proceed to load the upper catalyst. Strict measures should be taken to prevent the incorrect placement or mixing of upper and lower catalysts. When loading the catalyst, adhere to the principles of equal weight, equal height, and equal pressure drop.

Evaluation of Steam Reforming Catalyst Loading Quality:

The loading process proceeded smoothly without any instances of catalyst falling from mid-air.

The height deviation of catalyst in each bag, measured during the loading process, was within 20mm.

After loading the lower catalyst, the pressure drop difference between each furnace tube and the average pressure drop was less than 5%, preferably below 3%.

Adequate protective measures were taken during loading to prevent any foreign objects from falling into the reformer furnace tubes.