Method Of Regulating The Flow Of Combustible Gas During The Start-Up Phase Of A Reforming Furnace

Abstract

A method for regulating the flow of combustible gas conveyed to the burners of the reforming furnace of a steam reformer, enabling the gas flow feeding the ignited burners of said furnace to be regulated is provided.

1 - 6 . (canceled) 
     
     
         7 . A method for regulating the flow of a combustible gas designed to feed the ignited burners of a reforming furnace of a steam reformer during a start-up phase of said furnace, comprising steps of:
 a) feeding a manifold with a gas flow of said combustible gas,   b) feeding said manifold with a flow of an inert gas,   c) producing at the outlet of the manifold, a blended gas flow consisting of the mixture of combustible gas and inert gas,   d) feeding the ignited burners of the reforming furnace with the blended gas mixture coming from step c), via an assembly for distributing the blended gas mixture to the ignited burners.   
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein the combustible gas feeding step a) is selected from the group consisting of natural gas, butane, propane and naphtha, alone or mixed. 
     
     
         9 . The method as of  claim 7 , wherein the inert gas feeding step a) is gaseous nitrogen. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein the flow of blended gas mixture feeding the ignited burners of the furnace has a total pressure of 3-5 mbar. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein the flow of blended gas mixture feeding the ignited burners of the furnace has a partial pressure of the combustible gas such that the heat released during combustion of the combustible mixture with air feeding said burners is of the order of 25% of the nominal heat. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein the ratio of the flow of inert gas injected to the flow of combustible gas is between 0.5 and 1.