Calculating Carbon Number and Hydrogen Numbers for various Gas streams:

1. Natural Gas:
The Average Molar Percentages of various components in Natural Gas are :
Component Molar Percentage
O
2
0.13
N
2
1.24
CO
2
0.11
CH
4
96.98
C
2
H
x
1.01
C
3
H
x
0.23
i-C
4
H
x
0.05
n-C
4
H
x
0.05
i-C
5
H
x
0.02
n-C
5
H
x
0.03
C
6
+
0.15

Carbon number can be defined as the average number of Carbon atoms in a given sample
(1 mole) of a substance.
Carbon Number of Natural Gas =

= 1.0134
Carbon Number = 1.0134
Similarly, Hydrogen number is the number of H-atoms in a given sample of the substance.
H-number =

= 3.9952
H-number = 3.9952
2. Recycle Gas :
Component Molar Percentage
H
2
72.25
N
2
26.24
Ar 0.31
CH
4
1.20

C-number =

= 0.012
H-number =

= 1.493

3. Reformer Gas: [Wet Analysis]
Component Molar Percentage
H
2
0.818
N
2
0.58
CH
4
21.97
Ar 3.5 x 10
-3

O
2
0.029
CO
2
2.49 x 10
-3
C
2
0.228
C
2
+


0.348
H
2
O 75.98

Carbon Number =

= 0.2371
C number = 0.2371
Similarly,
Hydrogen number =

= 2.46
H number = 2.46

Calculating Flow rates at different positions using Component Balances:
By the Law of Conservation of Mass, across any unit of the plant, we have,
[Mass of any component i]
in
-[Mass of component i]
out
- [Mass of component i]
accumulated
= 0
[(Flow rate of component) x (% of component)]
in the inlet stream

= [(Flow rate of component) x (% of component)]
in he outlet stream

(Since, the is no accumulation of mass in any unit of the plant)

To calculate the flow rates of various streams, we use the component balances of Carbon and
Hydrogen.

Component balance at Primary Reformer:
The inlet to the Primary reformer (Position 3) is a mixture of Recycle Gas from K-431 (pos. 2),
Natural Gas (pos. 1) and a Steam stream ( Process Steam + Condensate)
Balancing Carbon moles at positions 3 and 4 (Desulphurization & Reforming flow sheet) we
have,
(No. of Carbon moles)
in
= [ (1.0134 x

)+ (0.012 x

) + 0 ] (1)

Where 1.0134 is the carbon number of Natural gas stream and 0.012 is the carbon number of
recycle gas stream.
Let the Total flow rate at pos.4 be F Nm
3
/hr
Dry analysis at pos.4 is given in the process flow sheet as :
Component Molar Percentage (Dry)
H
2
66.51
N
2
0.82
CO 7.67
CO
2
10.86
Ar 0.01
CH
4
14.13

(No. of Carbon moles)
out
= [

] (2)
From equations (1) and (2),
We get, F = 89944.62 Nm
3
/hr 90054 Nm
3
/hr (as given in the data sheet)
Now,
Let the Flow rate of the outlet H
2
O stream be F Nm
3
/hr
From the process flow sheet, we have,
[Total steam flow rate]
in
= 77966 + 150 = 78116 Kg/hr =

Kmol/hr.

From Hydrogen balance, we get,
[K.Mol of Hydrogen]
in
= [(3.9952 x

) + (1.493 x

) +(2 x

)]
And, [K.Mol of Hydrogen]
out
= [{(2(66.51) + 4(14.13))x

}+

]
Equating the above two equations, we get,
F = 70585.76 Nm
3
/hr 70852 Nm
3
/hr (as given in the flow sheet)
The Wet-Analysis at position 4 can be given as :
Component Dry Analysis (mol%) Flow rates (Nm
3
/hr) Wet Analysis (mol%)
H
2
66.51 59792.49 37.26
N
2
0.82 737.18 0.46
CO 7.67 6895.33 4.3
CO
2
10.86 9763.14 6.08
Ar 0.01 8.99 0.0056
CH
4
14.13 12702.87 7.915
H
2
O 70585.76 44

Component balance at Secondary reformer:
Process air and Instrument air are compressed and added to the secondary reformer along with
the outlet from the primary reformer to give process gas.
The composition of the compressed air is given:
Component Mol%(Dry) Flow Rates Nm3/hr
O
2
20.99 8945
N
2
78.04 33256
CO
2
0.03 13
Ar 0.94 400
H
2
O 296

Dry analysis of the outlet Process gas is also known (Position 6):
Component Mol% (Dry)
H
2
55.33
N
2
23.79
CO 12.11
CO
2
7.88
Ar 0.29
CH
4
0.60
Carbon Balance:
Let the Flow rate of the outlet process gas be F Nm
3
/hr.
[K.mol of Carbon]
in
= [

] + [

(0.0003)]
[K.mol of Carbon]
out
= [

]
Equating the above two equations, we get,
F = 142661.64 Nm
3
/hr 142901 Nm
3
/hr (at pos. 6 in data sheet)
Hydrogen Balance:
Now,
Let Total steam flow rate at pos.6 be F Nm
3
/hr.
[K.mol of Hydrogen]
in
=

] +

[K.mol of Hydrogen]
out
=[

)] +

F = 75710 Nm
3
/hr 75703 Nm
3
/hr (at pos.6 in data sheet)
Wet Analysis at pos.6 can be given as:
Component
Flow rates
(Mol%
dry
xTotal flow rate)
Wet Analysis ( Mol%)
H
2
78934.69 36.17
N
2
33939.2 15.55
CO 17276.32 7.92
CO
2
11241.74 5.15
Ar 413.7188 0.19
CH
4
855.9698 0.40
H
2
O 75710 34.6


Component balance at High Temperature (HT) Shift Converter:
[CO Conversion & Methanation flow sheet]
Process gas (Flow rate 142901 Nm
3
/hr) enters the HT shift converter at pos.1 and exits in a
single stream at pos.2
The wet analysis of the entering stream has been calculated previously.(Pos.6 of
Desulphurization & Reforming flow sheet)
Dry analysis of outlet stream:
Component Molar Percentage
H
2
58.88
N
2
21.90
CO 3.20
CO
2
15.21
Ar 0.26
CH
4
0.55
Let the Flow rate of the outlet stream be F Nm
3
/hr.
From Carbon balance, we get,
[K.mol of Carbon]
in
=

)
[K.mol of Carbon]
out
=

)
F = 155186.25 Nm
3
/hr 155250 Nm
3
/hr (as given in the data sheet)
Hydrogen Balance:
Let the Total steam flow rate at pos.2 be F Nm
3
/hr.
[K.mol of Hydrogen]
in
=

+ 2(75703)
[K.mol of Hydrogen]
out
=

) +

F = 63404.22 Nm
3
/hr 63354 Nm
3
/hr ( as given in the data sheet)
Total Flow rate = 155186.25 + 63354 = 218590.48 Nm
3
/hr.
Wet Analysis of the HT shift converter can be given as:
Component Molar % (Wet basis)
H
2
41.804
N
2
15.549
CO 2.272
CO
2
10.799
Ar 0.1846
CH
4
0.3905
H
2
O 29.005

Component balance at Low Temperature (LT) Shift converter:
Given,
Dry analysis of outlet stream (Pos.3):
Component Molar Percentage
H
2
60.01
N
2
21.90
CO 0.36
CO
2
17.54
Ar 0.25
CH
4
0.54
Let the Flow rate of the outlet stream be F Nm
3
/hr.
From Carbon balance, we get,
[K.mol of Carbon]
in
=

)
[K.mol of Carbon]
out
=

)
F = 159627.98 Nm
3
/hr 159634 Nm
3
/hr (as given in the data sheet)
Hydrogen Balance:
Let the Total steam flow rate at pos.3 be F Nm
3
/hr.
[K.mol of Hydrogen]
in
=

+ 2(63354)
[K.mol of Hydrogen]
out
=

) +

F = 58956.45 Nm
3
/hr 58969 Nm
3
/hr ( as given in the data sheet)
Total Flow rate = 159627.98 + 58956.45 = 218584.43Nm
3
/hr.
Wet Analysis of the HT shift converter can be given as:
Component Molar % (Wet basis)
H
2
43.807
N
2
15.549
CO 0.2628
CO
2
12.804
Ar 0.1825
CH
4
0.3942
H
2
O 26.9719