PRODUCER OF METHANE-RICH GAS FOR CITY GAS, PRODUCER OF CITY GAS, AND START-UP MECHANISM THEREFOR

摘要

PURPOSE:To dispense with the supply of fuel for heating raw materials and water added to methanol except at start-up, by recycling the water contained in methane-rich reaction gas as the water to be added to methanol. CONSTITUTION:A means b2 for supplying recirculating water comprises a recirculation pump 12 provided on a reaction gas separation tank 9 and a water supply line 300 which communicates with a feed supply line 100. The water (recirculating water) separated from tank 9 is added to methanol supplied from a methanol source through the pump 12 at a specified molar ratio, and the obtained mixture is sent to a reactor through a feed preheater a2, a feed evaporator 3 and a feed superheater 4. The pump 12 is operated as a methane-rich reaction gas is formed in the reactor. Namely, although a water supply pump 2 supplies water in an initial stage of the operation of the apparatus, when methane-rich reaction gas comes to be produced sufficiently in the reactor a1, the pump 2 is stopped and instead the pump 12 supplies water.