Steam Methane Reformer Services
Howe Baker provides engineering services for steam methane reformers — covering tube inspection, catalyst assessment and replacement, feed pre-treatment, PSA integration review and reformer revamp engineering.
About This Service
Steam methane reformers are critical units in refinery hydrogen plants, ammonia facilities and industrial hydrogen production. Maintaining reformer performance and reliability requires periodic technical assessment of reformer tubes, catalyst condition and feed pre-treatment systems.
Howe Baker's hydrogen engineering capability covers both the reforming and purification sections of hydrogen plants. SMR services draw on process and mechanical engineering knowledge of reformer systems, with particular experience in the interface between the SMR and downstream PSA purification — an area where combined assessment of both systems can provide a more complete view of plant performance.
Contact Howe Baker to discuss this service in relation to your equipment or project requirements.
Discuss a RequirementTypical Situations This Service Addresses
Reformer Tube Condition Assessment
Evaluation of reformer tube condition during planned maintenance to assess remaining service life, identify tubes approaching creep limits and inform tube replacement decisions.
Declining Hydrogen Production
Investigation of reduced hydrogen output from the SMR-PSA train, which may be caused by catalyst deactivation, tube degradation, steam-to-carbon ratio changes or PSA performance issues.
Catalyst Replacement Planning
Assessment of primary reformer catalyst activity and deactivation to determine whether catalyst replacement is required and to plan the replacement within the maintenance programme.
Feed Pre-Treatment Issues
Problems with desulphurisation guard bed performance affecting catalyst life — including assessment of ZnO sorbent condition and design of replacement or upgraded feed pre-treatment systems.
SMR Capacity Expansion
Engineering assessment and revamp design for SMR units where hydrogen demand has increased beyond the original reformer design capacity.
Startup and Commissioning
Technical support for SMR startup following a planned shutdown, including catalyst reduction, initial operating parameter setting and performance verification.
Engineering & Service Scope
Reformer Tube Inspection Engineering
Engineering support for reformer tube inspection programmes, including assessment methodology, acceptance criteria, measurement data review and remaining life evaluation based on inspection findings.
Catalyst Assessment & Replacement Programming
Assessment of primary reformer catalyst activity data to determine deactivation level, followed by planning of catalyst replacement including loading sequence, activation procedure and initial operating guidance.
Feed Desulphurisation Review
Engineering assessment of the SMR feed desulphurisation system, including ZnO guard bed condition evaluation and design of replacement or upgraded pre-treatment to protect reformer catalyst from sulphur poisoning.
PSA Integration Review
Assessment of PSA unit performance in the context of overall SMR-PSA hydrogen plant operation, including cycle performance review, hydrogen recovery evaluation and identification of any PSA-related contributions to declining H₂ production.
SMR Revamp Engineering
Engineering studies and detailed design for SMR capacity expansion or efficiency improvement revamps, including assessment of reformer tube ratings, burner capacity and heat recovery system constraints.
Startup & Commissioning Support
On-site technical advisory during SMR startup following planned shutdown, covering catalyst reduction, steam-to-carbon ratio establishment, temperature profile management and performance run.
Process Performance Review
Engineering review of SMR operating data — including approach to equilibrium, tube wall temperatures, reformer duty and product composition — to identify operating improvements or maintenance requirements.
Associated Technology
Hydrogen Recovery, Green and Blue Hydrogen
SMR engineering, blue hydrogen and green hydrogen project delivery.
Pressure Swing Adsorption
PSA hydrogen purification — the downstream unit in most SMR plants.
Carbon Capture Storage and Usage
CCUS engineering for blue hydrogen and low-carbon SMR projects.
Need Support for Existing Equipment or Plant Performance?
Contact Howe Baker with your unit details, current operating data or project brief. Our engineers will advise on the appropriate service scope and delivery approach.
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