# US 11,110,424 B2 · Reformer box with reformer tunnel including tunnel port > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,110,424 B2 - Document ID: US11110424B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 16/686,325 - Filed: 2019-11-18 - Published: 2021-05-20 - Granted: 2021-09-07 - Earliest claimed: 2019-11-18 - Assignees: Praxair Technology, Inc. - Applicants: Monica Zanfir; Bo Jin; Minish Mahendra Shah - Inventors: Monica Zanfir; Bo Jin; Minish Mahendra Shah - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11110424B2 ## CPC - B01J 8/008: {Details of the reactor or of the particulate material; Processes to increase or to retard the rate of reaction (B01J8/0285, B01J8/067, B01J8/087, B01J8/1836 take precedence)} - B01J 8/062: {being installed in a furnace} - B01J 8/067: {Heating or cooling the reactor (B01J8/062 takes precedence)} - C01B 3/384: with external heating of the catalyst - F28F 9/013: for tubes or tube-assemblies - F28F 9/0263: {by varying the geometry or cross-section of header box} - B01J 2208/00504: by means of a burner - B01J 2208/065: Heating or cooling the reactor - B01J 2219/00763: Baffles - C01B 2203/0816: Heating by flames - B01J: CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROCESSES, e.g. CATALYSIS OR COLLOID CHEMISTRY; THEIR RELEVANT APPARATUS - C01B: NON-METALLIC ELEMENTS; COMPOUNDS THEREOF; {METALLOIDS OR COMPOUNDS THEREOF NOT COVERED BY SUBCLASS C01C} - F28F: DETAILS OF HEAT-EXCHANGE AND HEAT-TRANSFER APPARATUS, OF GENERAL APPLICATION (water and air traps, air venting F16) ## Abstract A top-fired reformer box is provided. The top-fired reformer box includes a burner row, a tube row, a reformer tunnel including a closed end, an open end, and a plurality of tunnel ports formed along a side wall of the reformer tunnel, the plurality of tunnel ports including a one or more tunnel port located along the side of the tunnel, and a flow resistor positioned at least one tunnel port applying a flow resistance for flue gas entering the reformer tunnel via the at least one tunnel port such that uniform flow is achieved within the reformer tunnel. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A top-fired reformer box, comprising: a burner row; a tube row; a reformer tunnel including a closed end, an open end, and a plurality of tunnel ports formed along a side wall of the reformer tunnel, the plurality of tunnel ports located along the side of the tunnel and a first row of tunnel ports on a roof of the reformer tunnel wherein the plurality of tunnel ports gradually decrease in size from the closed end of the reformer tunnel to the open end of the reformer tunnel; and a flow resistor positioned in at least one tunnel port applying a flow resistance for flue gas entering the reformer tunnel via the at least one tunnel port such that uniform flow is achieved within the reformer tunnel. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The top-fired reformer box of claim 1, wherein the plurality of tunnel ports further includes a second tunnel port located in proximity to the closed end, and further comprising a flow resistor positioned in said first and second tunnel port applying a flow resistance for flue gas entering the reformer tunnel via the second tunnel port. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The top-fired reformer box of claim 2, wherein the flow resistor positioned at the second tunnel port applies a flow resistance less than the flow resistance applied by the flow resistor positioned at a first tunnel port. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The top-fired reformer box of claim 1, wherein a flow resistor is positioned at each of the plurality of tunnel ports, wherein the plurality of tunnel ports are uniform in shape and size. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The top-fired reformer box of claim 4, wherein the flow resistors positioned at each of the plurality of tunnel ports are configured such that a lower flow resistance is applied near the closed end of the reformer tunnel and a higher flow resistance is applied near the open end of the reformer tunnel. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The top-fired reformer box of claim 1, wherein the flow resistor comprises a perforated plate or a porous media. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The top-fired reformer box of claim 1, further comprising a second row of tunnel ports form on the roof of the reformer tunnel. ### Claim 8 A top-fired reformer box, comprising: a burner row; a tube row; and a reformer tunnel including a closed end, an open end, a side wall and a roof, wherein a plurality of tunnel ports is formed along the side wall of the reformer tunnel, and wherein a plurality of tunnel ports is disposed in the roof of the reformer tunnel in at least a first row such that uniform flow is achieved within the reformer tunnel and where the plurality of tunnel ports gradually decrease in size from the closed end of the reformer tunnel to the open end of the reformer tunnel. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The top-fired reformer box of claim 8, wherein the plurality of tunnel ports formed along the side wall gradually decrease in size from the closed end of the reformer tunnel to the open end of the reformer tunnel. ### Claim 10 (depends on 8) The top-fired reformer box of claim 8, further comprising a second row of tunnel ports formed on the roof of the reformer tunnel. ### Claim 11 (depends on 8) The top-fired reformer box of claim 8, further comprising a flow resistor positioned at each of the plurality of tunnel ports formed disposed within the side wall of the tunnel. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The top-fired reformer box of claim 11, wherein the flow resistors positioned at each of the plurality of tunnel ports are configured such that a lower flow resistance is applied near the closed end of the reformer tunnel and a higher flow resistance is applied near the open end of the reformer tunnel. ### Claim 13 (depends on 11) The top-fired reformer box of claim 11, wherein the flow resistors comprise a perforated plate or a porous media. ### Claim 14 (depends on 8) The top-fired reformer box of claim 8, further comprising a flow resistor positioned at each of the plurality of tunnel ports formed along the roof of the tunnel.