Steam reforming
AssigneeJohnson Matthey PLC
InventorsStuart Ballentyne Brady, Peter William Farnell, Martin Fowles
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Abstract
An apparatus for steam reforming of hydrocarbons comprises a heat exchange reformer having disposed within a plurality of vertical catalyst-filled tubes, through which a gas mixture comprising hydrocarbon and steam may be passed, and to which heat may be transferred by means of a heat exchange medium flowing around the external tube surfaces, wherein heat exchange adapting means are provided within the reformer so that the tubes have a zone of lower heat exchange extending from the bottom of the catalyst up to 25% of the catalyst depth with no heat exchange enhancement means provided in that zone. A process for steam reforming of hydrocarbons employs this apparatus.
Claims15
Apparatus for steam reforming of hydrocarbons comprising a heat exchange reformer having a process fluid off-take zone at a first end, a heat exchange zone, and a process fluid feed zone at a second end opposite the first end, said heat exchange reformer comprising a plurality of vertical catalyst-filled tubes disposed within said heat exchange zone and having external tube surfaces, wherein:
- (i) said plurality of vertical catalyst-filled tubes are adapted to allow for passage of a process fluid comprising hydrocarbon and steam;
- (ii) heat may be transferred to said plurality of vertical catalyst-filled tubes by a heat exchange medium flowing around the external tube surfaces;
- (iii) the catalyst of the catalyst-filled tubes extends for a catalyst depth within the heat exchange zone from a first position near the first end to a second position near the second end;
- and wherein said apparatus further comprises heat exchange enhancement means comprising transverse baffles provided within the heat exchange zone so that the catalyst-filled tubes have a zone of lower heat exchange extending from the first position of the catalyst-filled tubes to a level in the range of 5 to 25% of the catalyst depth, wherein no heat exchange enhancement means are provided in said zone of lower heat exchange.
A process for steam reforming of hydrocarbons to generate a reformed gas mixture, including the steps of (i) passing a gas mixture, comprising hydrocarbon and steam through a plurality of catalyst-filled tubes having external surfaces and disposed vertically within a heat exchange reformer, and (ii) transferring heat to the mixture undergoing reforming by a heat exchange medium flowing around the external surfaces of said tubes, wherein the catalyst of the catalyst-filled tubes extends for a catalyst depth from a first position near a first end of the reformer to a second position near a second end of the reformer opposite the first end, and wherein the reformer comprises heat exchange enhancement means comprising transverse baffles within the reformer so the heat transferred between the heat exchange medium and said gas mixture passing through said tubes is lower in a zone of lower heat exchange extending from the first position of the catalyst-filled tubes to a level in the range of 5 to 25% of the catalyst depth, than the heat transferred between the heat exchange medium and said mixture above said zone of lower heat exchange, wherein no heat exchange enhancement means are provided in said zone of lower heat exchange so that the temperature of the external surfaces of the tubes in said zone is lower.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.