Reformer unit for generating hydrogen from a starting material comprising a hydrocarbon-water mixture

Reformer unit for generating hydrogen from a starting material comprising a hydrocarbon-water mixture, having:

• a. a reactor vessel (1) comprising a combustion chamber;
• b. a feed line (2) for feeding a heat absorbing starting material into the reactor vessel (1);
• c. a heat exchanger (3) in said combustion chamber, said heat exchanger (3) in the form of a coaxial heat exchanger having an outer tube (3a) and an inner tube (3b), said outer tube (3a) connected to the starting-material feed line (2), said starting material in tube (3a) in thermal communication with a flue gas in said combustion chamber, said inner tube (3b) connecting to a reformer space (6) to receive a reformate, said starting material in tube (3a) in thermal communication with reformate in said inner tube (3b);
• d. a further heat exchanger (5), which is connected to the outer tube (3a) of the heat exchanger (3) and is arranged around the reformer space (6);
• e. a line (8) which is connected to the heat exchanger (5) and has at least one outlet opening for feeding starting material in gaseous form into the reformer space (6), with a catalyst unit arranged therein which can be heated by a burner (7) in said combustion chamber, wherein combustion at the burner results in generation of the flue gas;
• f. at least one discharge line (9) for discharging the reformate which has been formed in the reformer space (6) to the inner tube (3b) of the heat exchanger (3), which at the other end is connected to a shift reactor (4);
• and
• g. a product discharge line (11) for the product gas which has been discharged from the shift reactor (4), and at least one discharge line (12) for the flue gas from the reactor vessel (1).