초록 ▼

Integrated primary-secondary reforming operations are carried out with the partly reformed product effluent from the reformer tubes of the primary reforming zone passing to a catalyst-free reaction space at the feed end of a catalyst bed in the secondary reforming zone. The exothermic heat of reacti

Integrated primary-secondary reforming operations are carried out with the partly reformed product effluent from the reformer tubes of the primary reforming zone passing to a catalyst-free reaction space at the feed end of a catalyst bed in the secondary reforming zone. The exothermic heat of reaction generated in said reaction space supplies the necessary heat for the endothermic reforming reaction that occurs in the catalyst bed of the secondary reforming zone, and the still hot secondary product effluent leaving the secondary reforming zone is passed in the shell side of the primary reformer zone to supply the endothermic heat of reaction required in said primary reforming zone. Essentially autothermal operating conditions are thereby achieved so as to essentially eliminate the necessity for employing an external fuel-fired primary reformer and/or for consuming a portion of the hydrocarbon feed material for fuel purposes.

대표청구항 ▼

An apparatus for the essentially autothermal, integrated primary and secondary reforming of hydrocarbons comprising: (a) an internally insulated outer reactor shell adapted for the positioning of primary and secondary reforming zones therein; (b) means defining a primary reforming zone within said o

An apparatus for the essentially autothermal, integrated primary and secondary reforming of hydrocarbons comprising: (a) an internally insulated outer reactor shell adapted for the positioning of primary and secondary reforming zones therein; (b) means defining a primary reforming zone within said outer reactor shell and having a plurality of catalyst-containing reformer tubes positioned therein, said primary reforming zone not requiring an external fuel fired source of heat for the endothermic primary reforming reaction occuring therein; (c) means for introducing a fluid hydrocarbon feed stream and steam to said outer reactor shell for passage through said plurality of reformer tubes in said primary reforming zone; (d) means defining a secondary reforming zone within said outer reactor shell comprising a secondary reforming catalyst bed, a catalyst-free reaction space defining a feed end adjacent to said catalyst bed and a discharge end at the opposite side of said secondary reforming catalyst bed to said feed end; (e) conduit means positioned entirely within said outer reactor shell and extending through said secondary reforming catalyst bed for passing partly reformed product effluent from the primary reforming zone to said catalyst-free reaction space in the secondary reforming zone; (f) means for introducing an oxygen-containing gas to said catalyst-free reaction space; (g) means for introducing secondary product effluent gas removed from said discharge end of the catalyst bed in said secondary reforming zone to the shell side of the primary reforming zone without passage of said secondary product effluent outside of said outer reactor shell; and (h) discharge means for removing secondary product effluent from the shell side of the primary reforming zone after passage therethrough and passage thereof through said outer reactor shell and away from said integrated primary and secondary reformer, whereby the exothermic heat of said secondary product effluent can effectively supply the endothermic heat requirements of the primary reforming zone with essentially no fuel requirement and no external fuel-fired primary steam reformer being required for the overall primary-secondary reformation operations.