STEAM REFORMING

摘要

The endothermic reaction of a hydrocarbon feedstock with steam and/or carbon dioxide is carried out using a double-tube reactor (123, 140). In one preferred form of the reactor the catalyst (142) is present as a coating on the outside of the inner tube (140). In another form inner tubes are mounted in one tube plate (136) and the outer tubes in a second tube plate (126) and the tube plates are disposed across a cylindrical shell (110) so as to define a heat exchange zone (124) (provided with a heat source) a reactants feed zone (134) and a products offtake zone (148). The heat source is preferably a burner (116), to be fed with the product (118) of the endothermic reaction, followed by a secondary reforming catalyst (113). The apparatus makes possible processes for making raw hydrogen-containing gases with advantageous internal heat recovery.