| 摘要 |
A tubular catalytic reactor, such as for steam reforming a hydrocarbon feedstock to produce hydrogen, is disposed within a furnace and includes an annular first bed of reaction catalyst. A second bed of reaction catalyst is disposed coaxial with the first bed and inwardly thereof. Product gases from the first bed, without adding heat thereto, are passed through the second bed essentially adiabatically resulting in a substantial reduction in the amount of unreacted hydrocarbons heavier than methane which were present in the product gases leaving the first bed. The apparatus is compact and uses only the sensible heat in the reaction products leaving the first bed to reduce the level of unwanted hydrocarbons. Thus, in the process of the present invention, the reduction in the level of unwanted heavier hydrocarbons is accomplished in compact apparatus without burning additional fuel and without extracting additional heat energy from the furnace.
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