Apparatus for reforming hydrocarbons

Claim 1

APPARATUS FOR CONTROLLING THE OPERATION OF A SYSTEM FOR REFORMING A HYDROCARBON GAS BY REACTION WITH STREAM TO PRODUCE A REFORMED GAS CONTAINING HYDROGEN AND CARBON MONOXIDE, SAID SYSTEM INCLUDING A FURNACE CONTAINING A PLURALITY OF EXTERNALLY FIRED CATALYST TUBES, FUEL SUPPLY MEANS FOR INTRODUCING FUEL TO THE FURNACE, A CONDUIT FOR SUPPLYING STREAM TO THE CATALYST TUBES, A CONDUIT FOR SUPPLYING HYDROCARBON GAS TO BE REFORMED TO SAID CATALYST TUBES, AND A CONDUIT FOR WITHDRAWNG REFORMED GAS FROM SAID CATALYST TUBES, SAID APPARATUS COMPRISING AT LEAST ONE CONTROL MEANS ON SAID FUEL SUPPLIED MEANS FOR CONTROLLING THE QUANTITY OF FUEL SUPPLIED TO THE FURNACE, A CONTROL VALVE ON THE CONDUIT SUPPLYING HYDROCARBON GAS TO BE REFORMED TO THE CATALYST TUBES, A HYDROCARBON GAS MEASURING DEVICE FOR DETERMINING THE QUANTITY OF UNREACTED HYDROCARBON GAS PRESENT IN THE AFORESAID REFORMED GAS CONDUIT, A TEMPERATURE MEASURING DEVICE FOR MEASURING A TEMPERATURE WITHIN THE SYSTEM WHICH IS DIRECTLY RELATED TO THE REACTION TEMPERATURE, A CONTROLLER ADAPTED TO CONTROL SAID FUEL SUPPLY RESPONSIVE TO THE MEASURED HYDROCARBON CONTENT OF THE REFORMED GAS WHEREBY THE FUEL SUPPLY IS INCREASED AS THE SAID HYDROCARBON CONTENT INCREASES, A CONTROLLER RESPONSIVE TO THE AFORESAID MEASURED TEMPERATURE ADAPTED TO OVERRIDE THE LAST MENTIONED FUEL SUPPLY CONTROLLER SUFFICIENT TO AVOID AN INCREASE IN TEMPERATURE ABOVE A PREDETERMINED MAXIMUM VALUE BY THROTTLING THE SUPPLY OF FUEL, AND A SUPPLEMENTAL CONTROLLER OPERATIVE TO THROTTLE THE AFORESAID VALVE ON THE CONDUIT SUPPLYING HYDROCARBON GAS TO THE CATALYST TUBES RESPONSIVE TO THE MEASURED HYDROCARBON CONTENT OF THE REFORMED GAS WHENEVER SAME TENDS TO INCREASE ABOVE A PREDETERMINED MAXIMUM VALUE AND THE FUEL SUPPLY CONTROLLER WHICH IS RESPONSIVE TO THE HYDROCARBON GAS CONTENT OF THE REFORMED GAS IS BEING OVERRIDDEN BY THE SAID TEMPERATURE CONTROLLER.