Method of carrying out exothermic catalytic carbon monoxide-steam gas reactions

Claim 1

A CATALYTIC CARBON MONOXIDE-STEAM CONVERSION PROCESS WHICH COMPRISES INITIALLY HEATING A STREAM OF A CARBON MONOXIDE STAM CONVERSION GAS, STEAM AND HYDROCARBON VAPORS TO A TEMPERATURE BELOW THAT CORRESPONDING TO THE CARBON MONOXIDE STEAM CONVERSION TEMPERATURE, THEREAFTER PASSING THE INITIALLY HEATED STREAM SERIALLY THROUGH A PLURALITY OF CATALYTIC STAGES AT TEMPERATURES AT WHICH SUBSTANTIAL HYDROCARBON REFORMATION AND CARBONMONOXIDESTEAM CONVERSION OCCURS AND CONTROLLING THE TEMPERATURES IN SAID CATALYTIC STAGES BY COOLING THE STREAM OF REACTANTS AND PRODUCTS BETWEEN SUCCESSIVE CATALYTIC STAGES BY INTRODUCING INTO THE SAID STREAM OF REACTANTS AND PRODUCTS FLUID HYDROCARBONS THE HEAT CREATD IN SAID EXOTHERMIC CARBON-MONOXIDE STEAM CONVERSION REACTION BEING TRANSFERRED BY DIRECT HEAT EXCHANGE TO THE ENDOTHERMIC HYDROCARBON GAS REFORMATIN REACTION TAKING PLACE SIMULTANEOUSLY IN THE STREAM.