Catalytically reforming hydrocarbon and steam mixtures

Claim 1

A HYDROCARBON REFORMER FURANCE COMPRISING A VERTICALLY EXTENDING CONTAINER, A PLURALITY OF REFORMER TUBE ASSEMBLIES VERTICALLY SUSPENDED IN A RADIANT UNDIVIDED HEAT SECTION WITHIN SAID CONTAINER, EACH OF SAID REFORMER TUBE ASSEMBLIES COMPRISING A CATALYST-FILLED REACTION TUBE AND AN ADJACENT PREHEAT TUBE PARALLEL TO SAID REACTION TUBE WITHIN SAID RADIANT HEAT SECTION, EACH OF SAID PREHEAT TUBES BEING CONNECTED TO THE ADJACENT REACTION TUBE AT THEIR RESPECTIVE UPPER ENDS, MEANS TO PASS STREAM INTO THE LOWER ENDS OF EACH OF SAID PREHEAT TUBES WHEREBY SAID STREAM FLOWS UPWARD IN SAID PREHEAT TUBES AND IS SUPER-HEATED BY RADIANT HEAT, MEANS TO PASS A GASEOUS HYDROCARBON INTO THE UPPER END OF EACH OF SAID REACTION TUBES, WHEREBY SAID HYDROCARBON MIXES WITH SAID SUPERHEATED STEAM AND THE MIXTURES FLOW DOWNWARD THROUGH SAID REACTION TUBES IN CONTACT WITH SAID CATALYST, MEANS TO REMOVE REFORMED GAS MIXTURE FROM THE LOWER ENDS OF SAID REACTION TUBES, AND HEATING MEANS WITHIN SAID CONTAINER TO DIRECT COMBUSTION FLAME HEAT HORIZONTALLY ACROSS THE VERTICALLY EXTENDING REFORMER TUBES AND ADJACENT STEAM PREHEAT TUBES TO HEAT SAID REFORMER TUBE ASSEMBLIES BY RADIANT HEATING AND THEREBY MAINTAIN A HIGHLY ELEVATED TEMPERATURE, WHEREBY CATALYTIC STEAM REFORMING OF SAID GASEOUS HYDROCARBON TAKES PLACE WITHIN SAID REACTION TUBES.