Integrated reforming of hydrocarbons

Claim 1

AN APPARATUS FOR THE REFORMING OF FLUID HYDROCARBONS TO PRODUCE A CRUDE SYSTHESIS GAS PRINCIPALLY CONTAINING HYDROGEN, NITROGEN AND CARBON MONOXIDE WHICH COMPRISES A VERTICALLY ORIENTED CYLINDRICAL CONTAINER, A VERTICAL CYLINDRICAL PARTITION, SAID PARTITION BEING COAXIALLY DISPOSED WITHIN SAID CONTAINER AND EXTENDING UPWARDLY FROM AN OPENING IN THE BASE OF SAID CONTAINER, A PLURALITY OF PRIMARY HYDROCARBON REFORMER TUBES, SAID TUBES BEING VERTICALLY ALIGNED IN THE ANNULAR SPACE BETWEEN SAID PARTITION AND SAID CONTAINER IN LINEAR ROWS OF TUBES, EACH OF SAID ROWS OF TUBES BEING RADIALLY DISPOSED WITH RESPECT TO THE CENTRAL VERTICAL AXIS OF SAID CONTAINER, EACH OF SAID TUBES CONTAINING AN ACTIVE HYDROCARBON REFORMING CATALYST, MEANS WITHIN CONTAINER TO EXTERNALLY HEAT SAID TUBES TO ELEVATED TEMPERATURE, MEANS TO PASS A GASEOUS FEED MIXTURE COMPRISING A FLUID HYDROCARBON AND STEAM DOWNWARD THROUGH SAID TUBES, WHEREBY SAID FLUID HYDROCARBON IS AT LEAST PARTIALLY CATALYTICALLY STEAM REFORMED, A VERTICALLY ORIENTED CYLINDRICAL SECONDARY REFORMER VESSEL, SAID VESSEL BEING COAXIALLY DISPOSED WITHIN SAID CYLINDRICAL PARTITION AND EXTENDING DOWNWARDS BELOW THE BASE OF SAID CONTAINER, SAID VESSEL BEING PROVIDED WITH AN INTERNAL BED OF ACTIVE HYDROCARBON REFORMING CATALYST, A PLURALITY OF SUBSTANTIALLY HORIZONTAL LINER TRANSFER DUCTS, EACH OF SAID DUCTS BEING DISPOSED BELOW ONE OF SAID ROWS OF TUBES AND CONNECTED WITH THE TUBES IN SAID ROW, WHEREBY A PARTIALLY REFORMED GAS MIXTURE FLOWS FROM SAID TUBES INTO SAID DUCTS, EACH OF SAID DUCTS EXTENDING IN A LINEAR HORIZONTAL DIRECTION AND RADIALLY INWARDS THROUGH SAID PATRITION TO A CONNECTION WITH SAID VESSEL ABOVE SAID CATALYST BED, WHEREBY THE PARTIALLY REFORMED GAS MIXTURE IS DISCHARGED INTO SAID VESSEL ABOVE SAID CATALYST BED, MEANS TO PASS PROCESS AIR INTO SAID VESSEL ABOVE SAID CATALYST BED, WHEREBY SAID PROCESS AIR REACTS WITH SAID PARTIALLY REFORMED GAS MIXTURE WITHIN SAID VESSEL AND ABOVE SAID CATALYST BED, AND MEANS TO REMOVE A CRUDE SYNTHESIS GAS PRINCIPALLY CONTAINING HYDROGEN, NITROGEN AND CARBON MONOXIDE FROM SAID VESSEL BELOW SAID CATALYST BED.

Claim 2

AN APPARATUS FOR THE REFORMING OF FLUID HYDROCARBONS TO PRODUCE A CRUDE SYSTHESIS GAS PRINCIPALLY CONTAINING HYDROGEN, NITROGEN AND CARBON MONOXIDE WHICH COMPRISES A VERTICALLY ORIENTED CYLINDRICAL CONTAINER, A VERTICAL CYLINDRICAL PARTITION, SAID PARTITION BEING COAXIALLY DISPOSED WITHIN SAID CONTAINER AND EXTENDING UPWARDLY FROM AN OPENING IN THE BASE OF SAID CONTAINER, A PLURALITY OF PRIMARY HYDROCARBON REFORMER TUBES, SAID TUBES BEING VERTICALLY ALIGNED IN THE ANNULAR SPACE BETWEEN SAID PARTITION AND SAID CONTAINER IN LINEAR ROWS OF TUBES, EACH OF SAID ROWS OF TUBES BEING RADIALLY DISPOSED WITH RESPECT TO THE CENTRAL VERTICAL AXIS OF SAID CONTAINER, EACH OF SAID TUBES CONTAINING AN ACTIVE HYDROCARBON REFORMING CATALYST, MEANS WITHIN CONTAINER TO EXTERNALLY HEAT SAID TUBES TO ELEVATED TEMPERATURE, MEANS TO PASS A GASEOUS FEED MIXTURE COMPRISING A FLUID HYDROCARBON AND STEAM DOWNWARD THROUGH SAID TUBES, WHEREBY SAID FLUID HYDROCARBON IS AT LEAST PARTIALLY CATALYTICALLY STEAM REFORMED, A VERTICALLY ORIENTED CYLINDRICAL SECONDARY REFORMER VESSEL, SAID VESSEL BEING COAXIALLY DISPOSED WITHIN SAID CYLINDRICAL PARTITION AND EXTENDING DOWNWARDS BELOW THE BASE OF SAID CONTAINER, SAID VESSEL BEING PROVIDED WITH AN INTERNAL BED OF ACTIVE HYDROCARBON REFORMING CATALYST, A PLURALITY OF SUBSTANTIALLY HORIZONTAL LINER TRANSFER DUCTS, EACH OF SAID DUCTS BEING DISPOSED BELOW ONE OF SAID ROWS OF TUBES AND CONNECTED WITH THE TUBES IN SAID ROW, WHEREBY A PARTIALLY REFORMED GAS MIXTURE FLOWS FROM SAID TUBES INTO SAID DUCTS, EACH OF SAID DUCTS EXTENDING IN A LINEAR HORIZONTAL DIRECTION AND RADIALLY INWARDS THROUGH SAID PATRITION TO A CONNECTION WITH SAID VESSEL ABOVE SAID CATALYST BED, WHEREBY THE PARTIALLY REFORMED GAS MIXTURE IS DISCHARGED INTO SAID VESSEL ABOVE SAID CATALYST BED, MEANS TO PASS PROCESS AIR INTO SAID VESSEL ABOVE SAID CATALYST BED, WHEREBY SAID PROCESS AIR REACTS WITH SAID PARTIALLY REFORMED GAS MIXTURE WITHIN SAID VESSEL AND ABOVE SAID CATALYST BED, AND MEANS TO REMOVE A CRUDE SYNTHESIS GAS PRINCIPALLY CONTAINING HYDROGEN, NITROGEN AND CARBON MONOXIDE FROM SAID VESSEL BELOW SAID CATALYST BED.