Reactor for cracking hydrocarbons

Claim 1

Reactor for reacting gaseous or vaporized hydrocarbons with water vapor to produce carbon monoxide and hydrogen-containing gases at temperatures about 700° C and under pressures of 5-80 kg/cm 2 on a catalyst material contained in tubes extending into a heating zone, the reactor comprising housing means with cover plate means, said tubes extending through said cover plate means into said heating zone and being closed at the end inside the heating zone, each tube containing a concentrically disposed discharge conduit, said heating zone comprising an inner shielding wall means surrounding said tubes and having a conduit feeding gaseous heating fluid from outside the reactor into the heating zone, said inner shielding wall means being concentrically surrounded by outer shielding wall means having a top cover, said inner and said outer wall means defining a clearance space therebetween, said clearance space being open to said heating zone and having a first gas discharge conduit, said first gas discharge conduit being connected to a heat exchanger means outside the reactor, and a gas flow passage defined by said outer shielding wall means, said housing means and said cover plate means, said gas flow passage surrounding said heating zone and being connected to a cooled gas feed conduit from said heat exchanger means and a second gas discharge conduit terminating outside said reactor.