Patent ID: 9327261
Filing Date: 2016-05-03
CPC Classification: B01J,C01B

Claim Text:
1. An apparatus for decreasing steam methane reformer (SMR) tube temperature within an SMR furnace, the apparatus comprising: an SMR furnace configured to convert a reforming mixture into hydrogen and carbon monoxide under conditions effective for steam reforming, wherein the reforming mixture comprises a hydrocarbon feed and steam; SMR tubes disposed within the SMR furnace, each SMR tube having a reforming mixture feed inlet, a mixing zone, a liquid water inlet, and a reaction zone, the reforming mixture feed inlet configured to receive the reforming mixture, the mixing zone configured to mix the reforming mixture received from the reforming mixture feed inlet with liquid water received from the liquid water inlet, the reaction zone containing a reforming catalyst configured to reform the reforming mixture into hydrogen and carbon monoxide; and a monitoring system in communication with at least a plurality of the SMR tubes, wherein the monitoring system is configured to monitor a temperature of at least a plurality of SMR tubes and compare the monitored temperatures against a first predetermined value, wherein the monitoring system is programmed to initiate a sequence for introducing liquid water from a water source to a selected SMR tube that has a monitored temperature above the first predetermined value, thereby reducing the temperature of the selected SMR tube independently of the remaining SMR tubes; wherein the liquid water inlet and the reforming mixture inlet are located at two distinct locations within each SMR tube.