Patent ID: 9708186
Date: 2017-07-18
CPC Classifications: B01J,C01B,F28D,F28F

Claim:
1. A method for converting methane to hydrogen gas, comprising: contacting a reaction mixture comprising methane and steam with a solid catalyst in a porous zone of a steam methane reformer to form hydrogen monoxide and carbon monoxide, the steam methane reformer comprising: a tube and shell reactor having an outer shell and a reactor core inside the outer shell, wherein the outer shell and an exterior wall of the reactor core define a shell side annulus configured to heat the reactor core present on the tube side of the tube and shell reactor; a plurality of hot fluid inlets connected to the shell of the tube and shell reactor to permit fluid passage of a heating medium into the shell side annulus; no more than one hot air outlet connected to the shell of the tube and shell reactor to permit fluid passage of the heating medium out of the shell side annulus; wherein: the reactor core comprises a feed inlet, a porous zone containing the solid catalyst and a product outlet; the product outlet is connected to the reactor core and is configured to pass products of the reaction out of the reactor core; the plurality of hot fluid inlets are spirally positioned to wrap around the circumference of the shell side of the tube and shell reactor; the hot air outlet is positioned away from the feed inlet and is adjacent to the product outlet; and the hot air outlet lies parallel or perpendicular to the product outlet.