Patent ID: 7481859
Filing Date: 2009-01-27
Classification: B01J,C01B,Y02P

Abstract:
1. Process for cooling an exothermic reaction zone, the process comprising the steps of: introducing a stream of water and a hydrocarbon-containing stream into a plurality of humidifying tubes extending through a catalytic exothermic reaction zone of a catalytic fixed bed with solid catalyst; introducing a process stream into the reaction zone for one or more catalytic exothermic reactions; passing the stream of water in a falling film along the inner circumference of the humidifying tubes; humidifying the hydrocarbon-containing stream with water in the humidifying tubes in indirect heat exchange with the exothermic reaction zone; withdrawing cooled reaction product of the exothermic reaction from the exothermic reaction zone; withdrawing the heated humidified, hydrocarbon-containing stream from the humidifying tubes; and introducing the heated humidified, hydrocarbon-containing stream into an endothermic steam reforming zone.