Patent ID: 6306354
Filing Date: 2001-10-23
Classification: B01J,C01B

Abstract:
A shift converter for reducing the amount of carbon monoxide in a process gas, said shift converter having a chamber, said chamber having an inlet for entry of the process gas into the chamber, and an outlet for exit of a low temperature effluent from the chamber, said outlet being disposed downstream of the inlet, said shift converter comprising:a) an adiabatic catalytic reaction zone having shift converter catalyst disposed therein for exothermally converting a major portion of the carbon monoxide in the process gas into carbon dioxide and hydrogen, thereby producing a high temperature effluent; andb) an actively-cooled catalytic reaction zone positioned downstream from said adiabatic catalytic reaction zone for cooling the high temperature effluent and for creating the low temperature effluent, said actively-cooled zone having a shift converter catalyst disposed therein for converting a minor portion of the carbon monoxide remaining within the high temperature effluent into carbon dioxide and hydrogen, and said actively cooled zone including heat exchange means utilizing a pressurized liquid coolant stream which enters the actively cooled zone as a single phase liquid coolant, and is converted in said actively cooled zone to a two phase liquid-gas coolant without a significant temperature increase due to boiling of said single phase liquid coolant in said actively cooled zone.