Patent ID: 8216531

Claim:
An apparatus for reforming syngas, comprising: an elongated shell having relatively high and low temperature ends; a shell side fluid inlet adjacent the high temperature end; a tube side fluid inlet adjacent the low temperature end; a shell side fluid outlet fluidly isolated from the tube side fluid inlet by a tube sheet adjacent the low temperature end; a tube bundle comprising a plurality of tubes and one or more longitudinally-spaced transverse baffle plates, wherein the tubes have an inlet end secured to the tube sheet and an outlet end adjacent the shell side fluid inlet; and catalyst-bearing particles disposed within the tubes, wherein the catalyst-bearing particles comprise Raschig rings, ribbed rings, or a combination thereof, wherein the tubes have an inside diameter that is not more than 4 times a maximum edge dimension of the catalyst-bearing particles, and wherein the elongated shell contains no other catalyst other than the catalyst-bearing particles disposed within the tubes.