Patent ID: 8414666

Claim:
A reformer comprising: a plurality of catalyst-containing tubes for receiving a reformer feed gas mixture and reacting the reformer feed gas mixture in a reforming reaction, the plurality of catalyst-containing tubes located within a combustion section of the reformer; the combustion section for combusting a fuel with an oxidant gas in a combustion reaction external to the plurality of catalyst-containing tubes; and a heat exchanger section downstream of the combustion section for receiving combustion product gases from the combustion reaction, the heat exchanger section comprising: a first heat exchanger for transferring heat from the combustion product gases to the reformer feed gas mixture; a second heat exchanger downstream of the first heat exchanger with respect to the flow of the combustion product gases for transferring heat from the combustion product gases to recycle water from a production well to produce a steam-containing stream from the recycle water, wherein the second heat exchanger is suitable for mechanical cleaning; and a first exhaust downstream of the second heat exchanger with respect to the flow of the combustion product gases for exhausting the combustion product gases from the heat exchanger section wherein the heat exchanger section further comprises a closable second exhaust downstream of the first heat exchanger with respect to the flow of the combustion product gases and upstream of the second heat exchanger with respect to the flow of the combustion gases.