Helium-heated steam reformer

Catalyst action and the supply of high-temperature heat generating energy cause a steam reforming reaction on light hydrocarbons, which produces the reducing gas. The reactor, which permits this reaction to take place, is a steam reformer, the conventional type of which is a flame heating furnace. A heat-exchanger type steam reformer was newly developed for the National Research and Development Programme nuclear steel making project. Unlike conventional ones, this reactor is heated by high-temperature helium. A steam reforming process test plant was planned to test the performance and characteristics of this new steam reformer. Construction of the test plant was begun in 1975. It was completed at the end of May 1978. Subsequently, research and development passed on to the operating phase. The test plant has a nominal raw material treatment capacity of 100 kg/hr. The nominal quantity of heat exchanged is 310,000 Kcal/hr. The paper on the helium-heated steam reformer of this test plant is presented