PURPOSE: To carry out the steam reforming of heavy oil in high efficiency and to obtain hydrogen-rich gas, by connecting plural sets of thermal cracker and reformer in series, and supplying the most part of the reforming steam to the first thermal cracker.
CONSTITUTION: The set of the first heating furnace A and the first reformer 7 is connected with the set of the second heating furnace B and the second reformer 15 in series to form a steam reforming apparatus for heavy oil. Heavy oil is supplied to the first heaters 4, 4' of te first heating furnace through the lines 3, 3', and at the same time, steam is supplied through the lines 1, 2, 2' to effect the reaction of the oil with steam, and the reaction mixture is sent to the first reformer 7 (8 is catalyst) through the lines 5, 5'. The obtained reaction gas mixture is transferred to the subsequent device having the same construction (12 and 12' are the second heaters, 15 is the second reformer), and is made to react with heavy oil supplied through the lines 11, 11' to obtain the hydrogen-rich gas from the line 17.
TOMITA TADAYOSHI
SAKAMOTO TAKAYUKI
