Abstract: A reactor for the reforming of hydrocarbons by a steam reforming reaction and a partial oxidation reaction, which comprises an upper tube sheet disposed in an upper portion of the reactor, a plurality of reaction tubes packed with a catalyst and suspended perpendicularly from the upper tube sheet, a lower tube sheet disposed where lower portions of the reaction tubes are positioned, an internal cylinder suspended perpendicularly from the lower tube sheet, an oxygen distributor disposed in an upper portion of the internal cylinder and connected to a feed tube of an oxygen-containing gas which is fed from an exterior of the reactor, a catalyst-packed bed disposed in the lower portion of the internal cylinder, a flow path for feeding a mixture gas of hydrocarbon with steam disposed above the upper tube sheet, and a flow path for recovering reformed gas disposed below the upper tube sheet. Also provided is a process for the reforming of hydrocarbons by a steam reforming reaction and a partial oxidation reaction.

Abstract: A hydrocarbon-reforming reactor by a steam reforming reaction and a partial oxidation reaction, which comprises a chamber for feeding oxygen-containing gas, a chamber for feeding a mixture gas of hydrocarbon with steam and a chamber for heat exchange of reformed gas in this order from one side of the reforming reactor, and which further comprises a catalyst layer filled in a space between an inner tube having an opening to the chamber for feeding oxygen-containing gas and a reaction tube being so placed as to position the inner tube in its middle portion and having an opening to the chamber for feeding the mixture gas, anda process for producing reformed gas from hydrocarbon which comprises carrying out a steam reforming reaction in the catalyst layer on the side of the chamber for feeding the mixture gas of hydrocarbon with steam by feeding the mixture gas of hydrocarbon with steam to the catalyst layer from the chamber for feeding the mixture gas, carrying out a partial oxidation reaction and steam reformin

Abstract: This invention provides a process for the production of methanol which comprises steps of(a) reacting hydrocarbon with steam to generate synthesis gas composed of hydrogen, carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide as main components,(b) reacting the synthesis gas on a methanol synthesis catalyst to synthesize crude methanol, and(c) feeding the resultant crude methanol directly to a distillation column and distilling the crude methanol to separate prified methanol and an effluent water containing all or part of low boiling organic compounds, high boiling organic compounds and organic acids,the above step (c) being a step for the distillation and separation carried out without adding any alkali compound to neutralize the organic acids in the crude methanol obtained in the above step (b),the process including a step of bringing the effluent water resulting from the above step (c) into contact with gaseous hydrocarbon to humidify the hydrocarbon,the humidified hydrocarbon being used as a material for hydrocarbon and st

Abstract: This invention provides a catalyst layer-fixed reactor for an exothermic reaction which comprises a plurality of reaction tubes disposed within a shell of the reactor, an inner tube disposed in the middle portion of each of the reaction tubes, catalyst layers formed by catalyst charged in the space inside the reaction tubes and outside the inner tubes, and a cooling medium charged between each of the reaction tubes and the shell, and in which a feed gas is flowed in each of the inner tubes in cocurrent to feed gas flowing in the fixed catalyst layer.

Abstract: A wetted wall type method of humidifying gas with a liquid which is composed, or mainly composed, of water wherein the liquid flows down a heated vertical wall to form a wetted wall and gas flows along the wetted wall in contact with the liquid on the wetted wall to increase the humidity contained in the gas, comprises supplying a greater amount of liquid than the amount of liquid used or evaporated for increasing the humidity, and recirculating the liquid which is not evaporated from an outlet of the wetted wall to a liquid supply portion, the amount of the flowing liquid being adapted to satisfy the following equation:q<5.99.times.10.sup.5 .GAMMA..sup.2.12 (1)wherein q is the heat flux in W/m.sup.2 K where W=watts, K=temperature in degrees Kelvin, and .GAMMA. is the amount of flowing water with regard to the mass of water per unit wet width in kg/ms.