Method for soot-free start-up of autothermal reformers by preparing hydrogen rich gas formed from methanol, steam and methanation catalyst, and then introducing it into the reformer

摘要

A hot gas rich in hydrogen is prepared by contacting a methanol and steam containing feed gas with a "methanation" catalyst. The hot gas is introduced into "autothermal" reformer 2 therby heating reformer 2 with heat contained in the hot gas to a temperature sufficient to initiate and maintain subsequent reformer reactions to be carried out in reformer 2.