US Patent 7531146 Synthesis furnace

A synthesis furnace has a furnace chamber surrounded by a circumferential furnace wall, in which burners are disposed essentially in one plane, with burner exit direction directed downward, and reaction tubes are disposed essentially vertically and parallel to one another. The reaction tubes are heated externally by the ignited burners. To improve the heat distribution and the entire heat transfer in as simple a manner as possible, in terms of design and control technology, at least the outer burners disposed in the vicinity of the furnace wall have a burner exit direction that runs at an incline away from the center of the furnace in relation to the vertical.