MY130331A - Catalytic reactor - Google Patents

Abstract

A CATALYTIC REACTOR 40 COMPRISES A PLURALITY OF FLUID-IMPERMEABLE PLATES 42 GROOVED TO DEFINE FLOW CHANNELS BETWEEN THEM . WITHIN EACH FLOW CHANNEL IS A SHEET 46 OF CORRUGATED MATERIAL WHOSE SURFACES ARE COATED WITH CATALYTIC MATERIAL. AT EACH END OF THE REACTOR 40 ARE HEADERS TO SUPPLY GAS MIXTURES TO THE FLOW CHANNELS, THE HEADERS COMMUNICATING WITH ADJACENT CHANNELS BEING SEPARATE. THE REACTOR 40 ENABLES DIFFERENT GAS MIXTURES TO BE SUPPLIED TO ADJACENT CHANNELS, WHICH MAY BE AT DIFFERENT PRESSURES, AND THE CORRESPONDING CHEMICAL REACTIONS ARE ALSO DIFFERENT. WHERE ONE OF THE REACTIONS IS ENDOTHERMIC WHILE THE OTHER REACTION IS EXOTHERMIC , HEAT IS TRANSFERRED THROUGH THE PLATE 42 SEPARATING THE ADJACENT CHANNELS, FROM THE EXOTHERMIC REACTION TO THE ENDOTHERMIC REACTION. THE REACTOR 40 MAY BE USED IN A COMPACT PLANT TO PERFORM STEAM/METHANE REFORMING, OBTAINING THE NECESSARY HEAT BY CATALYTIC METHANE COMBUSTION, AND ALSO FOR FISCHER-TROPSH SYNTHESIS.(FIG 1)