Electric heating reactor

Abstract

Disclosed is an electrically heated reactor, comprising: a reaction tube comprising a longitudinal channel through which a reactant passes; a power source configured to heat the reactant passing through the channel by supplying power to the reaction tube; and a pair of conductive sockets connecting the power source with the reaction tube to enable current to flow through the power source and the reaction tube, in which the reaction tube includes a first tube portion having a first resistivity and a second tube portion having a second resistivity different from the first resistivity, and the reactant flowing into the first tube portion moves to the second tube portion and flows out of the second tube portion.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0002] This application claims priority to and the benefit of Korean Patent Application No. 10-2023-0062245 filed in the Korean Intellectual Property Office on May 15, 2023, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.

[0003] The present disclosure relates to an electrically heated reactor, and more particularly to an electrically heated reactor that can effectively and uniformly maintain the temperature in the reactor and can control the temperature of each section in the reactor by using an electric heating technology. Background Art

[0004] The chemical industry can use natural gas as a fuel to maintain high temperatures in various facilities (e.g., crackers, reformers, reactors, or boilers). However, heating by burning natural gas is not only inefficient in terms of energy consumption, but is also a major cause of carbon emissions. Therefore, efforts have been made to replace heating methods using natural gas combustion with electric heating methods.

[0005] The above information disclosed in this background section is only provided to help better understanding of the background of the present disclosure, and therefore the above information disclosed in this background section may include information not included in the prior art known to those skilled in the art to which the present disclosure belongs. Summary of the invention

[0006] Technical issues

[0007] The present disclosure attempts to provide an electrically heated reactor, which can effectively and uniformly maintain the temperature in the reactor by using an electric heating technology, and can control the temperature of each section in the reactor.

[0008] Technical Solutions

[0009] According to an embodiment, an electrically heated reactor is provided, which includes: a reaction tube, the reaction tube including a longitudinal channel for reactants to pass through; a power supply, the power supply is configured to heat the reactants passing through the channel by supplying electricity to the reaction tube; and a pair of conductive sockets, the pair of conductive sockets connecting the power supply to the reaction tube so that current can flow through the power supply and the reaction tube, wherein the reaction tube includes a first tube portion having a first resistivity and a second tube portion having a second resistivity different from the first resistivity.

[0010] The reactants may flow into the first tube portion, move to the second tube portion, and flow out of the second tube portion.

[0011] The first pipe portion and the second pipe portion may be coupled to each other by welding, flange coupling, or threaded coupling.

[0012] The reactor may further include an insulator surrounding and thermally insulating at least a portion of the reaction tube.

[0013] An insulator may surround the reaction tube disposed between the pair of conductive sockets.

[0014] The reactor may further include a cooler for cooling at least one of the pair of conductive sockets.

[0015] The reaction tube may further include at least one third tube portion, which is disposed between the first tube portion and the second tube portion and connected to each of the first tube portion and the second tube portion, the at least one third tube portion may have a third resistivity, and the resistivities of adjacent tube portions may be different from each other.

[0016] The first pipe portion and the at least one third pipe portion may be coupled to each other by welding, flange coupling or thread coupling, and the at least one third pipe portion and the second pipe portion may be coupled to each other by welding, flange coupling or thread coupling.

[0017] Beneficial Effects

[0018] As described above, the electrically heated reactor according to the present disclosure can effectively and uniformly maintain the temperature in the reactor by using an electric heating technology.

[0019] In addition, the electrically heated reactor can adjust the temperature of each section in the reactor by fastening multiple tube sections with different resistivities to each other. Therefore, the electrically heated reactor can obtain the best yield by compensating for the temperature gradient caused by the reaction in the reactor.

[0020] Other effects that can be obtained or predicted by each embodiment of the present disclosure are disclosed directly or implicitly in the detailed description of the embodiments of the present disclosure. That is, various effects predicted based on the embodiments of the present disclosure are disclosed in the detailed description described below. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0021] The embodiments described herein may be better understood by referring to the following description in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein like reference numbers refer to identical or functionally similar elements.

[0022] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram showing an electrically heated reactor according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0023] Figure 2 is a schematic diagram showing an electrically heated reactor according to another embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0024] Figure 3 Shows Figure 2 Example of section "A".

[0025] Figure 4 Shows Figure 2 Another example of part "A".

[0026] Figure 5 Shows Figure 2 Yet another example of part “A” of .

[0027] Figure 6 is a schematic diagram showing an electrically heated reactor according to yet another embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0028] It should be understood that the drawings referred to above are not necessarily drawn to scale, and present rather simplified representations of various preferred features illustrating the basic principles of the present disclosure. For example, the specific design features of the present disclosure, including specific dimensions, orientations, positions, and shapes, are determined in part by specific intended applications and use environments. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0029] The terms used herein are only for describing specific embodiments and are not intended to limit the present disclosure. Unless the context clearly indicates otherwise, the singular terms used herein are intended to include the plural forms of the terms. It should also be understood that the terms "include" and / or "comprising" specify the presence of listed features, wholes, steps, operations, elements and / or parts when used in this specification, and do not exclude the presence or increase of other features, wholes, steps, operations, elements, parts and / or one or more of their groups. As used herein, the term "and / or" includes any one or all combinations of the associated listed items.

[0030] In addition, it should be understood that one or more of the methods described below or aspects thereof can be performed by at least one controller. The term "controller" can refer to a hardware device including a memory and a processor. The memory can store program instructions, and the processor can be specifically programmed to execute program instructions to perform one or more processes described in more detail below. As described herein, a controller can control the operation of a unit, module, component, device, etc. It should also be understood that, as understood by those skilled in the art, the methods described below can be performed by a device including a controller in combination with one or more other components.

[0031] In addition, the controller of the present disclosure may be implemented as a non-transient computer-readable recording medium including executable program instructions executed by a processor. Examples of computer-readable recording media may include read-only memory (ROM), random access memory (RAM), compact disc read-only memory (CD-ROM), magnetic tape, floppy disk, flash drive, smart card, or optical data storage device, and are not limited thereto. The computer-readable recording medium may also be distributed in a computer network, and thus the program instructions may be stored and executed in a distributed manner, such as on a telematics server or a controller area network (CAN).

[0032] According to the present disclosure, the electric heating reactor may include: a reaction tube, the reaction tube includes a channel for reactants to pass through, and is configured to heat the reactants passing through the channel; a power supply, the power supply is configured to supply electricity to the reaction tube; and a pair of conductive sockets, the pair of conductive sockets connect the power supply to the reaction tube so that current can flow through the power supply and the reaction tube. When the power of the power supply is supplied to the reaction tube through the conductive socket, the reaction tube can generate heat and heat the reactants in the reactor. In this way, the electric heating reactor according to the present disclosure can effectively and evenly maintain the temperature in the reactor by using electric heating technology.

[0033] The reaction tube may include a first tube portion having a first resistivity and a second tube portion having a second resistivity different from the first resistivity and connected to the first tube portion. When the power of the power supply is supplied to the reaction tube, the first tube portion and the second tube portion having different resistivities can generate heat at different temperatures. Here, the number of tube portions is not limited to two. The electric heating reactor can adjust the temperature of each section in the reactor by arranging a plurality of tube portions in a plurality of sections respectively. Therefore, the electric heating reactor can obtain the best yield by compensating for the temperature gradient caused by the reaction in the reactor.

[0034] The electrically heated reactor may also include an insulator surrounding the reactor tube and thermally insulating the reactor tube. Thus, the electrically heated reactor may improve energy efficiency by reducing unnecessary heat losses wasted outside the reactor.

[0035] In addition, the electrically heated reactor may further include a cooler for cooling the conductive socket. The cooler may suppress the temperature rise of the conductive socket and improve the stability of the reactor operation.

[0036] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0037] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram showing an electrically heated reactor according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0038] like Figure 1As shown in, the electric heating reactor 10 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure can be configured to receive electricity to generate heat and heat the reactants in the reactor by using the heat. The electric heating reactor 10 may include a reaction tube 20, a power source 30 and a pair of conductive sockets (a first conductive socket and a second conductive socket) 32 and 34.

[0039] The reaction tube 20 may be made of a metal material having a high resistivity and include a longitudinal channel for the reactants to pass through. For example, the reaction tube 20 may have a ring-shaped tube shape and include a longitudinal channel formed therein. When power is applied to the reaction tube 20, the reaction tube 20 may generate heat due to the high resistivity, and the heat may heat the reactants in the channel.

[0040] The reaction tube 20 may include a first tube portion 24 and a second tube portion 26. The first tube portion 24 may define a portion of the reaction tube 20 and have a first resistivity ρ1. An inlet 21 may be formed at one end of the first tube portion 24, and the reactants required for the reaction may flow into the reaction tube 20, in particular into the first tube portion 24, through the inlet 21. The second tube portion 26 may define the rest of the reaction tube 20, has a second resistivity ρ2 different from the first resistivity, and has one end connected to the other end of the first tube portion 24. An outlet 22 may be formed at the other end of the second tube portion 26, and the reactants that have completed the reaction and / or the unreacted reactants that have not yet reacted may flow out of the reaction tube 20, in particular out of the second tube portion 26, through the outlet 22. The first resistivity and the second resistivity may be set based on the temperature gradient of the reactants in the channel of the reaction tube 20. For example, as the reactants pass through the channel and the reaction of the reactants proceeds, the temperature in the reactants may change, and a temperature gradient may occur. The temperature gradient based on the reaction of the reactants or the position of the reactants in the channel can be predetermined by experiments or the like, and the first resistivity and the second resistivity can be set to complement the temperature gradient to obtain the best yield.

[0041] The first channel formed in the first tube portion 24 may be connected to the second channel formed in the second tube portion 26, and the diameter of the first channel and the diameter of the second channel may be the same as or almost similar to each other. Therefore, the reactant flowing into the first channel through the inlet 21 may react sequentially while passing through the first channel and the second channel in the reaction tube 20, and flow out of the second channel through the outlet 22. In addition, the diameters of the first channel and the second channel may be the same as or almost similar to each other, and therefore, the flow resistance of the reactant passing through the first channel and the second channel may not increase.

[0042] The power source 30 may be configured to supply power to the reaction tube 20. The power source 30 may be an alternating current (AC) power source or a direct current (DC) power source.

[0043] The first conductive socket 32 ​​or the second conductive socket 34 can supply power from the power supply 30 to the reaction tube 20 , thereby enabling the reaction tube 20 to generate heat.

[0044] A first conductive socket 32 ​​may be mounted on one end of the first tube portion 24 and electrically connect the power source 30 to the first tube portion 24 via a wire 36 .

[0045] In addition, a second conductive socket 34 may be installed on the other end of the second pipe portion 26 , and electrically connect the power source 30 with the second pipe portion 26 through a wire 36 .

[0046] The power of the same power source 30 can be transmitted to the first pipe portion 24 and the second pipe portion 26 through the first conductive socket 32 ​​and the second conductive socket 34. However, since the first resistivity of the first pipe portion 24 and the second resistivity of the second pipe portion 26 are different from each other, the first pipe portion 24 and the second pipe portion 26 can generate heat at different temperatures.

[0047] Therefore, the temperatures of the first tube portion 24 and the second tube portion 26 can be differently set only by wiring with one power supply 30, thereby obtaining an optimum yield.

[0048] Figure 2 is a schematic diagram showing an electrically heated reactor according to another embodiment of the present disclosure, Figure 3 Shows Figure 2 Example of part "A", Figure 4 Shows Figure 2 Another example of part "A", and Figure 5 Shows Figure 2 Yet another example of part “A” of .

[0049] like Figure 2 As shown in , an electrically heated reactor 10 according to another embodiment of the present disclosure may include an electrically heated reactor 10 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, a cooler 40 and an insulator 70. As described above, the electrically heated reactor 10 may include a reaction tube 20, a power source 30 and a pair of conductive sockets 32 and 34.

[0050] In the reaction tube 20, the first tube portion 24 and the second tube portion 26 having different resistivities may be coupled to each other, thereby being electrically connected to each other. In addition, by coupling the first tube portion 24 and the second tube portion 26 to each other, the reactant flowing into the first tube portion 24 through the inlet 21 may move to the second tube portion 26 and flow out of the second tube portion 26 through the outlet 22. The electrical coupling and fluid coupling of the first tube portion 24 and the second tube portion 26 may be achieved by various coupling methods, and in Figures 3 to 5Several examples of various joining methods are shown in .

[0051] like Figure 3 As shown in , the first pipe portion 24 and the second pipe portion 26 may be coupled to each other by welding. In more detail, the other end of the first pipe portion 24 and one end of the second pipe portion 26 may contact each other, and a high temperature may be applied to the contact portion, thereby joining the outer circumference of the other end of the first pipe portion 24 with the outer circumference of one end of the second pipe portion 26. Therefore, a welding portion 50 may be formed on the outer circumference of the corresponding portions.

[0052] like Figure 4 As shown in , the first pipe portion 24 and the second pipe portion 26 may be flange-coupled to each other. In more detail, a first flange 52 having a larger diameter than the first pipe portion 24 may be formed at the other end of the first pipe portion 24, a second flange 54 having a larger diameter than the second pipe portion 26 may be formed at one end of the second pipe portion 26, and the first flange 52 and the second flange 54 may be fastened to each other by using a fastening member 56 such as a screw, a bolt, a nut, a pin, and a rivet, thereby coupling the first pipe portion 24 and the second pipe portion 26 to each other.

[0053] like Figure 5 As shown in , the first pipe portion 24 and the second pipe portion 26 can be threadedly coupled to each other. In more detail, an internal thread 60 can be formed on the inner surface of one of the other end of the first pipe portion 24 and one end of the second pipe portion 26, and an external thread 62 can be formed on the outer surface of the other end of the first pipe portion 24 and one end of the second pipe portion 26, and the internal thread 60 and the external thread 62 can be threadedly coupled to each other, thereby coupling the first pipe portion 24 and the second pipe portion 26 to each other.

[0054] Return to reference Figure 2 , the cooler 40 may be disposed near at least one of the first conductive socket 32 ​​and the second conductive socket 34, and is configured to cool the conductive socket 32 ​​or 34 by heat transfer with the conductive socket 32 ​​or 34. For this purpose, the cooler 40 may be connected to a refrigerant inlet line 42, and the cold refrigerant may thus flow into the cooler 40 through the refrigerant inlet line 42, and the cooler 40 may be connected to a refrigerant outlet line 44, and the refrigerant that exchanges heat with the conductive socket 32 ​​or 34 may thus flow out of the cooler 40 through the refrigerant outlet line 44. Here, the specification describes that the cooler 40 is disposed near the first conductive socket 32 ​​or the second conductive socket 34, and the refrigerant exchanges heat with the conductive socket 32 ​​or 34. However, the type and position of the cooler 40 are not limited thereto. For example, the cooler 40 may be a cooler using a Peltier element or a refrigerant jacket located in the conductive socket 32 ​​or 34.

[0055] The insulator 70 may surround at least a portion of the reaction tube 20 and thermally insulate at least a portion of the reaction tube 20 . Figure 2 It is shown that the insulator 70 surrounds the reaction tube 20 disposed between the pair of conductive sockets 32 and 34, but the present disclosure is not limited thereto. For example, the insulator 70 may surround the entire reaction tube 20. The insulator 70 may surround the reaction tube 20 and thermally insulate the reaction tube 20, thereby improving the energy efficiency of the reactor by reducing unnecessary heat loss outside the reaction tube 20, and effectively and uniformly maintaining the temperature in the reaction tube 20.

[0056] In addition, the insulator 70 may also isolate the reaction tube 20 and its external resistance, thereby preventing safety accidents that may occur due to the current that may flow in the reaction tube 20 .

[0057] Figure 6 is a schematic diagram showing an electrically heated reactor according to yet another embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0058] like Figure 6 As shown in FIG. 1 , an electrically heated reactor 10 according to another embodiment of the present disclosure may include a reaction tube 20, a power source 30, and a pair of conductive sockets 32 and 34. The reaction tube 20 may include a first tube portion 24, a second tube portion 26, and at least one third tube portion 28.

[0059] The first tube portion 24 may define a portion of the reaction tube 20 and have a first resistivity ρ1. An inlet 21 may be formed at one end of the first tube portion 24, and the reactants required for the reaction may flow into the reaction tube 20, in particular, into the first tube portion 24, through the inlet 21. The second tube portion 26 may define another portion of the reaction tube 20, and have a second resistivity ρ2 different from the first resistivity. An outlet 22 may be formed at the other end of the second tube portion 26, and the reactants that have completed the reaction and / or the unreacted reactants that have not yet reacted may flow out of the reaction tube 20, in particular, out of the second tube portion 26, through the outlet 22. At least one third tube portion 28 may define the remaining portion of the reaction tube 20, and is disposed between the first tube portion 24 and the second tube portion 26. At least one third tube portion 28 may have a third resistivity ρ3 that may be different from the first resistivity or the second resistivity. If a third tube portion 28 is provided, the third resistivity may be different from the first resistivity or the second resistivity. Alternatively, if two or more third tube sections 28 are provided, the number of third resistivities may be the same as the number of third tube sections 28, and one third resistivity may be different from the first resistivity, the second resistivity, and / or another third resistivity. Obviously, if two or more third tube sections 28 are provided, any one third resistivity may be the same as the first resistivity, the second resistivity, or any other third resistivity. However, the resistivities of adjacent tube sections may be different from each other.

[0060] One end of at least one third pipe section 28 can be connected to the other end of the first pipe section 24, and the other end of at least one third pipe section 28 can be connected to one end of the second pipe section 26. The first pipe section 24 and at least one third pipe section 28 can be connected to each other by welding, flange connection or threaded connection, and at least one third pipe section 28 and the second pipe section 26 can be connected to each other by welding, flange connection or threaded connection. The first resistivity, the second resistivity and the third resistivity can be set based on the temperature gradient of the reactant in the channel of the reaction tube 20. For example, as the reactant passes through the channel and the reaction of the reactant proceeds, the temperature in the reactant may change, and a temperature gradient may occur. The temperature gradient based on the reaction of the reactant or the position of the reactant in the channel can be predetermined by experiments, etc., and the first resistivity, the second resistivity and the third resistivity can be set to supplement the temperature gradient, thereby obtaining the best yield.

[0061] The first channel formed in the first tube portion 24 may be connected to at least one third channel formed in the third tube portion 28, the third channel may be connected to the second channel formed in the second tube portion 26, and the diameters of the first channel, the second channel, and the third channel may be the same as or almost similar to each other. Therefore, the reactant flowing into the first channel through the inlet 21 may react sequentially while passing through the first channel, the third channel, and the second channel in the reaction tube 20, and flow out of the second channel through the outlet 22. In addition, the diameters of the first channel, the second channel, and the third channel may be the same as or almost similar to each other, and therefore, the flow resistance of the reactant passing through the first channel, the second channel, and the third channel may not increase.

[0062] The power source 30 may be configured to supply power to the reaction tube 20 , and the first conductive socket 32 ​​or the second conductive socket 34 may supply power of the power source 30 to the reaction tube 20 , thereby enabling the reaction tube 20 to generate heat.

[0063] Although the embodiments of the present disclosure have been described above, the scope of the present disclosure is not limited thereto, and all equivalent modifications that are easily modified by those skilled in the art to which the present disclosure belongs are intended to fall within the scope and spirit of the present disclosure.

Claims

1. An electrically heated reactor, comprising: a reaction tube, the reaction tube comprising a longitudinal channel for reactants to pass through; a power source configured to heat the reactant passing through the channel by supplying electricity to the reaction tube; as well as a pair of conductive sockets, the pair of conductive sockets connecting the power source to the reaction tube so that current can flow through the power source and the reaction tube, Wherein, the reaction tube comprises: a first tube portion having a first resistivity, and A second tube portion having a second resistivity different than the first resistivity.

2. The reactor according to claim 1, wherein The reactants flow into the first tube portion, move to the second tube portion, and flow out of the second tube portion.

3. The reactor according to claim 1, wherein The first pipe portion and the second pipe portion are coupled to each other by welding, flange coupling, or threaded coupling.

4. The reactor according to claim 1, further comprising An insulator surrounds at least a portion of the reaction tube and thermally insulates at least a portion of the reaction tube.

5. The reactor according to claim 4, wherein The insulator surrounds the reaction tube disposed between the pair of conductive sockets.

6. The reactor according to claim 1, further comprising A cooler is provided for cooling at least one of the pair of conductive sockets.

7. The reactor according to claim 1, wherein The reaction tube further includes at least one third tube section disposed between the first tube section and the second tube section and coupled to each of the first tube section and the second tube section, The at least one third tube portion has a third resistivity, and Adjacent tube sections have resistivities that are different from each other.

8. The reactor according to claim 7, wherein The first pipe portion and the at least one third pipe portion are coupled to each other by welding, flange coupling or thread coupling, and the at least one third pipe portion and the second pipe portion are coupled to each other by welding, flange coupling or thread coupling.

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