Reactor system for endothermic reactions

Abstract

An electrified reactor system can include optional insulators, optional pressure shells, electrical connections to / from the catalytic modules, preheaters, one or more heat exchangers, reaction zones (e.g., reaction modules, catalyst modules, etc.), one or more optional preheaters, and operating switches (e.g., valves, rotary switches, controllers, etc.).

Description

[0001] Cross-reference to related applications This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 63 / 625,165, filed January 25, 2024, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. Technical Field

[0002] This invention relates generally to the field of thermal reactors, and more specifically to new and useful systems and methods in the field of thermal reactors.

[0003] background Traditional catalytic reactor systems are heated via external combustion of fuel. The heat from combustion is transferred through the reactor walls to the process flow via radiation and conduction to drive the reactions within the system. This allows the heat-generating mechanism to be separated from the catalytic surface and process gases, but results in poor heat utilization and the generation of significant amounts of CO2 during combustion. The heat transfer efficiency of these systems is typically 50% or lower. Therefore, a more efficient and economical method for heating reactor systems is needed.

[0004] Brief Overview In some embodiments, this disclosure provides an electrified reactor system with integrated heat recovery and high total energy efficiency. This system can recover heat using several heat exchange configurations and can include any number of individually heated zones precisely controlled by heating (e.g., electric heating, stored solar salt, nuclear water cooling, etc.). In some embodiments, the combination of heating and heat recovery configurations intentionally creates multiple temperature zones also for enabling other related unit operations, such as physical and chemical separations or secondary catalytic processes. Brief description of the attached diagram Figure 1 This is a diagram illustrating some implementation schemes of a heat exchanger-reactor system.

[0006] Figure 2 This is a diagram illustrating certain embodiments of the multi-stage heat exchange system disclosed herein.

[0007] Figure 3 This is a diagram illustrating certain embodiments of more than one heat exchange plate operating in a co-current flow mode to exchange heat from outflowing hot product gases to incoming cold reactant gases.

[0008] Figures 4A-4C This is a diagram illustrating certain embodiments of a plate-fin reactor-heat exchanger system, wherein the catalytic element is integrated within the hot zone of the heat exchanger.

[0009] Figure 5This is a diagram illustrating some implementation schemes of a shell-and-plate design for a heat exchanger-reactor system.

[0010] Figure 6 This is a diagram illustrating certain embodiments of a reactor system constructed to have a regenerative bed for heat exchange.

[0011] Figure 7 This is a diagram illustrating certain implementations of a multi-level system containing the present disclosure.

[0012] Figure 8 This is a diagram illustrating certain embodiments of an electrified or non-electrified pre-reforming catalytic section having multi-stage heat exchange and flow distribution components.

[0013] Figure 9 This is a diagram illustrating some implementations of a floating tube machination.

[0014] Figure 10 This is a diagram illustrating some embodiments of the reactor system disclosed herein.

[0015] Figure 11 This is a schematic diagram illustrating some exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0016] Figure 12 yes Figure 11 Legend of the diagram.

[0017] Figures 13A-13B These are diagrams of some embodiments of the circular flat plate heat exchanger disclosed herein.

[0018] Figure 14 This is a schematic diagram of an exemplary reactor system.

[0019] Figure 15A and Figure 15B This is a schematic diagram of an example of a reactor system.

[0020] Figure 16 This is a flowchart representation of an exemplary fluid flow configuration within a reactor system.

[0021] Figure 17 This is a schematic diagram of an exemplary temperature gradient across an exemplary reactor system at a certain moment (e.g., shortly after switching the direction of fluid flow).

[0022] Figures 18A-18E This is a schematic diagram of an example of a thermal reactor with a different orientation relative to the gravity vector.

[0023] Detailed Explanation The following description of embodiments of the present invention is not intended to limit the invention to these embodiments, but rather to enable those skilled in the art to make and use the invention.

[0024] 1. Overview For example, such as Figure 14 As shown, the electrified reactor system may include optional insulators, optional pressure housings, electrical connections to / from the catalyst module, a preheater, a first heat exchanger 13 (e.g., a reactant heating or cooling zone depending on the direction of fluid flow), a second heat exchanger 13' (e.g., a reactant cooling or heating zone depending on the direction of fluid flow), a reaction zone 15 (e.g., a reaction module, catalyst module, etc.), optional preheaters, operating switches (e.g., valve 16, rotary switch, controller, etc.), optional separation systems (e.g., filters, water separators, etc.), and / or other suitable components.

[0025] In some implementations, heat can be supplied to the electrified reactor system (e.g., to its reaction zone) via resistive, inductive, microwave, or plasma-based heating, where a low-cost heat exchanger system is incorporated into the reactor vessel to recover heat that has not been converted into chemical energy (e.g., by transferring heat from the outflowing gas to the inflowing gas). Additionally or alternatively, other heat generation and / or heat transfer methods (e.g., stored solar salt, nuclear cooling water, etc.) can be used. The reactor system typically operates at standard pressures or higher (e.g., between 1 atm and 100 atm). However (e.g., to control product ratios, control by-product recovery rates, etc.), the reactor system can operate under reduced pressure (e.g., vacuum, pressures less than 1 atm, etc.).

[0026] The system is preferably used for reactions occurring at high temperatures (e.g., ≥800°C, ≥1000°C, ≥1100°C, ≥1200°C, ≥1500°C, or values ​​or ranges thereof), such as endothermic reactions. For example, the system can be used for reverse water-gas shift reactions (e.g., H2 + CO2). H2O + CO), steam methane reforming (CH4 + H2O) CO + 3H2), dry methane reforming (CH4 + CO2) 2CO + 2H2), double reforming, hydrocarbon reforming (e.g., C2O2 + 2H2O2), x H y + H2O xCO + (2x+y) / 2H2), hydrothermal pyrolysis, Kværner process (C n H m nC + m / 2H2), Haber process (N2 + 3H2) 2NH3), and / or other suitable reactions and / or processes. In some variations, the system can perform a single reaction. In other variations, the system can perform more than one reaction simultaneously (e.g., by providing a fluid feed having more than one reactant, by providing more than one reactant from different processing streams, by providing more than one reaction module within the reaction zone, wherein the reaction modules can operate at different temperatures and / or with different catalysts, etc.). For example, the system can perform reverse water-gas shift reactions and hydrocarbon reforming (e.g., hydrocarbons with short carbon chains, such as C1-C4, C1-C5, C1-C7, C1-C8, C2-C8, methane, ethane, propane, butane, pentane, hexane, heptane, octane, mixtures thereof, or unsaturated variants, etc.).

[0027] 2. Technological Advantages Variations of this technology can provide one or more advantages over conventional technologies.

[0028] First, variations of this technology use renewable energy sources instead of fossil fuels as the primary energy source for the chemical production system. These processes preferably exhibit high efficiency for the product (e.g., energy efficiency, single-pass yield, etc.) (e.g., to compete with fossil fuel-derived analogues). For example, to facilitate endothermic reactions, any number of technologies (e.g., resistance, microwave, induction, plasma, and other electric heating technologies) can be used to convert the energy supplied to the system in electrical form into heat with relatively high efficiency, and to maintain a high level of system efficiency (e.g., ≥80%), heat not utilized in the chemical transformation of interest can be recovered by using heat exchange.

[0029] Secondly, variations of this technology can enable heat exchangers to operate at high temperatures (e.g., ≥1000°C). Traditional types of heat exchangers (e.g., shell-and-tube, plate-and-shell, plate-fin, etc.) may be limited by the types of materials used to manufacture them. For example, to achieve temperatures exceeding 800°C, expensive nickel-based superalloys (e.g., Inconel, Haynes 230, etc.) can be used. However, at high temperatures and in the presence of certain gaseous components (e.g., syngas, steam, carbon monoxide, hydrogen, etc.), alloying elements (e.g., aluminum, chromium, silicon, etc., which can form oxide scale) may undergo degradation and / or may be insufficient to prevent degradation (e.g., metal dusting, high-temperature hydrogen corrosion, etc.). Due to the thermal expansion of metals, metal heat exchangers may experience limited flow-to-flow temperature differences and inlet-to-outlet temperature differences; exceeding these limits can lead to failure. Existing reactor heat exchangers have specific wear parts that require periodic replacement at significant costs and extend downtime due to corrosion of metals at high temperatures and other wear mechanisms. Ceramic materials may be limited by manufacturing capabilities and / or prone to leakage and / or failure due to their porosity and brittleness. Furthermore, many heat exchange options require a second unit operation to transfer heat back to the process, which increases the overall system cost and introduces the opportunity for energy loss. For example, waste heat boilers may only reach the maximum temperature significantly below the reaction temperatures required in many chemical reactions. Some variations of this technology can overcome these limitations by using regenerative heat exchangers that utilize ceramic heat storage materials. Note that in some variations, more than one heat exchanger can be utilized in both lower-temperature and higher-temperature heat exchange zones, employing lower-cost or simpler heat exchangers (such as nickel-based superalloys, metals, ceramics, etc.).

[0030] Third, in some variations of this technology, the heat exchange region can be endowed with additional functions. For example, particularly but not exclusively, in the lower temperature regions of the heat exchanger (e.g., the portion of the heat exchanger furthest from the reaction module), a heat storage material capable of reversibly adsorbing one or more fluid substances can be used to filter the fluid flow and can act as a source of materials within the fluid flow (e.g., when the heat exchanger operation switches). For example, the heat storage material may include calcium oxide and / or other materials capable of adsorbing unreacted carbon dioxide within the reaction module (e.g., selectively adsorbing a larger portion of carbon dioxide compared to other materials within the fluid flow such as hydrogen, carbon monoxide, water, etc.). When the outlet operation switches to inlet performance, the calcium oxide and / or other materials capable of adsorbing carbon dioxide can then release carbon dioxide into the fluid flow for reaction within the reaction module. However, other suitable materials within the fluid flow can be adsorbed and / or desorbed (e.g., to control the composition of the fluid flow while also controlling the temperature of the fluid flow).

[0031] Fourth, the inventors have discovered variations of this technology that can be used in reactor systems powered by renewable energy, capable of reaching the high temperatures (e.g., greater than 600°C) required for key endothermic reactions (e.g., steam reforming, reverse water-gas shift, dry reforming, hydrocarbon cracking, etc.), recovering heat cost-effectively in a single unit operation, and being compatible with harsh process conditions (e.g., high-temperature syngas environments). Furthermore, these thermal reactor systems are preferably flexible, enabling operation within a gas flow range of 0%–100% (or subsets thereof, such as 10%–100%, 30%–100%, etc., where 100% can refer to the maximum mass volume of reactants that can be processed and / or products that can be produced). In some variations, 100% can refer to the start of the thermal reactor system's lifetime. In other variations, the thermal reactor system can be adapted to flow rates greater than 100% (e.g., sacrificing efficiency; for short durations, such as approximately seconds, minutes, hours, or days; etc.), such as 105%, 110%, 120%, 125%, 150%, and / or other suitable percentages (e.g., to accommodate reactor degradation during use, to extend usable life, etc.). In specific examples, the reactor system can utilize a regenerative heat exchange system (e.g., such as...). Figure 14 (as shown in the image).

[0032] However, additional advantages can be provided by the systems and methods disclosed herein.

[0033] 4. System For example in Figure 14 As shown, the electrified reactor system may include optional insulators (e.g., to reduce heat loss from the reactor system to the environment, such as ceramic fibers, refractory bricks, mineral wool, mica, microporous insulators, slag, basalt, glass fiber, etc.), optional pressure shells (e.g., stainless steel, nickel-iron alloy, Hastelloy, Incoloy, Monel, Nichrome, Nimonic, Stellite, or other suitable materials surrounding other components), electrical connections to / from the catalytic module (e.g., electrical couplers, electrodes, etc.), a preheater, a first heat exchanger 13 (e.g., a reactant heating or cooling zone depending on the direction of fluid flow), a second heat exchanger 13' (e.g., a reactant cooling or heating zone depending on the direction of fluid flow), and a reaction zone 15. (e.g., reaction module, catalyst module, etc.), optional preheater, operation switch (e.g., valve 16, rotary switch, controller, etc.), optional separation system (e.g., filter, water separator, etc.) and / or other suitable components.

[0034] Insulators can be designed to control the phase of product and / or reactant mixtures, for example, to avoid unwanted condensation within heat exchange media (e.g., in heat exchangers) and / or reaction modules. In one specific example, the insulator may comprise a refractory lining on the interior of a pressure vessel wall. However, other suitable insulators may be used.

[0035] The system is preferably used for reactions occurring at high temperatures (e.g., ≥800°C, ≥1000°C, ≥1050°C, ≥1100°C, ≥1200°C, ≥1500°C, or values ​​or ranges thereof), such as endothermic reactions. For example, the system can be used for reverse water-gas shift reactions (e.g., H2 + CO2). H2O + CO), steam methane reforming (CH4 + H2O) CO + 3H2), dry methane reforming (CH4 + CO2) 2CO + 2H2), double reforming, hydrocarbon reforming (e.g., C2O2 + 2H2O2), x H y + H2O xCO + (2x+y) / 2 H2), hydrothermal pyrolysis, Kværner process (C n H m nC + m / 2H2), Haber process (N2 + 3H2) 2NH3), and / or other suitable reactions and / or processes. In some variations, the system can perform a single reaction. In other variations, the system can perform more than one reaction simultaneously (e.g., by providing a fluid feed having more than one reactant, by providing more than one reactant from different processing streams, etc.). For example, the system can perform reverse water-gas shift reactions and hydrocarbon reforming (e.g., hydrocarbons with short carbon chains, such as C1-C4, C1-C5, C1-C7, C1-C8, C2-C8, methane, ethane, propane, butane, pentane, hexane, heptane, octane, mixtures thereof, or unsaturated variants, etc.).

[0036] The reactor system is preferably substantially symmetrical about the reaction module (e.g., mirror symmetry, inversion symmetry, rotational symmetry, etc., such as...). Figure 15A or Figure 15B(As shown). In one example of a substantially symmetrical reactor system, the functions across the reactor system (e.g., temperature, adsorption, etc.) can be symmetrical (while the exact design can vary to achieve the same effect). In another example of a substantially symmetrical reactor system, the chemical elements and / or thermal elements can be symmetrical about the reaction module, while the mechanical components (e.g., fasteners, sensors, etc.) do not need to be symmetrical. However, reactor systems can be asymmetrical. Reactor systems can be aligned parallel to the gravity vector (e.g., as shown). Figure 18E As shown), aligned perpendicular to the gravity vector (e.g., for example) Figure 18A (as shown), and / or may have other suitable arrangements relative to the gravity vector (such as, for example) Figure 18B , Figure 18C and / or Figure 18D As shown). In variations of the heat exchanger perpendicular to the gravity vector (e.g., such as...), Figure 18A or Figure 18D As shown), the heat exchanger may include a discharge port (e.g., for removing liquid from the product gas). In variations where the heat exchanger is parallel to the gravity vector (or at a sufficient angle relative to the gravity vector) (such as... Figure 18B , Figure 18C or Figure 18E As shown), any liquid formed during the cooling of the product gas can be discharged by gravity. In some variations, the reaction zone (e.g., reactor module, preheater, etc.) is located at the ends of the thermal reactor (i.e., in contact with a single end of each heat exchanger rather than in the middle of the heat exchanger, such as, for example... Figure 18C or Figure 18D (As shown) can be helpful for the maintenance and / or repair of the reaction zone and / or its components (e.g., reaction module, preheater, etc.).

[0037] The reactor system can have a diameter or width between approximately 6 inches and 120 inches. The reactor system can have a height or depth between approximately 12 inches and 1200 inches. However, other suitable reactor sizes can be designed (e.g., similar design features that can be scaled to match the reactor size).

[0038] The reaction module is preferably used as the site for carrying out chemical reactions. The reaction module (e.g., its catalytic element) preferably achieves high operating temperatures (e.g., greater than about 500°C, 600°C, 750°C, 800°C, 900°C, 1000°C, 1050°C, 1100°C, 1250°C, 1300°C, 1500°C, 2000°C, 2500°C, etc.), which can be beneficial in driving the equilibrium of the chemical reaction towards preferred products. However, the thermal reactor can be operated in any suitable manner. The reactor system may include a single reaction module and / or more than one reaction module (e.g., in parallel and / or in series within the same pressure vessel, such as 2 reaction modules, 3 reaction modules, 5 reaction modules, 10 reaction modules, etc.).

[0039] The temperature of the reaction module is preferably achieved via resistance heating (e.g., Joule heating, ohmic heating, etc.). However, the reactor temperature can be achieved in other ways (e.g., dielectric heating, induction heating, microwave heating, plasma heating, etc., depending on the suitable catalyst element, reaction module, etc.).

[0040] The reaction module can be cylindrical, prismatic (e.g., pyramidal, prism, antiprism, parallelepiped, dome, truncated, cube, rectangular prism, triangular prism, pentagonal prism, etc.), toroidal (e.g., square toroidal, rectangular toroidal, hexagonal toroidal, degenerate toroidal, etc.), conical, and / or can have other suitable shapes (usually but not necessarily 3D shapes with two planar wide surface ends).

[0041] The reaction module (or each reaction module in a variant having more than one module) preferably comprises a substrate and catalytic material disposed on the substrate. The reaction module is preferably electrically connected to one or more electrical couplers (e.g., electrodes configured to allow electricity to pass through the reaction module or its substrate, wherein the action of allowing electricity through the substrate results in heating of the substrate via resistance heating). The electrical couplers may be solid, mesh, porous, and / or have other suitable shapes or configurations for supplying power to the reaction module. The cross-sectional perimeter, diameter, width, length, surface area, or other characteristic dimensions are preferably substantially the same as the cross-sectional perimeter, diameter, width, length, surface area, or other characteristic dimensions of the reaction module (e.g., if the reaction module at the contact point is solid, the difference will be less than 10%), which can be beneficial for achieving uniform temperature within the reaction module. As a specific example, an electrical coupler may have a design such as that described in U.S. Patent Application 18 / 758,642, filed June 28, 2024, entitled “ELECTRICAL COUPLER FORRESISTIVELY HEATED REACTOR SYSTEMS,” which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

[0042] The substrate is used to support the catalyst and / or heat the catalyst and / or the fluid. The substrate may additionally or optionally be used to mix the fluid (e.g., by introducing turbulence into the fluid flow), increase the residence time of the fluid near the catalyst (e.g., by forming a tortuous path through the substrate), and / or may function in other ways.

[0043] The substrate is preferably formed of refractory materials, refractory metals, and / or combinations thereof (e.g., cermets). For example, the substrate may be made of carbon, silicon carbide, tungsten carbide, molybdenum carbide, titanium carbide, vanadium carbide, chromium carbide, zirconium carbide, niobium carbide, molybdenum carbide, ruthenium carbide, rhodium carbide, hafnium carbide, tantalum carbide, tungsten carbide, rhenium carbide, osmium carbide, iridium carbide, platinum silicide, titanium silicide, vanadium silicide, chromium silicide, zirconium silicide, niobium silicide, molybdenum silicide, ruthenium silicide, rhodium silicide, hafnium silicide, tantalum silicide, tungsten silicide, rhenium silicide, osmium silicide, iridium silicide, etc. It is made of neptunium, titanium, vanadium, chromium, zirconium, niobium, molybdenum, ruthenium, rhodium, hafnium, tantalum, tungsten, rhenium, osmium, iridium, alloys or complexes thereof, oxides (e.g., titanium dioxide, aluminum oxide, cerium dioxide, zinc oxide, zirconium oxide, silicon dioxide, etc.), nitrides and / or other suitable materials (e.g., which may include dopants to modify the electrical properties of the substrate, thereby promoting uniform thermal and / or electrical distribution throughout the catalytic element).

[0044] The substrate preferably has a high specific surface area (e.g., BET surface area, such as ≥1 m²). 2 / g, ≥10 m 2 / g, ≥100m 2 / g, ≥1000 m 2 / g, etc., can be beneficial in promoting reaction sites. However, the substrate can have any suitable specific surface area.

[0045] The substrate is preferably a porous material (e.g., a material with a porosity greater than 5%, a material with a solid volume of up to 95%, etc.). For example, the substrate can be a foam (e.g., an open-cell foam, a random foam, a regular foam, etc.), a woven fiber, a periodic open-cell structure, a lattice, and / or can have any suitable structure. However, the substrate can additionally or alternatively be a solid material (e.g., a mesh, a tape, etc.), including engineered structures (e.g., roughened surfaces to promote a large surface area, engineered or controlled through-holes, etc.), and / or can be formed in other ways.

[0046] Catalysts are used to lower the activation energy of a target chemical reaction (e.g., increase the reaction rate, promote reaction centers, etc.). The catalyst is preferably disposed on a substrate (e.g., coated, adhered to, absorbed on, adsorbed on, etc.). Alternatively or additionally, the catalyst may be integrated into the substrate (e.g., where at least a portion of the catalyst material protrudes from the substrate material), may be disposed on an electrical coupler (e.g., to increase the total catalyst loading within the reaction module and / or reactor), and / or may be arranged in other ways.

[0047] Examples of catalyst materials (e.g., for RWGS reactions) may include: oxides (e.g., iron oxide, chromium oxide, copper oxide, aluminum oxide, zinc oxide, cerium oxide, iron oxide, manganese oxide, indium oxide, nickel oxide, spinel oxide, solid solution oxide, perovskite oxide, complexes or combinations thereof, etc.), metal catalysts (e.g., platinum, palladium, gold, rhodium, ruthenium, copper, nickel, rhenium, cobalt, iron, molybdenum, etc.), phosphides (e.g., copper phosphide, nickel phosphide, tungsten phosphide, cobalt phosphide, molybdenum phosphide, combinations thereof, etc.), promoters (e.g., alkali metals, noble metals, bimetals, etc.) and / or other suitable catalyst materials (e.g., for a specific reaction, in combination with a specific substrate material, etc.).

[0048] Catalytic elements and electrocouplers can be mechanically connected (e.g., physically compressed together, such as using springs, pneumatic systems, hydraulic systems, vacuum, motors, Belleville washer, etc.), chemically connected (e.g., using adhesives, such as carbon), and / or using any suitable connection mechanism or combination thereof (e.g., wet connection, brazing, diffusion bonding, ultrasonic welding, etc.).

[0049] While fluid typically enters the reaction module after passing through a heat exchanger and / or preheater (e.g., preheating the fluid), in some variations, an additional inlet can supply a second fluid stream directly to the reaction module (e.g., along a flow direction orthogonal to the fluid flow through the heat exchanger). In variations including a second fluid stream, the second fluid stream typically comprises hydrocarbons (e.g., short-chain hydrocarbons, such as C1-C8 straight-chain or branched hydrocarbons), which can undergo reforming and / or cracking within the reaction module (e.g., simultaneously with other reactions such as reverse water-gas shift reaction, where the second reaction can provide reagents for the first reaction, shift the equilibrium point of the first reaction, etc.). However, other suitable reagents can be introduced into the second fluid stream (e.g., a first reagent is introduced via the first fluid stream such as CO2, and a second reagent is introduced via the second fluid stream such as H2). Fluid from the second fluid stream can be removed via a second outlet and / or can exit through the same outlet as the first fluid stream.

[0050] Optional preheaters can be used to heat the fluid flow to a threshold temperature (e.g., to facilitate fluid entry into the reaction module at the reaction temperature, to facilitate fluid entry into the heat exchanger at a higher temperature to increase the temperature within the heat exchanger, etc.) and / or to help improve temperature stability within the reaction module. For example, in some variations, the inventors have observed temperature fluctuations of up to 200°C within the reaction module, in which the preheater can reduce these fluctuations to less than about 50°C. The preheater is preferably substantially identical to the reaction module (e.g., the same shape, the same dimensions, the same materials, the same design, etc.). In these variations, the preheater can act as an additional site where the reaction occurs (e.g., effectively increasing the size of the reaction module). In other variations, the preheater can be substantially identical to the substrate of the reaction module (e.g., excluding catalyst material). In yet another variation, the preheater can have a structure similar to the reaction module substrate but with lower porosity (e.g., resulting in a larger thermal mass). However, other suitable preheater designs can be used (e.g., cross-plate heat exchangers for countercurrent fluids such as fluids between different reaction modules, solar salt storage, heat stored in molten metal, nuclear heat, etc.). As a specific example, after the preheater, the fluid can be substantially at the reaction temperature. As a second specific example, after the preheater, the fluid can be at a temperature higher than the reaction temperature (e.g., to transfer excess heat to another fluid, to a thermal storage material, etc.). However, after the preheater, the fluid can be at any suitable temperature. A preheater can be particularly advantageous when the reaction module operates with a fluid mass less than the maximum fluid mass that the thermal reactor and / or reaction module can accommodate (e.g., because the heat exchanger may be less efficient or achieve a lower temperature in the inlet fluid under such conditions).

[0051] Heat exchangers 13, 13' are preferably used to receive heat from the output of the reaction module (e.g., cooling, lowering the temperature of the output of the reaction module, etc.) (directly or indirectly, such as after passing through one or more preheaters) and transfer the heat to the input of the reaction module (e.g., heating, raising the temperature of the input of the reaction module, etc.) (directly or indirectly, such as before passing through one or more preheaters). The temperature gradient across the heat exchangers can depend on the reaction to be carried out within the reaction module. For example (e.g.) Figure 17As shown), for the reverse water-gas shift reaction, the heat exchanger temperature gradient is preferably in the range of about 200°C (which can be beneficial for integration with other heat exchanger technologies, manifold technologies, etc.) to about 1200°C. However, in some variations, it is possible to achieve limitations on lower temperatures (e.g., 50°C, 100°C, etc. for low-temperature ranges; 900°C, 1000°C, 1050°C, 1100°C, etc. for higher-temperature ranges) and / or higher temperatures (e.g., 250°C, 300°C, etc. for the low-temperature end of the heat exchanger; 1250°C, 1500°C, 2000°C, 2500°C, etc. for the high-temperature end of the heat exchanger) (e.g., for different thermal storage materials, for different chemical reactions or processes, etc.).

[0052] The heat exchanger is preferably a fixed matrix accumulator. However, alternatively or optionally, the heat exchanger may be or include rotating accumulators, Rothemühle accumulators, micro accumulators (e.g., multi-layer grid structures), two-tube heat exchangers, shell-and-tube heat exchangers, plate heat exchangers, plate-and-shell heat exchangers, condensers and boilers, adiabatic wheels, finned plates, finned tubes, pillow plates, dynamic surface heat exchangers, phase change heat exchangers, direct contact heat exchangers, microchannel heat exchangers, spiral coil heat exchangers, spiral heat exchangers, counter-flow, spiral, or cross-flow heat exchangers, distributed steam or spiral flow heat exchangers, and / or other suitable heat exchangers may be used.

[0053] In variations using fixed matrix heat accumulators, the heat exchanger volume can be divided into sub-regions or sub-chambers (e.g., ...). Figure 15A or Figure 15B (As shown). Between sub-regions, plates, baffles, and / or other dividers may be included, which can be used to modify fluid transport characteristics (e.g., improve mixing, increase turbulence, reduce fluid velocity, increase laminar flow, increase fluid residence time within the accumulator, etc.). Dividers (e.g., plates, dividers, etc.) may be porous, including engineered through-holes (e.g., radially arranged through-holes), meshes, fibers, and / or other suitable designs that allow fluid transport through them. In some variations, dividers may additionally or optionally act as thermal breaks, thereby promoting the formation of temperature gradients (e.g., slowing down complete thermal equilibrium within the reactor system or its heat exchangers).

[0054] In variations using fixed-matrix thermal accumulators, the heat exchanger preferably includes a thermal storage medium (e.g., a material capable of storing and dissipating heat). The thermal storage medium preferably exhibits heat resistance to temperatures exceeding the reaction temperature (e.g., exceeding at least 50°C-100°C), is chemically resistant (e.g., resistant to attack by chemicals in the fluid flow at or near the reaction temperature, or to reaction with chemicals in the fluid flow, where chemicals can refer to one or more reactants and / or products, such as carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, hydrogen, carbon, oxygen, water, nitrogen oxides, sulfur oxides, etc.), has a high heat transfer coefficient, low thermal conductivity, low coefficient of thermal expansion (or otherwise tolerates thermal cycling), and / or may possess other suitable properties. Additionally or alternatively, the thermal storage medium may optionally adsorb (and preferably desorb) one or more reactants and / or products, wherein in these variations, the thermal storage medium may further be used to control the concentration and / or purity of the products and / or reactants. For example, when the thermal storage medium is below the desorption temperature, it can adsorb chemical substances, and when the thermal storage medium is above the desorption temperature, it can release the adsorbed chemical substances.

[0055] Thermal storage materials can take the form of plates, particles, aggregates, clusters, saddle-shaped, irregular, monolithic, tubes, rods, columns, cylinders, spheres, ellipsoids, combinations thereof, and / or other suitable shapes and / or morphologies. The particles of thermal storage materials can be solid, porous, fibrous, network-like, and / or can have other suitable geometries and / or densities. The characteristic size or dimension of the particles of thermal storage materials (e.g., diameter, radius, height, width, length, diagonal, etc.) can be between 100 nm and 10 mm.

[0056] Examples of preferred thermal storage materials include, but are not limited to: silica, refractory bricks, kiln bricks, alumina, zirconium oxide, cerium dioxide, yttrium oxide, ytterbium oxide, lutetium oxide, scandium oxide, thorium oxide, titanium dioxide, chromium-magnesite, magnesite-chromium, alumina, magnesium oxide, calcium oxide, beryllium oxide, barium oxide, radium oxide, strontium oxide, ceramsite residue, iron oxide, beryllium nitride, calcium aluminate, cerium hexaboride, cerium sulfide, and chromium(II) chromium oxide. Salts, chromium carbide, graphite, hafnium carbide, hafnium carbonitride, hafnium nitride, lanthanum hexaboride, molybdenum carbide, molybdenum silicide, niobium carbide, silicon carbide, tantalum carbide, titanium carbide, tungsten silicide, vanadium carbide, zircon, zirconium carbide, zirconium boride, zirconium nitride, zirconium silicate, and / or other suitable ceramic materials and / or cermets (e.g., oxides, nitrides, carbides, borides, silicides, or combinations thereof, typically transition metals, rare earth metals, or combinations thereof). Additional or optional heat storage materials (particularly, but not exclusively, for the lower temperature range of the heat exchanger) may include metals (e.g., transition metals, platinum group metals, noble metals, etc.), carbon-reinforced carbon, metal alloys, and / or other suitable materials. Similarly, in variations of the heat exchanger that include a separator, the separator may be made of any material that can be used as a heat storage material (e.g., the same material used for heat storage or different materials that can be used as heat storage).

[0057] In some variations, more than one heat storage medium can be used. Typically, in these variations, a gradient or separation of different heat storage media is formed (e.g., different heat storage media in different sub-regions or chambers of a heat exchanger, different heat storage media in different temperature zones of the heat exchanger, etc.). For example, a first heat storage medium can be used in the coldest zone of the heat exchanger (e.g., a zone where the heat exchanger remains below about 500°C during normal operation), and a second heat storage medium can be used in a hotter zone of the heat exchanger (e.g., a zone where the heat exchanger exceeds about 500°C during normal operation). In some variations of this example, the first heat storage medium can be further selected to adsorb one or more chemical substances (e.g., carbon dioxide) from the fluid. Examples of such adsorbent materials include (but are not limited to): beryllium oxide, magnesium oxide, calcium oxide, strontium oxide, barium oxide, radium oxide, amines (e.g., amine-impregnated solids, amine-MOFs, etc.), zeolites (e.g., porous aluminosilicate solids, such as 13X, Ca-A, etc.), metal-organic frameworks (MOFs, such as Mg-MOF-74, Ni-MOF-74, Co-MOF-74, HKUST-1, SIFSIX-3(Zn), Zn(ox)(atz)2, etc.), silica (e.g., mesoporous silica), activated carbon, chemically looping combustion materials (e.g., Fe2O3, Fe2O3 / YSZ, NiO, NiO / Al2O3, NiO / YSZ, transition metal oxides, rare earth metal oxides, etc., where YSZ refers to yttrium-stabilized zirconium oxide) and / or other suitable adsorbent materials (which are generally not used as a secondary thermal storage medium due to their relatively poor thermal cycling at higher temperatures). In other variations, metals and / or alloys can be used as the heat storage medium in the cooler regions of the heat exchanger. While this specific example uses two sub-regions, the heat exchanger can be divided into any suitable number of sub-regions (e.g., 3, 4, 5, 10, etc.), where each region can have the same or different heat storage materials (regions or sub-regions typically experiencing temperatures greater than about 900°C will use ceramic heat storage materials). However, different heat storage media can be mixed (e.g., are substantially homogeneous).

[0058] In some variations, more than one heat exchanger may be used. For example (e.g.) Figure 16 As shown), low-temperature heat exchangers (e.g., regenerators, plate heat exchangers, shell-and-plate heat exchangers, shell-and-tube heat exchangers, etc.) can be used below threshold temperatures (e.g., below about 200°C, 250°C, 300°C, etc.; below the temperature at which another component of water or fluid condenses; etc.), and high-temperature heat exchangers (e.g., temperatures between 200°C and 1500°C, 300°C and 1500°C, 500°C and 2000°C, 750°C and 1250°C, etc., values ​​or ranges thereof, such as heat accumulators) can be used.

[0059] During normal operation, the reactor system preferably switches the direction of fluid flow through the reactor system, such that the fluid removes heat from one heat exchanger while simultaneously supplying heat to the opposite heat exchanger (and where the function reverses when the fluid flow direction is reversed). The fluid flow can pass through a series of valves (e.g., ...). Figure 14 As shown, where an inlet valve and an outlet valve are opened at opposite ends of the reactor system at a time, controlled by a rotating mechanism and / or in other such ways.

[0060] The fluid flow direction can be switched automatically, manually, and / or at other suitable timings. For example, the fluid flow direction can be switched at a predetermined frequency (e.g., every 1 second, 10 seconds, 15 seconds, 30 seconds, 45 seconds, 60 seconds, 75 seconds, 90 seconds, 100 seconds, 150 seconds, 300 seconds, 600 seconds, 1000 seconds, 1500 seconds, etc.), in response to sensor readings (e.g., the temperature of the fluid at the inlet, the temperature of the fluid near the inlet of the reaction module, the temperature of the fluid at the outlet, the composition of the fluid at the outlet, the composition of the fluid at the inlet, the temperature of the fluid at the outlet of the reaction module, the temperature of the heat exchanger at one or more locations, the composition of the fluid at the outlet, the composition of the fluid near the outlet of the reaction module, etc.), and / or in response to any suitable data or information being switched. When using more than one switching mechanism, the switching mechanisms (e.g., valves) can be switched in parallel (e.g., simultaneously), sequentially (e.g., closing the inlet to allow the entrained fluid to be evacuated, thereby reducing the mixing of fluid flows from the carryover, then closing the outlet, and then opening the opposite inlet and outlet) and / or in other suitable order.

[0061] Alternative implementations may carry out the above methods and / or processing modules in a non-transitory computer-readable medium storing computer-readable instructions that, when executed by a processing system, cause the processing system to perform the methods discussed herein. The instructions may be executed by a computer-executable component integrated with the computer-readable medium and / or processing system. The computer-readable medium may include any suitable computer-readable medium, such as RAM, ROM, flash memory, EEPROM, optical devices (CD or DVD), hard disk drives, floppy disk drives, non-transitory computer-readable media, or any suitable device. The computer-executable component may include a computing system and / or processing system (e.g., including one or more co-located or distributed, remote or local processors) connected to the non-transitory computer-readable medium, such as a CPU, GPU, TPU, microprocessor, and / or FPGA / ASIC. However, the instructions may optionally or additionally be executed by any suitable dedicated hardware device.

[0062] Implementations of the system and / or method may include every combination and arrangement of various system components and various methodological processes, wherein one or more instances of the methods and / or processes described herein may be performed asynchronously (e.g., sequentially), synchronously (e.g., concurrently, in parallel, etc.), or in any other suitable order by means of and / or using one or more instances of the systems, elements, and / or entities described herein. Components and / or processes of the foregoing systems and / or methods may be used together with, in addition to, or in lieu of, all or part of the systems and / or methods disclosed in the applications mentioned above, replacing or otherwise integrating with all or part of the systems and / or methods, each of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

[0063] As used herein, “basically” or other similar terms (e.g., “about”, “approximately”, etc.) may be interpreted within a predetermined error threshold or tolerance of a measure, component, or other reference value (e.g., within 0.001%, 0.01%, 0.1%, 1%, 5%, 10%, 20%, 30% of the reference value) or may be interpreted otherwise.

[0064] In this disclosure, certain components of the system are described as being “coupled” to each other. As will be understood, the term “coupled” as used herein describes components that are operatively connected to each other, but does not exclude the presence of intermediate components between components that are allegedly coupled to each other. For example, valves, pipes, additional heat exchange elements, separators, or any other suitable process equipment may be inserted between two components that are coupled to each other.

[0065] As will be apparent to those skilled in the art from the foregoing detailed description and from the accompanying drawings and claims, modifications and alterations may be made to the preferred embodiments of the invention without departing from the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

[0066] Illustrative Examples Figure 1This is a diagram illustrating certain embodiments of a heat exchanger-reactor system. The heat exchange system (101) can be regenerative or regenerative using any suitable heat exchanger configuration (e.g., shell-and-tube, plate-fin, shell-and-plate, etc.), or using irregular geometries such as stacked conical plates or radial flow plates (not shown). The heat exchange system can include metal, ceramic, or a combination thereof. The reaction zone 102 is completely filled with a suitable structured catalyst, such as that described, for example, in International Patent Publication No. WO2022 / 221740; International Patent Application No. PCT / US23 / 35537; or U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63 / 524468, the entire contents of each of which are incorporated herein by reference.

[0067] Figure 2 This is a diagram illustrating certain embodiments of a multi-stage heat exchange system according to the present disclosure. In some embodiments, the multi-stage heat exchange system includes multiple heat exchange zones / elements (201, 202), wherein each heat exchange element may be referred to as a stage, and multiple heat exchange elements together constitute multiple stages. In some embodiments, these stages are connected in series. One or more heat exchange zone stages may be further configured to be coupled or in fluid contact with a reaction zone / catalyst zone / catalyst element (203). A multi-stage configuration can be advantageous for several reasons. First, the use of different materials allows for heat exchange across different temperature ranges of the regenerator. For example, ceramics may be used primarily in the high-temperature region of the system (e.g., 800°C or above), metal components may be used in the medium-temperature region (e.g., 250°C to 800°C), and gasket components may be used in the lower temperatures (e.g., 250°C or below). Second, the materials used in the construction can be adapted to gas-phase compatibility under localized conditions. For example, ceramics or coated metals may be used in the metal pulverization region (e.g., 400°C to 800°C) of a regenerator processing syngas. Third, the system can confine phase change to a specific component within the system. For example, water condensation can be directed to occur downstream of the gas feed. The gas feed can be placed in an intermediate stage to prevent water condensation within the gas-to-gas heat exchange section, thus preventing multiphase flow. These types of systems can be further segmented and composed of more than one component, such as... Figure 3 Figure 4 and Figure 5 As shown.

[0068] Figure 3This diagram illustrates certain embodiments of more than one heat exchange plate operating in a co-current or parallel flow mode to exchange heat from the outflowing hot product gas to the incoming cold reactant gas. The catalytic zone is illustrated as a single piece of resistance-heated material. The catalytic zone may also be referred to as a catalytic region, catalytic area, or catalytic element. The catalytic zone may also be segmented into multiple zones, blocks, or elements for finer temperature control along the dimensions of the catalytic bed (e.g., length, width, or height). In some embodiments, the catalytic zone may be part of the reaction zone.

[0069] In some embodiments, a catalyst element 302 is disposed within a heat transfer element 304. The catalyst element 302 and the heat transfer element 304 are disposed within housings 314a-314b. In some embodiments, the housing is a pressure housing. The catalyst element 302 is further configured to contact a heated or preheated reactant gas 306, which induces a reaction that produces a hot product gas 308.

[0070] A heat transfer element 304 is configured to contact both the hot product gas 308 and the cold reactant gas 310. In some embodiments, the heat transfer element is heat-storing. In some embodiments, a separate heat transfer element 304 is configured to contact both the hot product gas 308 and the cold reactant gas 310. The hot product gas applies heat to the heat transfer element 304, which is then transferred to the cold reactant gas 310, thereby producing a heated or preheated reactant gas 306.

[0071] In some embodiments, the catalytic element 302 further includes or has one or more electrical contacts 316a-316f fixed thereon, which are capable of applying electricity to the catalytic element 302 for resistance heating. In some embodiments, the catalytic element 302 can be electrically heated by applying microwaves, induction, or plasma.

[0072] Figures 4A-4C This diagram illustrates certain embodiments of a plate-fin reactor-heat exchanger system, in which the catalytic element is integrated within the hot zone of the heat exchanger. The illustrated heat exchanger system includes multiple channels, each channel comprising at least one catalytic element 402a-402d and at least one heat transfer insert 406. This allows all heat to be retained within the channels and minimizes heat loss to the outside.

[0073] exist Figure 4AIn this embodiment, catalyst elements 402a-402d are at least partially disposed within an electrical or thermal insulator. Hot reactant gases travel in the direction of the downward arrow through catalyst elements 402a-402d to reach heat transfer inserts 406 (e.g., fins), where they become hot product gases after passing through the catalyst elements 402a-402d. Heat transfer inserts 406 transfer heat from the hot product gases to lines 408a-408e, which transport cold reactant gases in the direction of the upward arrow shown. In some embodiments, lines 408a-408e may also be referred to as conduits, channels, or cavities.

[0074] Figure 4B This diagram illustrates that catalyst elements 402a-402d are a single element within each channel (e.g., the region between each line 408a-408e). In some embodiments, catalyst elements 402a-402d are referred to as a single zone, a single region, or a single block. In some embodiments, catalyst elements 402a-402d have a plurality of electrical contacts 412 on at least one side.

[0075] Figure 4C This diagram illustrates multiple catalytic elements 402a-402d, 422a-422d, 432a-432d, and 442a-442d within each channel. For example, in the leftmost channel, catalytic elements 402a, 422a, 432a, and 442a are located within the same channel but separated from each other by cavities or heat transfer elements. Similarly, the catalytic elements in the other channels can be configured similarly. In some embodiments, such as... Figure 4C The illustrated method of separating or segmenting the catalyst element provides an additional level of process control.

[0076] In some embodiments, the shell-and-plate design of the heat exchanger-reactor system includes a catalyst region / catalyst zone / catalyst element inside the shell. The shell-and-plate design of the heat exchanger-reactor system receives cold reactant gases and outputs cold product gases. The reactant gases travel within a reactant gas cavity within the system, and the product gases travel within a product gas cavity within the system. By opening one end of the heat exchanger to the interior of the shell, the cavity forms an annular shape inside the shell, and the reaction zone forms part of the interior of the shell. Some embodiments of this general configuration... Figure 5 and Figure 9As shown in the diagram. In some embodiments, the reactant gas cavity is configured to pass through the interior of the heat exchanger to heat the reactant gas, pass through the catalytic zone to produce the product gas, and then the product gas is conveyed to a product gas cavity inside the shell and outside the heat exchanger, such that the cooled product gas can be output from the heat exchanger-reactor system. In some embodiments, the reactant gas cavity is located between the shell and the heat exchanger, and the product gas cavity is configured to pass through the catalytic zone to produce the product gas and pass through the heat exchanger to cool the product gas.

[0077] Figure 5 This diagram illustrates certain embodiments of a shell-and-plate design for a heat exchanger-reactor system. In some embodiments, heat exchange occurs via a plate assembly that allows gas-to-gas heat exchange through heat transfer elements of a welded plate assembly 504 before the incoming cold feed gas 506 reaches the electrified catalytic zone 502. The system can be configured to have hot gas (not shown) on the shell side or plate side. Furthermore, in some embodiments, as described above, the plate assembly can be segmented into multiple stages composed of different materials. In some embodiments, a ceramic diffuser or insulator 510 can thermally insulate the welded plate assembly from the electrified catalytic zone. The insulator 510 can further insulate other stages or components (e.g., insulate multiple sides of the electrified catalytic zone 502).

[0078] Figure 9 This is a diagram illustrating some embodiments of a floating tube mechanism. (Reference) Figure 9 The regenerative heat exchange section of the system comprises a section of unconstrained floating tubes (902) at the hot end of a conventional tube sheet. An electrically heated catalyst (901) at the hot end allows the thermal expansion of the constructed tube material to grow into a cavity or empty space (905) surrounded by an insulator (903). The tube (902) material can be a composite made by joining different metal alloys and can be a brazed ceramic tube in the hottest section. The entire assembly is housed in a pressure vessel or pressure shell (904), thereby mitigating pressure-containing stresses on the high-temperature tubes at temperature. In some embodiments, a vertical orientation allows condensate from outlet components (such as water in a reverse water-gas shift) to drain from the assembly by gravity.

[0079] Figure 6This diagram illustrates certain embodiments of a reactor system configured with a regenerable bed for heat exchange. In this configuration, a solid heat exchange medium is placed in the regenerable beds (601 and 603), and a valve system is used to periodically alternate the flow direction through the system. The timing of valve switching is determined by the mass and heat capacity of the regenerator, the gas heat exchange characteristics of the packing, and the gas flow rate. The catalytic element, catalytic zone, or catalytic section 602 is electrically heated to maintain a high degree of operational control over the catalytic conditions. In steady-state operation, the gas vapor leaving the catalytic zone 602 is transferred over the solid material in the regenerator 601 or 603, depending on the flow direction. The gas transfers heat to the solid, thereby cooling the gas to the desired outlet temperature. Then, when the flow is reversed, the incoming cold gas is transferred over the heated solid material, which transfers heat to the incoming gas, thereby raising the temperature to near the reaction temperature. Additional heat is provided by the electrified catalytic zone 602 if needed. Solid heat transfer packings can be any of the following: filled spheres, filled irregular shapes (e.g., saddle shapes), monolithic materials, stacked structured ceramic sheets, stacked ceramic woven sieves, 3D-printed ceramic components (e.g., helical icosahedrons), or any combination thereof. The packing material can include metals, ceramics, cermets, and any combination thereof. The packing can be configured with a specific orientation designed to control the contact time between the gas and the heat exchange medium. The packing can also be formulated to match the coefficient of thermal expansion of other components in the system (e.g., system insulators).

[0080] Figure 7This diagram illustrates certain embodiments of a multi-stage system according to the present disclosure. In some embodiments, the stages of the system may include heat regenerators. In some embodiments of the multi-stage system, integrated heat recovery allows for multiple temperature zones that can be used for additional operations, such as catalytic processing and product separation. Furthermore, a secondary inlet for each stage can be used to control the gas composition within each stage of the heat exchange system. In some embodiments, the application is to incorporate CO2 adsorbent material into a countercurrent water-gas shift reactor system (CO2 + H2 - CO + H2O), particularly where the syngas product gas is used for downstream chemical synthesis benefiting from low inlet CO2 content, such as Fischer-Tropsch synthesis or methanol synthesis. In this application, it is desirable to minimize the CO2 concentration at the outlet. In such a system, high-temperature, medium-temperature, or low-temperature adsorbents for selective CO2 removal can be incorporated into one of the temperature stages of the system, which has, for example, high-temperature adsorbents at 500°C–800°C, medium-temperature adsorbents at 300°C–500°C, and low-temperature adsorbents at, for example, below 300°C. In some embodiments, the adsorbent can be integrated into the solid accumulator material or even the same material. In some embodiments, the adsorbent can be integrated such that the adsorption-desorption cycle only occurs under natural variations in reactor conditions, such as changes in gas partial pressure or temperature. One such embodiment involves an adsorbent integrated into each accumulator bed that can selectively adsorb substances with relatively high partial pressures in the effluent stream, such as CO2 or water, in one direction. In the other direction, only a purge stream excluding the substance is supplied to reduce the effective partial pressure of the substance and promote desorption into the influent stream. For example, a pure H2 stream can be used for RWGS, which promotes CO2 desorption into the influent stream and effectively recycles CO2 from the effluent to the influent without any change in the total system pressure. In another case, a similar concept can be used for methane reforming with methane as the purge gas. Another such example can be water removal using a similar concept. The CO2 removal and release process can be physical (physical adsorption) or chemical and can be driven by changes in temperature or partial pressure. In a chemically mediated configuration, CaO can be used to remove CO2 from the gas stream by forming CaCO3 at a high CO2 partial pressure at the outlet of the reaction zone. When the stream is reversed, pure, preheated hydrogen (preheated through any number of heat exchange steps it has already passed through) is supplied to the adsorbent section. Due to the low partial pressure of CO2 at this temperature under these conditions, CaCO3 decomposes back into CaO and CO2 and is supplied to the reaction zone to be converted into CO. Additional CO2 can be added downstream of the adsorbent bed if needed. Furthermore, electric heating can be added to the regenerator section for system heating, with sections 701 and 703 heated to the operating temperature only before system operation.When used in conjunction with waste CO2 stream processes (such as coke-iron reduction in steelmaking and calcination in concrete production), the high-temperature CO2 stream mixed with a large amount of H2 gas is reduced to the total mass requirements of the accumulator.

[0081] Figure 8 This is a diagram illustrating certain embodiments of an electrified or non-electrified pre-reforming catalytic section with multi-stage heat exchange and flow distribution components. Heat exchange can occur in unit (808) prior to the catalytic pre-reforming stage (807). Because pre-reforming can occur at temperatures below those of the first-stage electrified reforming system (803), additional heat exchange (806) may be required. The inlet for the pre-reformed gas is located at catalytic zone 803 or at any other heat exchange stage, such as... Figure 8 As shown in the diagram.

[0082] Figure 10 This is a diagram illustrating some implementation schemes of the reactor system 1000. Figure 10 The reactor system is illustrated in an external view (left) and a cross-sectional view (right). Therefore, in some embodiments, the electrified (e.g., electrically heated) catalytic cell 1002 includes one or more of the following: a. a catalyst substrate or resistance heater 1010 (e.g., silicon carbide-based foam); b. a catalytic coating (not shown) deposited on the catalyst substrate; c. an electrical coupler attached to the foam (e.g., highly conductive silicon carbide); d. an electrical conductor that transmits power to the catalytic cell 1014 via the electrical coupler; e. an electrical feeder 1006 that seals the conductor to the reactor wall in a pressure-resistant manner; f. a thermal insulator 1010 in the form of a ceramic component, which can be used for fluid sealing with and across the catalytic zone 1014 and the regenerator zone 1008; g. a regenerator packing 1008 sized to preheat the incoming gas to a temperature as close as possible to the reaction zone temperature (e.g., this packing can be any of ceramic spheres, irregular shapes (e.g., saddle-shaped), solid materials, etc.); h. The pressure vessel 1004 enables the reactor system to operate at elevated pressures (e.g., up to 10 bar, up to 50 bar, up to 100 bar, and most preferably up to 300 bar).

[0083] Figure 11 This is a schematic diagram illustrating some exemplary embodiments of reactor system 1100. Figure 12 yes Figure 11The diagram illustrates this. The outlet of reactor 1108 is directed to a valve system (e.g., switching valve 1102) that allows incoming gas to alternately flow through the accumulator-reactor system in a periodic manner. A condensing regenerator 1104 is positioned outside the valve system such that any water produced in reactor 1108 (e.g., via a reverse water-gas shift reaction) does not condense within the reactor accumulator assembly. By determining the dimensions of accumulator 1106 to remove heat up to the boiling point of water at operating pressures, the condensing regenerator 1104 can be a cryogenic and low-cost heat exchanger (e.g., plate and frame) system.

[0084] Figures 13A-13B These are diagrams of some embodiments of the circular flat plate heat exchanger disclosed herein. Figure 13A A circular flat plate heat exchanger is shown in an isometric view. Figure 13B A circular flat-plate heat exchanger is shown in cross-sectional view. (Reference) Figure 13B The illustrated embodiment features a circular flat-plate heat exchanger design using a metal plate 1304 with a gas manifold at its center. The regenerator heat exchanger opens at its outer edge to a larger pressure vessel, the interior of which is insulated with insulating layers 1301 and 1306. An internal manifold baffle 1303 is made of a dielectric material and is sealed to the metal heat exchanger plates using O-rings and compression or by brazing. An electrified catalyst 1305, positioned between the heat exchanger plates and edge short-circuit bars 1302, can act as a preheater or simply transfer current to the catalyst. The uppermost and lowermost plates on the assembly are connected to a power source to conduct electricity through the stacking of the heat exchanger plates. In some embodiments, the circular flat-plate heat exchanger uses plates with a diameter of approximately (e.g., ±10%, ±15%, ±20%) 1 m, and if stacked to a height of approximately (e.g., ±10%, ±15%, ±20%) 7 m, it can handle sufficient gas for a production system of approximately (e.g., ±10%, ±15%, ±20%) 500 kg / h.

[0085] A list of numbered specific examples of the techniques described herein is provided below. Those skilled in the art will recognize that the scope of the techniques is not limited to these specific examples and / or is not restricted by them.

[0086] Specific Example 1. An electrified reactor module comprising: a first heat exchange zone including a first heat exchanger; and a first reaction zone including a first reaction volume (e.g., an inner cavity, a hollow cavity, etc.) and a first electrically heated catalytic element in contact with the first reaction volume, wherein the first reaction volume is coupled to the first heat exchanger.

[0087] Specific Example 2. According to the electrified reactor module of Specific Example 1, the first heat exchanger is a regenerator, which includes a reactant gas volume (e.g., an inner cavity, a hollow cavity, etc.), a product gas volume (e.g., an inner cavity, a hollow cavity, etc.), and a heat exchange element disposed between the reactant gas volume and the product gas volume; and further, wherein the reactant gas volume is coupled to the first reaction volume, and the first reaction volume is coupled to the product gas volume.

[0088] Specific Example 3. An electrified reactor module according to any one of Specific Examples 1-2, wherein the first heat exchanger is a heat accumulator including a heat exchange gas cavity and a heat storage medium disposed within the heat exchange gas volume; and further wherein the heat exchange gas volume is coupled to the first reaction volume.

[0089] Specific Example 4. An electrified reactor module according to any one of Specific Examples 1-3, comprising: a first heat exchange zone including a first accumulator; a second heat exchange zone including a second accumulator; a first reaction zone including a first reaction volume and a first electrically heated catalytic element in contact with the first reaction volume; a reactant gas inlet; a product gas outlet; and a valve system coupled to the first accumulator, the second accumulator, the first reaction volume, the reactant gas inlet, and the product gas outlet.

[0090] Specific Example 5. The electrified reactor module according to Specific Example 4, wherein the valve is configured to allow airflow to alternate between the first and second accumulators in a periodic manner.

[0091] Specific Example 6. The electrified reactor module according to Specific Example 4 or Specific Example 5 further includes a third heat exchange zone containing a regenerator, which includes: a reactant gas volume coupled to a reactant gas inlet; and a product gas volume coupled to a product gas inlet.

[0092] Specific Example 7. The electrified reactor module according to any one of Specific Examples 1 to Specific Examples 6 further includes: a second heat exchange zone including a second heat exchanger; wherein the first heat exchanger is coupled to the second heat exchanger, and the second heat exchanger is coupled to the first reaction volume.

[0093] Specific Example 8. An electrified reactor module according to any one of Specific Examples 1-7, wherein the first heat exchanger and the second heat exchanger are made of different materials, the different materials being optimized for transferring heat from different temperature ranges.

[0094] Specific Example 9. The electrified reactor module according to any one of Specific Examples 1 to Specific Examples 8 further includes: a second reaction zone, which includes a second reaction volume and a second electrically heated catalytic element in contact with the second reaction volume; wherein the second reaction volume is coupled to the first reaction volume.

[0095] Specific Example 10. An electrified reactor module according to any one of Specific Examples 1-9, wherein: a first electrically heated catalytic element is disposed within a first reaction chamber; or the first electrically heated catalytic element forms part of the surface of the first reaction chamber.

[0096] Specific Example 11. An electrified reactor module according to any one of Specific Examples 1-10, wherein the first electrically heated catalytic element is configured to be heated by resistance, induction, microwave or plasma.

[0097] Specific Example 12. An electrified reactor module according to any one of Specific Examples 1-11, wherein the first reaction zone includes a first more than one electrically heated catalytic element.

[0098] Specific Example 13. An electrified reactor module according to any one of Specific Examples 1-12, wherein the surface of the first reaction volume is adjacent to the surface of the first heat exchanger, and wherein the heat exchange element is disposed therebetween.

[0099] Specific Example 14. An electrified reactor module according to any one of Specific Examples 1-13, wherein the first heat exchange zone includes more than one heat exchange plate that at least partially defines a reactant gas volume and a product gas volume such that they are in a co-current, counter-current, or cross-current relationship.

[0100] Specific Example 15. The electrified reactor module according to any one of Specific Examples 1-14 further includes more than one electrical connection connected to the electrically heated catalytic element.

[0101] Specific Example 16. The electrified reactor module according to any one of Specific Examples 1-15 further includes: a shell disposed around the first heat exchange zone and the first reaction zone, wherein the shell forms part of the wall of the first reaction volume; and further wherein the shell includes a reactant gas inlet coupled to a reactant gas volume and a product gas outlet coupled to a product gas volume.

[0102] Specific Example 17. The electrified reactor module according to Specific Example 16, wherein the reactant gas volume is defined at least partially by (a) a shell and (b) a heat exchange element; and the product gas volume is inside the heat exchange element.

[0103] Specific Example 18. The electrified reactor module according to Specific Example 16, wherein the product gas volume is defined at least partially by (a) a shell and (b) a heat exchange element; and the reactant gas volume is inside the heat exchange element.

[0104] Specific Example 19. An electrified reactor module according to any one of Specific Examples 16-18, wherein the heat exchange element comprises a welded plate assembly.

[0105] Specific Example 20. An electrified reactor module according to any one of Specific Examples 16-18, wherein the heat exchange element comprises a floating tube.

[0106] Specific Example 21. An electrified reactor module according to any one of Specific Examples 16-20, wherein the first heat exchange zone allows gas-to-gas heat exchange before the reactant gas reaches the first reaction zone.

[0107] Specific Example 22. An electrified reactor module according to any one of Specific Examples 16-20, wherein the first heat exchange zone includes more than one stage, for example, wherein each stage includes a corresponding heat exchanger formed of different heat exchange materials.

[0108] Specific Example 23. An electrified reactor module according to any one of Specific Examples 1-22, wherein the first product gas volume or the first reaction gas volume is formed of at least one material selected from composites of metal alloys, cermets and brazed ceramic tubes.

[0109] Specific Example 24. The electrified reactor module according to any one of Specific Examples 1-23 further includes: at least one insulating element disposed around at least one electrically heated catalytic element.

[0110] Specific Example 25. The electrified reactor module according to any one of Specific Examples 1-24 further includes: a shell surrounding the first heat exchange zone and the first reaction zone.

[0111] Specific Example 26. An electrified reactor module according to any one of Specific Examples 1-25, wherein a heat exchanger filters product gas to provide an intermediate gas, which is released into the reaction zone when the flow reverses.

[0112] Specific Example 27. A method for carrying out a chemical reaction, the method comprising: supplying a mixture of reactants to a system according to any one of Specific Examples 1-26; heating a first electrically heated catalytic element; and obtaining a mixture of product gases.

[0113] Specific Example 28. A system comprising: a first heat exchange region; a reaction module including a substrate having a catalytic material deposited on the substrate, wherein the substrate is electrically connected to an electrode pair, wherein the substrate is operable to be heated via Joule heating when a current passes between the electrode pairs; and a second heat exchange region spanning the reaction module and opposite to the first heat exchange region, wherein the first heat exchange region, the reaction module, and the second heat exchange region are in fluid communication.

[0114] Specific Example 29. The system according to Specific Example 28 further includes a set of valves, wherein the set of valves is operable to switch fluid flow, wherein in a first configuration of the set of valves, fluid flows from a first heat exchange region through a reaction module to a second heat exchange region, and wherein in a second configuration of the set of valves, fluid flows from the second heat exchange region through a reaction module to the first heat exchange region.

[0115] Specific Example 30. The system according to Specific Example 29, wherein the set of valves switches between a first configuration and a second configuration at a predetermined frequency.

[0116] Specific Example 31. The system according to Specific Example 29, wherein the set of valves switches between a first configuration and a second configuration based on the temperature of at least one of a first heat exchange region or a second heat exchange region.

[0117] Specific Example 32. The system according to any one of Specific Examples 28-31, wherein the reaction module is further configured to receive a second fluid, wherein the second fluid does not pass through the first heat exchange region or the second heat exchange region before entering the reaction module.

[0118] Specific Example 33. The system according to any one of Specific Examples 28-32, wherein the substrate comprises a refractory material (e.g., ceramic) foam.

[0119] Specific Example 34. The system according to any one of Specific Examples 28-33, wherein the system is symmetrical about the reaction module.

[0120] Specific Example 35. The system according to any one of Specific Examples 28-34, wherein the first heat exchange region and the second heat exchange region are each filled with a heat storage medium.

[0121] Specific Example 36. The system according to Specific Example 35, wherein the heat storage medium is alumina.

[0122] Specific Example 37. The system according to any one of Specific Examples 28-35, wherein the first heat exchange region and the second heat exchange region are each divided into sub-regions using baffles (e.g., ceramic baffles with engineered through holes).

[0123] Specific Example 38. The system according to any one of Specific Examples 28-37 further includes a first preheater between the first heat exchange region and the reaction module, and a second preheater between the second heat exchange region and the reaction module.

[0124] Specific Example 39. The system according to Specific Example 38, wherein the first preheater and the second preheater each include a preheater substrate electrically connected to a preheater electrode pair.

[0125] Specific Example 40. The system according to Specific Example 39, wherein the preheater substrate is substantially the same as the substrate of the reaction module.

[0126] Specific Example 41. A method comprising: receiving a fluid comprising an inlet mixture of hydrogen and carbon dioxide; preheating the inlet mixture by passing it through a first heat exchange zone comprising a heat transfer medium at a temperature between 50°C and 900°C, wherein the temperature of the inlet mixture increases while the temperature of the heat transfer medium decreases; reacting the hydrogen and carbon dioxide within a reaction module to form a reaction mixture comprising carbon monoxide and water, and residual material from the inlet mixture; wherein the reaction module is electrically heated to a temperature between 1000°C and 1500°C; wherein the reaction module comprises a substrate having a catalyst material deposited on the substrate; and cooling the reaction mixture in a second heat exchange zone comprising a heat transfer medium, wherein the reaction mixture heats the heat transfer medium in the second heat exchange zone.

[0127] Specific Example 42. The method according to Specific Example 41 further includes removing water from the reaction mixture after cooling the reaction mixture to form synthesis gas.

[0128] Specific Example 43. The method according to Specific Example 41 or Specific Example 42, wherein the heat transfer medium for the first heat exchange region and the second heat exchange region comprises alumina.

[0129] Specific Example 44. The method according to any one of Specific Examples 41-43, wherein the fluid flow direction is reversed at a predetermined frequency.

[0130] Specific Example 45. The method according to any one of Specific Examples 41-44 further includes a second preheating step after preheating the inlet mixture, wherein during the second preheating step, the inlet mixture is passed through a preheating substrate, the preheating substrate being heated to a temperature between 900°C and 1200°C using Joule heating.

[0131] Specific Example 46. The method according to Specific Example 45, wherein at least one of the substrates of the preheating substrate and the reaction module comprises a refractory material (e.g., ceramic, cermet) foam.

[0132] Specific Example 47. The method according to any one of Specific Examples 41-46, wherein a second fluid is introduced directly at the reaction module, wherein the second fluid comprises a short-chain hydrocarbon comprising up to eight (e.g., 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 or combinations or sub-combinations thereof) carbon atoms.

Claims

1. A system comprising: First heat exchange zone; A reaction module comprising a substrate having a catalytic material deposited on the substrate, wherein the substrate is electrically connected to an electrode pair, wherein the substrate is operable to be heated via Joule heating when an electric current passes between the electrode pair; and A second heat exchange region spans the reaction module and is opposite to the first heat exchange region, wherein the first heat exchange region, the reaction module, and the second heat exchange region are in fluid communication.

2. The system of claim 1 further includes a set of valves, wherein the set of valves is operable to switch fluid flow, wherein in a first configuration of the set of valves, the fluid flows from the first heat exchange region through the reaction module to the second heat exchange region, and wherein in a second configuration of the set of valves, the fluid flows from the second heat exchange region through the reaction module to the first heat exchange region.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the set of valves switches between the first configuration and the second configuration at a predetermined frequency.

4. The system of claim 2, wherein the set of valves switches between the first configuration and the second configuration based on the temperature of at least one of the first heat exchange region or the second heat exchange region.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the reaction module is further configured to receive a second fluid, wherein the second fluid does not pass through the first heat exchange region or the second heat exchange region before entering the reaction module.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the substrate comprises a refractory foam.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the system is symmetrical about the reaction module.

8. The system according to claim 1, wherein the first heat exchange region and the second heat exchange region are each filled with a heat storage medium.

9. The system according to claim 8, wherein the heat storage medium is alumina.

10. The system of claim 8, wherein a baffle is used to divide the first heat exchange region and the second heat exchange region into sub-regions.

11. The system of claim 1, further comprising a first preheater between the first heat exchange region and the reaction module, and a second preheater between the second heat exchange region and the reaction module.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the first preheater and the second preheater each comprise a preheater substrate electrically connected to a preheater electrode pair.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the preheater substrate is substantially the same as the substrate of the reaction module.

14. A method comprising: Receives an inlet mixture of fluid including hydrogen and carbon dioxide; The inlet mixture is preheated by passing it through a first heat exchange zone comprising a heat transfer medium with a temperature between 50°C and 900°C, wherein the temperature of the inlet mixture increases while the temperature of the heat transfer medium decreases. Within the reaction module, the hydrogen and carbon dioxide are reacted to form a reaction mixture containing carbon monoxide and water, as well as residual material from the inlet mixture; wherein the reaction module is electrically heated to a temperature between 1000°C and 1500°C; wherein the reaction module includes a substrate having a catalyst material deposited on the substrate. as well as The reaction mixture is cooled in a second heat exchange region containing a heat transfer medium, wherein the reaction mixture heats the heat transfer medium in the second heat exchange region.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising removing water from the reaction mixture after cooling the reaction mixture to form syngas.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein the heat transfer medium for the first heat exchange region and the second heat exchange region comprises alumina.

17. The method of claim 14, wherein the fluid flow direction is reversed at a predetermined frequency.

18. The method of claim 14, further comprising a second preheating step after preheating the inlet mixture, wherein during the second preheating step, the inlet mixture is passed through a preheating substrate, the preheating substrate being heated to a temperature between 900°C and 1200°C using Joule heating.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein at least one of the preheating substrate and the substrate of the reaction module comprises a refractory foam.

20. The method of claim 14, wherein a second fluid is introduced directly at the reaction module, wherein the second fluid comprises a short-chain hydrocarbon containing up to four carbon atoms.

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