Electrically Heated Reactor

Abstract

An electrically heated reactor is disclosed, which includes at least one reaction tube having a first passage formed therein for reactants to pass through and configured to heat the reactants passing through the first passage, a shell spaced apart from the reaction tube and surrounding all of the reaction tubes, having a second passage formed between the reaction tube and the shell for reactants to pass through and configured to heat the reactants passing through the second passage, a first power source configured to supply power to the reaction tubes, and a second power source configured to supply power to the shell, wherein the first power source and the second power source can be independently controlled.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] [Cross-reference to related applications] This application claims the benefit of priority based on Korean Patent Application No. 10-2023-0074915, filed June 12, 2023, and all contents disclosed in the documents of this Korean patent application are incorporated herein by reference.

[0002] The present invention relates to an electrically heated reactor, and more particularly to an electrically heated reactor that utilizes an electric heating technology to utilize not only the inside of a reaction tube but also the outside of the reaction tube as a reaction region. [Background technology]

[0003] In the chemical industry, natural gas is used as fuel to maintain high temperatures in various equipment (e.g., crackers, reformers, reactors, boilers, etc.). However, heating by burning natural gas is not only inefficient in terms of energy consumption, but is also a major source of carbon emissions. Therefore, efforts are being made to replace heating by burning natural gas with electric heating.

[0004] The matters described in this background art section are prepared to enhance understanding of the background of the invention, and may include matters that are not conventional art already known to those having ordinary skill in the art to which this technology pertains. Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] An object of the present invention is to provide an electrically heated reactor that utilizes electric heating technology and can utilize not only the inside of the reaction tube but also the outside of the reaction tube as a reaction region. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] An electrically heated reactor according to one embodiment of the present invention may include at least one reaction tube having a first passage formed therein through which reactants pass and configured to heat the reactants passing through the first passage; a shell spaced apart from the reaction tube and surrounding all of the reaction tubes, having a second passage formed between the reaction tube and the shell through which reactants pass and configured to heat the reactants passing through the second passage; a first power source configured to supply power to the reaction tube; and a second power source configured to supply power to the shell.

[0007] The first power source and the second power source can be controlled independently.

[0008] The first passageway can define a first reaction zone and the second passageway can define a second reaction zone.

[0009] The electrically heated reactor may further include a first reactor inlet connected to the first reaction zone to supply reactants to the first reaction zone; a first reactor outlet connected to the first reaction zone to discharge reactants from the first reaction zone; a second reactor inlet connected to the second reaction zone to supply reactants to the second reaction zone; and a second reactor outlet connected to the second reaction zone to discharge reactants from the second reaction zone.

[0010] In an electrically heated reactor, the first and second reaction zones may not be in communication with each other.

[0011] In one example, the first reaction zone and the second reaction zone are controlled to the same temperature, and the same reactants are supplied to the first reaction zone and the second reaction zone, so that the same reaction can occur.

[0012] In another example, the first reaction zone and the second reaction zone are controlled to the same temperature, and different reactants are supplied to the first reaction zone and the second reaction zone, so that different reactions can occur simultaneously.

[0013] In another example, the first reaction zone and the second reaction zone are controlled to different temperatures, and different reactants are supplied to the first reaction zone and the second reaction zone, allowing different reactions to occur simultaneously.

[0014] The electrically heated reactor may further include a connecting passage that connects the first reaction zone and the second reaction zone outside the electrically heated reactor.

[0015] In another example, the first reaction region and the second reaction region are controlled to different temperatures, the same reactants are supplied to the first reaction region and the second reaction region, the reactants are preheated in either the first reaction region or the second reaction region, and the preheated reactants are supplied to the other one of the first reaction region and the second reaction region through a connecting passage, where a main reaction occurs.

[0016] In another example, the first reaction region and the second reaction region are controlled to different temperatures, and a first reactant is supplied to either the first reaction region or the second reaction region to cause a first reaction, and the first reactant is supplied to the other of the first reaction region and the second reaction region through a connecting passage, and a second reactant is further supplied to the second reaction region to cause a second reaction.

[0017] The electrically heated reactor may further include an insulator that surrounds at least a portion of the shell to provide thermal insulation. [Effects of the Invention]

[0018] According to the present invention, the temperature within the reactor can be efficiently and uniformly maintained using electrical heating technology.

[0019] In addition, not only the inside but also the outside of the reaction tube can be used as the reaction region, which allows for a higher capacity to be obtained with the same size reactor, thereby improving the energy efficiency of the reaction process.

[0020] Other advantages achieved or expected by the embodiments of the present invention are directly or implicitly disclosed in the detailed description of the embodiments of the present invention, i.e., various advantages expected by the embodiments of the present invention are disclosed in the detailed description below.

[0021] The embodiments herein may be better understood by reference to the following description in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, where like reference numbers indicate identical or functionally similar elements and wherein: [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0022] [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing an electrically heated reactor according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] 1 is a plan view showing a cross section of an electrically heated reactor according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 3] 1 is a side view showing a cross section of a portion of an electrically heated reactor according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4] 1 illustrates an example of using an electrically heated reactor according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 5] 10 shows another example of using an electrically heated reactor according to an embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0023] The above-referenced drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale and should be understood as depicting somewhat simplified representations of various preferred features illustrating the underlying principles of the present disclosure. Specific design features of the present disclosure, including, for example, specific dimensions, orientations, locations, and shapes, are determined in part by the particular intended application and use environment.

[0024] The terms used herein are for the purpose of describing particular embodiments and are not intended to limit the present invention. As used herein, the singular forms "a," "an," and "the" are intended to include the plural forms unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. It will also be understood that, as used herein, the terms "comprises" and / or "comprises" specify the presence of stated features, integers, steps, operations, elements, and / or components, but do not exclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, operations, elements, components, and / or groups thereof. As used herein, the term "and / or" includes any one or all combinations of the associated listed items.

[0025] It is further understood that the methods described below, or one or more of their aspects, can be performed by at least one or more controllers. The term "controller" can refer to a hardware device including a memory and a processor. The memory is configured to store program instructions, and the processor is specifically programmed to execute the program instructions to perform one or more processes described in more detail below. The controller can control the operation of a unit, module, component, device, or the like, as described herein. It is also understood that the methods described below can be performed by a device that includes a controller along with one or more other components, as will be appreciated by those skilled in the art.

[0026] The controller of the present disclosure may also be embodied as a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium containing executable program instructions for execution by a processor. Examples of computer-readable storage media include, but are not limited to, ROM, RAM, compact disc (CD) ROM, magnetic tape, floppy disk, flash drive, smart card, and optical data storage device. The computer-readable storage medium may also be distributed across a computer network so that the program instructions are stored and executed in a distributed manner, such as in a telematics server or controller area network (CAN).

[0027] According to the present invention, an electrically heated reactor includes a reaction tube having a first passage formed therein through which reactants pass and configured to heat the reactants passing through the first passage, a shell spaced apart from the reaction tube and surrounding the reaction tube, having a second passage formed between the reaction tube and the shell through which reactants pass and configured to heat the reactants passing through the second passage, a first power source configured to supply power to the reaction tube, and a second power source configured to supply power to the shell. Thus, the present invention utilizes electric heating technology to efficiently maintain a uniform temperature within the reactor.

[0028] Furthermore, the first and second power sources can be controlled independently, i.e., the supply of power to the first reaction region defined by the first passage and the supply of power to the second reaction region defined by the second passage can be controlled independently of each other.

[0029] Furthermore, the first and second reaction regions can be controlled to different temperatures. If the first and second reaction regions are controlled to the same temperature, the reaction regions can be expanded by supplying the same reactants to the first and second reaction regions. Alternatively, if the first and second reaction regions are controlled to different temperatures, a first reactant can be supplied to the first reaction region and a second reactant can be supplied to the second reaction region, allowing different reactions to proceed within a single reactor. For example, reactants can be supplied to the second reaction region to preheat them, and the preheated reactants can be supplied to the first reaction region to proceed with the main reaction.

[0030] The electrically heated reactor further includes an insulator surrounding the shell for thermal insulation, thereby reducing unnecessary heat loss to the outside of the electrically heated reactor and improving energy efficiency.

[0031] DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0032] FIG. 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing an electrically heated reactor according to an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a plan view showing a cross-section of an electrically heated reactor according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 3 is a side view showing a cross-section of a portion of an electrically heated reactor according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0033] 1 to 3, an electrically heated reactor 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention is configured to generate heat when supplied with electric power and to heat reactants therein using the generated heat. The electrically heated reactor 10 includes a reactor housing 11, at least one reaction tube 20, and a shell 30.

[0034] The reactor housing 11 is generally cylindrical and includes at least one reaction tube 20 and a shell 30. A first reactor inlet 12 is formed on one side of the reactor housing 11, and a first reactor outlet 14 is formed on the other side of the reactor housing 11. The first reactor inlet 12 and the first reactor outlet 14 are fluidly connected to the reaction tube 20. The reactants flowing into the reactor housing 11 through the first reactor inlet 12 pass through the reaction tube 20, are electrically heated, and are then discharged out of the reactor housing 11 through the first reactor outlet 14. Here, the region within the reaction tube 20 where the reactants are electrically heated and the desired reaction can occur is referred to as the first reaction region 24.

[0035] In addition, a second reactor inlet 16 is formed on one side of the reactor housing 11, and a second reactor outlet 18 is formed on the other side of the reactor housing 11. The second reactor inlet 16 and the second reactor outlet 18 are fluidly connected to the outside of the reaction tube 20 and the inside of the shell 30. The reactants flowing into the reactor housing 11 through the second reactor inlet 16 pass through the outside of the reaction tube 20 and the inside of the shell 30, where they are electrically heated, and then are discharged out of the reactor housing 11 through the second reactor outlet 18. Here, the reactants are electrically heated outside of the reaction tube 20 and inside of the shell 30, where the target reaction can occur, and the region outside of the reaction tube 20 and inside of the shell 30 is referred to as the second reaction region 32.

[0036] Meanwhile, the first reaction region 24 and the second reaction region 32 do not communicate with each other inside the reactor housing 11, but can communicate with each other outside the reactor housing 11. More specifically, reactants that flow into the first reaction region 24 through the first reactor inlet 12 do not flow from the inside of the reactor housing 11 into the second reaction region 32, but are discharged to the outside of the reactor housing 11 through the first reactor outlet 14. Similarly, reactants that flow into the second reaction region 32 through the second reactor inlet 16 cannot flow from the inside of the reactor housing 11 into the first reaction region 24, but are discharged to the outside of the reactor housing 11 through the second reactor outlet 18.

[0037] The reaction tube 20 is made of a metal material having high resistivity, and a first passage through which the reactants pass is formed in the longitudinal direction. For example, the reaction tube 20 may be formed in the shape of a circular pipe, and the first passage may be formed in the longitudinal direction. When power is applied to the reaction tube 20, the reaction tube 20 generates heat due to its high resistivity, and the heat can heat the reactants in the first passage. Therefore, the first passage defines a first reaction region 24 where the reaction of the reactants occurs.

[0038] One end of the reaction tube 20 near the first reactor inlet 12 defines a tube inlet 21, and the other end of the reaction tube 20 near the first reactor outlet 14 defines a tube outlet 22. Reactants flowing into the reactor housing 11 through the first reactor inlet 12 flow into the reaction tube 20 through the tube inlet 21, pass through a first reaction region 24 defined by a first passage, and are electrically heated to cause a desired reaction. The reactants reacted in the first reaction region 24 are discharged to the outside of the reactor housing 11 through the tube outlet 22 and the first reactor outlet 14.

[0039] The shell 30 is made of a metal material with high resistivity and is outside the reaction tube 20. A second passage through which reactants pass is formed in the interior of the shell 30 along the length. For example, when power is applied to the shell 30, the shell 30 generates heat due to its high resistivity, and the heat can heat the reactants in the second passage. Therefore, the second passage defines a second reaction region 32 where the reaction of the reactants occurs.

[0040] The reactants flowing into the reactor housing 11 through the second reactor inlet 16 pass through the second reaction zone 32 defined by the second passageway, where they are electrically heated and the desired reaction occurs. The reactants reacted in the second reaction zone 32 are discharged to the outside of the reactor housing 11 through the second reactor outlet 18.

[0041] The first power source 40 is configured to supply power to the reaction tubes 20. That is, the first power source 40 is electrically connected to all the reaction tubes 20 and can supply the same amount of power to all the reaction tubes 20. The first power source 40 can be an AC power source or a DC power source.

[0042] The second power source 42 is configured to supply power to the shell 30. The first power source 40 and the second power source 42 can be controlled independently. In particular, the magnitude of the power supplied by the second power source 42 to the shell 30 may be different from the magnitude of the power supplied by the first power source 40 to the reaction tube 20. As a result, the temperatures of the first reaction region 24 and the second reaction region 32 may be controlled differently, and the reactions occurring in the first reaction region 24 and the second reaction region 32 may be different. The second power source 42 may be an AC power source or a DC power source.

[0043] Sockets (not shown) are attached to one and the other ends of the reaction tube 20, and a first power source 40 can supply power to the reaction tube 20 through the sockets. Similarly, sockets (not shown) are attached to one and the other ends of the shell 30, and a second power source 42 can supply power to the shell 30 through the sockets. In addition, a cooling device is attached to each of the sockets, so that the sockets can be cooled.

[0044] The insulator 50 thermally insulates by surrounding at least a portion of the shell 30. As shown in Fig. 2, the insulator 50 may surround the entire shell 30, but is not limited to this and may also surround only a portion of the shell 30. Because the insulator 50 thermally insulates the shell 30 by surrounding it, unnecessary heat loss to the outside of the shell 30 is reduced, thereby improving energy efficiency and efficiently maintaining a uniform temperature inside the shell 30.

[0045] Furthermore, the insulator 50 electrically isolates the shell 30 from the outside, thereby preventing safety accidents that may occur due to current flowing through the shell 30.

[0046] Figure 4 shows an example of using an electrically heated reactor according to an embodiment of the present invention, illustrating that the first reaction zone 24 (i.e., inside the reaction tube 20) and the second reaction zone 32 (i.e., outside the reaction tube 20 and inside the shell 30) are controlled to the same temperature.

[0047] 4, the first reactant 60 is supplied to the first reaction region 24 and the second reaction region 32 at the same time. Since the first reactant 60 is supplied to the first reaction region 24 and the second reaction region 32 and the first reaction region 24 and the second reaction region 32 are controlled to the same temperature, the first reactant 60 causes a target reaction in both the first and second reaction regions 24 and 32. This allows the reaction region in which the same reaction occurs to be expanded.

[0048] 5 shows another example of using an electrically heated reactor according to an embodiment of the present invention, in which the first reaction zone 24 (i.e., the inside of the reaction tube 20) and the second reaction zone 32 (i.e., the outside of the reaction tube 20 and the inside of the shell 30) are controlled to different temperatures.

[0049] 5, second reactant 62 is supplied to second reaction zone 32 through second reactor inlet 16, where a desired reaction occurs to form first reactant 60, which is then discharged from second reaction zone 32 through second reactor outlet 18. Second reactor outlet 18 is connected to first reactor inlet 12 through connecting passage 34, and first reactant 60 is supplied to first reaction zone 24 through first reactor inlet 12. First reactant 60 undergoes a desired reaction in first reaction zone 24 and is then discharged from first reaction zone 24 through first reactor outlet 14.

[0050] FIG. 5 illustrates a case in which the second reactant 62 reacts in the second reaction zone 32 to form the first reactant 60, and the first reactant 60 reacts in the first reaction zone 24. However, the use of the electrically heated reactor 10 in FIG. 5 is not limited to the illustrated example. In one example, the first reactant 60 undergoes a first reaction in the first reaction zone 24, and the second reactant 62 undergoes a second reaction in the second reaction zone 32. The first and second reactants 60, 62 may not be reactively related to each other. In this case, the connecting passage 34 does not connect the first and second reaction zones 24, 32 to each other. In another example, the first reactant 60 may be preheated in either the first or second reaction zone 24, 32 and supplied to one of the first and second reaction zones 24, 32 via the connecting passage 34, with the main reaction occurring in the other of the first and second reaction zones 24, 32. In another example, the first reactant 60 undergoes a first reaction (or is preheated) in one of the first and second reaction zones 24, 32 and is then supplied to the other of the first and second reaction zones 24, 32 via the connecting passage 34, and the second reactant 62 is supplied to the other of the first and second reaction zones 24, 32 together with the first reactant 60, and the reaction of the first and second reactants 60, 62 can occur in the other of the first and second reaction zones 24, 32.

[0051] Although the preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments, and includes all modifications that can be easily made from the embodiments of the present invention by a person having ordinary skill in the art to which the invention pertains and that are recognized as equivalents.

Claims

1. at least one reaction tube having a first passage formed therein for a reactant to pass therethrough and configured to heat the reactant passing through said first passage; a shell that surrounds all of the reaction tubes at a distance from the reaction tubes, that forms a second passage between the reaction tubes and the shell, through which a reactant passes, and that is configured to heat the reactant passing through the second passage; a first power source configured to provide power to the reaction tube; and a second power source configured to provide power to the shell; an electrically heated reactor comprising:

2. 10. The electrically heated reactor of claim 1, wherein the first power source and the second power source are independently controlled.

3. the first passage defines a first reaction zone and the second passage defines a second reaction zone; The electrically heated reactor comprises: a first reactor inlet in communication with the first reaction zone to supply reactants to the first reaction zone; a first reactor outlet in communication with the first reaction zone for discharging reactants from the first reaction zone; a second reactor inlet in communication with the second reaction zone to supply reactants to the second reaction zone; and a second reactor outlet in communication with the second reaction zone for discharging reactants from the second reaction zone; The electrically heated reactor of claim 1 further comprising:

4. 4. The electrically heated reactor of claim 3, wherein the first reaction zone and the second reaction zone are not in communication with each other.

5. the first reaction zone and the second reaction zone are controlled to the same temperature; 4. The electrically heated reactor of claim 3, wherein the first reaction zone and the second reaction zone are supplied with the same reactants and undergo the same reaction.

6. the first reaction zone and the second reaction zone are controlled to the same temperature; 4. The electrically heated reactor of claim 3, wherein different reactants are supplied to the first reaction zone and the second reaction zone, and different reactions occur simultaneously.

7. The first reaction zone and the second reaction zone are controlled to different temperatures, 4. The electrically heated reactor of claim 3, wherein different reactants are supplied to the first reaction zone and the second reaction zone, and different reactions occur simultaneously.

8. The electrically heated reactor further includes a connecting passage that connects the first reaction zone and the second reaction zone outside the electrically heated reactor; The first reaction region and the second reaction region are controlled to different temperatures, the first reaction zone and the second reaction zone are supplied with the same reactants; 4. The electrically heated reactor of claim 3, wherein reactants are preheated in either the first reaction zone or the second reaction zone, and the preheated reactants are supplied to the other of the first reaction zone and the second reaction zone through the connecting passage, whereby a main reaction occurs.

9. The electrically heated reactor further includes a connecting passage that connects the first reaction zone and the second reaction zone outside the electrically heated reactor; The first reaction region and the second reaction region are controlled to different temperatures, 4. The electrically heated reactor of claim 3, wherein a first reactant is supplied to one of the first reaction region and the second reaction region to cause a first reaction, the first reactant is supplied to the other of the first reaction region and the second reaction region through the connecting passage, and a second reactant is additionally supplied to the second reaction region, and the first and second reactants cause a second reaction.

10. 2. The electrically heated reactor of claim 1, further comprising an insulator surrounding at least a portion of the shell to provide thermal insulation.

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