Electrically heated fluidized bed reactor
The electrically heated fluidized bed reactor addresses temperature uniformity issues by using a heating plate and heat transfer members to distribute heat uniformly, ensuring consistent internal temperatures and efficient reaction conditions.
Patent Information
- Authority / Receiving Office
- JP · JP
- Patent Type
- Applications
- Current Assignee / Owner
- LG CHEM LTD
- Filing Date
- 2024-12-20
- Publication Date
- 2026-06-08
AI Technical Summary
Fluidized bed reactors face challenges in maintaining a high and uniform temperature without deviation, particularly due to heat dispersion and concentration gradients, especially when using external heat sources.
An electrically heated fluidized bed reactor design with a heating plate and heat transfer members that generate and distribute heat uniformly throughout the reactor, using insulated connections and controlled current application to maintain consistent internal temperatures.
The design ensures even temperature distribution and gradient control within the reactor, preventing temperature deviations and enhancing reaction efficiency by maintaining a high and uniform internal temperature.
Smart Images
Figure 2026518445000001_ABST
Abstract
Description
Technical Field
[0001] [Cross - reference to Related Applications] This application claims the benefit of priority based on Korean Patent Application No. 10 - 2024 - 0006272 filed on January 15, 2024, and all the contents disclosed in the literature of the Korean patent application are included as part of this specification.
[0002] The present invention relates to an electrically heated fluidized bed reactor, and more particularly to an electrically heated fluidized bed reactor capable of maintaining the temperature inside the reactor at a high temperature without deviation.
Background Art
[0003] A fluidized bed reactor contains a solid catalyst inside, and the catalyst helps heavy particles to be decomposed into light particles. Usually, when gaseous reactants are supplied to the lower part of the fluidized bed reactor, the gaseous reactants pass through the catalyst and rise, and a reaction occurs during this process. At this time, the gaseous reactants move at a certain speed to fluidize the solid catalyst and increase the contact area between the catalyst and the reactants, thereby promoting the catalytic reaction.
[0004] Fluidized bed reactors usually have a very large diameter. When such a fluidized bed reactor is used for an endothermic reaction, it may be difficult to maintain the temperature inside the fluidized bed reactor at a high temperature through an external heat source. Also, due to the characteristics of the fluidized bed reactor, the heat inside the fluidized bed reactor is well dispersed, but a temperature deviation may occur inside the fluidized bed reactor due to the concentration gradient of the reactants and the difference in catalyst activity depending on the height of the fluidized bed reactor.
[0005] Recently, attempts have been made to apply electric heating technology to fluidized bed reactors. In particular, research has continued to maintain the temperature inside the fluidized bed reactor at a high temperature without deviation by electric heating technology.
[0006] The matters described in this background art section are created to enhance the understanding of the background of the invention, and may include matters that are not prior art already known to those having ordinary knowledge in the field to which this technology belongs. [Overview of the Initiative] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]
[0007] The embodiment of the present invention aims to provide an electrically heated fluidized bed reactor that can maintain a high temperature inside the reactor without deviation by transferring the heat generated inside the reactor by an electric heating method to the entire reactor through a heat transfer member. [Means for solving the problem]
[0008] An electrically heated fluidized bed reactor according to an embodiment of the present invention may include: a reactor housing filled with a catalyst, having an inlet on the bottom for reactants to flow in and an outlet on the top for the reacted product to flow out; a heating plate horizontally positioned above the reactor housing, which receives an electric current from a power source to generate heat and has heating plate through-holes through which unreacted reactants or the product can pass; and a plurality of heat transfer members connected to the heating plate, extending downward from the heating plate, and transferring the heat generated from the heating plate to the lower part inside the reactor housing.
[0009] The holes through the heating plate can be sized to allow unreacted reactants or the product to pass through, but not the catalyst.
[0010] The electric heated fluidized bed reactor may further include an insulator that connects the heating plate to the reactor housing so that the reactor housing is insulated from the heating plate.
[0011] The electric heated fluidized bed reactor may further include a dispersion plate horizontally positioned at the bottom of the reactor housing, through which the reactants pass, and through holes formed in the dispersion plate for evenly dispersing the reactants.
[0012] The holes through the dispersion plate can be sized to allow reactants to pass through but not catalysts.
[0013] A constant current can be continuously applied to the heating plate to uniformly heat the inside of the reactor housing in a single phase.
[0014] In another aspect, in order to achieve a temperature gradient from the internal temperature of the reactor housing near the heating plate to the internal temperature of the reactor housing far from the heating plate, a peak current of a certain magnitude can be periodically applied to the heating plate.
[0015] An electrically heated fluidized bed reactor according to another embodiment of the present invention may include: a reactor housing filled with a catalyst, having an inlet on the bottom for reactants to flow in and an outlet on the top for the reacted product to flow out; a heating plate horizontally positioned at the bottom of the reactor housing, which receives an electric current from a power source to generate heat and has heating plate through-holes through which reactants pass; and a plurality of heat transfer members connected to the heating plate, extending upward from the heating plate, to transfer the heat generated from the heating plate to the upper part inside the reactor housing.
[0016] The holes through the heating plate can be sized to allow the reactants to pass through but not the catalyst.
[0017] The electrically heated fluidized bed reactor may further include an insulator that connects the heating plate to the reactor housing so that the reactor housing is insulated from the heating plate.
[0018] The electrically heated fluidized bed reactor may further include a cyclone provided at the top of the reactor housing and connected to the inside and outlet of the reactor housing, configured to draw in the product, unreacted reactants and catalyst, separate the catalyst from the product and unreacted reactants and return it to the inside of the reactor, and discharge the catalyst and product to the outside of the reactor housing through the outlet.
[0019] A constant current can be continuously applied to the heating plate to uniformly heat the inside of the reactor housing in a single phase.
[0020] In another aspect, in order to realize a temperature gradient from the internal temperature of the reactor housing close to the heating plate to the internal temperature of the reactor housing far from the heating plate, a peak current of a certain magnitude can be periodically applied to the heating plate.
Advantages of the Invention
[0021] According to the present invention, by transferring the heat generated by the heating plate attached to one side of the reactor housing to the other side of the reactor housing through at least one heat transfer member extended from the heating plate to the other side, the internal temperature of the reactor housing can be evenly maintained at a high temperature.
[0022] By means of the current application method, a desired temperature gradient in the longitudinal direction of the reactor housing can be generated.
[0023] A temperature gradient required according to the type of reaction and catalyst characteristics can be generated, and the through-holes in the heating plate can serve as a baffle to prevent catalyst particles from being lost outside the reactor.
[0024] In addition, the effects obtained or predicted by the embodiments of the present invention are directly or implicitly disclosed in the detailed description of the embodiments of the present invention. That is, various effects predicted by the embodiments of the present invention are disclosed in the following detailed description.
[0025] The embodiments of this specification should be better understood by referring to the following description in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which like reference numerals refer to the same or functionally similar elements.
Brief Description of the Drawings
[0026] [Figure 1] It is a configuration diagram of an electrically heated fluidized bed reactor according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] It is an example of the current application method. [Figure 3] It is another example of the current application method. [Figure 4]This is a diagram showing the configuration of an electrically heated fluidized bed reactor according to another embodiment of the present invention. [Modes for carrying out the invention]
[0027] The drawings referenced herein are not necessarily shown to scale and should be understood as presenting somewhat simplified representations of various preferred features illustrating the fundamental principles of this disclosure. For example, certain design features of this disclosure, including specific dimensions, orientations, positions, and shapes, are determined in part by the specific intended application and usage environment.
[0028] The terms used herein are for the sole purpose of describing specific embodiments and are not intended to limit the invention. As used herein, the singular form is intended to also include the plural form unless the context expressly indicates otherwise. The terms “includes” and / or “contains,” as used herein, identify the presence of the mentioned features, integers, stages, operations, components and / or parts, but should not be understood as excluding the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, stages, operations, components and / or groups thereof. As used herein, the terms “and / or” include any one or all combinations of the items listed relating to them.
[0029] Furthermore, it will be understood that one or more of the methods or aspects thereof described below can be performed by at least one controller. The term “controller” may refer to a hardware device including memory and a processor. The memory is configured to store program instructions, and the processor is specifically programmed to execute program instructions to perform one or more processes, which are described in more detail below. A controller can control the operation of a unit, module, component, device, or similar, as described herein. It will also be understood that the methods described below can be performed by a device including a controller together with one or more other components, as will be recognized by those skilled in the art.
[0030] Furthermore, the controllers of this disclosure can be implemented as non-temporary computer-readable recording media containing executable program instructions executed by a processor. Examples of computer-readable recording media include, but are not limited to, ROM, RAM, compact disk (CD) ROM, magnetic tape, floppy disk, flash drive, smart card, and optical data storage device. Computer-readable recording media can also store and execute program instructions distributed across a computer network, for example, in a telematics server or a controller area network (CAN).
[0031] According to one aspect of the present invention, an electrically heated fluidized bed reactor includes: a reactor housing having an inlet formed on one side in a first direction through which reactants flow in, and an outlet formed on the other side in a first direction through which the reacted product flows out; a dispersion plate arranged on one side of the reactor housing in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction, with a plurality of dispersion plate through-holes formed therein through which reactants pass; a heating plate arranged on the other side of the reactor housing in a second direction, with a plurality of heating plate through-holes formed therein that generate heat when heated by an electric current from a power source, through which the product passes; and at least one heat transfer member connected to the heating plate so as to extend toward one side from the heating plate, and which transfers the heat generated by the heating plate toward one side and into the interior of the reactor housing.
[0032] According to another aspect of the present invention, an electrically heated fluidized bed reactor includes a reactor housing formed with an inlet on one side in a first direction through which reactants flow in and an outlet formed on the other side in a first direction through which the reacted product flows out; a heating plate positioned on one side of the reactor housing in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction, having a plurality of heating plate through-holes formed therein that receive electric current from a power source, generate heat, and through which reactants pass; and at least one heat transfer member connected to the heating plate so as to extend toward the other side from the heating plate, and transferring the heat generated by the heating plate to the other side and into the interior of the reactor housing.
[0033] According to the present invention, the heat generated by a heating plate provided on one or the other side of the reactor housing is transferred to the entire interior of the reactor housing through at least one heat transfer member, thereby enabling the temperature inside the reactor housing to be maintained at a high temperature without deviation.
[0034] The embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the attached drawings.
[0035] Figure 1 is a diagram showing the configuration of an electrically heated fluidized bed reactor according to an embodiment of the present invention.
[0036] As shown in Figure 1, the electrically heated fluidized bed reactor 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a reactor housing 20. The reactor housing 20 is provided in a generally hollow cylindrical shape, but the shape of the reactor housing 20 is not limited to a hollow cylindrical shape. The inside of the reactor housing 20 is filled with a solid catalyst 70 that promotes the reaction of gaseous reactants (e.g., thermal decomposition). The catalyst 70 can be fluidized by the gaseous reactants.
[0037] The reactor housing 20 may include a bottom surface, a top surface, and sides connecting the bottom surface and the top surface. An inlet 22 is formed on the bottom surface of the reactor housing 20. The inlet 22 is connected to an inflow line 12, and gaseous reactants are supplied to the inside of the reactor housing 20 at a constant rate through the inflow line 12 and the inlet 22. The gaseous reactants move upward within the reactor housing 20, causing the catalyst 70 to flow, and the reactants react with the catalyst 70 to be converted into a product. An outlet 24 is formed on the top surface of the reactor housing 20. The outlet 24 is connected to an outflow line 14, and the product that has come into contact with the catalyst 70 and reacted within the reactor housing 20 is discharged to the outflow line 14 through the outlet 24.
[0038] For the reactants to react with the catalyst 70, the internal temperature of the reactor housing 20 must rise to or above the set reaction temperature (for example, 600°C to 700°C). To raise the internal temperature of the reactor housing 20, the electric heated fluidized bed reactor 10 further includes a heating plate 40 and a heat transfer member 60.
[0039] The heating plate 40 is positioned on top of the reactor housing 20 and extends horizontally perpendicular to the vertical direction. The heating plate 40 is electrically connected to a power supply 50 and receives an electric current (I) from the power supply 50. The heating plate 40 may be made of an alloy material having high resistivity (e.g., Ni-Cr, Fe-Cr, Fe-Ni-Cr, Fe-Cr-Al, etc.) so as to generate heat in response to the electric current (I) applied from the power supply 50. The heating plate 40 is provided with at least one heating plate through-hole 42 so that the reacted product and unreacted reactants can pass through the heating plate through-hole 42 to the top of the heating plate 40 and be discharged to the outlet line 14 through the outlet 24. However, the heating plate through-hole 42 is sized so that a solid catalyst 70 cannot pass through the heating plate through-hole 42, and so as to prevent the reactants and product-flowing catalyst 70 from passing through the heating plate through-hole 42 and entering the outlet 24. To prevent the current (I) applied to the heating plate 40 from flowing into the reactor housing 20, the heating plate 40 is connected to the reactor housing 20 via an insulator 80.
[0040] The heat transfer member 60 is rod-shaped and includes an upper and lower end. The upper end of the heat transfer member 60 is connected to the heating plate 40, and the lower end of the heat transfer member 60 extends downward from the heating plate 40. The heat transfer member 60 transfers the heat generated from the heating plate 40 to the lower part of the reactor housing 20, maintaining a uniform temperature inside the reactor housing 20 and reducing temperature deviations due to location inside the reactor housing 20. For this purpose, the heat transfer member 60 is made of a material with high thermal conductivity, and multiple heat transfer members 60 can be provided parallel to each other and at equal intervals. However, the number and arrangement of the heat transfer members 40 are not limited to the number and arrangement exemplified herein, and any number and arrangement that can evenly transfer the heat generated from the heating plate 40 into the inside of the reactor housing 20 may be used.
[0041] The electric heated fluidized bed reactor 10 may further include a dispersion plate 30. The dispersion plate 30 is located inside the reactor housing 20 near the inlet 22, i.e., at the bottom of the reactor housing 20, and extends horizontally. The dispersion plate 30 is provided with at least one dispersion plate through-hole 32, and the reactants flowing into the reactor housing 20 through the inlet 22 move to the top of the dispersion plate 30 through the dispersion plate through-hole 32. In this process, the reactants flowing into the reactor housing 20 are dispersed horizontally and move vertically. Therefore, the contact area between the reactants and the catalyst 70 can be increased, and the reaction efficiency can be improved. On the other hand, the dispersion plate through-hole 32 is sized so that the solid catalyst 70 cannot pass through the dispersion plate through-hole 32, thereby preventing the catalyst 70 from passing through the dispersion plate through-hole 32 and entering the inlet 22.
[0042] The electric heated fluidized bed reactor 10 further includes a power supply 50. The power supply 50 is electrically connected to the heating plate 40 via an electric wire 52 and applies an electric current (I) to the heating plate 40. The power supply 50 may be an AC power supply or a DC power supply.
[0043] On the other hand, the internal temperature of the reactor housing 20 is controlled by the target reaction, and the internal temperature of the reactor housing 20 can be controlled by adjusting the method of applying current (I) from the power supply 50 to the heating plate 40.
[0044] For example, as shown in Figure 2, if a current (I) of a constant magnitude is continuously applied to the heating plate 40, the internal temperature of the reactor housing 20 can be maintained at a constant level regardless of its position.
[0045] In other words, the internal temperature of the reactor housing 20 near the heating plate 40 (T1) and the internal temperature of the reactor housing 20 far from the heating plate 40 (T2) may be the same. The current application method shown in Figure 2 may be advantageous for reactions where the internal temperature of the reactor housing 20 should be kept constant, such as endothermic reactions.
[0046] In another example, as shown in Figure 3, when a peak current (I) of a constant magnitude is periodically applied to the heating plate 40, the internal temperature of the reactor housing 20 can be gradually reduced with increasing distance from the heating plate 40. That is, a temperature gradient is realized from the internal temperature of the reactor housing 20 close to the heating plate 40 (T1) to the internal temperature of the reactor housing 20 farther away from the heating plate 40 (T2), and the internal temperature of the reactor housing 20 close to the heating plate 40 (T1) can be higher than the internal temperature of the reactor housing 20 farther away from the heating plate 40 (T2). The current application method shown in Figure 3 may be advantageous when the preheating of the reactants and the main reaction all occur within the reactor housing 20.
[0047] Figure 4 is a diagram showing the configuration of an electrically heated fluidized bed reactor according to another embodiment of the present invention.
[0048] As shown in Figure 4, an electric heated fluidized bed reactor 10 according to another embodiment of the present invention includes a reactor housing 20, a heating plate 40, a heat transfer member 60, a cyclone 90, and a power supply 50.
[0049] The reactor housing 20 is provided in a generally hollow cylindrical shape, and an inlet 22 is formed on the lower surface of the reactor housing 20. The inlet 22 is connected to an inlet line 12, and gaseous reactants are supplied to the inside of the reactor housing 20 at a constant rate through the inlet line 12 and the inlet 22. An outlet 24 is formed on the upper surface of the reactor housing 20. A cyclone 90 is positioned at the top of the reactor housing 20, and an outlet line 14 passes through the outlet 24 and is connected to the cyclone 90. The cyclone 90 is configured to draw in the product, unreacted reactants and catalyst 70 from the upper part of the reactor housing 20, separate the catalyst 70 from the product and unreacted reactants by centrifugal force, discharge the product and unreacted reactants to the outside of the reactor housing 20 through the outlet line 14, and send the separated catalyst 70 back into the reactor housing 20. In this embodiment of the present invention, the multiple through-holes 42 formed in the heating plate 40 allow only the product and unreacted reactants to pass through, thereby performing the same function as the cyclone 90 in other embodiments of the present invention.
[0050] The heating plate 40 is positioned at the bottom of the reactor housing 20 and extends horizontally. The heating plate 40 is electrically connected to a power supply 50 and receives an electric current (I) from the power supply 50. The heating plate 40 can be made of an alloy material having high resistivity (e.g., Ni-Cr, Fe-Cr, Fe-Ni-Cr, Fe-Cr-Al, etc.) so as to generate heat in response to the electric current (I) applied from the power supply 50. The heating plate 40 is provided with at least one heating plate through-hole 42, and the reactants that flow into the reactor housing 20 through the inlet 22 move to the top of the heating plate 40 by passing through the heating plate through-hole 42. Thus, the heating plate 40 with the heating plate through-hole 42 also performs the same role as the dispersion plate 30 according to embodiments of the present invention. Furthermore, the heating plate through-hole 42 is sized so that the solid catalyst 70 cannot pass through the heating plate through-hole 42 and enter the inlet 22. The heating plate 40 can be connected to the reactor housing 20 via the insulator 80.
[0051] The heat transfer member 60 is rod-shaped and includes an upper and lower end. The lower end of the heat transfer member 60 is connected to the heating plate 40, and the upper end of the heat transfer member 60 extends upward from the heating plate 40. The heat transfer member 60 transfers the heat generated by the heating plate 40 to the upper part of the reactor housing 20, thereby maintaining a uniform temperature inside the reactor housing 20 and reducing temperature deviations due to location inside the reactor housing 20. For this purpose, the heat transfer member 60 is made of a material with high thermal conductivity, and multiple heat transfer members 60 can be provided parallel to each other and at equal intervals.
[0052] The power supply 50 is electrically connected to the heating plate 40 via the electric wire 52 and applies an electric current (I) to the heating plate 40. The power supply 50 may be an AC power supply or a DC power supply. In other embodiments of the present invention, the internal temperature of the reactor housing 20 can be adjusted by adjusting the method of applying the electric current (I) from the power supply 50 to the heating plate 40.
[0053] For example, as shown in Figure 2, by continuously applying a current (I) of a constant magnitude to the heating plate 40, the internal temperature of the reactor housing 20 can be maintained constant regardless of its position.
[0054] In another example, as shown in Figure 3, a peak current (I) of a constant magnitude can be periodically applied to the heating plate 40, gradually reducing the internal temperature of the reactor housing 20 depending on the distance from the heating plate 40. The current application method shown in Figure 3 may be advantageous when the temperature of the reactants rises above the activation temperature range as the exothermic reaction progresses.
[0055] Preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described above, but the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, and includes all modifications that are readily available to a person with ordinary skill in the art and are considered equivalent to the embodiments of the present invention.
Claims
1. A reactor housing with an inlet on the bottom for the reaction material to flow in, an outlet on the top for the reacted product to flow out, and filled with a catalyst inside; A heating plate horizontally positioned on top of the reactor housing, which receives current from a power source to generate heat, and has a heating plate through-hole formed therein through which unreacted reactants or products pass; and Multiple heat transfer members connected to the heating plate, extending downward from the heating plate, and transferring heat generated from the heating plate to the lower part inside the reactor housing; An electrically heated fluidized bed reactor, including one.
2. The electrically heated fluidized bed reactor according to claim 1, wherein the holes through the heating plate are sized to allow unreacted reactants or products to pass through, but the catalyst cannot.
3. The electrically heated fluidized bed reactor according to claim 1, further comprising an insulator connecting the heating plate to the reactor housing so as to insulate the reactor housing from the heating plate.
4. The electrically heated fluidized bed reactor according to claim 1, further comprising a dispersion plate horizontally positioned at the lower part of the reactor housing, having dispersion plate through-holes through which reactants pass, thereby evenly dispersing the reactants.
5. The electrically heated fluidized bed reactor according to claim 4, wherein the holes through the dispersion plate are sized to allow reactants to pass through but not catalysts.
6. The electrically heated fluidized bed reactor according to claim 1, wherein a current of a constant magnitude is continuously applied to the heating plate so as to uniformly heat the inside of the reactor housing.
7. An electrically heated fluidized bed reactor according to claim 1, wherein a peak current of a constant magnitude is periodically applied to the heating plate in order to achieve a temperature gradient from the internal temperature of the reactor housing close to the heating plate to the internal temperature of the reactor housing far from the heating plate.
8. A reactor housing filled with a catalyst has an inlet on the bottom for the reaction material to flow in and an outlet on the top for the reacted product to flow out; A heating plate is horizontally positioned at the bottom of the reactor housing, receives current from a power source to generate heat, and has a heating plate through-hole formed therein through which the reactants pass; and Multiple heat transfer members connected to the heating plate, extending upward from the heating plate, and transferring heat generated from the heating plate to the upper part inside the reactor housing; An electrically heated fluidized bed reactor, including one.
9. The electrically heated fluidized bed reactor according to claim 8, wherein the holes through the heating plate are sized to allow reactants to pass through but not catalysts to pass through.
10. The electrically heated fluidized bed reactor according to claim 8, further comprising an insulator connecting the heating plate to the reactor housing so as to insulate the reactor housing from the heating plate.
11. The electric heated fluidized bed reactor according to claim 8, further comprising a cyclone provided at the top of the reactor housing and connected to the inside and outlet of the reactor housing, configured to draw in the product, unreacted reactants and catalyst, separate the catalyst from the product and unreacted reactants and return it to the inside of the reactor, and discharge the catalyst and product to the outside of the reactor housing through the outlet.
12. The electrically heated fluidized bed reactor according to claim 8, wherein a current of a constant magnitude is continuously applied to the heating plate so as to uniformly heat the inside of the reactor housing.
13. The electric heated fluidized bed reactor according to claim 8, wherein a peak current of a constant magnitude is periodically applied to the heating plate in order to achieve a temperature gradient from the internal temperature of the reactor housing close to the heating plate to the internal temperature of the reactor housing far from the heating plate.