Natural gas pyrolysis reactor and product recovery method

Abstract

The present invention relates to a natural gas pyrolysis reactor and a method for recovering the product thereof. More specifically, a natural gas pyrolysis reactor for producing blue-green hydrogen comprises a reaction gas injection section disposed at the bottom of the natural gas pyrolysis reactor for injecting a reaction gas, a catalytic reaction section filled with a molten catalyst for pyrolyzing the reaction gas, and a product recovery pipe disposed at the center inside the natural gas pyrolysis reactor for recovering a reaction product including hydrogen and carbon byproducts generated by the reaction to the outside, wherein the top of the natural gas pyrolysis reactor has a dome-shaped structure.

Description

Technology Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a natural gas pyrolysis reactor and a method for recovering products. More specifically, it relates to a natural gas pyrolysis reactor and a method for recovering products capable of efficiently capturing carbon generated during the natural gas pyrolysis process. Background Technology

[0002] Blue-green hydrogen technology, which produces hydrogen and carbon through the thermal decomposition of hydrocarbons, is a representative technology that utilizes existing natural gas supply chains and infrastructure while requiring no CO2 capture. Compared to commercially available steam-methane processes for hydrogen production, blue-green hydrogen production technology requires relatively lower thermal energy, making it easier to ensure economic viability. Furthermore, by enabling the use of existing natural gas infrastructure, it can meet the demand for large-scale clean hydrogen near demand centers.

[0003] The molten metal catalyst-based method for producing blue-green hydrogen has the advantage of lowering the reaction temperature by using molten metals such as nickel, bismuth, and tin as pyrolysis media, and preventing coking on the catalyst surface due to layer separation caused by the density difference between the carbon generated during the pyrolysis process and the molten catalyst, while also making it easier to recover carbon compared to the solid catalyst method.

[0004] While research aimed at improving hydrogen production efficiency using natural gas pyrolysis is active, technological development regarding the separation and utilization of carbon byproducts simultaneously generated during the process has not been relatively sufficient.

[0005] Carbon by-products generated during the production of blue-green hydrogen can improve the economic viability of clean hydrogen production by creating added value through the sale and recycling of carbon with high value-added properties. Accordingly, securing carbon by-products is becoming important in terms of economic feasibility and resource utilization.

[0006] Meanwhile, carbon generated during the pyrolysis process floats on top of the molten metal due to the density difference between the molten metal and the carbon, leading to carbon accumulation during continuous operation. This can cause an increase in pressure within the reactor, and aggregation resulting from the carbon accumulation may cause the reactor to clog. The problem to be solved

[0007] The purpose is to provide a natural gas pyrolysis reactor and a method for recovering the product thereof in order to solve the above-mentioned problems.

[0008] More specifically, the purpose is to provide a natural gas pyrolysis reactor and a method for recovering the product thereof that can reduce costs by preventing carbon accumulation and recovering the product without a separate device for recovery.

[0009] The technical problems of the present invention are not limited to those mentioned above, and other unmentioned technical problems will be clearly understood by a person skilled in the art from the description below. means of solving the problem

[0010] According to one aspect of the present invention for achieving the above objective, a natural gas pyrolysis reactor for producing blue-green hydrogen is provided, comprising: a reaction gas injection unit disposed at the bottom of the natural gas pyrolysis reactor for injecting a reaction gas; a catalytic reaction unit filled with a molten catalyst and performing a pyrolysis reaction through the reaction gas; and a product recovery pipe disposed at the center inside the natural gas pyrolysis reactor for recovering a reaction product including hydrogen and carbon byproducts generated by the reaction to the outside of the reactor, wherein the top of the natural gas pyrolysis reactor has a dome-shaped structure.

[0011] Preferably, the reaction gas injection unit may include a reaction gas dispersion plate to disperse and inject the reaction gas.

[0012] Preferably, the reaction gas is supplied as natural gas having methane as the main component, and the natural gas may be injected by heat exchange with the product recovered through the product recovery pipe.

[0013] Preferably, the catalytic reaction unit may be such that bubbles are formed inside the molten catalyst by the reaction gas, and thermal decomposition occurs at the interface of the bubbles to produce hydrogen and carbon byproducts.

[0014] Preferably, the upper part of the product recovery pipe may be configured to have a product inlet, and the lower part of the product recovery pipe may be configured to have a product recovery section.

[0015] Preferably, the product inlet is positioned in a dome-shaped structure, and the reaction product may be recovered outside the reactor through the product inlet.

[0016] Preferably, the reaction product is floated and accumulated on the upper part of the molten catalyst, and an inner inclined surface is formed by the dome-shaped structure, and the floated reaction product may flow into the product inlet along the inner inclined surface and fall.

[0017] Preferably, the product recovery unit may include a first product recovery unit in which carbon byproducts are recovered and a second product recovery unit formed by branching from the first product recovery unit in which hydrogen is recovered.

[0018] Preferably, the product recovery unit further includes a heat exchanger, wherein the heat exchanger may exchange heat between the reaction product and the reaction gas.

[0019] According to another aspect of the present invention for achieving the above objective, a method for recovering a reaction product generated through a natural gas pyrolysis reactor is provided, comprising: a reaction gas injection step of injecting a reaction gas into a catalytic reaction section filled with a molten catalyst; a reaction product generation step of reacting the molten catalyst with the reaction gas to produce a reaction product including hydrogen and carbon byproducts; and a reaction product recovery step of recovering the reaction product through a product recovery pipe.

[0020] Preferably, the reaction gas injection step may involve heat-exchanging the reaction gas with the reaction product recovered through the product recovery pipe and injecting it into the catalytic reaction section.

[0021] Preferably, the reaction product recovery step may recover the reaction product through a product inlet located at the top of the product recovery pipe.

[0022] Preferably, the reaction product is floated and accumulated on the upper side of the molten catalyst, forming an inner inclined surface due to the upper dome-shaped structure, and the floated reaction product may flow into the product inlet along the inner inclined surface by its own weight. Effects of the invention

[0023] The present invention has the effect of providing a natural gas pyrolysis reactor and a method for recovering the product thereof.

[0024] More specifically, the invention provides a natural gas pyrolysis reactor and a method for recovering the product thereof, which can reduce costs by preventing carbon accumulation and recovering the product without a separate device for recovery.

[0025] Furthermore, profit generation is possible through the separation and purification of captured carbon byproducts and the development of high-value-added technologies, which has the effect of securing the economic feasibility of blue-green hydrogen production technology.

[0026] The effects of the present invention are not limited to those mentioned above, and other unmentioned effects will be clearly understood by a person skilled in the art from the description below. Brief explanation of the drawing

[0027] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing a natural gas pyrolysis reactor according to one embodiment. FIG. 2 shows an upper cross-sectional view of a natural gas pyrolysis reactor according to one embodiment. Specific details for implementing the invention

[0028] Detailed information regarding the purpose, technical configuration, and the resulting operation and effects of the present invention will be more clearly understood through the detailed description based on the drawings attached to the specification of the present invention.

[0029] The terms used herein are used merely to describe specific embodiments and are not intended to limit the invention. For example, the phrase “comprising” a component in this specification means that, unless specifically stated otherwise, it does not exclude other components but may include additional components.

[0030] Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in detail by explaining preferred embodiments of the present invention with reference to the attached drawings. The embodiments described below are provided to enable those skilled in the art to easily understand the technical concept of the present invention, and should not be interpreted as limiting the present invention, and it is obvious to those skilled in the art that the embodiments of the present invention can have various applications.

[0031] Hereinafter, the natural gas pyrolysis reactor and the method for recovering the product thereof according to the present invention will be described in detail.

[0032] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing a natural gas pyrolysis reactor according to one embodiment, and FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the top of a natural gas pyrolysis reactor according to one embodiment.

[0033] Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, a natural gas pyrolysis reactor (100) for producing blue-green hydrogen includes a reaction gas injection section (111), a catalytic reaction section (A), and a product recovery pipe (150), and the upper part of the natural gas pyrolysis reactor (100) may be configured to have a dome-shaped structure.

[0034] The reaction gas injection unit (111) is positioned at the bottom of the natural gas pyrolysis reactor, and can inject reaction gas into the catalyst reaction unit (A) through the reaction gas injection unit (111).

[0035] In detail, the reaction gas injection part (111) preferably includes a reaction gas dispersion plate (110) to disperse and inject the reaction gas.

[0036] At this time, the reaction gas is supplied as natural gas with methane as the main component, and it is preferable to inject the natural gas by heat exchange with the product recovered through the product recovery pipe (150). As the reaction gas is heat exchanged with the product, it is injected into the catalytic reaction unit (A) at a temperature of about 300°C to 600°C, and as the reaction gas with a raised temperature is supplied through heat exchange, it has the effect of improving the energy efficiency.

[0037] The above catalyst reaction section (A) is filled with a molten catalyst, and the reaction gas injected through the above reaction gas injection section (111) can perform a pyrolysis reaction.

[0038] More specifically, the molten catalyst filled in the catalyst reaction section (A) forms bubbles inside due to the reaction gas, and thermal decomposition occurs at the interface of the bubbles, thereby generating hydrogen and carbon byproducts through the thermal decomposition reaction.

[0039] The above product recovery pipe (150) is positioned at the center inside the natural gas pyrolysis reactor (100) and can recover the reaction product, including hydrogen and carbon byproducts (solid carbon) generated by the reaction, to the outside.

[0040] At this time, the hydrogen and carbon byproducts generated by the pyrolysis reaction in the catalyst reaction section (A) float on the upper part (B) of the molten catalyst due to the difference in density with the molten catalyst.

[0041] In addition, when the above natural gas pyrolysis reactor (100) is operated continuously, the solid carbon generated during the pyrolysis process causes carbon accumulation on the upper part (B) of the molten catalyst, which can lead to an increase in pressure within the reactor and cause aggregation due to carbon accumulation, which can result in a blockage of the reactor.

[0042] Accordingly, the present invention intends to describe in detail a configuration for preventing carbon accumulation and recovering it without using separate devices such as cyclones or filters.

[0043] The height of the product recovery pipe (150) is formed to be higher than the height of the catalyst reaction section, and it is preferable that the upper part of the product recovery pipe (150) has a product inlet section and the lower part of the product recovery pipe has a product recovery section (160, 170).

[0044] In addition, it is preferable that the upper part of the natural gas pyrolysis reactor (100) be formed in a dome-shaped structure.

[0045] In detail, as the upper part of the natural gas pyrolysis reactor (100) is formed into a dome-shaped structure, the reaction products float and accumulate on the upper part of the molten catalyst, and an internal inclined surface is naturally formed by the upper dome-shaped structure.

[0046] At this time, the floating reaction product is characterized by flowing into the product inlet by its own weight along the inner inclined surface and falling from the top to the bottom.

[0047] The above product recovery unit (160, 170) is characterized by including a first product recovery unit (160) in which carbon byproducts are recovered and a second product recovery unit (170) formed by branching from the first product recovery unit (160) in which hydrogen is recovered.

[0048] At this time, the carbon byproduct and hydrogen can be separated by weight difference and recovered to the first product recovery unit (160) and the second product recovery unit (170), respectively.

[0049] Additionally, the product recovery unit further includes a heat exchanger (140), and it is preferable that the heat exchanger (140) heats the reaction product and the reaction gas.

[0050] Hereinafter, with reference to the natural gas pyrolysis reactor according to one embodiment of the present invention described above, a method for recovering the product of a natural gas pyrolysis reactor according to one embodiment of the present invention will be explained.

[0051] A method for recovering a reaction product generated through a natural gas pyrolysis reactor (100) may include a reaction gas injection step of injecting a reaction gas into a catalyst reaction section (A) filled with a molten catalyst, a reaction product generation step of reacting the molten catalyst with the reaction gas to produce a reaction product including hydrogen and carbon byproducts, and a reaction product recovery step of recovering the reaction product through a product recovery pipe (150).

[0052] The above reaction gas injection step involves injecting the reaction gas into the catalyst reaction unit (A) by heat-exchanging the reaction gas with the reaction product recovered through the product recovery pipe (150), and the reaction gas is characterized as being natural gas containing methane.

[0053] At this time, it is preferable that the reaction gas exchange heat with the reaction product in a heat exchanger (140) placed in the product recovery section (160, 170).

[0054] In the above reaction product generation step, the reaction gas injected via heat exchange and the molten catalyst can generate a reaction product through a thermal decomposition reaction. Specifically, bubbles are formed inside the molten catalyst by the reaction gas, and as thermal decomposition occurs at the interface of the bubbles, a reaction product containing hydrogen and carbon byproducts is generated.

[0055] The above reaction product recovery step can recover the reaction product through a product inlet located at the top of the product recovery pipe (150).

[0056] In detail, the reaction product undergoes layer separation due to a density difference with the molten catalyst, and the separated reaction product floats to the upper part (B) of the molten catalyst.

[0057] At this time, the floating reaction product is floated and accumulated on the upper part of the molten catalyst, and an internal inclined surface is naturally formed by the upper dome-shaped structure, and the floating reaction product is characterized by flowing into the product inlet by its own weight along the internal inclined surface and falling from the upper part to the lower part.

[0058] In detail, the reaction product falling downward through the product inlet can be recovered through the product recovery section (160, 170) located at the bottom of the product recovery pipe (150).

[0059] At this time, the carbon byproduct and hydrogen are separated due to a difference in weight, and it is preferable to recover the separated carbon byproduct through the first product recovery unit (160) and recover the hydrogen through the second product recovery unit (170).

[0060] As described above, the present invention has the effect of providing a natural gas pyrolysis reactor and a method for recovering the product thereof.

[0061] More specifically, the invention provides a natural gas pyrolysis reactor and a method for recovering the product thereof, which can reduce costs by preventing carbon accumulation and recovering the product without a separate device for recovery.

[0062] Furthermore, profit generation is possible through the separation and purification of captured carbon byproducts and the development of high-value-added technologies, which has the effect of securing the economic feasibility of blue-green hydrogen production technology.

[0063] In this specification, only a few examples among the various embodiments performed by the inventors are described; however, the technical concept of the present invention is not limited or restricted thereto, and it is understood that it can be modified and implemented in various ways by those skilled in the art. Explanation of the symbols

[0064] 100: Natural gas heat exchanger reactor 110: Reaction gas dispersion plate 111: Reaction gas injection section 140: Heat exchanger 150: Product recovery pipe 160: 1st Product Recovery Unit 170: 2nd Product Recovery Unit A: Catalytic reaction unit B: Reaction product floating portion

Claims

Claim 1 A natural gas pyrolysis reactor for producing blue-green hydrogen, comprising: a reaction gas injection section disposed at the bottom of the natural gas pyrolysis reactor and injecting a reaction gas; a catalytic reaction section filled with a molten catalyst and performing a pyrolysis reaction through the reaction gas; and a product recovery pipe disposed at the inner center of the natural gas pyrolysis reactor and recovering a reaction product including hydrogen and carbon byproducts generated by the reaction to the outside of the reactor; wherein the upper part of the natural gas pyrolysis reactor has a dome-shaped structure, and the height of the product recovery pipe is formed to be higher than the height of the catalytic reaction section, wherein a product inlet is disposed at the upper part of the product recovery pipe, and a product recovery section is disposed at the lower part of the product recovery pipe, and wherein the product inlet is disposed in the dome-shaped structure, and the reaction product is recovered to the outside of the reactor through the product inlet. Claim 2 A natural gas pyrolysis reactor according to claim 1, wherein the reaction gas injection unit comprises a reaction gas dispersion plate for dispersing and injecting the reaction gas. Claim 3 A natural gas pyrolysis reactor according to paragraph 2, wherein the reaction gas is supplied as natural gas having methane as the main component, and the natural gas is injected by heat exchange with the product recovered through the product recovery pipe. Claim 4 A natural gas pyrolysis reactor according to claim 1, wherein the catalytic reaction unit forms bubbles inside the molten catalyst by the reaction gas, and pyrolysis takes place at the interface of the bubbles to produce hydrogen and carbon byproducts. Claim 5 delete Claim 6 delete Claim 7 A natural gas pyrolysis reactor according to claim 1, wherein the reaction product is floated and accumulated on the upper part of the molten catalyst and an internal inclined surface is formed by the dome-shaped structure, and the floated reaction product flows into the product inlet along the internal inclined surface and falls. Claim 8 A natural gas pyrolysis reactor according to claim 1, wherein the product recovery section comprises: a first product recovery section in which carbon byproducts are recovered; and a second product recovery section formed by branching from the first product recovery section in which hydrogen is recovered. Claim 9 A natural gas pyrolysis reactor according to claim 1, wherein the product recovery unit further comprises a heat exchanger, wherein the heat exchanger exchanges heat between the reaction product and the reaction gas. Claim 10 A method for recovering a reaction product generated through a natural gas pyrolysis reactor according to claim 1, comprising: a reaction gas injection step of injecting a reaction gas into a catalytic reaction section filled with a molten catalyst; a reaction product generation step of reacting the molten catalyst with the reaction gas to generate a reaction product including hydrogen and carbon byproducts; and a reaction product recovery step of recovering the reaction product through a product recovery pipe, wherein the reaction product recovery step recovers the reaction product to the outside of the reactor through a product inlet section disposed at the top of the product recovery pipe and disposed in a dome-shaped structure. Claim 11 A method for recovering products of a natural gas pyrolysis reactor, wherein, in claim 10, the reaction gas injection step involves heat-exchanging the reaction gas with the reaction product recovered through the product recovery pipe and injecting it into the catalytic reaction section. Claim 12 delete Claim 13 A method for recovering products of a natural gas pyrolysis reactor according to claim 10, wherein the reaction products are floated and accumulated on the upper surface of a molten catalyst to form an internal inclined surface, and the floated reaction products flow into the product inlet along the internal inclined surface by their own weight.

Images