Electric heating reactor

Abstract

An electric heating reactor is disclosed. The electric heating reactor may include: a reaction tube having a passage formed in a longitudinal direction through which a reactant passes; a power supply for supplying power to the reaction tube so as to heat the reactant passing through the passage; a pair of conductive sockets for connecting the power supply and the reaction tube so that current flows therethrough; and a heating element extending in the longitudinal direction inside the reaction tube, electrically connected to the reaction tube, and receiving power supplied from the power supply to generate heat and further heat the reactant passing through the passage.

Description

Electrically heated reactor

[0001] Cross-citation with related applications

[0002] This application claims the benefit of priority to Korean Patent Application No. 10-2023-0190927, filed December 26, 2023, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.

[0003] The present invention relates to an electric heating reactor, and more particularly, to an electric heating reactor capable of long-term operation by arranging reaction tubes so as to offset electromagnetic force continuously applied to the reaction tubes during operation.

[0004] In the chemical industry, natural gas is used as a fuel to maintain high temperatures in various equipment (e.g., crackers, reformers, reactors, boilers, etc.). However, heating through natural gas combustion is not only inefficient in terms of energy consumption but also a major contributor to carbon emissions. Therefore, efforts are being made to replace natural gas combustion heating with electric heating.

[0005] As part of these efforts, a technique has been proposed that arranges multiple reaction tubes in a row and applies current in the same direction to the reaction tubes. According to this technique, an attractive force can be generated between adjacent reaction tubes. When the same magnitude of current is applied to reaction tubes of the same specifications, the resultant force applied to the reaction tube located in the middle of the plurality of reaction tubes may be zero, but the reaction tubes located at both ends of the plurality of reaction tubes will continuously experience a force. For example, in a conventional naphtha cracking device with two reaction tubes arranged side by side, the reaction tubes are approximately 10 m long and the distance between the reaction tubes is approximately 0.1 m, and a current of 3500 A is applied, a force of approximately 245 N is continuously applied to the reaction tubes, resulting in a stress of approximately 4836 psi.

[0006] The information contained in this background section is intended to enhance understanding of the background of the invention and may include matters that are not prior art and are already known to those of ordinary skill in the art.

[0007] An embodiment of the present invention aims to provide an electrically heated reactor capable of long-term operation by optimizing the arrangement of reaction tubes.

[0008] An electric heating reactor according to an embodiment of the present invention comprises a plurality of reaction tubes, each of which has a longitudinal passage formed therein through which a reactant passes; and a power source configured to supply current to the plurality of reaction tubes so as to heat the reactant passing through the passage, wherein the plurality of reaction tubes can be arranged such that a resultant of an electromagnetic force due to the current supplied to the plurality of reaction tubes is equal to or less than a set value.

[0009] In one aspect, the setpoint may be less than or equal to 10% of the electromagnetic force applied by the first reaction tube to the second reaction tube adjacent to the first reaction tube.

[0010] In another aspect, the plurality of reaction tubes may be arranged so that the resultant electromagnetic force due to the current supplied to the plurality of reaction tubes becomes 0.

[0011] The above plurality of reaction tubes can be arranged as one or more modules in which the resultant electromagnetic force acting on each reaction tube is less than a set value.

[0012] In one aspect, the setpoint may be 10% or less of the electromagnetic force applied by the first reaction tube arranged in each module to the second reaction tube adjacent to the first reaction tube.

[0013] In another aspect, the plurality of reaction tubes may be arranged in one or more modules such that the sum of the electromagnetic forces acting on each reaction tube becomes zero.

[0014] The above electric heating reactor may further include a shielding housing that surrounds the reaction tubes included in each module and shields external electromagnetic forces.

[0015] Four reaction tubes having the same resistance, the same diameter, and the same length constitute one module, three reaction tubes are arranged in an equilateral triangle, and the remaining one reaction tube is arranged at the center of the equilateral triangle, and currents of the same magnitude can flow in a first direction through the three reaction tubes arranged in an equilateral triangle, and currents of the same magnitude can flow in a second direction opposite to the first direction through the one reaction tube arranged at the center.

[0016] The above electric heating reactor may further include a shielding housing that surrounds the four reaction tubes included in the one module and shields them from external electromagnetic forces.

[0017] The above shielding housing can be formed into an equilateral triangle surrounding four reaction tubes.

[0018] The above electric heating reactor may include a plurality of modules including the shielding housing.

[0019] The above electric heating reactor may further comprise a cooler for cooling at least one of the pair of conductive sockets.

[0020] The calorific value of the reaction tube and the calorific value of the heating element can be controlled by adjusting the resistance of the reaction tube and the heating element.

[0021] According to the present invention, the reaction tubes are arranged so that the combined force applied to each reaction tube by the current flowing through the reaction tubes becomes 0, thereby enabling long-term operation without breakdown.

[0022] Additionally, the electromagnetic force applied to the reaction tube is reduced, which can extend the reaction tube replacement cycle and reduce maintenance costs.

[0023] In addition, the effects that can be obtained or expected from embodiments of the present invention will be disclosed directly or implicitly in the detailed description of the embodiments of the present invention. That is, the various effects expected according to embodiments of the present invention will be disclosed in the detailed description that follows.

[0024] Embodiments of the present disclosure may be better understood by reference to the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which like reference numerals designate identical or functionally similar elements.

[0025] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating an electric heating reactor according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0026] Figure 2 schematically illustrates the arrangement of reaction tubes in an electric heating reactor according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0027] Figure 3 schematically illustrates the combined force applied to one reaction tube.

[0028] FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram illustrating an electric heating reactor according to another embodiment of the present invention.

[0029] The drawings referenced above are not necessarily drawn to scale, but should be understood to present rather simplified representations of various preferred features that illustrate the fundamental principles of the present disclosure. For example, specific design features of the present disclosure, including specific dimensions, orientations, positions, and shapes, will be determined in part by the specific intended application and usage environment.

[0030] The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of the present invention. As used herein, the singular forms "a," "an," and "the" are intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. It will also be understood that the terms "comprises" and / or "comprising," when used herein, specify the presence of stated features, integers, steps, operations, elements, and / or components, but do not preclude 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.

[0031] Additionally, it is understood that one or more of the methods or aspects thereof below may be implemented by at least one controller. The term "controller" may refer to a hardware device comprising 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 may control the operation of units, modules, components, devices, or the like, as described herein. It is also understood that the methods below may be implemented by a device comprising the controller in conjunction with one or more other components, as will be appreciated by those skilled in the art.

[0032] Additionally, the controller of the present disclosure may be implemented as a non-transitory computer-readable recording medium containing executable program instructions executed by a processor. Examples of computer-readable recording media include, but are not limited to, read-only memory (ROM), random-access memory (RAM), compact disc (CD) ROM, magnetic tapes, floppy disks, flash drives, smart cards, and optical data storage devices. The computer-readable recording medium may also be distributed across a computer network so that the program instructions are stored and executed in a distributed manner, such as on a telematics server or a Controller Area Network (CAN).

[0033] According to the present invention, an electric heating reactor includes a plurality of reaction tubes, each of which has a longitudinal passage formed therein through which a reactant passes, and a power source configured to supply current to the plurality of reaction tubes so as to heat the reactant passing through the passage. The plurality of reaction tubes may be arranged so that a resultant of electromagnetic forces due to the applied current is equal to or less than a set value. The set value may be, but is not limited to, 10% or less of the electromagnetic force applied by a first reaction tube to a second reaction tube adjacent to the first reaction tube. The plurality of reaction tubes may be arranged so that a resultant of electromagnetic forces due to the applied current becomes 0. Since the resultant force applied to each reaction tube becomes 0, the stress applied to the reaction tubes during operation becomes 0, enabling long-term operation without breakdown. In addition, since the stress applied to the reaction tubes is reduced, the replacement cycle of the reaction tubes can be extended, and maintenance costs can be reduced.

[0034] In one example, four reaction tubes are arranged in one module, three reaction tubes are arranged in an equilateral triangle, one reaction tube is arranged at the center of the equilateral triangle, the three reaction tubes arranged at the vertices of the equilateral triangle have current flowing in a first direction, and the one reaction tube arranged at the center has current flowing in a second direction opposite to the first direction. Accordingly, the net force applied to each of the four reaction tubes becomes 0.

[0035] Additionally, the electric heating reactor further includes a shielding housing that surrounds the reaction tubes of one module and shields them from external electromagnetic forces. Accordingly, when arranging the reaction tubes of multiple modules, there is no need to consider the electromagnetic forces between the modules.

[0036]

[0037] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the attached drawings.

[0038] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating an electric heating reactor according to an embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 2 schematically illustrates the arrangement of reaction tubes in an electric heating reactor according to an embodiment of the present invention; and FIG. 3 schematically illustrates the combined force applied to one reaction tube.

[0039] As illustrated in Fig. 1, an electric heating reactor (10) according to an embodiment of the present invention is configured to receive electric current to generate heat and heat a reactant requiring a reaction using the generated heat. The electric heating reactor (10) includes a plurality of reaction tubes (20) and a power source (30).

[0040] The reaction tube (20) is made of an alloy material having a high resistivity (e.g., Ni-Cr, Fe-Cr, Fe-Ni-Cr, Fe-Cr-Al, etc.), and a passage through which a reactant passes is formed longitudinally inside the tube. For example, the reaction tube (20) may be formed in an annular pipe shape, and a passage may be formed longitudinally inside the tube. However, the shape of the reaction tube (20) is not limited to an annular pipe shape. Since the reaction tube (20) has a high resistivity, when current is applied to the reaction tube (20), heat is generated in the reaction tube (20), and the heat can be transferred to the reactant in the passage.

[0041] An inlet is formed at one end of the above reaction tube (20), and a reactant requiring a reaction flows into the reaction tube (20) through the inlet. An outlet is formed at the other end of the reaction tube (20), and a product that has completed the reaction and / or an unreacted product that has not yet reacted flows out of the reaction tube (20) through the outlet.

[0042] The plurality of reaction tubes (20a, 20b, 20c, 20d) are arranged so that the sum of the electromagnetic forces applied to each reaction tube (20a, 20b, 20c, 20d) becomes 0. The plurality of reaction tubes (20a, 20b, 20c, 20d) are continuously supplied with a high current to heat the reactants inside, and the high current causes an electromagnetic force to be applied between the neighboring reaction tubes (20a, 20b, 20c, 20d). If the electromagnetic force is not canceled, the plurality of reaction tubes (20a, 20b, 20c, 20d) are continuously subjected to a strong electromagnetic force while the reactants are reacted, and the plurality of reaction tubes (20a, 20b, 20c, 20d) may be deformed by this electromagnetic force. In order to prevent deformation of the plurality of reaction tubes (20a, 20b, 20c, 20d), the plurality of reaction tubes (20a, 20b, 20c, 20d) may be arranged so that the resultant force of the electromagnetic force applied to each reaction tube (20a, 20b, 20c, 20d) is less than or equal to a set value. The set value is not limited thereto, but may be less than or equal to 10% of the electromagnetic force applied by the first reaction tube (20a) to the second reaction tube (20b) adjacent to the first reaction tube (20a). The plurality of reaction tubes (20a, 20b, 20c, 20d) may be arranged so that the resultant force of the electromagnetic force becomes 0 due to the applied current.

[0043] For example, as illustrated in FIG. 2, four reaction tubes (20a, 20b, 20c, 20d) having the same resistance value, the same diameter, and the same length can be arranged as one module. Among the four reaction tubes (20a, 20b, 20c, 20d), three reaction tubes (the first, second, and third reaction tubes (20a, 20b, 20c)) are arranged in an equilateral triangle, and one reaction tube (the fourth reaction tube (20d)) can be arranged at the center of the equilateral triangle. If the distance between the first, second, and third reaction tubes (20a, 20b, 20c) arranged at the vertices of the equilateral triangle is d, the distance between one of the first, second, and third reaction tubes (20a, 20b, 20c) and the fourth reaction tube (20d) is It becomes.

[0044] In addition, the first, second, and third reaction tubes (20a, 20b, and 20c) have the same current flowing in the first direction, and the fourth reaction tube (20d) arranged in the center has the same current flowing in the second direction opposite to the first direction. As shown in Fig. 3, if the force that the second reaction tube (20b) applies to the first reaction tube (20a) is F, the force that the third reaction tube (20c) applies to the first reaction tube (20a) is F, and the force that the fourth reaction tube (20d) applies to the first reaction tube (20a) is In this case, the resultant force of the force applied by the second reaction tube (20b) to the first reaction tube (20a) and the force applied by the third reaction tube (20c) to the first reaction tube (20a) is And the direction is opposite to the direction of the force applied by the fourth reaction tube (20d) to the first reaction tube (20a). Therefore, the resultant force of the electromagnetic forces applied by the second, third, and fourth reaction tubes (20b, 20c, 20d) to the first reaction tube (20a) becomes 0. Similarly, the resultant force of the electromagnetic forces applied to each of the four reaction tubes (20a, 20b, 20c, 20d) becomes 0.

[0045] The power source (30) is configured to supply current to the reaction tube (20). The power source (40) may be an AC power source or a DC power source. For example, the power source (30) may supply the same current to four reaction tubes (20a, 20b, 20c, 20d), supplying current in a first direction to the first, second, and third reaction tubes (20a, 20b, 20c), and supplying current in a second direction opposite to the first direction to the fourth reaction tube (20d). Accordingly, the sum of the electromagnetic forces applied to each of the four reaction tubes (20a, 20b, 20c, 20d) becomes 0.

[0046] FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram illustrating an electric heating reactor according to another embodiment of the present invention.

[0047] As illustrated in FIG. 4, an electric heating reactor (10) according to another embodiment of the present invention includes a plurality of modules of reaction tubes (20) according to an embodiment of the present invention and includes a power source (30). Each module includes four reaction tubes (20) and a shielding housing (40).

[0048] In one example, four reaction tubes (20) within each module have the same resistance value, the same diameter, and the same length, three of the four reaction tubes (20) are arranged in an equilateral triangle, and one reaction tube (20) can be arranged at the center of the equilateral triangle. The same current flows in a first direction through the three reaction tubes (20) arranged at the vertices of the equilateral triangle, and the same current flows in a second direction opposite to the first direction through the one reaction tube arranged at the center. Accordingly, the resultant of the electromagnetic force acting on each of the four reaction tubes (20) included in each module becomes 0.

[0049] The shielding housing (40) surrounds the reaction tubes (20) of one module and is configured to shield electromagnetic forces to the outside. As illustrated in FIG. 4, the shielding housing (40) may also be formed as an equilateral triangle surrounding the reaction tubes (20) of one module, but is not limited thereto. By surrounding the reaction tubes (20) included in each module with the shielding housing (40) such that the sum of the electromagnetic forces acting on each of the reaction tubes (20) is 0, it is possible to prevent an electromagnetic force from being applied from the outside to the reaction tubes (20) within the shielding housing (40). In addition, when arranging the reaction tubes (20) of a plurality of modules, there is no need to consider the action of the electromagnetic force between the modules, and the arrangement of the modules becomes easier.

[0050] In another example, three of the four reaction tubes (20) in each module may be arranged in a triangle, and one reaction tube (20) may be arranged at the center of the triangle. Current may flow in a first direction through the three reaction tubes (20) arranged at the vertices of the triangle, and current may flow in a second direction opposite to the first direction through the one reaction tube arranged at the center, such that the resultant electromagnetic force acting on each of the four reaction tubes (20) included in each module may be arranged to be less than or equal to a set value. The set value may be, but is not limited to, 10% or less of the electromagnetic force acting between any one reaction tube (20) arranged at the vertex of the triangle and another reaction tube (20) arranged at the center, or the electromagnetic force acting between any two reaction tubes (20) arranged at the vertices of the triangle.

[0051]

[0052] 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 changes that can be easily modified and deemed equivalent by a person having ordinary skill in the art to which the invention pertains from the embodiments of the present invention.

Claims

1. A plurality of reaction tubes, each of which has a passage formed lengthwise through which reactants pass; and A power source configured to supply current to said plurality of reaction tubes to heat reactants passing through said passages; Including, An electric heating reactor in which the plurality of reaction tubes are arranged so that the combined force of the electromagnetic force due to the current supplied to the plurality of reaction tubes is less than a set value.

2. In paragraph 1, An electric heating reactor in which the above setting value is 10% or less of the electromagnetic force applied by the first reaction tube to the second reaction tube adjacent to the first reaction tube.

3. In paragraph 2, An electric heating reactor in which the plurality of reaction tubes are arranged so that the resultant electromagnetic force due to the current supplied to the plurality of reaction tubes becomes 0.

4. In paragraph 1, An electric heating reactor in which the above plurality of reaction tubes are arranged as one or more modules such that the resultant electromagnetic force acting on each reaction tube is less than a set value.

5. In paragraph 4, An electric heating reactor in which the above setting value is 10% or less of the electromagnetic force applied by the first reaction tube arranged in each module to the second reaction tube adjacent to the first reaction tube.

6. In paragraph 1, An electrically heated reactor in which the above plurality of reaction tubes are arranged as one or more modules in which the sum of the electromagnetic forces acting on each reaction tube becomes zero.

7. In paragraph 5, An electric heating reactor further comprising a shielding housing surrounding the reaction tubes included in each of the above modules and shielding them from external electromagnetic forces.

8. In paragraph 1, Four reaction tubes with the same resistance, same diameter and same length constitute one module, The three reaction tubes are arranged in an equilateral triangle. The remaining one reaction tube is placed at the center of the above equilateral triangle, An electric heating reactor in which three reaction tubes arranged in an equilateral triangle have currents of the same magnitude flowing in a first direction, and one reaction tube arranged in the center has currents of the same magnitude flowing in a second direction opposite to the first direction.

9. In paragraph 8, An electric heating reactor further comprising a shielding housing surrounding four reaction tubes included in the above one module and shielding them from external electromagnetic forces.

10. In paragraph 9, The above shielding housing is an electrically heated reactor formed into an equilateral triangle surrounding four reaction tubes.

11. In paragraph 9, An electrically heated reactor comprising a plurality of modules including the above shielding housing.

12. In paragraph 1, An electrically heated reactor further comprising a cooler for cooling at least one of said pair of conductive sockets.

13. In paragraph 1, An electric heating reactor in which the calorific value of the reaction tube and the calorific value of the heating element are controlled by adjusting the resistance of the reaction tube and the heating element.

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