Electric heating reactor

Abstract

An electric heating reactor is disclosed. The electric heating reactor may comprise: a reaction tube in which a passage through which a reactant passes is formed in a longitudinal direction; a power supply which is configured to supply electric power to the reaction tube so as to heat the reactant passing through the passage; a pair of conductive sockets which connect the power supply and the reaction tube to allow current to flow; and a heating element which extends in the longitudinal direction inside the reaction tube, is electrically connected to the reaction tube, and is configured to receive the electric power supplied from the power supply, 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. 10-2023-0190926, 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 evenly heating the inside of a reaction tube by arranging a heating element within the reaction tube.

[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] Typically, in direct electric heating, a current is applied to a high-resistance tubular reactor, generating heat within the reactor itself. If the reactor itself generates heat, heat may not be evenly distributed to the center of the reactor, and cold spots may occur during high-temperature endothermic reactions.

[0006] For example, dry reforming of methane (DRM) is a reaction that simultaneously converts greenhouse gases methane and carbon dioxide to produce synthesis gas (e.g., hydrogen, carbon monoxide, etc.), which is a raw material for chemical products. According to DRM, the conversion reaction occurs as the reactant gases pass through a catalyst, and DRM is an endothermic reaction that requires a high temperature of over 800℃. Due to the nature of endothermic reactions, cold spots are formed in areas where the reaction occurs rapidly, and this can lead to coking, a phenomenon in which carbon is deposited, shortening the life of the catalyst.

[0007] 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.

[0008] An embodiment of the present invention is to provide an electric direct heating reactor capable of evenly heating the inside of a reaction tube by arranging a heating element within the reaction tube.

[0009] Another embodiment of the present invention is to provide an electric direct heating reactor capable of suppressing the formation of cold spots by evenly heating the inside of a reaction tube.

[0010] An electric heating reactor according to an embodiment of the present invention may include a reaction tube having a longitudinally formed passage through which a reactant passes; a power source configured to supply power to the reaction tube to heat the reactant passing through the passage; a pair of conductive sockets connecting the power source and the reaction tube so that current flows; and a heating element extending longitudinally inside the reaction tube, electrically connected to the reaction tube, generating heat by receiving power supplied from the power source, and further heating the reactant passing through the passage.

[0011] In one aspect, the heating element may have an annular cross-section.

[0012] In another aspect, the heating element may have a cross-section in which at least two plates intersect each other.

[0013] The above electric heating reactor may further include a pair of connectors electrically connecting the heating element and the reaction tube.

[0014] The above pair of connectors can be welded or screwed to the heating element or reaction tube.

[0015] The electrically heated reactor may further include an insulator surrounding at least a portion of the reaction tube to thermally insulate it.

[0016] The above insulator can surround the reaction tube between a pair of conductive sockets.

[0017] The above electric heating reactor may further comprise a cooler for cooling at least one of the pair of conductive sockets.

[0018] 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.

[0019] According to the present invention, by placing a heating element within a reaction tube and supplying power to both the reaction tube and the heating element, both the reaction tube and the heating element can generate heat. Accordingly, the interior of the reaction tube can be evenly heated and the formation of cold spots can be suppressed.

[0020] Since the inside of the reaction tube can be heated evenly, the problem of uneven endothermic reaction occurring due to cold spots can be improved.

[0021] 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.

[0022] 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.

[0023] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating an electric heating reactor according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0024] Figure 2 is a schematic diagram illustrating an electric heating reactor according to another embodiment of the present invention.

[0025] Figure 3 is a plan view showing one example of a heating element.

[0026] Figure 4 is a schematic diagram showing one example of the 'A1' portion of Figure 3.

[0027] Figure 5 is a schematic diagram showing another example of the 'A1' portion of Figure 3.

[0028] Fig. 6 is a cross-sectional view showing one example of a heating element.

[0029] Fig. 7 is a plan view showing another example of a heating element.

[0030] Fig. 8 is a cross-sectional view showing another example of a heating element.

[0031] 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.

[0032] 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.

[0033] 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.

[0034] 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).

[0035] According to the present invention, an electric heating reactor comprises a reaction tube having a passage through which a reactant passes, a power source configured to supply power to the reaction tube to heat the reactant passing through the passage, a pair of conductive sockets connecting the power source and the reaction tube so that current flows, and a heating element disposed inside the reaction tube, electrically connected to the reaction tube, and generating heat by receiving power supplied from the power source. When power from the power source is supplied to the reaction tube through the conductive sockets, the reaction tube and the heating element generate heat and can evenly transfer heat to the reactant passing through the passage. Accordingly, the interior of the reaction tube can be evenly heated and the formation of cold spots can be suppressed. In addition, the problem of an endothermic reaction occurring unevenly due to cold spots can be improved.

[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.

[0039] As illustrated in FIG. 1, an electric heating reactor (10) according to an embodiment of the present invention is configured to receive power, generate heat, and transfer heat to a reactant therein using the heat generated. The electric heating reactor (10) includes a reaction tube (20), a power source (40), and a pair of conductive sockets (first and second conductive sockets (30a, 30b)).

[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 reactants pass 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 power is applied to the reaction tube (20), heat is generated in the reaction tube (20), and the heat can be transferred to the reactants in the passage.

[0041] An inlet (22) is formed at one end of the above reaction tube (20), and a reactant requiring a reaction is introduced into the reaction tube (20) through the inlet (22). An outlet (24) 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 reacted is discharged from the reaction tube (20) through the outlet (24).

[0042] The power source (40) is configured to supply power to the reaction tube (20). The power source (40) may be an AC power source or a DC power source.

[0043] A pair of conductive sockets (30a, 30b) electrically connect a power source (40) and a reaction tube (20). When the power source (40) supplies power to the reaction tube (20) through the pair of conductive sockets (30a, 30b), the reaction tube (20) generates heat. The heat is transferred to a reactant passing through the passage, thereby heating the reactant. A first conductive socket (30a) is mounted on one end of the reaction tube (20) and electrically connects a power source (40) and one end of the reaction tube (20) via a wire (42). In addition, a second conductive socket (30b) is mounted on the other end of the reaction tube (20) and electrically connects a power source (40) and the other end of the reaction tube (20) via a wire (42). Accordingly, power from the power source (40) is supplied to the reaction tube (20) through the first and second conductive sockets (30a, 30b), and the reaction tube (20) generates heat and transfers it to the reactants passing through the passage.

[0044] An electric heating reactor (10) according to an embodiment of the present invention further includes a heating element (70) (see FIGS. 3 to 8). The heating element (70) is disposed inside the reaction tube (20) and extends in the longitudinal direction. The heating element (70) may be made of an alloy material having a high resistivity (e.g., Ni-Cr, Fe-Cr, Fe-Ni-Cr, Fe-Cr-Al, etc.), and may be made of the same material as or a different material from the reaction tube (20). The heating element (70) is electrically connected to the reaction tube (20). When a power source (40) supplies power to the reaction tube (20) through a pair of conductive sockets (30a, 30b), the power is also supplied to the heating element (70), so that both the reaction tube (20) and the heating element (70) generate heat. The above heating element (70) is positioned at the center of the reaction tube (20) to generate heat, and the heat can be transferred to the reactants located far from the inner wall of the reaction tube (20). Accordingly, the reactants inside the reaction tube (20) can be evenly heated by the reaction tube (20) and the heating element (70). The heating element (70) will be described in more detail below.

[0045] Figure 2 is a schematic diagram illustrating an electric heating reactor according to another embodiment of the present invention.

[0046] As illustrated in FIG. 2, an electric heating reactor (10) according to another embodiment of the present invention includes an electric heating reactor (10) according to an embodiment of the present invention, a cooler (50), and an insulator (60). The electric heating reactor (10), as described above, includes a reaction tube (20), a power source (40), a pair of conductive sockets (32, 34), and a heating element (70).

[0047] An inlet (22) is formed at one end of the reaction tube (20), and the reactants requiring a reaction are introduced into the reaction tube (20) through the inlet (22). The reaction tube (20) is connected to a power source (40) through a pair of conductive sockets (32, 34) and receives power from the power source (40) to generate heat. In addition, a heating element (70) is disposed inside the reaction tube (20) and is electrically connected to the reaction tube (20). Therefore, when power is supplied to the reaction tube (20) from the power source (40), the power is also supplied to the heating element (70), and the heating element (70) also generates heat. The generated heat is evenly transferred to the reactants within the reaction tube (20). An outlet (24) is formed at the other end of the reaction tube (20), and products that have completed the reaction and / or unreacted substances that have not reacted are discharged from the reaction tube (20) through the outlet (24).

[0048] The cooler (50) is provided near at least one of the first and second conductive sockets (30a, 30b) and is configured to cool the conductive socket (30a, 30b) through heat transfer with the conductive socket (30a, 30b). To this end, the cooler (50) is connected to a refrigerant inlet line (52) so that cold refrigerant flows into the cooler (50) through the refrigerant inlet line (52), and the cooler (50) is connected to a refrigerant outlet line (54) so ​​that the refrigerant that has exchanged heat with the conductive socket (30a, 30b) flows out from the cooler (50) through the refrigerant outlet line (54). Here, the cooler (50) is provided near the first and second conductive sockets (30a, 30b) so that the refrigerant exchanges heat with the conductive socket (30a, 30b), but the type and position of the cooler (50) are not limited thereto. For example, the cooler (50) may be a cooler using a Peltier element or a refrigerant jacket located within a conductive socket (30a, 30b).

[0049] The insulator (60) surrounds and thermally insulates at least a portion of the reaction tube (20). FIG. 2 illustrates that the insulator (60) surrounds the reaction tube (20) between a pair of conductive sockets (32, 34), but the present invention is not limited thereto. For example, the insulator (60) may surround the entire reaction tube (20). Since the insulator (60) surrounds and thermally insulates the reaction tube (20), energy efficiency can be improved by reducing unnecessary heat loss that is discharged to the outside of the reaction tube (20), and the temperature within the reaction tube (20) can be efficiently and uniformly maintained.

[0050] In addition, the insulator (60) can electrically block the reaction tube (20) and its exterior, thereby preventing safety accidents that may occur due to current that may flow in the reaction tube (20).

[0051] Hereinafter, a heating element that can be used in an electric heating reactor (10) according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described in more detail.

[0052] FIG. 3 is a plan view illustrating one example of a heating element; FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram illustrating one example of part 'A1' of FIG. 3; FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram illustrating another example of part 'A1' of FIG. 3; FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view illustrating one example of a heating element; FIG. 7 is a plan view illustrating another example of a heating element; and FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view illustrating another example of a heating element.

[0053] As illustrated in FIGS. 3 and 6, a heating element (70) according to one example has a cross-section formed in an annular shape and extends in the longitudinal direction. Accordingly, the heating element (70) may have a pipe shape. The other end of the heating element (70) is electrically connected to the other end of the reaction tube (20) via a first connecting member (72a), and one end of the heating element (70) is electrically connected to one end of the reaction tube (20) via a second connecting member (72b).

[0054] The first and second connecting bodies (72a, 72b) can be welded or screw-connected to the heating body (70) or the reaction tube (20). In one example, as illustrated in FIG. 4, the first and second connecting bodies (72a, 72b) can be welded to the reaction tube (20). More specifically, the first and second connecting bodies (72a, 72b) can be connected to the heating body (70), the heating body (70) is placed inside the reaction tube (20), and then the first and second connecting bodies (72a, 72b) are welded to the reaction tube (20) to form a weld (74) between the first and second connecting bodies (72a, 72b) and the reaction tube (20). In another example, as illustrated in FIG. 5, the first and second connecting bodies (72a, 72b) can be screw-connected to the reaction tube (20). More specifically, a first screw portion (26) may be formed in the reaction tube (20), and a second screw portion (76) corresponding to the first screw portion (26) may be formed in the first and second connecting bodies (72a, 72b) so that the first and second screw portions (26, 76) may be screw-connected to each other. In another example, the first and second connecting bodies (72a, 72b) may be screw-connected to one of the reaction tube (20) and the heating body (70), and may be welded to the other of the reaction tube (20) and the heating body (70). For example, as illustrated in FIG. 5, after the first and second connecting bodies (72a, 72b) are screw-connected to the reaction tube (20), the heating body (70) may be placed inside the reaction tube (20), and the first and second connecting bodies (72a, 72b) may be welded to the heating body (70). Therefore, when power is supplied from the power source (40) to the reaction tube (20), the power is also supplied to the heating element (70), and the heating element (70) also generates heat. The generated heat is evenly transferred to the reactants within the reaction tube (20).

[0055] The heat generation amount of the reaction tube (20) and the heat generation amount of the heating element (70) can be controlled by adjusting the resistance of the reaction tube (20) and the heating element (70). If the resistance (R1) of the reaction tube (20) is greater than the resistance (R2) of the heating element (70), the current (I1) flowing through the reaction tube (20) is less than the current (I2) flowing through the heating element (70). Accordingly, the heat generation amount of the heating element (70) is greater than that of the reaction tube (20), and it can be applied to a reaction that requires more heat in the center of the reaction tube (20). Conversely, if the resistance (R1) of the reaction tube (20) is less than the resistance (R2) of the heating element (70), the current (I1) flowing through the reaction tube (20) is greater than the current (I2) flowing through the heating element (70). Accordingly, it is applicable to a reaction in which the calorific value of the reaction tube (20) is greater than the calorific value of the heating element (70) and the heat required at the center of the reaction tube (20) is small.

[0056] As illustrated in FIGS. 7 and 8, a heating element (70) according to another example may be formed in a cross-section in which at least two plates intersect each other. FIGS. 7 and 8 illustrate a heating element (70) having a cross-section in which four plates intersect each other. The other end of one of the four plates is electrically connected to the other end of the reaction tube (20) via a first connector (72a), and one end of one of the four plates is electrically connected to one end of the reaction tube (20) via a second connector (72b).

[0057] However, the shape of the heating element (70) is not limited thereto. For example, in order to increase the contact area with the reactant, the heating element (70) may have a mesh, punched, or wrinkled shape.

[0058]

[0059] 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 reaction tube having a longitudinal passage formed inside through which reactants pass; A power source configured to supply power to said reaction tube to heat reactants passing through said passage; A pair of conductive sockets for connecting the power and reaction tubes to allow current to flow; and A heating element extending longitudinally inside the reaction tube, electrically connected to the reaction tube, receiving power supplied from a power source, generating heat, and configured to further heat reactants passing through the passage; An electrically heated reactor comprising:

2. In paragraph 1, The above heating element is an electric heating reactor having an annular cross-section.

3. In paragraph 1, The above heating element is an electric heating reactor whose cross-section is in the form of at least two plates intersecting each other.

4. In paragraph 2 or 3, An electric heating reactor further comprising a pair of connectors electrically connecting the heating element and the reaction tube.

5. In paragraph 4, The above pair of connectors are electrically heated reactors welded or screwed to a heating element or reaction tube.

6. In paragraph 1, An electrically heated reactor further comprising an insulator surrounding at least a portion of the reaction tube to thermally insulate it.

7. In paragraph 6, The above insulator is an electrically heated reactor surrounding a reaction tube between a pair of conductive sockets.

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

9. 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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