Reactor system for continuously producing iron oxide with oxygen and temperature regulation and control

Abstract

Disclosed is a reactor system having a reactor configured to enable a chemical reaction involving iron and air to produce iron oxides. In accordance with an embodiment, the reactor system also has a temperature regulator configured to regulate and control temperature inside the reactor during the chemical reaction, an iron feed regulator configured to regulate and control a continuous feed of the iron into the reactor during the chemical reaction, in some embodiments an air feed regulator configured to regulate and control a continuous feed of the air into the reactor during the chemical reaction thereby enabling the iron oxides to be continuously produced at a controlled rate. The aforementioned regulation and control enable the temperature to be purposely operated in an elevated manner, which can increase purity of the iron oxides being continuously produced.

Description

REACTOR SYSTEM FOR CONTINUOUSLY PRODUCING IRON OXIDE WITH OXYGEN AND TEMPERATURE REGULATION AND CONTROLCROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

[0000] This application claims priority to U.S. patent application 63 / 559,091 , filed on February 28, 2024, which is incorporated by reference in its entirety.FIELD

[0001] This disclosure relates to process plants, and more particularly to process plants for generating iron oxides.BACKGROUND

[0002] Chemical reactions between iron and air under certain conditions can produce iron oxides and energy (i.e. one or a combination of the following reaction equations: 3Fe(s) + 2O2(g) = Fe3O4 iron oxide (s) + energy; Fe(s) + 0.5O2(g) = FeO (s) + energy; 2Fe(s) + 1 .5O2(g) = Fe2O3 (s) + energy).

[0003] In this way, it is possible to produce iron oxides. However, the iron oxides typically produced using conventional approaches may have various impurities, and many conventional approaches lack production efficiency.

[0004] Conventional approaches of producing iron oxide typically utilize gaseous fuels such as natural gas. It is desirable to improve upon the conventional approaches by employing technology to reduce the use of carbon-based combustion support fuels.

[0005] The conventional approaches of producing iron oxide leave much to be desired in terms of purity and / or production efficiency. It is desirable to improve upon the conventional approaches by employing technology to reduce or mitigate some of the aforementioned shortcomings.SUMMARY

[0006] Disclosed is a reactor system for continuously producing iron oxides with oxygen and temperature regulation and control. The reactor system has a reactor configured to enable a chemical reaction involving iron and air to produce iron oxides. In accordance with an embodiment of the disclosure, the reactor system also has a temperature regulator configured to regulate and control temperature inside the reactor to a target temperature during the chemical reaction, an iron feed regulator configured to regulate and control a continuous feed of iron into the reactor during the chemical reaction, and an air feed regulator configured to regulate and control a continuous feed of the air into the reactor during the chemical reaction, thereby enabling the iron oxide to be continuously produced at a controlled rate.

[0007] Because the temperature within the reactor is controlled and regulated, the temperature can be purposely operated in an elevated manner, which can increase purity of the iron oxides being continuously produced by the chemical reaction with a relatively high degree of production efficiency. Conventional approaches for producing iron oxides are typically limited to small batch type operations that are not continuous or use a continuously operated pilot fuel flame (e.g. natural gas) to enable oxidation of iron particles, and hence may not achieve the same production efficiency. Moreover, conventional approaches may not allow the temperature to remain elevated in the same controlled and regulated way, and hence may not achieve the same purity. Therefore, regulating and controlling of the temperature within the reactor whilst the iron and air are continuously supplied, as discussed in further detail below, can provide for substantial benefits over the conventional approaches.

[0008] Also disclosed is a method for continuously producing iron oxides with temperature regulation and control. An example method involves operating a reactor to enable a chemical reaction involving iron and air to produce iron oxides. In accordance with an embodiment of the disclosure, the method also involves regulating and controlling temperature inside the reactor to a target temperature during the chemical reaction and regulating and controlling a continuous feed of the iron and air into the reactor to a target flow rate during the chemical reaction, thereby enabling the iron oxides to be continuously produced at a controlled rate.

[0009] Because the iron and air are continuously supplied to the reactor during thechemical reaction, a continuous production of the iron oxides are made possible, thereby enabling a relatively high degree of production efficiency. Conventional approaches that perform the chemical reaction in small batch reactions cannot sustain such continuous production and may not achieve the same production efficiency. Therefore, the iron and air feed regulators can provide for substantial benefits over the conventional approaches.

[0010] Also disclosed are systems and methods for continuously producing iron oxides and hydrogen gas with pressure and temperature regulation and control. An example method includes operating a reactor to enable a chemical reaction involving iron and air, water and / or steam to produce and iron oxides and hydrogen gas. In accordance with an embodiment of the disclosure, the method also involves regulating and controlling a continuous feed of the iron and air / steam / water into the reactor to a target flow rate during the chemical reaction, thereby enabling the iron oxides and hydrogen gas to be continuously produced at a controlled rate.

[0011] Other aspects and features of the present disclosure will become apparent to those ordinarily skilled in the art, upon review of the following description of the various embodiments of the disclosure.BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0012] The following figures set forth embodiments in which like reference numerals denote like parts. Embodiments are illustrated by way of example and not by way of limitation in the accompanying figures, in which:

[0013] Figure 1 is a block diagram of an example reactor system for continuously producing iron oxides with iron, air and temperature regulation and control, in accordance with one embodiment of the disclosure;

[0014] Figure 2 is a flowchart of an example method of continuously producing iron oxides with temperature regulation and control;

[0015] Figure 3 is a block diagram of an example reactor system for continuously producing iron oxides with iron, air andtemperature regulation and control, in accordance with another embodiment of the disclosure, comprising additional features including regulation of pressure, addition of steam and / or addition of water addition which improves the reaction efficiency as well as allows the generation of hydrogen gas along with the iron oxides;

[0016] Figure 4 is a flowchart of an example method of continuously producing iron oxides and hydrogen gas, with pressure and temperature regulation and control;

[0017] Figure s is a schematic diagram of an example reactor system, in accordance with another embodiment of the disclosure; and

[0018] Figure 6 is a schematic diagram of another example reactor system, in accordance with another embodiment of the disclosure.DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0019] It is to be understood at the outset that although illustrative implementations of one or more embodiments of the present disclosure are provided below, the disclosed systems and / or methods may be implemented using any number of techniques. The disclosure should in no way be limited to the illustrative implementations, drawings, and techniques illustrated below, including the exemplary designs and implementations illustrated and described herein, but may be modified within the scope of the appended claims along with their full scope of equivalents.

[0020] Referring now to figure 1 , shown is a block diagram of a reactor system 100 for continuously producing iron oxides with iron, air and temperature regulation and control, in accordance with an embodiment of the disclosure. The reactor system 100 has a reactor 110 configured to enable a chemical reaction involving iron and air to produce iron oxide and energy (i.e. the following reaction equations; 3Fe(s) + 2O2(g) = Fe3O4 iron oxide (s) + energy; Fe(s) + 0.5O2(g) = FeO (s) + energy; 2Fe(s) + 1 .5O2(g) = Fe2O3 (s) + energy). In accordance with an embodiment of the disclosure, the reactor system 100 also has an air feed regulator 120 configured to regulate and control oxygen inside the reactor 110 to a target level during the chemical reaction, an iron feedregulator 130 configured to continuously introduce the iron into the reactor 110, a temperature regulator 140 configured to continuously regulate and control the reaction in the reactor 110.

[0021] Because the temperature within the reactor 110 is controlled and regulated, the temperature can be purposely operated in an elevated manner, which can increase purity of the iron oxide being continuously produced by the chemical reaction with a relatively high degree of production efficiency. Conventional approaches for producing iron oxides are typically limited to small batch type operations that are not continuous or use a continuously operated pilot fuel flame (i.e. natural gas) to enable oxidation of iron particles, and hence may not achieve the same production efficiency. Moreover, the conventional approaches may not allow the temperature to remain elevated in the same controlled and regulated way, and hence may not achieve the same purity. Therefore, the regulating and the controlling of the temperature within the reactor 110 whilst the iron and air are continuously supplied can provide for substantial benefits over the conventional approaches.

[0022] In some implementations, the reactor system 100 includes a temperature sensor 112 and the temperature regulator 140 implements feedback control (i.e. closed loop control) based on measurements from the temperature sensor 112 to regulate and control temperature inside the reactor to the target temperature. The target temperature can be maintained by removing exothermic heat released by the chemical reaction. In other implementations, there is no such feedback control, and instead open loop control is implemented.

[0023] There are many possibilities for the temperature regulator 140. In some implementations, the reactor 110 is cooled using thermal fluid (including water or steam), and the temperature regulator 140 includes a temperature control valve configured to adjust how much of the thermal fluid passes through a heat sink to cool the thermal fluid. Examples of this are provided below. Other implementations are possible. Further example details of how temperature is controlled and regulated are provided below with refence to the subsequent embodiments and accompanying drawings.

[0024] In some implementations, the reactor system 100 includes a feed control flowsensor 132 and the iron feed regulator 130 implements feedback control (i.e. closed loop control) based on measurements from the feed control flow sensor 132 to regulate and control a flow of the iron provided into the reactor 110 to a target flow rate. The target flow rate can be maintained such that the chemical reaction is sustained at a suitable rate. The chemical reaction is “continuous” because the flow of the iron is continuous and not a small batch type operation. For example, the chemical reaction can last for hours, days, weeks, etc. In other implementations, there is no such feedback control, and instead open loop control is implemented.

[0025] There are many possibilities for the iron feed regulator 130. In some implementations, the flow of the iron is measured directly to adjust the flow of the iron into the reactor 110. Other implementations are possible. In some implementations a screw feeder is used to extract granulated iron from a bin providing a known volume flow (and hence known mass flow as the granulated iron has a well-defined and uniform bulk density). In other implementations, a gravimetric feeder is used to feed granulated iron to the reactor. A gravimetric feeder is a device that measures weight to dispense materials accurately. It uses a load cell, computer, and other components to automatically calculate and release the correct amount of mass of material.

[0026] In some implementations, the reactor system 100 includes a feed control flow sensor 122 and the air feed regulator 120 implements feedback control (i.e. closed loop control) based on measurements from the feed control flow sensor 122 to regulate and control a flow of the air provided into the reactor 110 to a target flow rate. The target flow rate can be maintained such that the chemical reaction is sustained. Primarily, it is desired to provide the chemical reaction with sufficient oxygen for oxidation of the iron. This is achieved by measuring the residual oxygen in the exhausting combustion gases. In the present example, a target residual oxygen content in the exhaust gases of about 3% oxygen by volume is maintained. The chemical reaction is “continuous” because of the flow of the air is continuous and not a small batch type operation. For example, the chemical reaction can last for hours, days, weeks, etc. In other implementations, there is no such feedback control, and instead open loop control is implemented. Other implementations are possible. Further example details of how the flow of the air can be controlled and regulated are provided below with refence to the subsequentembodiments and accompanying drawings.

[0027] In some embodiments, the target flow rate for air and the target flow rate for iron are the same, such that iron and air are introduced into the reactor whereby sufficient air is provided resulting in excess oxygen remaining in the combustion gas stream measured at about 3% oxygen by volume to complete oxidation of iron. As one skilled in the art will appreciate, the target flow rate of iron and air into the reactor for any given reactor system will depend on a number of factors, and in particular on the size of the reactor. For example, in a prototype Atmospheric 300 kWth Vertical Combustor reactor system comprising a reactor with a volume of approximately 9 m3, 55 Ib / hr of granulated iron (having a particle size of up to 1000 microns) and ambient air were each continuously fed into the reactor at a rate of 11 Ibs / hr (or 630 ft3 / min), the temperature of the reactor was maintained at a target temperature of about 680 Celsius, and complete and sustained unsupported combustion of the iron was observed for a duration in excess of one hour.

[0028] Referring now to figure 2, shown is a flowchart of an example method of continuously producing iron oxides with pressure and temperature regulation and control. This method may be implemented in conjunction with a reactor system, for example reactor system 100 of figure 1 . More generally, this method may be implemented in conjunction with any appropriately configured iron reactor system.

[0029] At step 201 , a reactor is operated to enable a chemical reaction involving iron and air to produce iron oxides. At step 202, temperature inside the reactor is regulated and controlled to a target temperature during the chemical reaction. At the same time, at step 203, a feed rate of iron into the reactor is regulated and controlled to a target flow, and at step 204, a feed rate of air into the reactor is regulated and controlled to a target flow rate.

[0030] If at step 205 the chemical reaction is not finished, then the method repeats through steps 201 to 204, and iron and air are continuously added to the reactor on an ongoing basis to keep the chemical reaction going continuously for as long as desired. If at step 205 the chemical reaction is finished, then the method ends.

[0031] Referring now to figure 3, shown is a block diagram of an example reactor system 300 for continuously producing iron oxides and hydrogen in accordance with theinitial embodiment of this disclosure. The reactor system 300 has a reactor 310 configured to enable a chemical reaction involving iron and air to produce iron oxide and energy (i.e. the following reaction equations; 3Fe(s) + 2O2(g) = Fe3O4 iron oxide (s) + energy; Fe(s) + 0.5O2(g) = FeO (s) + energy; 2Fe(s) + 1.5O2(g) = Fe2O3 (s) + energy). In accordance with an embodiment of the disclosure, the reactor system 300 also has an air feed regulator 320 configured to regulate and control oxygen inside the reactor 310 to a target level during the chemical reaction, an iron feed regulator 330 configured to continuously introduce the iron into the reactor 310, a temperature regulator 340 configured to continuously regulate and control the reaction temperature in the reactor 310. The figure 3 embodiment includes additional aspects to enable and facilitate efficient generation of hydrogen, including the regulation of pressure in the reactor 310 using a pressure regulator 350, regulation of water injection in the reactor 310 using a water feed regulator 360 and / or regulation of steam injection in the reactor 310 using a steam feed regulator 370.

[0032] For the figure 3 embodiment, a chemical reaction between iron and water and / or steam under certain conditions can produce iron oxides, energy and hydrogen gas (i.e. one or a combination of the following reaction equations; 3 Fe(s) Iron + 4H2O(g) — > Fe3O4 iron oxide (s) + 4 H2 (g) hydrogen + energy; 2 Fe(s) Iron + 3H2O(g)Fe2O3 iron oxide (s) + 4 H2 (g) hydrogen + energy) can also occur. In this way, it is possible to produce both iron oxides and hydrogen gas (along with the energy that is produced from the exothermic reaction(s)). As noted above, the iron oxides and hydrogen gas produced using conventional approaches may have various impurities and lack production efficiency.

[0033] Because the temperature within the reactor 310 is controlled and regulated, the temperature can be purposely operated in an elevated manner, which can increase purity of the iron oxide being continuously produced by the chemical reaction with a relatively high degree of production efficiency. Conventional approaches for producing iron oxides are typically limited to small batch type operations that are not continuous or use a continuously operated pilot fuel flame (e.g., natural gas) to enable oxidation of iron particles, and hence may not achieve the same production efficiency. Moreover, the conventional approaches may not allow the temperature to remain elevated in the samecontrolled and regulated way, and hence may not achieve the same purity. Therefore, the regulating and the controlling of the temperature within the reactor 310 whilst the iron and air are continuously supplied can provide for substantial benefits over the conventional approaches.

[0034] In some implementations, the reactor system 300 includes a temperature sensor 312 and the temperature regulator 340 implements feedback control (i.e. closed loop control) based on measurements from the temperature sensor 312 to regulate and control temperature inside the reactor to the target temperature. The target temperature can be maintained by removing exothermic heat released by the chemical reaction. In other implementations, there is no such feedback control, and instead open loop control is implemented.

[0035] There are many possibilities for the temperature regulator 340. In some implementations, the reactor 310 is cooled using thermal fluid (including water or steam), and the temperature regulator 340 includes a temperature control valve configured to adjust how much of the thermal fluid passes through a heat sink to cool the thermal fluid. Examples of this are provided below. Other implementations are possible. Figure 5 shows an implementation using a thermal fluid, which may be water, steam or organic thermal fluid. This fluid can be pumped through the reactor jacket or through convective heat exchangers situated in the reactor exhaust gas stream. The thermal fluid can be circulated through an air-cooled heat exchanger thereby rejecting the heat generated to the atmosphere. The cooled thermal fluid can then be circulated back to the reactor or convective heat exchangers to provide cooling for the reaction and reactor. Figure 6 shows another implementation whereby the reactor is formulated as a boiler 601 . The heat generated from combustion of the granulated iron is transferred to the water and in the boiler, is used to form steam. Steam can be circulated through the boiler 601 and then directed to a steam turbine 606 where the energy can be transformed into electrical energy. Once the energy in the steam is extracted by the expansion in the steam turbine 606 it can be directed to a steam condenser 605 where the steam is condensed to water. The water can be directed back to the boiler 601 for repeated use in the closed-circuit system.

[0036] In some implementations, the reactor system 300 includes a feed control flowsensor 332 and the iron feed regulator 330 implements feedback control (i.e. closed loop control) based on measurements from the feed control flow sensor 332 to regulate and control a flow of the iron provided into the reactor 310 to the target flow rate. The target flow rate can be maintained such that the chemical reaction is sustained at a suitable rate. The chemical reaction is “continuous” because the flow of the iron is continuous and not a small batch type operation. For example, the chemical reaction can last for hours, days, weeks, etc. In other implementations, there is no such feedback control, and instead open loop control is implemented.

[0037] There are many possibilities for the iron feed regulator 330. In some implementations, the flow of the iron is measured directly and adjust the flow of the iron into the reactor 310. Other implementations are possible. Further example details of how the flow of the iron can be controlled and regulated are provided below with refence to the subsequent embodiments and accompanying drawings.

[0038] In some implementations, the reactor system 300 includes a feed control flow sensor 322 and the air feed regulator 320 implements feedback control (i.e. closed loop control) based on measurements from the feed control flow sensor 322 to regulate and control a flow of the air provided into the reactor 310 to the target flow rate. The target flow rate can be maintained such that the chemical reaction is sustained at a suitable rate. The chemical reaction is “continuous” because of the flow of the air is continuous and not a small batch type operation. For example, the chemical reaction can last for hours, days, weeks, etc. In other implementations, there is no such feedback control, and instead open loop control is implemented. Other implementations are possible. Further example details of how the flow of the air can be controlled and regulated are provided below with refence to the subsequent embodiments and accompanying drawings.

[0039] Disclosed is a reactor system for continuously producing iron oxides and hydrogen gas with pressure and temperature regulation and control. The reactor system has a reactor configured to enable a chemical reaction involving iron and water and / or steam and / or air to produce iron oxides, and hydrogen gas. In accordance with an embodiment of the disclosure, the reactor system may have a pressure regulator configured to regulate and control pressure inside the reactor to a target pressure- ioduring the chemical reaction, a temperature regulator configured to regulate and control temperature inside the reactor to a target temperature during the chemical reaction, an iron feed regulator , in some embodiments a water feed regulator configured to regulate and control a continuous feed of the water into the reactor during the chemical reaction, in some embodiments a steam feed regulator configured to regulate and control a continuous feed of the steam into the reactor during the chemical reaction, in some embodiments an air feed regulator configured to regulate and control a continuous feed of the air into the reactor during the chemical reaction thereby enabling the iron oxide to be continuously produced at a controlled rate and in some embodiments enabling the hydrogen to be continuously produced at a controlled rate.

[0040] Because the pressure and the temperature within the reactor are controlled and regulated, the pressure and the temperature can be purposely operated in an elevated manner, which can increase purity of the iron oxides and hydrogen gas being continuously produced by the chemical reaction with a relatively high degree of production efficiency. Conventional approaches for producing iron oxides and hydrogen gas, are typically limited to small batch type operations that are not continuous or use a continuously operated pilot fuel flame (i.e. natural gas) to enable oxidation of iron particles, and hence may not achieve the same production efficiency. Moreover, the conventional approaches may not allow the pressure and the temperature to remain elevated in the same controlled and regulated way, and hence may not achieve the same purity. Therefore, the regulating and the controlling of the pressure and the temperature within the reactor whilst the iron and water and / or steam and / or air are continuously supplied can provide for substantial benefits over the conventional approaches.

[0041] Also disclosed is a method for continuously producing iron oxides, and hydrogen gas, with pressure and temperature regulation and control. The method involves operating a reactor to enable a chemical reaction involving iron and water and / or steam and / or air to produce iron oxides hydrogen gas. In accordance with an embodiment of the disclosure, the method also involves regulating and controlling pressure inside the reactor to a target pressure during the chemical reaction, regulating and controlling temperature inside the reactor to a target temperature during thechemical reaction, and regulating and controlling a continuous feed of the iron and the water and / or steam and / or air into the reactor to a target flow rate during the chemical reaction, thereby enabling the iron oxides, and hydrogen gas, to be continuously produced at a controlled rate.

[0042] Also disclosed is a reactor system having a reactor configured to enable a chemical reaction involving iron and water and / or steam and / or air to produce iron oxide and hydrogen gas. In accordance with an embodiment of the disclosure, the reactor system also has iron and water and / or steam and / or air feed regulators configured to regulate and control a continuous feed of the iron and the water and / or steam and / or air to a target flow rate into the reactor during the chemical reaction, thereby enabling the iron oxides, and hydrogen gas, to be continuously produced at a controlled rate.

[0043] Because the iron and the water and / or steam and / or air are continuously supplied to the reactor during the chemical reaction, a continuous production of the iron oxides, and hydrogen gas are made possible, thereby enabling a relatively high degree of production efficiency. Conventional approaches that perform the chemical reaction in small batch reactions cannot sustain such continuous production and may not achieve the same production efficiency. Therefore, the iron and water and / or steam and / or air feed regulators can provide for substantial benefits over the conventional approaches.

[0044] Also disclosed is a method for continuously producing iron oxides, and hydrogen gas. The method includes operating a reactor to enable a chemical reaction involving iron and water and / or steam and / or air to produce and iron oxides and hydrogen gas. In accordance with an embodiment of the disclosure, the method also involves regulating and controlling a continuous feed of the iron and the water and / or steam and / or air into the reactor to a target flow rate during the chemical reaction, thereby enabling the iron oxides and hydrogen gas, to be continuously produced at a controlled rate.

[0045] Referring now to figure 4, shown is a flowchart of an example method of continuously producing iron oxides and hydrogen gas with pressure and temperature regulation and control. This method may be implemented in conjunction with a reactor system, for example reactor system 300 of figure 3. More generally, this method may be implemented in conjunction with any appropriately configured iron reactor system.

[0046] At step 401 , a reactor is operated to enable a chemical reaction involving iron and air to produce iron oxides. At step 402, pressure inside the reactor is regulated and controlled to a target pressure during the chemical reaction. At step 403, temperature inside the reactor is regulated and controlled to a target temperature during the chemical reaction. At the same time, at step 404 a feed rate of iron into the reactor is regulated and controlled to a target iron flow rate, at step 405 a feed rate of water into the reactor is regulated and controlled at a target water flow rate, at step 406 a feed rate of steam into the reactor is regulated and controlled at a target steam flow rate, and at step 407 a feed rate of air into the reactor is regulated and controlled to a target air flow rate.

[0047] If at step 408 the chemical reaction is not finished, then the method repeats through steps 401 to 407, and iron and are continuously added to the reactor on an ongoing basis to keep the chemical reaction going continuously for as long as desired. If at step 408 the chemical reaction is finished, then the method ends.

[0048] Referring to figure 5, shown are schematics of another reactor system 500, in accordance with another embodiment of the disclosure. It is to be understood that the reactor system is very specific and is provided merely for exemplary purposes. By way of overview, figure 5 shows the reactor system discussed in further detail below.

[0049] The reactor system 500 of figure 5 comprises a reactor 501 configured to receive iron 526 in granulated form. The granulated iron 526 is continuously provided into the reactor 501 through an injection nozzle, and at the same time air is continuously provided into the reactor 501 . In some embodiments, air is drawn from the surrounding atmosphere and is pressurized appropriately by an air pressurizing blower 590 as it is continuously fed into the reactor 501 . A chemical reaction between the iron and air takes place under certain conditions to produce iron oxide, and exothermic energy in the form of heat (i.e. one or a combination of the following reaction equations; 3Fe(s) + 2O2(g) = Fe3O4 iron oxide (s) + energy; Fe(s) + 0.5O2(g) = FeO (s) + energy; 2Fe(s) + 1 .5O2(g) = Fe2O3 (s) + energy). The reactor 501 has an output for the iron oxide 508, and another output for recovered exothermic heat released by the chemical reaction. In the illustrated example, the reactor 501 also has an output for an exhaust gas stream 506.

[0050] The reactor 501 can be configured as a pressurized vessel, or as a fluidizedbed reactor, or as a circulating fluidized bed reactor, or as a vertical reaction chamber. The iron oxide can be claimed from the reactor either by gravity methods such as a fluidized bed drain or by particulate collection 511 and in some embodiments, separation from the exhaust gas stream 506. In the illustrated example, the exhaust gas stream 506 output from the reactor 501 is provided to a gas cooler 539 (in the form of a tubular heat exchanger). A back pressure control device 512 allows the exhaust gas 506 to be extracted from the reactor 501 whilst regulating and controlling the pressure inside the reactor 501 to monitor the target pressure. Note that exhaust gas 506 may have some water vapor when extracted from the reactor 501 , and hence some water condensation may occur after cooling and pressure reduction. In some implementations, there is provided a desiccant filter (not shown) and / or a particulate filter 511 to remove any particles / impurities from the exhaust gas 506 prior to being stored in a storage tank (not shown) or exhausted to atmosphere. In some implementations, the reactor system has a vent to atmosphere 554 which are configured to release the exhaust gases 506 to the atmosphere.

[0051] In accordance with an embodiment of the disclosure, a continuous feed of granulated iron and air into the reactor 501 is regulated and controlled to a target flow rate during the chemical reaction, and meanwhile temperature within the reactor 501 is controlled and regulated as well, such that a desired purity can be achieved for the iron oxide 508 and being continuously produced by the chemical reaction with a relatively high degree of production efficiency. In some embodiments, the continuous feeds of both the granulated iron and the air into the reactor 501 are regulated to an operable range of 500 Ibs / hr to 1200 Ibs / hr. In some embodiments, the operable range of feed rates for both the granulated iron and the air between 800 Ibs / hr and 1100 Ibs / hr. In some embodiments, the operable range of feed rates for both the granulated iron and the air is about 1000 Ibs / hr. Also, in particular implementations, the temperature is regulated to a target temperature in an operable range of between 450°C and 1000°C. In some embodiments the target temperature is between 600°C and 800°C. In some embodiments the target temperature is about 680°C. By controlling and regulating the temperature within these ranges whilst maintaining the continuous feed of the granulated iron and air, it is possible to achieve the desired purity for the iron oxide 508and being continuously produced by the chemical reaction with a relatively high degree of production efficiency.

[0052] In accordance with an embodiment of the disclosure, granulated iron fed into the reactor 501 may be granulated to a size from 1 micrometer to 1000 micrometers. In some examples, a size of about 50 micrometers is used. This sizing provides increased surface to volume ratio best to achieve optimal oxidized product production efficiency.

[0053] Conventional approaches for producing iron oxide are typically limited to small batch type operations that are not continuous or use a continuously operated pilot fuel flame (i.e. natural gas) to enable oxidation of iron particles, and hence may not achieve the same production efficiency. Moreover, the conventional approaches may not allow the temperature to be remain elevated in the same controlled and regulated way, and hence may not achieve the same purity. Those skilled in such operations will appreciate that the target temperature are high but not so high to cause damage to the reactor 501 or other components of the reactor system. Meanwhile, the target temperature can enable high yield quality and high efficiency. Therefore, the regulating and the controlling of the temperature within the reactor 501 whilst the granulated iron and air is continuously supplied can provide for substantial benefits over the conventional approaches.

[0054] In some implementations, the granulated iron and air includes a catalyst.

[0055] There are many ways to regulate the temperature within the reactor 501 . In some implementations, an ingress thermal fluid 518 is supplied to the reactor 501 , which bathes the reactor 501 within a cooling jacket, and is expelled as egress thermal fluid 520. In some implementations, the egress thermal fluid 520 is circulated back to become the ingress thermal fluid 518. In some implementations, the ingress thermal fluid 518 is heated initially until the reactor 501 reaches an ignition temperature at which point the chemical reaction begins. However, once the chemical reaction is underway, heating of the ingress thermal fluid 518 can be turned off as the temperature of the reactor 501 will naturally increase because the chemical reaction is exothermic. Once the temperature of the reactor 501 rises to the target temperature, the ingress thermal fluid 518 may be cooled, such that the reactor 501 is maintained at the target temperature. For instance, as when the egress thermal fluid 520 is circled back tobecome the ingress thermal fluid 518, it is first cooled via a heat exchanger. In some implementations, the reactor can additionally or alternatively be heated by other means. For example, in the illustrated example the reactor 501 can be heated to ignition temperature using a fuel burner 580 utilizing the combustion of a gaseous fuel 581 to heat the air as it is introduced into the reactor 581 .

[0056] The reactor 501 comprises one or more temperature sensors (not shown) to enable monitoring of the temperature in the reactor 501 . In the case of multiple temperature sensors, they can be distributed throughout the reactor 501 to monitor temperature in different regions of the reactor 501 . A weighted average of the multiple temperature sensors can be performed to gauge the temperature in the reactor 501 . Alternatively, another mathematical function, such as median function for example, can be employed to determine the temperature of the reactor 501 and whether more or less cooling is to be performed to regulate and control the temperature to track the target temperature. By adjusting the cooling based on measured temperature, the reactor system implements feedback control to regulate and control the temperature. As a result, the temperature in the reactor 501 can track the target temperature without much deviation.

[0057] In some implementations, the thermal fluid 518 and 520 is water and remains as a liquid even at the target temperatures in the reactor 501 , because the thermal fluid 518 and 520 is under substantial pressure inside the reactor 501 to ensure that it remains in liquid form. In other implementations, another fluid is utilized for the thermal fluid 518 and 520. As noted above, the ingress thermal fluid 518 enters the reactor 501 , bathes the reactor 501 within the cooling jacket, and leaves as the egress thermal fluid 520. In some implementations, the egress thermal fluid 520 is recirculated as shown in figure 5.

[0058] In the figure 5 embodiment, demineralized water 570 from a demineralized water supply 568 is used as the thermal fluid. The demineralized water 570 and / or the egress thermal fluid 520 (hereinafter referred to as the demineralized water 570) is passed through a cooling water circulating pump 573 which pumps the demineralized water 570 through a cooling water control valve 574, a cooling water flow element 575 and a fluid heater 576 prior to arriving at the reactor 501 as the ingress thermalfluid 518. The cooling water control valve 574 can be controlled by an FIC (Flow Indicator Controller) based on flow measured by the cooling water flow element 575. The fluid heater 576 is configured to initially heat the ingress thermal fluid 518 during start-up until the temperature of the reactor 501 reaches a point at which the chemical reaction begins, as described above. After the chemical reaction begins, the fluid heater 576 can stop heating the ingress thermal fluid 518, as described above.

[0059] In some implementations, the egress thermal fluid 520 coming out of the reactor 501 is cooled by an air-cooled heat exchanger 577. In some implementations, an amount of cooling is adjustable via a temperature control valve 578, which is configured to adjust how much of the egress thermal fluid 520 passes through the aircooled heat exchanger 577 instead of bypassing the air-cooled heat exchanger 577. Increasing how much of the egress thermal fluid 520 passes through the air-cooled heat exchanger 577 increases the cooling. Conversely, decreasing how much of the egress thermal fluid 520 passes through the air-cooled heat exchanger 577 decreases the cooling. In other implementations, the egress thermal fluid 520 is cooled by other means capable of extracting energy from the egress thermal fluid 520 and converting the same into electricity,

[0060] In some implementations, the demineralized water 570 is fed from a demineralized water tank 566. The demineralized water tank 566 has a fill connection to a demineralized water supply 568. In some implementations, the demineralized water tank 266 has a capacity that ensures there is enough of the demineralized water 570 to be utilized by the reactor system without relying on the demineralized water supply 568.

[0061] Other aspects and features of the present disclosure will become apparent to those ordinarily skilled in the art, upon review of the following description of the various embodiments of the disclosure.

Claims

WHAT IS CLAIMED IS:1 . A reactor system, comprising: a reactor configured to enable a chemical reaction involving iron and air to produce iron oxides; a temperature regulator configured to regulate and control temperature inside the reactor to a target temperature during the chemical reaction; an air feed regulator configured to regulate and control a continuous feed of air to a target air flow rate into the reactor during the chemical reaction; and an iron feed regulator configured to regulate and control a continuous feed of granulated iron to a target iron flow rate into the reactor during the chemical reaction, thereby enabling the iron oxide to be continuously produced at a controlled rate.

2. The reactor system of any one of claim 1 , wherein the reactor system comprises a temperature sensor and the temperature regulator implements feedback control based on measurements from the temperature sensor to regulate and control temperature inside the reactor to the target temperature.

3. The reactor system of any one of claims 1 and 2, wherein the reactor is cooled using thermal fluid, and the temperature regulator comprises a temperature control valve configured to adjust how much of the thermal fluid passes through a heat sink to cool the thermal fluid.

4. The reactor system of any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the target temperature of the reactor is within an operating range between 450°C to 1000°C.

5. The reactor system of any one of claims 1 to 4, further comprising a heater configured to initially heat the reactor until the chemical reaction begins.

6. The reactor system of any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the reactor system comprises a iron feed control flow sensor and the iron feed regulator implements feedback control based on measurements from the iron feed control flow sensor to regulate and control the continuous feed of iron into the reactor to the target iron flow rate.

7. The reactor system of any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the target iron flow rate is between 700 Ibs / hr and 1750 Ibs / hr.

8. The reactor system of any one of claims 1 to 7 , wherein the reactor system comprises a air feed control flow sensor and the air feed regulator implements feedback control based on measurements from the air feed control flow sensor to regulate and control the continuous feed of air into the reactor to the target air flow rate.

9. The reactor system of any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the target air flow rate is between 700 Ibs / hr and 1750 Ibs / hr.

10. The reactor system of any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the granulated iron to the reactor is granulated to a size from 1 micrometer to 1000 micrometers.11 . The reactor system of any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein the iron or air comprises of a catalyst in addition to the iron or air.

12. The reactor system of any one of claims 1 to 11 , further comprising: a pressure regulator configured to regulate and control pressure inside the reactor to a target pressure during the chemical reaction; anda water feed regulator and / or a steam feed regulator configured to regulate and control a continuous feed of water and / or steam to a target water and / or steam flow rate into the reactor during the chemical reaction, thereby enabling hydrogen to be continuously produced at a controlled rate in addition to the iron oxide.

13. A method for continuously producing iron oxide with temperature regulation and control, comprising: operating a reactor to enable a chemical reaction involving iron and air to produce iron oxide; regulating and controlling temperature inside the reactor to a target temperature during the chemical reaction; regulating and controlling a continuous feed of air into the reactor to a target air flow rate during the chemical reaction; and regulating and controlling a continuous feed of the iron into the reactor to a target iron flow rate during the chemical reaction, thereby enabling the iron oxide to be continuously produced at a controlled rate.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein regulating and controlling temperature inside the reactor comprises measuring temperature and implementing feedback control based on the measured temperature to regulate and control temperature inside the reactor to the target temperature.

15. The method of claim 13 or 14, wherein the target temperature of the reactor is within an operating range between 450°C to 1000°C.

16. The method of any one of claims 13 to 15, wherein the iron comprises a catalyst in addition to the iron and the water and / or steam.

17. The method of any one of claims 13 to 16, further comprising: regulating and controlling pressure inside the reactor to a target pressure during the chemical reaction; and regulating and controlling a continuous feed of water and / or steam into the reactor to a target water and / or steam flow rate during the chemical reaction, thereby enabling hydrogen to be continuously produced at a controlled rate in addition to the iron oxide.

18. A reactor system, comprising: a reactor configured to enable a chemical reaction involving iron and air to produce iron oxide; and an iron feed regulator configured to regulate and control a continuous feed of the iron to a target flow rate into the reactor during the chemical reaction, thereby enabling the iron oxide to be continuously produced at a controlled rate.

19. The reactor system of claim 18 further comprising an air feed regulator configured to regulate and control a continuous feed of the air to a target flow rate into the reactor during the chemical reaction.

20. A method for continuously producing iron oxide, comprising:operating a reactor to enable a chemical reaction involving iron and air to produce iron oxide; and regulating and controlling a continuous feed of the iron and air into the reactor to a target flow rate during the chemical reaction, thereby enabling the iron oxide to be continuously produced at a controlled rate.21 . An apparatus comprising of a component, or any combination of components as described and / or depicted herein.

22. A method comprising a step, or any combination of steps as described and / or depicted herein.

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