Electrically heated reactor

Abstract

Disclosed is an electrically heated reactor. The electrically heated reactor comprises: a reaction tube in which a passage through which a reactant passes is formed in a longitudinal direction; an internal heating element which is disposed in the reaction tube, is coated or loaded with a catalyst, and generates heat by receiving power; a power source configured to supply power to the internal heating element; and a pair of electrodes connecting the power source to the internal heating element, wherein the internal heating element has a plate shape, and the area of the internal heating element disposed parallel to the flow direction of the reactant may be larger than the remaining area of the internal heating element.

Description

electric heating reactor

[0001] Cross-citation with related applications

[0002] This application claims the benefit of priority based on Korean Patent Application No. 10-2024-0130234 dated September 25, 2024, and all contents disclosed in the document of said Korean patent application are incorporated herein as part of this specification.

[0003] The present invention relates to an electric heating reactor, wherein an internal heating element on which a catalyst is supported or coated is disposed within a reaction tube, and power is supplied to the internal heating element to directly heat the catalyst.

[0004] In the chemical industry, fossil fuels (LNG, LPG, coal, etc.) are used to maintain high temperatures in various facilities (e.g., crackers, reformers, reactors, boilers, etc.) and to provide the heat required for reactions. However, heating by the combustion of fossil fuels is inefficient because only a portion of the energy contained in the fuel can be utilized in high-temperature regions, requiring additional devices (e.g., steam recovery systems) to recover the remaining energy. Consequently, this method is not only inefficient but also a major contributor to carbon emissions. Therefore, efforts are being made to replace heating methods based on fossil fuel combustion with electric heating methods.

[0005] Electric heating has traditionally utilized an indirect heating method in which electric heaters are placed around areas requiring heat (such as reactors), but recently, a direct electric heating method that applies current directly to the reactor has also been proposed. The direct electric heating method involves applying current to a tubular reactor with high resistivity to generate heat within the reactor itself. Compared to methods where heat from a flame generated by burning fossil fuels or heat from an electric heater is transferred to the reactor, the direct electric heating method generates heat within the reactor itself. Since the conventional process of heat transfer from the outside to the reactor is eliminated, the material inside the reactor can be heated more quickly and efficiently.

[0006] Using the heating methods mentioned above, equipment (such as a reactor) is heated to transfer reaction heat (in the case of an endothermic reaction) or heat of heating to the material inside the equipment. At this time, in order to provide the amount of heat required for the endothermic reaction of the material inside the reactor and simultaneously maintain the reaction temperature at a level of 600°C to 900°C, the outside of the reactor must be maintained at a very high temperature of over 1000°C. Consequently, a large temperature difference occurs between the reactor and the internal material, and unintended side reactions may occur due to the hot surface of the reactor. Furthermore, in the case of a catalytic reactor, heat transfer from the reactor walls to the center of the reactor may be delayed by the catalyst, so cold spots may occur in the center of the reactor.

[0007] For example, cold spots can occur in endothermic reactions that require a catalyst, such as Steam Methane Reforming (SMR) and Dry Reforming of Methane (DRM), which produce hydrogen or synthesis gas by reforming methane. As reaction gases pass through the catalyst, the endothermic reaction, which requires high temperatures of over 700°C, proceeds rapidly throughout the reactor, but heat transfer is slow in the center of the reactor, leading to the formation of cold spots. This can cause coking, where carbon deposits are deposited, which can shorten the lifespan of the catalyst.

[0008] To solve these problems, conventional methods utilized multiple thin-tube reactors to ensure even heat transfer to the center of the reactor. However, since these multiple thin-tube reactors were arranged side by side, significant effort was required to achieve uniform dispersion of reactants among the reactors, design complex furnaces to transfer a uniform amount of heat from the external flame to the reactors, ensure uniform flow of reactants within the reactors, and maintain a uniform internal temperature. Furthermore, additional devices were necessary to maintain uniform dispersion, flow of reactants, and internal temperature.

[0009] The matters described in this background technology section are written to enhance understanding of the background of the invention and may include matters that are not prior art already known to those skilled in the art to which this technology belongs.

[0010] An embodiment of the present invention aims to provide an electric direct heating reactor capable of directly heating a catalyst by placing an internal heating element coated or supported with a catalyst inside a reaction tube and supplying power to said internal heating element.

[0011] An electric heating reactor according to an embodiment of the present invention comprises: a reaction tube having a passage formed longitudinally for a reactant to pass through; an internal heating element disposed within the reaction tube, coated or supported with a catalyst, and generating heat upon receiving power; a power source configured to supply power to the internal heating element; and a pair of electrodes connecting the power source to the internal heating element, wherein the internal heating element is plate-shaped and the area of ​​the internal heating element disposed parallel to the flow direction of the reactant may be larger than the remaining area of ​​the internal heating element.

[0012] The internal heating element may be placed inside the reaction tube in a folded, bent, or curved state along an axis parallel to the length direction, or rolled around the axis.

[0013] The above power source is electrically connected to a pair of electrodes via a wire, and the wire and the pair of electrodes can be electrically insulated from the reaction tube.

[0014] A support member having a flange is provided at one end of the reaction tube, and the wire and / or a pair of electrodes are connected to the support member to support an internal heating element inside the reaction tube, and an insulator may be provided between the flange of the support member and the joint of the reaction tube.

[0015] The above pair of electrodes can be provided on both sides of an internal heating element parallel to the longitudinal direction of the reaction tube.

[0016] The above wires can be connected to each end of the above pair of electrodes.

[0017] The above electric heating reactor may further include a cooler configured to cool a pair of electrodes and a wire and / or a connection portion between the wire and a support.

[0018] The electric heating reactor may further include an insulating plate provided between the folded, bent, curved, or rolled portions of the internal heating element to prevent short circuits.

[0019] In one embodiment, the insulating plate can be folded, bent, curved, or rolled together with the internal heating element.

[0020] In another embodiment, the insulating plate includes a plurality of insulating plates, and the plurality of insulating plates may be disposed between parts of an internal heating element that can come into contact with each other.

[0021] According to the present invention, an internal heating element coated or supported with a catalyst is placed inside a reaction tube, and power is supplied to the internal heating element to directly heat the catalyst. Accordingly, energy efficiency can be improved.

[0022] In addition, energy consumption can be reduced because only the catalyst is heated instead of the entire reaction tube.

[0023] Furthermore, while the plate-shaped internal heating elements are bent, curved, or rolled, they are positioned parallel to the flow direction of the reactants, thereby increasing the heating surface area without obstructing the flow of the reactants. Additionally, the internal heating elements can be evenly distributed within the reaction tube. This reduces the temperature difference between the inside of the reactor and the catalyst, thereby minimizing the formation of unnecessary side reactions or coke caused by temperature variations. The reduction in coke improves the durability of the catalyst and reduces the need for decoking.

[0024] Furthermore, other effects that can be obtained or predicted by the embodiments of the present invention will be disclosed directly or implicitly in the detailed description of the embodiments of the present invention. That is, various effects predicted according to the embodiments of the present invention will be disclosed within the detailed description to be set forth below.

[0025] The embodiments of this specification may be better understood by referring to the following description in conjunction with the attached drawings, in which similar reference numerals refer to identical or functionally similar elements.

[0026] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating an electric heating reactor according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0027] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram illustrating an electric heating reactor according to another embodiment of the present invention.

[0028] The drawings referenced above are not necessarily drawn to scale and should be understood as presenting somewhat simplified representations of various preferred features illustrating the basic principles of the present disclosure. For example, specific design features of the present disclosure, including specific dimensions, orientations, positions, and shapes, will be partially determined by specific intended applications and usage environments.

[0029] The terms used herein are for the purpose of describing specific embodiments only and are not intended to limit the invention. As used herein, singular forms are intended to include plural forms as well, unless explicitly otherwise indicated in the context. It will also be understood that the terms “include” and / or “include,” as used herein, specify the presence of the mentioned features, integers, steps, operations, components and / or components, but do not exclude the presence or addition of one or more of other features, integers, steps, operations, components, components and / or groups thereof. As used herein, the term “and / or” includes any one or all combinations of the items listed in association.

[0030] Additionally, it is understood that one or more of the methods or aspects thereof described below may be executed by at least one controller. The term “controller” may refer to a hardware device comprising memory and a processor. The memory is configured to store program instructions, and the processor is specifically programmed to execute program instructions to perform one or more processes described in more detail below. The controller may control the operation of units, modules, components, devices, or similar things as described herein. Furthermore, it is understood that the methods below may be executed by a device comprising a controller together with one or more other components, as recognized by those skilled in the art.

[0031] Additionally, the controller of the present disclosure may be implemented as a non-transient computer-readable recording medium comprising executable program instructions executed by a processor. Examples of computer-readable recording media include, but are not limited to, ROM, 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 program instructions can be stored and executed in a distributed manner, such as, for example, a telematics server or a Controller Area Network (CAN).

[0032] According to the present invention, an electric heating reactor comprises a reaction tube having a longitudinal passage through which reactants pass, an internal heating element disposed within the reaction tube, coated or supported with a catalyst, and generating heat upon receiving power, a power source configured to supply power to the internal heating element, and a pair of electrodes connecting the power source to the internal heating element. Since power is supplied to the internal heating element disposed within the reaction tube to directly heat the catalyst coated or supported on the internal heating element, heat loss can be reduced.

[0033] The internal heating element is plate-shaped and is placed inside the reaction tube in a folded, bent, curved, or rolled state. The surface area of ​​the internal heating element positioned parallel to the flow direction of the reactants may be larger than the remaining surface area. Therefore, while the heating surface area of ​​the internal heating element is increased, the internal heating element does not obstruct the flow of the reactants. Additionally, the internal heating element can be evenly distributed within the reaction tube. This reduces the temperature difference between the inside of the reactor and the catalyst, thereby reducing the formation of unnecessary side reactions or coke caused by temperature differences.

[0034]

[0035] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the attached drawings.

[0036] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating an electric heating reactor according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram illustrating an electric heating reactor according to another embodiment of the present invention.

[0037] As illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2, an electric heating reactor (10) according to embodiments of the present invention is configured to generate heat by receiving power, heat an internal catalyst using the heat, and react a reactant using the heated catalyst. The reactant undergoes a target reaction using heat received from the electric heating reactor (10) and is converted into a product, and the product is discharged from the electric heating reactor (10). The electric heating reactor (10) includes a reaction tube (20), an internal heating element (50), a power source (40), and a pair of electrodes (first and second electrodes (30a, 30b)).

[0038] A reaction tube (20) has a passage formed in the longitudinal direction through which reactants pass inside it. For example, the reaction tube (20) may be formed in the shape of an annular pipe, and a passage formed in the longitudinal direction inside it. However, the shape of the reaction tube (20) is not limited to an annular pipe shape.

[0039] An inlet (22) is formed at one end of the reaction tube (20), and reactants requiring reaction are 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 products of completed reaction and / or unreacted materials that have not been fully reacted are discharged from the reaction tube (20) through the outlet (24).

[0040] In one example, the reaction tube (20) may be made of an insulating material so as not to dissipate heat from inside the reaction tube (20) to the outside. In this case, the reaction tube (20) may be electrically isolated from the power source (40). That is, a wire (42) electrically connected to the power source (40) is electrically connected to a pair of electrodes (30a, 30b) connected to an internal heating element (50), and the pair of electrodes (30a, 30b) and the reaction tube (20) are electrically insulated from each other. For example, a support member (26) may be provided at one end of the reaction tube (20) to support an internal heating element (50) inside the reaction tube (20) by connecting a wire (42) and / or the first and second electrodes (30a, 30b) to the support member (26), while an insulator (60) may be provided between the flange (28) of the support member (26) and the joint of the reaction tube (20) to electrically insulate the pair of electrodes (30a, 30b) from the reaction tube (20). However, it should be understood that the method of electrically insulating the pair of electrodes (30a, 30b) from the reaction tube (20) is not limited to the exemplified embodiments, and various electrical insulation methods may be used.

[0041] In another example, the reaction tube (20) is made of an alloy material having at least a portion of high resistivity (e.g., Ni-Cr, Fe-Cr, Fe-Ni-Cr, Fe-Cr-Al, etc.), and the portion can be electrically connected to a power source (40). That is, at least a portion of the reaction tube (20) can be connected to a power source (40) to receive power. In this case, since at least a portion of the reaction tube (20) has high resistivity, when power is applied to at least a portion of the reaction tube (20), heat is generated in at least a portion of the reaction tube (20), and the heat can be transferred to a reactant in a passage within at least a portion of the reaction tube (20) to preheat the reactant.

[0042] As illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2, the internal heating element (50) is made of an alloy material having high resistivity (e.g., Ni-Cr, Fe-Cr, Fe-Ni-Cr, Fe-Cr-Al, etc.), and when power is applied to the internal heating element (50), heat is generated in the internal heating element (50). A catalyst is coated or supported on the surface of the internal heating element (50), so that the heat generated in the internal heating element (50) can directly heat the catalyst and can be transferred to the reactants in the passage of the reaction tube (20).

[0043] The internal heating element (50) is a plate-shaped element that can be folded, bent, curved, or rolled. By folding, bending, curving, or rolling the plate-shaped internal heating element (50) and placing it inside the reaction tube (20), a relatively large area of ​​the internal heating element (50) can be placed in a limited space, thereby increasing the heating area. In this case, the internal heating element (50) can be folded along an axis parallel to the longitudinal direction (see FIG. 1), bent, curved, or rolled around said axis (see FIG. 2), so that most of the internal heating element (50) is placed parallel to the flow direction of the reactant (e.g., the longitudinal direction of the reaction tube (20)). That is, the area of ​​the internal heating element (50) placed parallel to the flow direction of the reactant can be significantly larger than the remaining area of ​​the internal heating element (50). Thus, the heating area of ​​the internal heating element (50) is increased, while the flow of the reactant is not obstructed. Accordingly, the reactants flow along the length of the reaction tube (20) and meet a catalyst coated or supported on an internal heating element (50) arranged parallel to the flow direction of the reactants, so that the target reaction can proceed smoothly.

[0044] The entire internal heating element (50) is made of the same material having the same resistivity, so that the resistance at any position of the internal heating element (50) can be determined according to the thickness or shape of the internal heating element (50) at that position. Accordingly, the thickness or shape of the internal heating element (50) can be changed according to the amount of heat required at each position of the internal heating element (50).

[0045] Additionally, the total resistance of the internal heating element (50) can be adjusted by adjusting the total length of the internal heating element (50). Depending on the amount of heat required for the reaction of the reactants, the length of the internal heating element (50), the voltage of the power supply (40), and / or the current supplied from the power supply (40) can be designed. Since the internal heating element (50) can be folded, bent, curved, or rolled to place an internal heating element (50) of sufficient length inside the reaction tube (20), the voltage of the power supply (40) and / or the current supplied from the power supply (40) can be designed according to the situation.

[0046] The arrangement of the internal heating element (50) within the reaction tube (20) may vary. For example, as shown in FIG. 1, the internal heating element (50) may be folded along axes parallel to the longitudinal direction of the reaction tube (20) and arranged in a zigzag pattern. Alternatively, the internal heating element (50) may be rolled around a central axis parallel to the longitudinal direction of the reaction tube (20) and arranged in a swirling pattern. However, it should be understood that the arrangement of the internal heating element (50) within the reaction tube (20) is not limited to the examples shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2.

[0047] Meanwhile, as the plate-shaped internal heating element (50) is folded, bent, curved, or rolled, the folded parts, curved parts, curved parts, or rolled parts may come into contact with each other and cause a short circuit. Accordingly, a thin insulating plate (62) can be provided between the folded parts, curved parts, curved parts, or rolled parts that can come into contact with each other to prevent the parts of the internal heating element (50) from coming into contact with each other and causing a short circuit. Here, the insulating plate (62) may be a thin plate made of ceramic or the like. In one example, the insulating plate (62) may be folded, bent, curved, or rolled together with the internal heating element (50). In another example, a plurality of insulating plates (62) may be placed between the parts of the internal heating element (50) that can come into contact with each other.

[0048] The power source (40) is configured to supply power to the internal heating element (50). The power source (40) may be an AC power source or a DC power source. The internal heating element (50) can directly heat the catalyst coated or supported on the internal heating element (50) by receiving power from the power source (40) and generating heat. Alternatively, the power source (40) may also be electrically connected to the reaction tube (20) to supply power to the reaction tube (20), in which case the reaction tube (20) generates heat together with the internal heating element (50) and can transfer heat to the reactants in the passage.

[0049] A pair of electrodes (30a, 30b) electrically connect the power source (40) and the internal heating element (50). When the power source (40) supplies power to the internal heating element (50) through the pair of electrodes (30a, 30b), the internal heating element (50) generates heat. The heat is transferred to a catalyst coated or supported on the internal heating element (50) to directly heat the catalyst and is transferred to a reactant passing through a passage to heat the reactant.

[0050] As illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2, the pair of electrodes (30a, 30b) may be provided on both sides of an internal heating element (50) parallel to the longitudinal direction of the reaction tube (20). That is, the first electrode (30a) is provided on one side of the internal heating element (50) parallel to the longitudinal direction of the reaction tube (20), and a wire (42) connected to a power source (40) is connected to one end of the first electrode (30a), and the second electrode (30b) is provided on the other side of the internal heating element (50) parallel to the longitudinal direction of the reaction tube (20), and a wire (42) connected to a power source (40) is connected to one end of the second electrode (30b). In this case, a support member (26) for supplying power to an internal heating element (50) is provided at one end of the reaction tube (20), and a power source (40) and a wire (42) are placed on one side of the reaction tube (20), thereby increasing space utilization when arranging multiple electric heating reactors (10) and simplifying wiring. The pair of electrodes (30a, 30b) can be made of a highly conductive material such as copper.

[0051] The above electric heating reactor (10) may further include a cooler.

[0052] The cooler may be configured to cool the connection between a pair of electrodes (30a, 30b) and the wire (42) and / or the wire (42) and the support (26).

[0053]

[0054] Although preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments and includes all modifications within the scope recognized as equivalent that can be easily made by those skilled in the art from the embodiments of the present invention.

Claims

1. A reaction tube having a passage formed longitudinally inside for reactants to pass through; An internal heating element disposed within the above reaction tube, coated or supported with a catalyst, and generating heat upon receiving power; A power source configured to supply power to the internal heating element; and A pair of electrodes connecting the above power source to the internal heating element; Includes, The above internal heating element is plate-shaped, and the electric heating reactor in which the area of ​​the internal heating element arranged parallel to the flow direction of the reactants is larger than the remaining area of ​​the internal heating element.

2. In Paragraph 1, The above internal heating element is an electric heating reactor placed inside a reaction tube in a folded, bent, or curved state along an axis parallel to the length direction, or rolled around the axis.

3. In Paragraph 1, The above power source is electrically connected to a pair of electrodes via wires, and The above wire and a pair of electrodes are an electric heating reactor that is electrically insulated from the reaction tube.

4. In Paragraph 3, A support member having a flange at one end of the reaction tube is provided, and The above wire and / or a pair of electrodes are connected to the support to support an internal heating element inside the reaction tube, and An electric heating reactor provided with an insulator between the flange of the support and the joint of the reaction tube.

5. In Paragraph 2, An electric heating reactor in which the above pair of electrodes are provided on both sides of an internal heating element parallel to the longitudinal direction of the reaction tube.

6. In Paragraph 5, An electric heating reactor in which the above power source is electrically connected to the above pair of electrodes through a wire, and the wire is connected to one end of the above pair of electrodes, respectively.

7. In Paragraph 4, An electric heating reactor further comprising a cooler configured to cool a pair of electrodes and a wire and / or a connection between the wire and a support.

8. In Paragraph 2, An electric heating reactor further comprising an insulating plate provided between the folded, bent, curved, or rolled portions of the internal heating element to prevent short circuits.

9. In Paragraph 8, The above insulating plate is an electric heating reactor that folds, bends, curves, or rolls together with an internal heating element.

10. In Paragraph 8, The above insulating plate includes a plurality of insulating plates, and The above plurality of insulating plates are an electric heating reactor disposed between parts of an internal heating element that can come into contact with each other.

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