Dehydrogenation Catalyst Bed with Heat-Generating Component
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current endothermic hydrocarbon conversion processes require high energy due to high air temperatures and flow rates, leading to increased operating and capital costs, and suffer from lower hydrocarbon conversion yields due to temperature control challenges and coke deposition on catalysts.
Innovation Solution
The process involves a multi-component catalyst bed with a heat-generating component, such as copper or manganese, in the middle section to preheat the catalyst bed, reducing the need for external heating and allowing lower air-to-hydrocarbon ratios and operation at near-atmospheric pressures, thereby improving energy efficiency and conversion yields.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If high air temperatures and flow rates are used in the regeneration step, then the catalyst bed can be effectively regenerated and reheated, but energy consumption increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
A heat-generating component (such as copper oxide or manganese oxide) is incorporated into the catalyst bed that can generate heat during the reduction step before dehydrogenation. This preliminary heat generation pre-heats the catalyst bed, reducing the amount of heat that needs to be supplied during regeneration and thereby lowering overall energy consumption while maintaining effective catalyst regeneration
Solution Approach 2:
The invention changes the thermal parameters of the catalyst bed by incorporating materials with specific heat generation and storage properties. The heat-generating component alters the temperature profile and heat distribution within the bed, enabling more efficient heat utilization during the cyclic process and reducing the energy required for regeneration at high temperatures and flow rates
2Reliability
If high air flow rates are used during regeneration, then coke removal is improved, but operating costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The heat-generating component in the catalyst bed provides self-heating during the reduction step, creating a self-sustaining thermal cycle. This internal heat generation reduces the dependency on external high-temperature air flow for coke removal, allowing effective regeneration at lower air flow rates and thereby reducing operating costs while maintaining coke removal efficiency
3Productivity
If the catalyst bed is reheated between cycles, then dehydrogenation conversion is improved, but additional external heating equipment is required
Solution Approach 1:
The catalyst bed contains heat-generating components that automatically generate heat during the reduction step, providing self-reheating functionality. This eliminates the need for external heating equipment between cycles, as the catalyst bed self-regenerates and self-reheats through the chemical reactions of the incorporated heat-generating materials, thereby improving conversion yield without increasing device complexity
4Productivity
If the catalyst bed temperature is maintained uniformly, then reaction efficiency is improved, but temperature control becomes more difficult due to coke distribution variations
Solution Approach 1:
The heat-generating component is distributed throughout the catalyst bed, providing localized heat generation at multiple points. This distributed approach compensates for local variations in coke distribution and heat consumption, maintaining more uniform temperature profiles across the bed and improving reaction efficiency while simplifying temperature control, as the system self-regulates through the distributed heat generation rather than requiring complex external control mechanisms
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This approach decreases energy costs and maintains or improves hydrocarbon conversion yields while reducing coke deposition and temperature fluctuations within the catalyst bed, enhancing overall process efficiency and cost-effectiveness.
Implementation Method 1
reducing the catalyst bed wherein the heat-generating component of the second catalyst composition generates heat that passes into the first catalyst composition and, if present, the third catalyst composition
Implementation Method 2
regenerating the catalyst bed by contacting the catalyst bed with air
Implementation Method 3
contacting a hydrocarbon feedstock with the catalyst bed to form a dehydrogenated hydrocarbon
Data Source
Figure 1~2
AI summary
The disclosure provides an improved endothermic hydrocarbon conversion process that comprises reacting a hydrocarbon with a multi-component catalyst bed, and regenerating the catalyst bed with air, where the air used in regeneration step and hydrocarbon are at low air to hydrocarbon ratios and optionally at near-atmospheric pressures.