Fixed Fluidized Bed Water Gas Shift Reactor for High CO Conversion
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods, such as fixed bed water gas shift reactors, have low conversion rates for converting carbon monoxide at high concentrations (30-50%) into hydrogen, making them unsuitable for efficient hydrogen production from syngas generated by waste gasification.
Innovation Solution
A fixed and fluidized bed water gas shift reactor system that uses syngas from waste gasification, incorporating a gas reaction tank with a porous plate and catalyst, along with an insulating layer to prevent heat loss, and a steam injection system to control reaction temperature, enhancing the conversion of carbon monoxide to hydrogen.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a fixed bed water gas shift reactor is used to convert carbon monoxide into hydrogen, then the reactor structure is simple and easy to operate, but the conversion rate is low and unsuitable for high concentration CO (30-50%)
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transitions from a static fixed bed reactor to a dynamic fluidized bed reactor where the catalyst particles are suspended and moved by upward flowing gas-steam mixture. This dynamic state increases the effective contact area between reactants and catalyst, thereby significantly improving the hydrogen production rate while maintaining operational simplicity through automated fluid control.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the operational parameters by introducing steam as a fluidizing agent and operating at elevated temperatures (800-1000°C). This parameter change transforms the reaction environment to achieve high conversion rates for concentrated CO while maintaining the ease of operation through standardized reactor design and control systems.
2Temperature
If steam is injected to control reaction temperature, then the reaction temperature is well controlled, but the system complexity increases with additional injection systems
Solution Approach 1:
The patent makes the steam injection system serve multiple functions: it acts as both a reactant source for the water-gas shift reaction and as a fluidizing agent to maintain catalyst suspension. This multi-functionality reduces the need for separate temperature control systems, thereby limiting the increase in device complexity while achieving effective temperature control.
Solution Approach 2:
The steam injection system utilizes the reaction heat itself to vaporize and inject steam into the reactor. The exothermic nature of the water-gas shift reaction provides the thermal energy needed for steam generation and injection, creating a self-regulating temperature control mechanism that minimizes external control system complexity.
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
The system significantly increases the hydrogen production rate by effectively converting carbon monoxide to hydrogen, with conversion rates reaching up to 80% within 10-20 minutes, even at high CO concentrations, and maintains efficiency by controlling reaction temperature and catalyst fluidization.
Implementation Method 1
a catalyst stacked on the upper surface of the porous plate to convert carbon monoxide into hydrogen
Implementation Method 2
hydrogen is produced by a reaction of carbon monoxide in the syngas with water
Implementation Method 3
an insulating layer provided at the outer surface of the reaction chamber to prevent heat in the reaction chamber from being discharged to the outside of the reaction chamber
Implementation Method 4
after the syngas from the syngas storage tank is heated by a preheater, a steam supply pipe to supply steam generated from a steam generator to the gas reaction tank such that the steam reacts with the syngas, after the steam is heated by a preheater
Implementation Method 5
a porous plate installed in a lower portion thereof to divide the inside of the reaction chamber into an upper reaction space and a lower collection space
Data Source
AI summary
The water gas shift reactor includes a gas reaction tank including a reaction chamber formed in the shape of a hollow body provided with a porous plate installed therein to divide the inside of the reaction chamber into an upper reaction space and a lower collection space and a catalyst stacked on the upper surface of the porous plate to convert carbon monoxide into hydrogen, and an insulating layer provided at the outer surface of the reaction chamber, a syngas storage tank to store the syngas, a syngas supply pipe to supply the syngas to the gas reaction tank, after the syngas is heated by a preheater, a steam supply pipe to supply steam generated from a steam generator to the gas reaction tank such that the steam reacts with the syngas, after the steam is heated by a preheater, and a reaction gas discharge pipe.