Integrated Combustion-Cracking Reactor for Olefin Production
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional chemical reactors for producing high-value chemicals like olefins and alkynes face challenges such as heat losses, process complexities, inert compound effects, metallurgical limitations, coke deposition, and limited feedstock flexibility, which hinder productivity and efficiency.
Innovation Solution
A chemical reactor design featuring two or more gas reactor elements with specific reaction chamber configurations and feed assembly units, allowing for independent product stream processing and optimized mixing and combustion conditions to enhance productivity and selectivity.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If conventional steam crackers are used for hydrocarbon cracking, then high-value chemicals can be produced, but heat losses and process complexities occur due to separate exothermic and endothermic steps
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the exothermic combustion step and endothermic cracking step into a single integrated reactor system. The combustion chamber and cracking chamber are coupled together, allowing heat transfer from the combustion process to directly drive the cracking reaction without requiring separate furnaces and process tubes, thereby reducing process complexity while maintaining productivity
2Productivity
If conventional crackers operate at high temperatures with long residence times, then hydrocarbon conversion is achieved, but coke deposition occurs leading to plugging and increased operational expenses
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the reaction process into two distinct chambers: a combustion chamber for complete oxidation and a cracking chamber for hydrocarbon conversion. This segmentation allows the cracking chamber to operate under optimized conditions with shorter residence times and controlled temperature profiles, reducing coke formation while maintaining conversion efficiency
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a heat transfer medium or energy transfer mechanism between the combustion chamber and cracking chamber. This intermediary allows thermal energy to be transferred efficiently while keeping the reaction zones separate, enabling better control over residence time and temperature in the cracking chamber to minimize coke deposition
3Productivity
If single reactor elements are scaled up for increased production, then capacity is improved, but product selectivity and yield are negatively affected due to increased mixing time scale
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses multiple smaller reactor elements (combustion chambers and cracking chambers) coupled in series or parallel rather than scaling up a single large reactor. This segmentation maintains favorable mixing time scales and residence time distributions in each small chamber, preserving product selectivity while achieving increased overall capacity through the combined output of multiple elements
Solution Approach 2:
The patent transitions from scaling in one dimension (single reactor size) to scaling in another dimension (number of reactor elements). By coupling multiple small reactor elements together, the system achieves capacity increase through parallel or series configuration rather than increasing individual reactor size, thereby maintaining optimal hydrodynamics and selectivity
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 reactor design achieves high productivity and improved process efficiency by minimizing heat loss, reducing coke formation, and maintaining selectivity and yield, even at scaled-up production levels.
Implementation Method 1
mixing the two or more feeds in the mixing chamber and forming a swirling gas mixture
Implementation Method 2
combusting the swirling gas mixture and forming a product stream
Implementation Method 3
The reactor system can be used for the conversion of hydrocarbon feeds to high value chemicals
Data Source
AI summary
The invention is directed to a chemical reactor (100) having (a) two or more gas reactor elements (12) with each gas reactor element (12) having (i) a first reaction chamber (38), and (ii) a feed assembly unit (36), (b) a second reaction chamber (20) coupled with each of the two or more gas reactor elements (12) and configured to independently receive two or more product streams from the two or more gas reactor elements (12); and optionally, (c) a gas converging section (40) located downstream to the second reaction chamber (20). The invention is further directed to a method of producing chemical products using the chemical reactor (100) of the present invention.