Structured Catalyst With Integrated Resistance Heating
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Solution Overview
Problem
Small-scale synthesis gas production is hindered by energy-intensive reactions and the toxicity of carbon monoxide, making on-demand production in smaller plants challenging due to difficulties in storage and handling.
Innovation Solution
A structured catalyst comprising a ceramic element and an electrically conducting heating element, where the ceramic element supports catalytically active material and is arranged circumferentially around the heating element, enabling efficient resistance heating for endothermic reactions, thus facilitating compact and on-demand gas production.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Use of energy by moving object
If large-scale chemical plants are used for synthesis gas production, then energy-intensive reactions can be facilitated, but the plant size and complexity increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The catalyst is divided into structured elements with integrated heating zones, allowing distributed energy input throughout the catalyst bed rather than requiring a single large-scale energy input system. This segmentation enables small-scale production while maintaining the energy intensity needed for endothermic reactions.
Solution Approach 2:
The heating element is nested within or around the catalyst structure, with the ceramic support providing both mechanical structure and thermal insulation. This nested arrangement allows the heating element to be contained within the catalyst assembly itself, eliminating the need for separate large-scale heating systems and reducing overall plant complexity.
2Productivity
If synthesis gas is produced in large quantities, then production efficiency increases, but storage and handling become more difficult due to carbon monoxide toxicity
Solution Approach 1:
The structured catalyst with integrated heating enables synthesis gas to be produced on-demand at the point of use, eliminating the need for large-scale storage. The preliminary design of the catalyst structure allows for controlled, continuous production at smaller scales, reducing the accumulation of toxic gas.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention extracts the heating function from the catalyst and integrates it directly into the catalyst structure itself. This allows the catalyst to be self-heating through resistance heating, enabling small-scale production units to achieve the necessary reaction temperatures without requiring large-scale external heating systems.
3Temperature
If conventional heating methods are used for endothermic reactions, then heat can be supplied, but heat transfer efficiency is low and energy loss is high
Solution Approach 1:
The invention replaces conventional external heating systems with electrical resistance heating integrated into the catalyst structure. This substitution of the heating mechanism allows direct energy input at the reaction site, eliminating the inefficiencies of external heat transfer and reducing energy loss.
Solution Approach 2:
The heating element is positioned in direct contact with or adjacent to the catalytically active sites, providing localized heating exactly where needed. This local quality approach ensures that energy is delivered precisely to the reaction zones, maximizing heat transfer efficiency and minimizing energy loss to surrounding areas.
4Volume of moving object
If catalyst is designed for compact size, then on-demand production is enabled, but heat transfer to the catalyst may be insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The heating element is nested within or around the catalyst structure, ensuring that even in compact configurations, the heating element remains in close proximity to the catalytically active sites. This nested arrangement maintains effective heat transfer despite the reduced overall size of the catalyst assembly.
Solution Approach 2:
By replacing external heating systems with integrated resistance heating, the invention enables compact catalyst designs to achieve sufficient heat supply. The electrical heating element can be positioned within the catalyst structure itself, ensuring adequate heat transfer to the reaction zones even in small-volume configurations.
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 solution allows for compact, on-demand synthesis gas production with reduced storage and transportation needs, enhancing safety and efficiency by directly heating the catalyst zone, thereby overcoming the limitations of large-scale energy-intensive processes.
Implementation Method 1
heat for the endothermic reaction is provided by resistance heating
Data Source
AI summary
A structured catalyst for catalyzing an endothermic reaction of a feed gas to convert it to a product gas is provided.