Methane cracking apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12478940-B2
Application number	US-202217892471-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 22, 2022
Priority date	Mar 14, 2022
Publication date	Nov 25, 2025
Grant date	Nov 25, 2025

Abstract

A methane cracking apparatus includes a supply pipeline that supplies a gas, a reactor having an interior space, and in which a catalyst for decomposing the gas may be disposed in the interior space, an agitator provided in the interior space and that agitates a material in the interior space, a first discharge pipeline connected to the reactor and that discharges decomposition materials generated as the gas may be decomposed, and a second discharge pipeline connected to the reactor, that discharges the decomposition materials, and disposed on an upper side of the first discharge pipeline.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A methane cracking apparatus comprising:
a supply pipeline configured to supply a gas; a reactor having an interior space; a catalyst for decomposing the gas is disposed in the interior space; an agitator provided in the interior space and configured to agitate a material in the interior space; a first discharge pipeline connected to the reactor and configured to discharge decomposition materials generated as the gas is decomposed; and a second discharge pipeline connected to the reactor configured to discharge the decomposition materials, and disposed on an upper side of the first discharge pipeline, wherein the agitator includes:
a rotary shaft extending upwards and downwards; and
a blade coupled to the rotary shaft, disposed in the interior space, and configured to rotate in conjunction with rotation of the rotary shaft,
wherein the blade as a spiral shape extending upwards and downwards while the rotary shaft is taken proximate to a center of the blade; and
wherein the first discharge pipeline is located on a lower side of an upper end of the blade.

2 . The methane cracking apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising:
a first discharge valve disposed in the first discharge pipeline and configured to open and close the first discharge pipeline.

3 . The methane cracking apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the second discharge pipeline is located on an upper side of an upper end of the blade.

4 . The methane cracking apparatus of claim 3 , further comprising:
a second discharge valve disposed in the second discharge pipeline and configured to open and close the second discharge pipeline.

5 . The methane cracking apparatus of claim 3 , further comprising:
a first filter part disposed in the second discharge pipeline and configured to filter the decomposition materials.

6 . The methane cracking apparatus of claim 5 , further comprising:
a first pressure sensor disposed in the second discharge pipeline and disposed on a downstream side of the first filter part; and a second pressure sensor disposed in the second discharge pipeline and disposed on an upstream side of the first filter part.

7 . The methane cracking apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising:
a heater coupled to an outside of the reactor and configured to heat the reactor.

8 . The methane cracking apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising:
a storage connected to the first discharge pipeline and configured to store a first material that is any one of the decomposition materials.

9 . The methane cracking apparatus of claim 8 , further comprising:
a connection pipeline configured to connect the storage and the second discharge pipeline.

10 . The methane cracking apparatus of claim 9 , further comprising:
a second filter part disposed in the connection pipeline and configured to filter the first material discharged from the storage.

11 . The methane cracking apparatus of claim 10 , further comprising:
when an area of the connection pipeline, which is close to the storage with respect to the second filter part, is an upstream area and an area of the connection pipeline, which is close to the second discharge pipeline, is a downstream area, a third pressure sensor disposed in the upstream area; and a fourth pressure sensor disposed in the downstream area.

12 . The methane cracking apparatus of claim 9 , further comprising:
a connection valve disposed in the connection pipeline and configured to open and close the connection pipeline.

13 . The methane cracking apparatus of claim 8 , wherein a liquid is disposed in an interior of the storage, and
wherein an end of the first discharge pipeline is disposed to be immersed in the liquid.

14 . The methane cracking apparatus of claim 13 , further comprising:
a heat exchanger coupled to the first discharge pipeline and configured to cool the first discharge pipeline.

15 . The methane cracking apparatus of claim 1 , wherein when the blade is divided to a plurality of areas along an upward/downward direction and distances, by which the plurality of areas are spaced apart from each other along the upward/downward direction, are pitches, the pitches are set to be different in at least any two of the plurality of areas.

16 . The methane cracking apparatus of claim 1 , wherein when the blade is divided to a plurality of areas along an upward/downward direction and angles thereof with imaginary planes that are perpendicular to the upward/downward direction when the plurality of area are viewed along a direction that is perpendicular to the upward/downward direction are reference angles, the reference angles are set to be different in at least any two of the plurality of areas of the blade.

17 . The methane cracking apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising:
a first detection sensor configured to detect whether a first material that is any one of the decomposition materials is present in a reference direction that is one direction that is perpendicular to an upward/downward direction; and a second detection sensor disposed on an upper side of the first detection sensor and configured to detect whether the first material is present in the reference direction.

18 . The methane cracking apparatus of claim 17 , further comprising:
a storage connected to the first discharge pipeline and configured to store the first material; a connection pipeline configured to connect the storage and the second discharge pipeline; a first discharge valve disposed in the first discharge pipeline and configured to open and close the first discharge pipeline; a second discharge valve disposed in the second discharge pipeline and configured to open and close the second discharge pipeline; a connection valve disposed in the connection pipeline and configured to open and close the connection pipeline; and
a controller configured to open and close the first discharge valve, the second discharge valve, and the connection valve, based on information acquired by the first detection sensor and the second detection sensor.

Assignees

• Hyundai Motor Co Ltd
• Kia Corp
• Univ Ajou Ind Academic Coop Found

Inventors

• Yu Jung Han
• Kim Joo Young
• Kim Yu Kwon
• Seo Hyung Tak
• Kim Jin A
• Lee Young Jae

Classifications

• B01J10/005

  carried out at high temperatures in the presence of a molten material · CPC title

• B01J2219/185

  vertical · CPC title

• B01J2219/002

  inside the reactor · CPC title

• B01J2219/00189

  controlling the stirring velocity · CPC title

• B01J2219/00166

  controlling the residence time inside the reactor vessel · CPC title