Internally heated reactor for hydrocarbon conversion

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12576384-B2
Application number	US-202218282630-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 22, 2022
Priority date	Mar 25, 2021
Publication date	Mar 17, 2026
Grant date	Mar 17, 2026

Abstract

An apparatus for hydrocarbon conversion, the apparatus including a reactor and a reactor insert secured and disposed within an interior cavity of the reactor, is described. The reactor is configured to permit addition of a feed stream comprising a hydrocarbon at an upstream end of the reactor and to permit discharge of a product stream at a downstream end of the reactor. The reactor insert is configured to provide heat to the interior cavity to promote conversion of hydrocarbons as the feed stream moves from the upstream end of the reactor to the downstream end of the reactor. The products of the conversion reaction are discharged at the downstream end as part of the product stream. A method for hydrocarbon conversion using the apparatus is also described.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1 . An apparatus for hydrocarbon conversion, the apparatus comprising:
a reactor comprising:
an upstream end;
a downstream end; and
an interior cavity configured to receive a feed stream comprising a hydrocarbon at the upstream end and to discharge a product stream comprising a product at the downstream end;
a reactor insert configured to be disposed within the interior cavity and configured to heat to at least a portion of the interior cavity to convert at least a portion of the hydrocarbon in the interior cavity into the product and produce the product stream; and a quench exchanger surrounding at least a portion of an exterior of the reactor, the quench exchanger configured to receive a cooling fluid and transfer heat from the product stream to the cooling fluid.

2 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the reactor insert comprises one or more heat pipes.

3 . The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the one or more heat pipes comprises:
a working fluid; a wick; and a housing encasing the working fluid and the wick.

4 . The apparatus of claim 3 , wherein the working fluid comprises cesium, sodium-potassium alloy, potassium, sodium, lithium, or silver.

5 . The apparatus of claim 3 , wherein the wick comprises a grooved wick, capillary channels, sintered metal, a screen, a mesh, a fiber, or any combination thereof.

6 . The apparatus of claim 3 , wherein the housing comprises a superalloy or a refractory metal alloy.

7 . The apparatus of claim 3 , wherein the housing comprises nickel, chromium, niobium, or any combination thereof.

8 . The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the heat pipe is configured to heat the interior cavity to a temperature from 650° C. to 1000° C.

9 . The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the heat pipe is configured to provide a surface heat flux of up to 400000 W/m 2 .

10 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the reactor insert comprises one or more electrical resistors.

11 . The apparatus of claim 10 , wherein at least one of the electrical resistors is metallic.

12 . The apparatus of claim 10 , wherein at least one of the electrical resistors is embedded in ceramic.

13 . The apparatus of claim 10 , wherein at least one of the electrical resistors is embedded in ceramic with a metallic sheath.

14 . The apparatus of claim 10 , wherein at least one of the electrical resistors comprises nichrome, cupronickel, or any combination thereof.

15 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the reactor insert is at least partially disposed within a curved portion of the reactor.

16 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the more reactor insert is at least partially disposed within a straight portion of the chamber.

17 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the reactor insert is at least partially disposed within an elbow of the reactor.

18 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein at least a portion of the reactor insert is straight.

19 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein at least a portion of the insert is curved.

20 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the reactor insert has a surface roughness less than 100 μinch Ra.

21 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the reactor insert has a surface roughness greater than 300 μinch Ra.

22 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein one or both of the reactor and the reactor insert has a shape of a twisted tube.

23 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein one or both of the reactor and the reactor insert has a shape of a Mixing Element Radiant Tube (MERT).

24 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the reactor insert comprises a plurality of fins on at least a portion of an exterior surface of the reactor insert.

25 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the reactor insert has a uniform axial profile.

26 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the reactor insert has a non-uniform axial profile.

27 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the reactor insert comprises a coating on at least a portion of an exterior surface of the reactor insert.

28 . The apparatus of claim 27 , wherein the coating comprises ceramic.

29 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the reactor insert comprises a sheath at least partially encapsulating the reactor insert.

30 . The apparatus of claim 29 , wherein the sheath fully encapsulates the reactor insert.

31 . The apparatus of claim 29 , wherein the sheath comprises ceramic, metal, or any combination thereof.

32 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the cooling fluid comprises boiler feedwater.

33 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the quench exchanger is located downstream of the reactor insert in relation to an overall flow direction of the feed stream through the quench exchanger.

34 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the quench exchanger is configured to flow the cooling fluid in a parallel-flow configuration in relation to an overall flow direction of the product stream through the quench exchanger.

35 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the quench exchanger is configured to flow the cooling fluid in a cross-flow configuration in relation to an overall flow direction of the product stream through the quench exchanger.

36 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the quench exchanger is configured to flow the cooling fluid in a counter-flow configuration in relation to an overall flow direction of the product stream through the quench exchanger.

37 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the reactor insert has a coefficient of thermal expansion that is less than or equal to a coefficient of thermal expansion of the reactor.

38 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the reactor insert has a coefficient of thermal expansion that is greater than or equal to a coefficient of thermal expansion of the reactor.

39 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the reactor insert comprises a first end and a second end.

40 . The apparatus of claim 39 , wherein the first end is connected to an electrical power source.

41 . The apparatus of claim 39 , wherein the second end is free.

42 . The apparatus of claim 39 , wherein the second end is connected to the reactor.

43 . The apparatus of claim 39 , wherein the second end is connected to an electrical power source.

44 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the reactor insert has a cylindrical shape.

45 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the reactor insert comprises a hollow tube.

46 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the reactor insert is configured to provide uniform heat generation along the length of the interior cavity of the reactor.

47 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the reactor insert is configured to provide non-uniform heat generation along the length of the interior cavity of the reactor.

48 . The apparatus of claim 1 , comprising an insulating material surrounding at least a portion of an exterior of the reactor.

49 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the reactor is housed inside a gas-fired furnace.

50 . A meth

Assignees

• Nova Chemicals International Sa

Inventors

• Crowe Jeffrey
• Clavelle Eric
• Pumfrey Jason
• Simanzhenkov Vasily

Classifications

• C10G2400/20

  C2-C4 olefins · CPC title

• C10G2300/805

  Water · CPC title

• C10G2300/4012

  Pressure · CPC title

• C10G2300/4006

  Temperature · CPC title

• C10G9/36

  with heated gases or vapours · CPC title