Ceramic oxygen transport membrane array reactor and reforming method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9452401-B2
Application number	US-201414508297-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 7, 2014
Priority date	Oct 7, 2013
Publication date	Sep 27, 2016
Grant date	Sep 27, 2016

Abstract

A commercially viable modular ceramic oxygen transport membrane reforming reactor for producing a synthesis gas that improves the thermal coupling of reactively-driven oxygen transport membrane tubes and catalyst reforming tubes required to efficiently and effectively produce synthesis gas.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An oxygen transport membrane panel for transferring radiant heat to a plurality of catalytic reforming reactors, the oxygen transport membrane panel comprising:
a panel frame; and
a plurality of oxygen transport membrane repeating units arranged in a tightly packed linear or co-planar orientation;
wherein each oxygen transport membrane repeating unit comprises two or more oxygen transport membrane tubes coupled together and configured to be in fluid communication with either a feed manifold or an exhaust manifold; and
wherein each oxygen transport membrane tube having a permeate side located on an interior surface of the tube and a retentate side located on an exterior surface of the tube;
wherein the plurality of oxygen transport membrane repeating units are supported by said panel frame and are configured to separate oxygen from an oxygen containing stream contacting the retentate side of the tubes in cross-flow arrangement and react the permeated oxygen with a gas stream containing hydrogen and carbon containing species introduced into the permeate side of the tubes thereby producing radiant heat and a steam containing reaction product stream;
wherein the catalytic reforming reactors are configured to produce synthesis gas in the presence of the radiant heat and a hydrocarbon containing reactant stream optionally containing the reaction product stream from the oxygen transport membrane panels; and
wherein the catalytic reforming reactors are arranged in a plane substantially parallel to the oxygen transport membrane panels.

2. The oxygen transport membrane tube assembly of claim 1 wherein the plurality of oxygen transport membrane tubes are arranged in a juxtaposed orientation.

3. The oxygen transport membrane tube assembly of claim 2 wherein at least some of the plurality of oxygen transport membrane tubes are arranged in a serpentine orientation.

4. The oxygen transport membrane tube assembly of claim 1 wherein the plurality of oxygen transport membrane tubes are arranged in a generally parallel orientation.

5. The oxygen transport membrane tube assembly of claim 1 wherein the plurality of ceramic to ceramic coupling elements further comprise one or more ceramic linear connectors configured for fluidically coupling two adjacent oxygen transport membrane tubes in a linear orientation.

6. The oxygen transport membrane tube assembly of claim 1 wherein the plurality of ceramic to ceramic coupling elements further comprise one or more ceramic U-shaped connectors configured for fluidically coupling two adjacent oxygen transport membrane tubes.

7. The oxygen transport membrane tube assembly of claim 1 wherein the plurality of ceramic to ceramic coupling elements further comprise one or more ceramic M-shaped connectors configured for coupling three or more oxygen transport membrane tubes.

8. The oxygen transport membrane tube assembly of claim 1 further comprising one or more isolation valve assemblies disposed between the first ceramic to metal coupling element and the feed manifold and/or between the second ceramic to metal coupling element and the exhaust manifold.

9. The oxygen transport membrane panel of claim 1 wherein the oxygen transport membrane repeating units comprises a plurality of oxygen transport membrane tubes, said oxygen transport membrane tubes comprising a dense layer, a porous support and an intermediate porous layer located between the dense layer and the porous support, wherein said dense layer and the intermediate porous layer comprise a mixture of an ionic conductive material and an electrically conductive material, wherein said dense layer and said intermediate porous layer are effective in conducting oxygen ions and electrons.

10. The oxygen transport membrane panel of claim 9 wherein the oxygen transport membrane tubes additionally comprise a porous surface exchange layer in contact with the dense layer opposite to the intermediate porous layer.

11. The oxygen transport membrane panel of claim 10 wherein the porous surface exchange layer of the oxygen transport membrane tubes has a thickness of from about 10 microns to about 40 microns, a porosity of from about 30 percent to about 60 percent and a pore diameter of from about 1 micron to about 4 microns.

12. The oxygen transport membrane panel of 10 wherein the support layer of the oxygen transport membrane tubes has a thickness of from about 0.5 mm to about 10.0 mm and a pore size 50 microns or less.

13. The oxygen transport membrane panel of claim 9 wherein the porous surface exchange layer of the oxygen transport membrane tubes forms the retentate side of the oxygen transport membrane tubes.

14. The oxygen transport membrane panel of claim 9 wherein said ionic conductive material of the oxygen transport membrane tubes comprises fluorite.

15. The oxygen transport membrane panel of claim 9 wherein said intermediate porous layer has a thickness of from about 10 microns and about 40 microns, a porosity of from about 25 percent and about 40 percent and an average pore diameter of from about 0.5 microns and about 3 microns.

16. The oxygen transport membrane panel of claim 9 wherein said dense layer of the oxygen transport membrane tubes has a thickness of from about 10 microns and about 50 microns.

17. The oxygen transport membrane panel of claim 9 which additionally comprises a catalyst.

18. The oxygen transport membrane panel of claim 17 wherein said catalyst is loaded inside the oxygen transport membrane tubes, integrated in the intermediate porous layer of the oxygen transport membrane tubes, integrated in the porous support layer adjacent to the intermediate porous layer of the oxygen transport membrane tubes and/or the interior surface of the oxygen transport membrane tubes is coated or activated with said catalyst.

19. The oxygen transport membrane panel of claim 18 wherein the catalyst particles promote oxidation of the hydrogen containing stream.

20. The oxygen transport membrane panel of claim 19 wherein said catalyst promoted the reforming of a hydrogen containing stream.

21. The oxygen transport membrane panel of claim 19 wherein said catalyst comprises gadolinium doped ceria.

22. The oxygen transport membrane panel of claim 9 wherein the outside diameter of each oxygen transport membrane tube is the same or different and is in the range of about 8 mm to 20 mm and the length/diameter ratio in the range of 50 to 150.

23. The oxygen transport membrane panel of claim 9 wherein catalytic reforming reactor is integrated within the oxygen transport membrane panel, and/or within a separate catalyst reforming panel.

24. The oxygen transport membrane panel of claim 9 wherein said oxygen transport membrane tubes are arranged in an M-pin arrangement.

25. The oxygen transport membrane panel of claim 24 wherein said M-pin arrangement comprises at least four (4) oxygen transport membrane tubes connected in series with ceramic to ceramic seals and ceramic coupling adapters, and two (2) ceramic to metal adapters configured to be sealably connect the ends of the M-pin arrangement to the feed and outlet manifolds of an oxygen transport membrane panel.

26. The oxygen transport membrane panel of claim 25 wherein said M-pin arrangement additionally comprises one or more of ceramic U-shaped connectors configured for fluidically coupling adjacent tubes.

27. The oxygen transport

Assignees

• Kelly Sean M
• Christie Gervase Maxwell
• Rosen Lee J
• Robinson Charles
• Wilson Jamie R
• Gonzalez Javier E
• Doraswami Uttam R
• Praxair Technology Inc

Inventors

• Kelly Sean M
• Christie Gervase Maxwell
• Rosen Lee J
• Robinson Charles
• Wilson Jamie R
• Gonzalez Javier E
• Doraswami Uttam R

Classifications

• B01J19/242

  in series · CPC title

• B01J19/243

  spirally, concentrically or zigzag wound · CPC title

• B01J2219/0004

  Processes in series · CPC title

• F22B1/16

  the heat carrier being hot liquid or hot vapour, e.g. waste liquid, waste vapour · CPC title

• B01J12/007

  in the presence of catalytically active bodies, e.g. porous plates · CPC title