High aspect ratio catalytic reactor and catalyst inserts therefor

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9938146-B2
Application number	US-201514979790-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 28, 2015
Priority date	Dec 28, 2015
Publication date	Apr 10, 2018
Grant date	Apr 10, 2018

Abstract

The present invention relates to high efficient tubular catalytic steam reforming reactor configured from about 0.2 inch to about 2 inch inside diameter high temperature metal alloy tube or pipe and loaded with a plurality of rolled catalyst inserts comprising metallic monoliths. The catalyst insert substrate is formed from a single metal foil without a central supporting structure in the form of a spiral monolith. The single metal foil is treated to have 3-dimensional surface features that provide mechanical support and establish open gas channels between each of the rolled layers. This unique geometry accelerates gas mixing and heat transfer and provides a high catalytic active surface area. The small diameter, high aspect ratio tubular catalytic steam reforming reactors loaded with rolled catalyst inserts can be arranged in a multi-pass non-vertical parallel configuration thermally coupled with a heat source to carry out steam reforming of hydrocarbon-containing feeds. The rolled catalyst inserts are self-supported on the reactor wall and enable efficient heat transfer from the reactor wall to the reactor interior, and lower pressure drop than known particulate catalysts. The heat source can be oxygen transport membrane reactors.

First claim

We claim:

1. A catalyst insert for a tubular catalytic steam reforming reactor comprising a metal substrate, an interfacial catalyst layer containing an active ingredient capable of catalyzing endothermic reforming reactions;
the metal substrate is a metal foil having a 3-D pattern of surface features comprising a plurality of peaks and grooves and said foil rolled into a spiral monolith;
the spiral monolith having a characteristic length “L m ”, an innermost diameter “d i ”, an outermost diameter “d m ”; a characteristic spacing “h m ” between layers;
wherein the ratio “L m /d m ” is greater than two and the ratio “d i /h m ” is less than three, wherein said 3-D pattern of surface features form about 75 peaks per square inch to about 200 peaks per square inch, and wherein said spiral monolith has a porosity of from about 50% to about 85%.

2. The catalyst insert of claim 1 wherein said active ingredient comprises at least one of Ni or Rh.

3. The catalyst insert of claim 1 wherein said interfacial catalyst layer has a thickness in the range of about 10 microns to about 80 microns.

4. The catalyst insert of claim 3 wherein said interfacial catalyst layer has a thickness in the range of about 40 microns to about 80 microns.

5. A catalytic reactor comprising a plurality of catalyst inserts according to claim 1 ;
the reactor having an inlet, an outlet, an exterior surface to receive heat, an interior volume defining a fluid flow passageway of length “L” between the inlet and the outlet;
the outlet is spaced apart from the inlet at a vertical distance “H”;
wherein the ratio “H/L” is less than 0.5; and the ratio of the lengths of plurality of catalyst inserts to the reactor length is at least 0.8.

6. The reactor of claim 5 wherein said catalyst insert is formed from a metal foil having defined surface patterns comprising a plurality of peaks and grooves, said foil rolled into a multi-layer spiral monolith, wherein said plurality of peaks and groves provide mechanical support for each rolled layer of said spiral and establish open channels through which gas can pass between the multi-layers of said spiral, wherein said rolled multi-layer spiral has a porosity of from about 50% to about 85%.

7. A process for endothermic reforming of a methane containing feed gas utilizing the catalyst inserts of claim 1 , comprising:
providing a plurality of high efficient tubular reactors arranged in a non-vertical orientation; said reactors containing said plurality of catalyst inserts; each of said reactors having an inlet, an outlet, an exterior surface to receive heat, an interior volume defining a passageway for fluid flow from the inlet to the outlet;
providing heat and heating said reactors exterior surface to a temperature of from about 650° C. to about 950° C.;
passing a feed stream containing methane and steam at a GHSV in the range of about 200,000 cm 3 /(hr g-cat) to about 500,000 cm 3 /(hr g-cat);
wherein the reformed product leaving the reactor at 850° C. has an approach to equilibrium of less than 5° C.

8. The process of claim 7 wherein said tubular reactor receives heat at a volumetric heat flux of from about 15,000 kW/m 3 to about 25,000 kW/m 3 .

9. The process of claim 7 where in the heat source comprises an oxygen transport membrane reactor.

Assignees

• Lin Jiefeng
• Kelly Sean M
• Praxair Technology Inc

Inventors

• Lin Jiefeng
• Kelly Sean M

Classifications

• B01J19/2415 Primary

  Tubular reactors · CPC title

• B01J19/249

  Plate-type reactors · CPC title

• C01B3/384 Primary

  with external heating of the catalyst · CPC title

• B01J19/32

  Packing elements in the form of grids or built-up elements for forming a unit or module inside the apparatus for mass or heat transfer · CPC title

• B01J35/04

  Operations & Transport · mapped topic