Reactor for carrying out equilibrium-limited reactions

A method for operating an equilibrium-limited reaction, the method comprising:

• introducing gaseous reaction starting materials and a liquid sorption agent into a sorption chamber of a reactor;
• wherein the reactor comprises a reaction chamber with a catalyst therein;
• wherein the reaction chamber and the sorption chamber are separated by a gas-permeable element allowing gaseous reaction products of the reaction to flow through the gas-permeable element;
• preventing penetration of the liquid sorption agent into the reaction chamber with the gas-permeable element and repelling particles of the liquid sorption agent with the gas-permeable element;
• removing sorption agent from a lower region of the reactor with a sorption agent discharge device;
• and
• circulating a gas phase from the sorption chamber into the reaction chamber.

A reactor for carrying out equilibrium-limited reactions, the reactor comprising:

• a reaction chamber for receiving a catalyst;
• a sorption chamber for receiving a sorption agent;
• a feedstock feeding device;
• a sorption agent feeding device for providing sorption agent to an upper region of the reactor;
• a sorption agent discharge device for removing sorption agent from a lower region of the reactor;
• a suction device in the upper region of the reactor for circulating a gas phase from the sorption chamber into the reaction chamber;
• and
• a gas-permeable element separating the reaction chamber from the sorption chamber, wherein the gas-permeable element repels particles of the sorption agent.