US 10,697,630 B1Granted

Apparatus and method for reacting fluids using a porous heat exchanger

OwnerEdan Prabhuinventor

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Abstract

A reactor for a mixture of fluids that can react with each other exothermically, the reactor combining the properties of heat transfer and porosity, and having a first chamber wherein reacted fluids are maintained above the reaction temperature threshold, a second chamber disposed adjacent to the first chamber, wherein unreacted fluids enter the second chamber at a temperature that is below a reaction temperature threshold that is necessary for reaction of the fluids to occur, the fluids flowing in a second direction, opposite the first direction and a porous wall disposed between the first chamber and a second chamber, allowing portions of the unreacted fluids from the second chamber to seep into the reacted fluids of the first chamber, thereby heating the seeped fluids, causing the seeped fluids to react, the reaction increasing the temperature of the reacted fluid.

Claims18

Dependent claims

A reactor for a mixture of fluids that can react with each other exothermically, the reactor combining the properties of heat transfer and porosity and comprising:

a) an inlet with a mixture of unreacted entering fluids that are desired to react with each other, wherein the mixture of unreacted fluids is below a reaction temperature threshold that is necessary for reaction to occur;
b) a first chamber extending from a far end to a near end of the reactor and forming the hotter side of a heat exchanger, wherein reacted fluids are maintained above the reaction temperature threshold, and wherein the mixture of reacted fluids flows within the first chamber from the far end to the near end, and then out of the reactor;
c) a second chamber disposed adjacent to the first chamber and also extending from the far end to the near end of the reactor, the second chamber forming the cooler side of the heat exchanger;
d) wherein, the far ends of the first and second chambers are in communication with one another, thus allowing fluids exiting the far end of the second chamber to flow into the far end of the first chamber;
e) wherein a wall separates the first chamber from the second chamber that enables heat to be transferred through the wall from the first chamber to the second chamber;
f) wherein the wall between the chambers has a plurality of pores, such as to allow at least 75% of the mixture of unreacted fluids to enter the second chamber to seep through the pores from the second chamber into the first chamber, such that no more than 5% of the seepage is to occur via any single pore;
g) wherein the seeped fluids, due to being further heated by the mixture of reacted fluid in the first chamber, react within the first chamber and release exothermic heat of reaction;
h) wherein the mixture of reacted fluid from the far end of the first chamber travels to the near end of the first chamber while mixing with the fluids seeped via the plurality of pores from the second chamber into the first chamber, heating the seeped fluids and causing them to react.

5 more elements

A reactor for a mixture of fluids that can react with each other exothermically, the reactor combining the properties of heat transfer and porosity and comprising:

a) a first chamber wherein reacted fluids are maintained above the reaction temperature threshold and wherein the reacted fluids flow in a first direction;
b) a second chamber disposed adjacent to the first chamber, wherein unreacted fluids enter the second chamber at a temperature that is below a reaction temperature threshold that is necessary for reaction of the fluids to occur, the reacted fluids flowing in a second direction, reverse the first direction;
c) a porous wall disposed between the first chamber and a second chamber, allowing portions of the unreacted fluids from the second chamber to seep into the reacted fluids of the first chamber, thereby heating the seeped fluids, causing the seeped fluids to react, the reaction increasing the temperature of the reacted fluid;
and
d) a heat exchanger formed by the first chamber as the hotter side and the second chamber as the cooler side of the heat exchanger, that transfers heat from the reacted fluid to the unreacted fluids in the second chamber, raising the temperature of the unreacted fluids.

2 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 16/530,852Filed 2 Aug 2019
Granted: 30 Jun 2020
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification11 codes

F23C 13/00
Apparatus in which combustion takes place in the presence of catalytic material
F23C 99/006
Subject-matter not provided for in other groups of this subclass: flameless combustion stabilised within a bed of porous heat-resistant material
F23C 13/02
Apparatus in which combustion takes place in the presence of catalytic material: characterised by arrangements for starting the operation, e.g.…
F23D 14/62
Details: mixing devices; Mixing tubes