Reactor for conversion of hydrocarbons and oxygenates to syngas and hydrogen

A non-autothermal adiabatic reactor for production of hydrogen by oxidative reforming of ethanol, comprising:

• a reactor vessel defining an interior volume therein for adiabatic reaction, the reactor vessel being interiorly and/or exteriorly insulated so that reaction therein involves no heat exchange with an exterior environment of the reactor;
• an inlet assembly including feed inlets arranged to introduce ethanol, steam, and oxygen gaseous reactants to the interior volume of the reactor vessel, said feed inlets including (i) at least one ethanol gas feed inlet coupled to a source of ethanol, and (ii) at least one steam and oxygen gaseous mixture feed inlet coupled to a source of steam and oxygen gaseous mixture;
• catalysts disposed in the interior volume of the reactor vessel that are effective to produce hydrogen by oxidative reforming of ethanol when the ethanol, steam, and oxygen gaseous reactants introduced into the interior volume from the feed inlets of the inlet assembly are adiabatically reacted;
• and
• a reticulated porous ceramic foam body having at least one of said catalysts thereon and/or therein, positioned as a first catalyst bed in an entrance portion of the interior volume of the reactor vessel for contacting of the reticulated porous ceramic foam body and the at least one of said catalysts thereon and/or therein by the ethanol, steam, and oxygen gaseous reactants introduced into the interior volume from the feed inlets of the inlet assembly, and
• an outlet arranged to discharge reaction products comprising hydrogen from the reactor vessel,
• wherein the feed inlets of the inlet assembly are each oriented at an angle with respect to a central axis of the reactor vessel, wherein the included angle α between the central axis of the angled inlet in the inlet assembly and the central axis of the reactor vessel is in a range of 10°<α<75°.