Back to results
US 12,233,392 B2Granted
Reactor for endothermic reaction
AssigneePrecision Combustion, Inc.
InventorJeffrey G Weissman
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A solar reactor useful in reaction processes, more particularly, useful in endothermic reaction processes, such as a catalyzed process or an adsorption-desorption process. The reactor comprises a reaction pathway defined by an exterior wall and an interior wall, the exterior wall comprising a solar radiation receiver capable of converting solar radiation into heat and transmitting the heat to the reaction pathway. The reaction pathway has disposed therein, in alternating fashion, a plurality of reactive elements comprised of a catalyst or a sorbent and a plurality of heat transfer elements.
Claims24
A solar reactor comprising a reaction pathway having a reactor inlet and a reactor outlet, the reaction pathway defined by an exterior wall and an interior wall;
- wherein the exterior wall comprises a solar radiation receiver disposed in thermal communication with the reaction pathway;
- and further wherein the reaction pathway has disposed therein the following structures:
- (a) a plurality of reactive elements, each reactive element comprising a porous material having a sorbent supported thereon, each reactive element further comprising a first flow path from a first inlet side to a first outlet side;
- (b) a plurality of heat transfer elements, each heat transfer element comprising at least one porous, thermally conductive material substantially lacking reaction activity;
- each heat transfer element further comprising a second flowpath from a second inlet side to a second outlet side;
- and
- (c) further such that the plurality of reactive elements and the plurality of heat transfer elements are disposed within the reaction pathway in an alternating configuration defining a fluid flow path from each element inlet side to each element outlet side.
4 more elements
A process of regenerating a sorbent comprising:
- (a) providing a solar reactor comprising a reaction pathway having a reactor inlet and a reactor outlet, the reaction pathway bounded by an exterior wall and an interior wall;
- wherein the exterior wall comprises a solar radiation receiver disposed in thermal communication with the reaction pathway;
- and further wherein the reaction pathway has disposed therein the following structures:
- (a)(i) a plurality of reactive elements, each reactive element comprising a porous material having a sorbent supported thereon, the sorbent being at least partially saturated with a sorbate, each reactive element further comprising a first flowpath from a first inlet side to a first outlet side;
- (a)(ii) a plurality of heat transfer elements, each heat transfer element comprising a porous, thermally conductive material substantially lacking sorbent activity;
- each heat transfer element further comprising a second flowpath from a second inlet side to a second outlet side;
- and
- (a)(iii) further wherein the plurality of reactive elements and the plurality of heat transfer elements are disposed within the reaction pathway in an alternating configuration defining a fluid flowpath from each element inlet side to each element outlet side;
- (b) exposing the solar radiation receiver to solar radiation so as to transfer heat to the heat transfer elements and the reactive elements, thereby liberating the sorbate and regenerating the sorbent.
6 more elements
An adsorption process with regeneration of a sorbent, comprising:
- (a) providing a solar reactor comprising a reaction pathway having a reactor inlet and a reactor outlet, the reaction pathway bounded by an exterior wall and an interior wall;
- wherein the exterior wall comprises a solar radiation receiver disposed in thermal communication with the reaction pathway;
- and further wherein the reaction pathway has disposed therein the following structures:
- (a)(i) a plurality of reactive elements, each reactive element comprising a porous material having a sorbent supported thereon, each reactive element further comprising a first flowpath from a first inlet side to a first outlet side;
- (a)(ii) a plurality of heat transfer elements, each heat transfer element comprising a porous, thermally conductive material substantially lacking sorbent activity;
- each heat transfer element further comprising a second flowpath from a second inlet side to a second outlet side;
- and
- (a)(iii) further wherein the plurality of reactive elements and the plurality of heat transfer elements are disposed within the reaction pathway in an alternating configuration defining a fluid flowpath from each element inlet side to each element outlet side;
- (b) feeding a flow of a feed stream containing a sorbate through the reaction pathway from each element inlet side to each element outlet side under conditions sufficient for the sorbent to adsorb the sorbate thereby producing a product stream of lower sorbate concentration;
- (c) stopping the flow of the feed stream through the reaction pathway;
- (d) exposing the solar radiation receiver to solar radiation so as to transfer heat to the heat transfer elements and thus to the reaction elements, thereby liberating the sorbate and regenerating the sorbent.
8 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.