Electrically heated steam reforming reactor
AssigneeRaven SR, Inc.
InventorTerry R. Galloway
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method and design of providing high temperature heat for an endothermic gasifier without combustion includes flowing a stream of a first hydrocarbon gas sequentially through an annular plenum and a cylindrical plenum while heating the gas using electrical resistance immersion heating elements. These heating elements may be heated by three phase electrical power, minimizing the number of electrical leads emerging from the top of the heating elements. This method and design reduces the risk of extremely hot syngas exiting the gasifier damaging downstream fittings.
Claims21
A method for high temperature gasification, comprising:
- flowing a stream of a hydrocarbon gas over one or more heat transfer fins towards a bottom inlet at a bottom of an annular plenum;
- flowing the hydrocarbon gas from the bottom inlet of the annular plenum toward a top outlet of the annular plenum;
- heating the flowing hydrocarbon gas along an axial length of the annular plenum;
- flowing the heated hydrocarbon gas from the top outlet to a top inlet of a cylindrical plenum and toward a bottom outlet of the cylindrical plenum;
- heating the flowing hydrocarbon gas along an axial length of the cylindrical plenum;
- converting the hydrocarbon gas to a syngas by said heating in at least one of the annular or cylindrical plenums;
- removing the syngas from the bottom outlet of the cylindrical plenum;
- and
- flowing the removed syngas over a heat sink;
- wherein the heat sink is in thermal communication with the heat transfer fins;
- and
- wherein the heat transfer fins are in thermal communication with the hydrocarbon gas upstream of the inlet at the bottom of the annular plenum.
A method for high temperature gasification, comprising:
- flowing a stream of a hydrocarbon gas from a bottom inlet at a bottom of an annular plenum toward a top outlet of the annular plenum, the annular plenum including an inner wall and an outer wall;
- heating the flowing hydrocarbon gas along an axial length of the annular plenum using a plurality of substantially linear heating elements extending along the axial length of the annular plenum and spaced apart from the inner wall and the outer wall, wherein each of the plurality of heating elements are discrete and spaced apart from each other, linear in shape, having two opposing ends, and are supported at only one end;
- flowing the heated hydrocarbon gas from the top outlet to a top inlet of a cylindrical plenum and toward a bottom outlet of the cylindrical plenum;
- heating the flowing hydrocarbon gas along an axial length of the cylindrical plenum;
- converting the hydrocarbon gas to a syngas by said heating in at least one of the annular or cylindrical plenums;
- and
- removing the syngas from the bottom outlet of the cylindrical plenum.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.