Method and systems for forming carbon nanotubes
AssigneesExxonMobil Upstream Research Company, Solid Carbon Products, LLC
InventorsRobert D. Denton, Dallas B. Noyes
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Systems and a method for forming carbon nanotubes are described. A method includes forming carbon nanotubes in a reactor, using a Bosch reaction. The carbon nanotubes are separated from a reactor effluent to form a waste gas stream. The feed gas, a dry waste gas stream, or both, are heated with waste heat from the waste gas stream. The waste gas stream is chilled in an ambient temperature heat exchanger to condense water vapor, forming a dry waste gas stream.
Claims32
A system for the production of carbon nanotubes, comprising:
- a feed gas heater configured to heat a feed gas with waste heat from a waste gas stream;
- a reactor configured to form carbon nanotubes from the feed gas in a Bosch reaction;
- a separator configured to separate the carbon nanotubes from a reactor effluent stream forming the waste gas stream;
- and
- a water removal system, comprising an ambient temperature heat exchanger and a separator configured to separate a bulk of water from the waste gas stream to form a dry waste gas stream.
A method for forming carbon nanotubes, comprising:
- forming carbon nanotubes in a reactor using a Bosch reaction;
- separating the carbon nanotubes from a reactor effluent to form a waste gas stream;
- heating a feed gas, a dry waste gas stream, or both, with waste heat from the waste gas stream;
- and
- chilling the waste gas stream in an ambient temperature heat exchanger to condense water vapor, forming the dry waste gas stream.
A reaction system for forming carbon nanotubes, comprising:
- two or more reactors configured to form carbon nanotubes from gas streams using a Bosch reaction, wherein an effluent from each reactor, before a final reactor, is used as a feed stream for a downstream reactor, and wherein an effluent stream from the final reactor comprises a reactant depleted waste stream;
- a separation system downstream of each reactor, wherein the separation system is configured to remove carbon nanotubes from the effluent from the reactor;
- a feed heater downstream of each separation system, wherein the feed heater comprises a heat exchanger configured to heat a feed gas stream for a following reactor using waste heat from the effluent from the reactor, and wherein the feed heater downstream of the final reactor is configured to heat a gas stream for the first reactor;
- an ambient temperature heat exchanger downstream of each feed heater, wherein the ambient temperature heat exchanger is configured to remove water from the effluent, forming the feed stream for the following reactor;
- a compressor configured to increase the pressure of the reactant depleted waste stream;
- an ambient temperature heat exchanger downstream of the compressor, configured to remove water from the reactant depleted waste stream;
- a gas fractionation system configured to separate the reactant depleted waste stream into a methane enriched stream and a carbon dioxide enriched stream;
- and
- a mixer configured to blend the methane enriched stream or the carbon dioxide enriched stream into an initial feed stream.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.