Electric reactor for steam cracking

A method for producing olefins via steam cracking from a fed reactive mixture stream composed of steam and hydrocarbons in a reactor shell comprising at least one reactive stream duct essentially having a reactive stream inlet, a product stream outlet and a reaction section provided between said reactive stream inlet and product stream outlet, an insulation filling at least partly encompassing said reactive stream duct, at least one structured ceramic bed accommodated in said reaction section and having a plurality of hollow flow paths which are configured to allow the reactive mixture stream to pass therethrough, at least one electrical resistance heating element, powered by at least two electrical feeds connected to an electrical power supply, configured to heat the reactive mixture stream to a predetermined temperature that initiates a non-catalytic gas phase radical reaction of steam cracking, and a coating provided on a surface contacting with the reactive mixture stream, the method comprising the steps of:

• arranging said electrical resistance heating element inside at least some of said hollow flow paths in a manner that a flowing passage still remains inside the hollow flow paths,
• energizing the electrical resistance heating element via an electric power supply so that the reactive mixture stream is heated up to 1200° C.,
• feeding reactive mixture stream with a temperature ranging from 400° C. to 700° C. and a pressure ranging from 1 bar to 10 bar to the reactor shell through said reactive stream inlet,
• allowing the reactive mixture stream to pass through said hollow flow paths in a manner that the reactive mixture stream contacts the electrical resistance heating element and the structured ceramic bed, and
• allowing a product stream of olefins to exit from said product stream outlet.