Hydrogen generation in high temperature counter-current reactor
AssigneeExxonMobil Technology and Engineering Company
InventorsEverett J. O'Neal, David C. Dankworth, Keith R. Hajkowski
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Systems and methods are provided for performing reforming in a manner where the flows for providing heat for the endothermic reforming reaction are counter-current to the flows for the reforming reaction. Although the flows are counter-current, the systems and methods also allow the heating profile of the reactor to have a temperature peak toward the middle of the reactor, as opposed to at the end of the reactor. This shift of the temperature peak toward the middle allows for improved heat utilization and recovery during operation of the reactor.
Claims21
A method for performing counter-current reforming, comprising:
- passing a fuel into a fuel flow path and an oxygen-containing gas into an oxidant flow path in a recuperation zone of a reactor volume;
- passing a reforming input flow comprising at least one hydrocarbon into a plurality of reforming flow channels in a reforming zone of the reactor volume, a flow direction of the reforming input flow being substantially counter-current to a flow direction of at least one of the fuel and the oxygen-containing gas, the reforming channels comprising a reforming catalyst in the reforming zone;
- mixing the fuel and the oxygen-containing gas in one or more heating flow channels of a mixing zone of the reactor volume to form a fuel mixture, the mixing zone being adjacent to the recuperation zone, an opposing side of the mixing zone being adjacent to the reforming zone;
- reacting the mixture in the one or more heating flow channels in at least one of the mixing zone and the reforming zone to generate heat and an oxidized product flow, the one or more heating flow channels being arranged around the plurality of reforming flow channels;
- reforming at least a portion of the at least one hydrocarbon in the reforming channels under reforming conditions to form a reforming product flow;
- exhausting the reforming product flow from the recuperation zone;
- and
- exhausting the oxidized product flow from the reforming zone.
A counter-current reforming reactor, comprising:
- a reactor volume comprising a recuperation zone, one or more mixing elements in a mixing zone, a reforming zone, a first plurality of flow channels, and one or more second flow channels, at least a portion of the first plurality of flow channels residing in the reforming zone, the at least a portion of the first plurality of flow channels comprising reforming catalyst on one or more surfaces of the first plurality of flow channels in the reforming zone, the mixing zone being adjacent to the recuperation zone, an opposing side of the mixing zone being adjacent to the reforming zone, the one or more second flow channels being arranged around the first plurality of flow channels,
- wherein the recuperation zone comprises at least an oxidant flow path and a fuel flow path, at least one of the fuel flow path and the oxidant flow path providing fluid communication between an end of the recuperation zone and the mixing zone without providing fluid communication between the oxidant flow path and the fuel flow path in the recuperation zone.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.