Reaction assemblies, reactor systems including the same, and associated methods

A reactor system comprising:

• a reactor enclosure;
• a reaction particle inlet configured to introduce reaction particles into the reactor enclosure, wherein the reactor system is configured such that the reaction particles flow through the reactor enclosure in a downstream direction;
• a reaction gas inlet configured to introduce a flow of a reaction gas into the reactor enclosure, wherein the reactor system is configured such that the reaction gas flows through the reactor enclosure in an upstream direction opposite to the downstream direction;
• and
• a reaction assembly disposed between the reaction particle inlet and the reaction gas inlet, wherein the reaction assembly comprises:
• a reaction assembly housing configured to support a flow of the reaction gas in an upstream direction and a flow of the reaction particles in a downstream direction opposite to the upstream direction;
• a moving bed region;
• a gas acceleration region upstream of the moving bed region;
• and
• a reactive bed region upstream of the gas acceleration region,
• wherein the gas acceleration region comprises:
• a nozzle configured to accelerate the reaction gas;
• and
• one or more downcomer regions defined between the nozzle and the reaction assembly housing, and
• wherein the reaction assembly is configured such that, during operative use of the reaction assembly:
• the reaction gas flows in contact with the reaction particles in the moving bed region;
• a portion of the flow of the reaction gas is accelerated within the gas acceleration region to produce a fluidizing gas flow;
• and
• the fluidizing gas flow causes fluidizing of the reaction particles within the spouted bed region to facilitate the chemical reaction between the reaction gas and the reaction particles within the spouted bed region.

A method of operating a reactor system, the method comprising:

• introducing a flow of reaction particles into a reactor enclosure of the reactor system;
• flowing the reaction particles through the reactor enclosure in a downstream direction;
• introducing a flow of a reaction gas into the reactor enclosure such the reaction gas flows through the reactor enclosure in an upstream direction opposite to the downstream direction;
• and
• flowing the reaction gas in contact with the reaction particles within a reaction assembly of the reactor system such that the reaction gas interacts with the reaction particles to produce:
• a moving bed region of the reaction assembly, in which the reaction gas flows in contact with the reaction particles and flows with a superficial velocity that is lower than a fluidizing gas velocity corresponding to the reaction particles;
• a gas acceleration region of the reaction assembly, in which a first portion of the flow of reaction gas is accelerated to produce a fluidizing gas flow with a superficial velocity that is greater than a fluidizing gas velocity corresponding to the reaction particles and in which the reaction particles flow in the downstream direction in contact with a second portion of the flow of reaction gas;
• and
• a reactive bed region of the reaction assembly, in which the fluidizing gas flow causes fluidizing of the reaction particles to facilitate a chemical reaction between the reaction gas and the reaction particles.