Methods and systems for heat transfer by unmixed combustion
AssigneeEnergy and Environmental Research Corporation
InventorRichard K. Lyon
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An improved methods and systems are provided for transferring heat in a combustion system. The methods and systems provide for alternately exposing a reducing gas and a gas containing molecular oxygen to an unmixed combustion catalyst to respectively reduce and oxidize the unmixed combustion catalyst. The unmixed combustion catalyst is readily reducible when in its oxidized state and is readily oxidized when in its reduced state. The alternating reduction and oxidation reactions enable the unmixed combustion catalyst to efficiently release heat to a heat receiver in efficient thermal contact with the unmixed combustion catalyst. In most embodiments of the present invention, the unmixed combustion catalyst is in a reactor bed of a combustion system.
Claims32
A method of generating heat within a packed bed in a reactor for carrying out an endothermic reaction in the packed bed, the method comprising the steps of:
- (a) providing a packed bed in a reactor, the packed bed comprising a heat receiver and a catalyst for the unmixed combustion of fuel and air, the catalyst mixed and in intimate contact with the heat receiver, the catalyst being readily oxidized when in a reduced state and readily reduced when in an oxidized state, wherein the catalyst is selected from the group consisting of nickel/nickel oxide, silver/silver oxide, copper/copper oxide, cobalt/cobalt oxide, tungsten/tungsten oxide, manganese/manganese oxide, molybdenum/molybdenum oxide, strontium sulfide/strontium sulfate, barium sulfide/barium sulfate, and mixtures thereof;
- (b) contacting the catalyst in the packed bed, to release heat which is consumed by an endothermic reaction in the packed bed, alternately with:
- (i) a reducing gas to reduce the catalyst and thereby oxidize the reducing gas;
- and
- (ii) an oxidizing gas containing molecular oxygen in a sufficient quantity to completely oxidize the catalyst and thereby remove the molecular oxygen from the oxidizing gas.
A method of generating heat within a packed bed in a reactor for carrying out an endothermic chemical reaction in the packed bed, the method comprising the steps of:
- (a) providing a packed bed in a reactor, the packed bed comprising a heat receiver and a catalyst for the unmixed combustion of fuel and air, the catalyst mixed and in intimate contact with the heat receiver, the catalyst being readily oxidized when in a reduced state and readily reduced when in an oxidized state, wherein the catalyst is selected from the group consisting of nickel/nickel oxide, silver/silver oxide, copper/copper oxide, cobalt/cobalt oxide, tungsten/tungsten oxide, manganese/manganese oxide, molybdenum/molybdenum oxide, strontium sulfide/strontium sulfate, barium sulfide/barium sulfate, and mixtures thereof;
- (b) contacting the catalyst in the packed bed, to release heat which is consumed by an endothermic chemical reaction comprising the steam reforming of a hydrocarbon containing sulfur to produce hydrogen in the packed bed, alternately with:
- (i) a hydrocarbon gas to reduce the catalyst and thereby oxidize the hydrocarbon gas, resulting in production of hydrogen;
- and
- (ii) an oxidizing gas containing molecular oxygen in a sufficient quantity to completely oxidize the catalyst and thereby remove molecular oxygen from the oxidizing gas;
- (c) retaining sulfur in the reactor during the catalyst reducing step and the production of hydrogen;
- and
- (d) discharging the sulfur from the reactor in the form of SO.sub.2 during the catalyst oxidizing step.
A method of generating heat within a packed bed in a reactor for carrying out an endothermic reaction in the packed bed, the method comprising the steps of:
- (a) providing a packed bed in a reactor, the packed bed comprising a heat receiver and a catalyst for the unmixed combustion of fuel and air, the catalyst mixed and in intimate contact with the heat receiver, the catalyst being readily oxidized when in a reduced state and readily reduced when in an oxidized state, wherein the catalyst is selected from the group consisting of silver/silver oxide, cobalt/cobalt oxide, tungsten/tungsten oxide, molybdenum/molybdenum oxide, strontium sulfide/strontium sulfate, barium sulfide/barium sulfate, and mixtures thereof;
- (b) contacting the catalyst in the packed bed, to release heat which is consumed by an endothermic reaction in the packed bed, alternately with:
- (i) a reducing gas to reduce the catalyst and thereby oxidize the reducing gas;
- and
- (ii) an oxidizing gas containing molecular oxygen in a sufficient quantity to completely oxidize the catalyst and thereby remove the molecular oxygen from the oxidizing gas.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.