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US 7,186,388 B2Granted
Catalytic reactor
AssigneeCompactGTL plc
InventorsMichael Joseph Bowe, Jason Andrew Maude
Life of this patent
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AssigneeCompactGTL plc
InventorsMichael Joseph Bowe, Jason Andrew Maude
Estimating the term…
A catalytic reactor comprises a stack of sheets defining flow channels between them. Within each flow channel is a flexible wire structure whose surfaces are coated with catalytic material. Flow channels for a first gas extend along S-shaped curved paths whereas the flow channels for a second gas are straight. The reactor incorporates header chambers to supply gas mixtures to the flow channels, each header chamber being a rectangular cap attached to a face of the stack. The reactor enables different gas mixtures to be supplied to adjacent channels, which nay be at different pressures, and the corresponding chemical reactions are also different. Where one of the reactions is endothermic while the other reaction is exothermic, heat is transferred through the sheets separating the adjacent channels, from the exothermic reaction to the endothermic reaction. When the catalyst in one set of flow channels becomes spent, it can be replaced by removing a header.
A catalytic reactor comprising a plurality of metal sheets arranged as a stack and bonded together, said sheets defining first flow channels between adjacent sheets, alternating with second flow channels between adjacent sheets for ensuring good thermal contact between fluids in the first and the second flow channels, at least the first flow channels being of width less than 4 mm and following a curved path in plan, fluid-permeable catalyst elements being insertable into and removable from within at least the first flow channels along said curved path, said catalyst elements being flexible for following said curved path during insertion and removal thereof, headers to supply respective fluid to the flow channels, each first header comprising a chamber attached to the outside of the stack and communicating with a plurality of first flow channels, and each second header comprising a chamber attached to the outside of the stack and communicating with a plurality of second flow channels, and such that after removal of a header said catalyst elements in the corresponding flow channels are removable.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.