Methods of conducting simultaneous endothermic and exothermic reactions

A method of conducting simultaneous exothermic and endothermic reactions, comprising:

• flowing a fuel into a microchannel combustion chamber;
• adding an oxidant to the combustion chamber such that the oxidant oxidizes the fuel and temperature in the combustion chamber increases from the front of the combustion chamber to the back;
• providing an endothermic reaction composition in an endothermic reaction chamber that is disposed adjacent to the combustion chamber, wherein the endothermic reaction chamber and the combustion chamber are separated by a thermally conductive wall;
• wherein the endothermic reaction composition endothermically reacts to form products;
• and
• wherein the method is conducted in an intergrated combustion reactor (ICR) that has one free end and a non-free end;
• wherein the non-free end of the ICR contains connections for fuel, oxidant and exhaust.

A method of conducting an endothermic reaction in an integrated combustion reactor, comprising:

• passing an endothermic reaction composition into at least one endothermic reaction chamber,
• passing a fuel and an oxidant into at least one exothermic reaction chamber wherein the fuel and oxidant each have a contact time in the combustion chamber of 20 milliseconds or less,
• wherein the exothermic reaction chamber comprises at least one exothermic reaction chamber wall that is adjacent at least one endothermic reaction chamber,
• wherein the endothermic reaction chamber comprises an endothermic reaction catalyst in contact with at least the at least one endothermic reaction chamber wall that is adjacent at least one exothermic reaction chamber,
• transferring heat from the at least one exothermic reaction chamber into the at least one endothermic reaction chamber at a rate of at least 5 W/cm2 as based on the internal area of the endothermic reaction chamber;
• and
• wherein the temperature in the exothermic reaction chamber increases substantially monotonically from the front of the exothermic reaction chamber to the back.