Fluidized-bed reactor system

A method of removing contaminants from a contaminated gas comprising:

• providing a fluidized-bed reactor comprising:
• a chamber defining a hollow interior region and having a lower surface, the lower surface defining a portion of the hollow interior region;
• a first input for introducing a contaminated gas into the hollow interior region, the contaminated gas comprising at least one hydrocarbon contaminant;
• a plurality of catalyst nanoparticles within the hollow interior region and located on the lower surface, wherein the catalyst nanoparticles have an average particle diameter of about 15 nm to about 25 nm;
• a fluidizing input, located downstream of the first input, for introducing a fluidizing material into the hollow interior region, said fluidizing input having an outlet directed towards the lower surface and between about 0° to 90° with respect to the lower surface of the chamber to form a gaseous dispersion,
• wherein the introduction of the fluidizing material directed at the lower surface fluidizes at least a portion of the catalyst nanoparticles located on the lower surface to create a gaseous dispersion of catalyst nanoparticles that catalyzes the break down of the contaminated gas to produce a decontaminated gas comprising carbon dioxide;
• a port for the exit of the decontaminated gas comprising carbon dioxide out of the hollow interior region;
• a second input for introducing a backpressure pulse of gaseous material into the hollow interior region through the port;
• and
• a gas permeable separation device in communication with both the port and the second input;
• introducing the contaminated gas into the hollow interior region;
• introducing the fluidizing material into the chamber and directing the fluidizing material at the lower surface to fluidize at least a portion of the catalyst nanoparticles located on the surface to create a gaseous dispersion of catalyst nanoparticles that catalyze the break down of the contaminated gas to produce a decontaminated gas comprising carbon dioxide;
• reacting the contaminated gas to produce a decontaminated gas comprising carbon dioxide;
• passing the decontaminated gas comprising carbon dioxide from the hollow interior region through the port and the separation device so that catalyst nanoparticles are collected on the separation device;
• and
• introducing a backpressure pulse into the hollow interior region through the port and separation device so as to displace catalyst nanoparticles from the separation device;
• and
• allowing the plurality of catalyst nanoparticles displaced from the gas separation device to directly join the fluidized dispersion of catalyst nanoparticles and continue catalyzing the break down of the contaminated gas within the hollow interior region, the catalyst nanoparticles being selected from the group consisting of copper, ruthenium, osmium, platinum, silver, nickel, rhodium, palladium, gold, titanium dioxide, aluminum oxide, vanadium pentoxide, iron (III) oxide, zinc oxide, cadmium sulfide, zinc telluride, zirconium oxide, molybdenum disulfide, tin oxide, antimony tetraoxide, cesium dioxide, tungsten trioxide, niobium pentoxide and combinations thereof.

A fluidized bed reactor system comprising:

• a fluidized-bed reactor having a chamber, a plurality of catalyst nanoparticles capable of catalyzing the break down of a contaminated gas to produce a decontaminated gas comprising carbon dioxide, a first input, a fluidizing input located downstream of the first input, a port, a second input and a gas permeable separation device, the chamber defining a hollow interior region with the plurality of catalyst nanoparticles disposed therein and a lower surface defining a portion of the hollow interior region, each of the plurality of catalyst nanoparticles having an average diameter within a range between about 15 and about 25 nanometers, and the first input, the fluidizing input, and the port being in communication with the hollow interior region, the first input configured to direct a contaminated gas into the hollow interior region, the contaminated gas comprising at least one hydrocarbon contaminant, the fluidizing input configured to direct a fluidizing material toward the lower surface and between about 0° to 90° with respect to the lower surface and the plurality of catalyst nanoparticles for fluidizing at least a portion of the plurality of catalyst nanoparticles and creating a gaseous dispersion of catalyst nanoparticles that catalyzes the break down of the contaminated gas to produce a decontaminated gas comprising carbon dioxide, the gas permeable separation device being in communication between the port and the second input, the port configured to direct the decontaminated gas from the hollow interior region through the gas permeable separation device such that the plurality of catalyst nanoparticles collect on the gas permeable separation device, the second input configured to direct a backpressure pulse of gaseous material into the hollow interior region through the gas permeable separation device for displacing the plurality of catalyst nanoparticles previously collected on the gas permeable separation device therefrom, and allowing the plurality of catalyst nanoparticles displaced from the gas separation device to directly join the fluidized dispersion of catalyst nanoparticles and continue catalyzing the break down of the contaminated gas within the hollow interior region, a reaction product comprising carbon dioxide in the hollow interior region, the catalyst nanoparticles being selected from the group consisting of copper, ruthenium, osmium, platinum silver, nickel, rhodium, palladium, gold, titanium dioxide, aluminum oxide, vanadium pentoxide, iron (III) oxide, zinc oxide, cadmium sulfide, zinc telluride, zirconium oxide, molybdenum disulfide, tin oxide, antimony tetraoxide, cesium dioxide, tungsten trioxide, niobium pentoxide and combinations thereof and
• at least one control device coupled to the second input and at least one of the first and fluidizing inputs, the at least one control device configured to alternate the backpressure pulse of gaseous material through the gas permeable separation device with an entrance of at least one of the contaminated gas and the fluidizing material into the hollow interior region.