Apparatus for hydrogen and carbon production via carbon aerosol-catalyzed dissociation of hydrocarbons

An apparatus for producing hydrogen and carbon from a hydrocarbon that is a source of carbon aerosol particles using a continuous process consisting of:

• a) a reactor vessel consisting of two compartments,
• ai) a first reaction compartment with two inlets and one outlet, a first inlet for an energy source, a second inlet for a carbonaceous material and an outlet for catalytically active aerosol carbon particles generated in-situ,
• aii) a second reaction compartment that is a catalytic reactor with two inlets and two outlets, a first inlet for hydrocarbon feedstock, a second inlet for catalytically active aerosol carbon particles, a first outlet for hydrogen gas and a second outlet for elemental carbon produced by in-situ dissociation of a hydrocarbon feedstock into hydrogen gas and elemental carbon, and
• aiii) a connection between the outlet of the first reaction compartment and the second inlet of the second reaction compartment;
• b) a means for dividing the hydrocarbon feedstock into a first stream and a second stream;
• c) a means for transporting the first stream of hydrocarbon feedstock of b) to the second inlet of the first reaction compartment where the hydrocarbon is exposed to an energy input directed to the first inlet of the first reaction compartment wherein an outgoing stream of catalytically active carbon aerosol particles is produced and becomes airborne;
• d) a means for directing the outgoing stream of airborne catalytically active carbon aerosol particles from the outlet of the first reaction compartment through the connection to the second inlet of the second reaction compartment;
• e) a means for transporting the second stream of hydrocarbon feedstock of b) to the first inlet of the second reaction compartment where in situ dissociation of the hydrocarbon feedstock occurs over the surface of catalytically active carbon aerosol particles from d) producing hydrogen gas and elemental carbon;
• and
• f) a means for collecting hydrogen gas from the first outlet of the second reaction compartment and elemental carbon from the second outlet of the second reaction compartment in a continuous process without catalyst regeneration.