US-20260124596-A1 - ELECTRICAL REFORMING REACTOR FOR REFORMING A FEED GAS COMPRISING HYDROCARBONS

US20260124596A1US 20260124596 A1US20260124596 A1US 20260124596A1US-20260124596-A1

Abstract

A reforming reactor for reforming a feed gas comprising hydrocarbons, comprising an outer tubular vessel containing at least one structured catalytic module comprising: a structured catalyst having an open tubular shape with two axial parallel edges and a concertina structure; at least one electrically conductive material supporting at least one catalyst; at least two electrical conductor members and arranged along the two axial edges of the structured catalyst; and at least a first electrical insulation member arranged between the conductor members for electrically insulating them from each other.

Inventors

Mark WANDERS
Alireza YOUSEFI AFROOZ

Assignees

Technip Energies France

Dates

Publication Date: 20260507
Application Date: 20231010
Priority Date: 20221011

Claims (16)

1 . An electrical reforming reactor for reforming a feed gas comprising hydrocarbons, comprising an outer tubular vessel containing at least one structured catalytic module comprising: a structured catalyst having an open tubular shape with two axial parallel edges and a concertina structure, and comprising at least one electrically conductive material supporting at least one catalyst; at least two electrical conductor members and arranged along the two axial edges of the structured catalyst; and at least a first electrical insulation member arranged between the conductor members for electrically insulating them from each other.
2 . The electrical reforming reactor according to claim 1 , wherein the outer tubular vessel comprises several structured catalytic modules, superimposed, electrically connected in series and isolated from each other by a second electrical insulation member.
3 . The electrical reforming reactor according to claim 1 , wherein the structured catalytic module(s) comprises a third electrical insulation member arranged around its external surface.
4 . The electrical reforming reactor according to claim 1 , comprises a thermal insulation member arranged between the outer tubular vessel and the structured catalytic module(s).
5 . The reforming reactor according to claim 1 , wherein the structured catalytic module(s) comprises an inner hollow volume comprising a tubular fourth electrical insulation member.
6 . The electrical reforming reactor according to claim 5 , wherein the tubular fourth electrical insulation member is gas tight and is configured to allow the circulation of a reformed gas inside the tubular member.
7 . An electrical reforming unit for reforming a feed gas comprising hydrocarbons comprises several electrical reforming reactors as defined in claim 1 .
8 . The electrical reforming unit according to claim 7 , wherein it comprises two conductor members of electrical current connected to the reforming reactors.
9 . The electrical reforming unit according to claim 7 , wherein it comprises on its inner surface a refractory layer.
10 . The electrical reforming unit according to claim 7 , wherein it comprises: one lower chamber and one upper chamber, with the upper chamber being arranged above the lower chamber in use; an airtight member and an electrical insulation member arranged between the lower chamber and the upper chamber; several reforming reactors wherein the tubular fourth electrical insulation member is gas tight and is configured to allow the circulation of a reformed gas inside the tubular member, with the lower outlets of the reforming reactors opening into the lower chamber and the upper outlets of the reforming reactors opening into the upper chamber; with the reforming reactors comprising inlet holes of feed gas on its peripheral wall configured to supply the catalytic modules of the reforming reactors with the feed gas existing in the lower chamber, and outlet members of reformed gas configured to restitute in the upper chamber the reformed gas circulating inside the tubular members of the reforming modules; an inlet of the feed gas in the lower chamber; and an outlet of the reformed gas arranged in the wall of the upper chamber.
11 . The electrical reforming unit according to claim 10 , wherein it comprises, as conductor members of electrical current, two sheets with a cylindrical shape: a first sheet between the lower chamber and the upper chamber; a second sheet arranged in the top of the upper chamber; these sheets being connected to the reforming reactors, preferably by welding.
12 . The electrical reforming unit according to claim 11 , wherein each sheet is comprised between two rings of insulation material.
13 . The electrical reforming unit according to claim 11 , wherein the lower chamber comprises at least one baffle member configured to minimize the flow of feed gas to the bottom of the lower chamber.
14 . A reforming process of a feed gas comprising hydrocarbons, implementing an electrical reforming unit as defined in claim 7 and comprising: a) a feeding step of the reforming unit with the feed gas; b) a step to supply electrical power to the electrical conductor members of the electrical reforming reactors; c) a reforming step of the feed gas in the structured catalyst of the reforming reactors; d) a recovering step of a reformed gas; optionally, wherein the recovering step comprises a sub-step of circulation of a reformed gas inside tabular members of the reforming reactors.
15 . A reforming process of a feed gas comprising hydrocarbons, implementing an electrical reforming unit comprising: a) a feeding step of the reforming unit with the feed gas; b) a step to supply electrical power to the electrical conductor members of the electrical reforming reactors; c) a reforming step of the feed gas in the structured catalyst of the reforming reactors; d) a recovering step of a reformed gas; optionally, wherein the recovering step comprises a sub-step of circulation of a reformed gas inside tabular members of the reforming reactors, wherein the reforming unit is as defined in claim 10 , and the feeding step comprises a sub-step to feed the lower chamber with the feed gas and a sub-step to feed the catalytic modules of the reforming reactors with the feed gas existing in the lower chamber.
16 . (canceled)

Description

The invention is related to electrical reforming reactor for reforming a feed gas comprising hydrocarbons, an electrical reforming unit comprises several electrical reforming reactors and a reforming process implementing electrical reforming units. Fired reforming reactors for steam methane reforming, such as a fired steam methane reformer or a fired convective reformer, typically use large amounts of fuel to supply heat for the steam methane reforming reaction. In the case of a fired steam methane reformer (SMR), fuel is imported directly to a fired side of the SMR and burned to provide radiant heat for tubes of the SMR, whilst excess heat in the flue gas of the fired side of the SMR is typically utilized in a waste heat section of the SMR. In the case of a convective reformer or convective reforming reactor, fuel is led to a burner which generates a flow of a hot flue gas. An enclosure forms a convective channel or convection chamber that allows flue gas from the burner to flow over tubes of the convective reformer housing catalyst. The steam reforming reaction is highly endothermic. High temperatures typically in excess of 800-850° C. are needed to reach acceptable conversions of the methane in the feed. Climate change and ongoing energy transition make it mandatory to replace fossil carbon-based fuels in chemical production and recycled processes with a more environmentally friendly decarbonized source of energy. Transforming natural gas into valuable chemicals requires elevated temperature, often higher than 800° C. and even up to 1000° C. and are often endothermic. The energy needed is, therefore, high and not often environmentally friendly, as is demonstrated by the common use of fired heated reactors. Several studies have been undertaken to reduce the burden imposed by these (harsh) reaction conditions. In the study of Wismann S. T. et al., entitled “Electrified methane reforming: A compact approach to greener industrial hydrogen production” (Science, 2019, 364, 756-759), a conventional fired reactor was replaced by an electric-resistance-heated reactor. The electrified reformers can be divided into two main categories in terms of how electrical heating is delivered to the reforming reaction. The first category comprises of a separate electrical heating element and a reaction chamber containing the catalyst and other reactor internals or a catalyst supporting/holding wall. The electrical heating element may be embedded inside the catalyst bed OR wrapped/coiled around a tube or another form of a pressure vessel to deliver heat flux through a wall while is electrically insulated from the electrically conductive parts of the reactor to direct and maintain electrical current inside the electrical element. It is relatively less complicated to replace conventional fuel burning heating system with an electrical heating system however the main challenge of significant temperature gradient and heat loss between the heat source and sink remains unsolved. In the second category, the catalyst supporting wall/medium and electrical element are the same item. For example, the electrically conductive wall/medium current may be connected to electrodes and may be heated up by the passage of electrical currents through it. The heat is then immediately delivered to the catalyst which is either coated over the wall/element like an internal lining is filled inside the volume surrounded by the said wall. In another example the use of magnetic susceptible material may allow to heat up by induction the specific material on which (or at proximity of which) the catalytic active material is located (for instance by coating technology). The principle has been experimentally validated and reported in the literature (P. M. Mortensen et al. Ind. Eng. Chem. Res. 2017, 56, 14006-14013) The main advantage of the second category is to eliminate almost entirely the temperature gradient (and thereby removing any resistance to heat transfer) between source and sink as heating wall and reaction site are geometrically attached to each other or are extremely close. The solutions according to the prior art are more suitable for new installations and could not be used for revamp of the existing fired reformers into electrical ones. The other issues we notice in the solutions according to the prior art are: The energy losses between the heat sources and reaction sides on the catalyst,Electrical current distribution issues,Conducting of the current in heterogenous manner. The present invention aims to overcome these drawbacks and provide a reforming reactor for reforming a feed gas comprising hydrocarbons. A solution of the present invention is an electrical reforming reactor for reforming a feed gas comprising hydrocarbons, comprising an outer tubular vessel 25 containing at least one structured catalytic module comprising: A structured catalyst 1 having an open tubular shape with two axial parallel edges and a concertina structure, and compri