Auburn University

Intramicron, Inc.

Other

Abb Lummus Global Inc.

Ecc America Inc.

Bruce J Tatarchuk

Hongyun Yang

Paul Dimick

Troy Barron

Millard F Rose

Rasik H Raythatha

John N Zabasajja

Aravamuthan Krishnagopalan

David A Kohler

Lawrence L Murrell

Yong Qing Lu

Rudolf A Overbeek

Ali M Khonsari

Woo Yong Lee

Michael W Meffert

Sachin Nair

Don Cahela

Ranjeeth Kalluri

Yung-Feng Chang

David Scarborough

Donald Cahela

Gopal A Krishnagopalan

Bong Kyu Chang

Laiyuan Chen

Ryan A Sothen

Eric Luna

Paul S Dimick

Troy J Barron

Described is an industrial scale chemical reactor or reactor containing a shell having an inner wall, and at least one channel inside the shell. The shell has a circular, square, or rectangular cross-sectional area. All of the internal dimensions of the channel are greater than 10 mm, and optionally less than 50 mm. The channel has a rectangular cross-sectional area, and contains a catalyst bed containing catalyst particles and/or pieces containing catalyst particles packed inside the channel. The reactor has improved shell volume utilization, catalyst loading capacities, heat exchange efficiency, process intensification, or combinations thereof, compared to currently existing reactors. Exothermic reactions, such as the Fischer-Tropsch synthesis can be performed inside the channels of the reactor. Also described are methods of making the reactor.

Channel reactors

Described herein are improved chemical reactors for carrying out partial oxidation reactions. The chemical reactor permits the use of levels of oxygen above the lower explosion limit (LEL) typically used in partial oxidation reactions, which increases both volumetric reactivity and conversion per pass, resulting in reduced separation and reactant recycle costs. Also described are methods of using the reactors.

Reactors and methods for processes involving partial oxidation reactions

Battery packs for high energy density batteries (cells), particularly arrays of such batteries are described herein. The battery packs include a microfibrous media (MFM)-phase change materials (PCM) composite block and one or more active cooling structures. The MFM is typically sintered to the active cooling structures. The battery packs may contain more than one MFM-PCM composite block. Additionally or alternatively, the MFM-PCM composite block may contain different layers containing different MFM-PCM composites, which have different functionalities. In a preferred embodiment, at least one layer contains a flame retardant PCM, while at least one other layer contains a PCM with a lower melting temperature. The cells may be arranged in a repeating square or equilateral triangle pattern, with one or more active cooling structures in the geometric center of the square or triangle.

Battery pack for energy storage devices

Methods and devices for directly measuring the degree of saturation or degree of deactivation of an adsorbent and/or catalytic bed are described herein. The devices contain an inlet, an outlet, a catalytic and/or adsorbent bed, and optionally a support bed for supporting the catalytic and/or adsorbent bed. The devices further contain one or more structures attached to the reactor that allow for insertion of one or more sensors into the reactor. The sensor is used to spectroscopically interrogate the adsorbent and/or catalyst in situ, providing real-time information regarding adsorbant saturation and/or catalyst deactivation. The devices and methods described herein can be used to determine the saturation degree of adsorbent materials or catalyst beds that are involved in gas-liquid and liquid-liquid heterogeneous systems, such as those used in scrubbing and extraction.

Direct in situ monitoring of adsorbent and catalyst beds

Improved methods for preparing highly porous mesh media and loading functional particles into the media are described herein. The highly porous media can be used as supports for catalyst materials for a variety of applications, such as desulfurization. Pre-manufactured catalyst can be loaded into the sintered open media. Thus, the contamination issues associated wetlay paper making and pre-oxidation, the deactivation issues associated with the sintering and pre-oxidation steps, and the corrosion issues associated with the catalyst formation step can be avoided. The methods described herein result in the formation of highly porous media with functional particles immobilized inside.

Methods for preparing highly porous microfibrous media with functional particles immobilized inside

Methods for improving heat transfer at the interface between the internal reactor wall and mesh media containing microfibrous entrapped catalysts (MFECs) and/or microfibrous entrapped sorbents (MFESs) are described herein. Improved (e.g., more rapid) heat transfer can be achieved using a variety of approaches including increasing the contacting area of the interface between the mesh media and the reactor wall so that more contacting points are formed, enhancing the contacting efficiency at the contacting points between the mesh media and the reactor wall, increasing the number of contact points between the mesh media and the reactor wall using fine fibers, and combinations thereof.

Method for improving wall heat transfer in a chemical reactor

Thermal management systems for high energy density batteries, particularly arrays of such batteries, and methods of making and using thereof are described herein. The system includes one or more thermal conductive microfibrous media with one or more phase change materials dispersed within the microfibrous media and one or more active cooling structures. Energy storage packs or arrays which contain a plurality of energy storage cells and the thermal management system are also described. Further described are thermal or infrared shielding blankets or barriers comprising one or more thermal conductive microfibrous media comprising one or more phase change materials dispersed within the microfibrous media.

Thermal management systems for energy storage cells having high charge/discharge currents and methods of making and using thereof

Multi-Element Structured Arrays (MESAs) present an effective approach to utilizing high pressure drop media that previously were cost prohibitive for use in a traditional filter element. The operational velocity is significantly slowed by the incorporation of numerous elements; thus, eliminating the Darcian flow resistances of the media. The MESAs are readily fitted with two or more replaceable 'filter elements' that are able to employ commercially available media, microfibrous entrapped catalyst/sorbent media, unique multilayers and more. A model capable of estimating pressure drop for flow through a pleated filter is able to be used as a design tool to predict minimum initial pressure drop, maximum filtration area, and preferred media properties with respect to permeability versus thickness thus allowing the filtration system's dirt holding capacity, filtration efficiency and operational energy cost and filtration operational and total ownership costs such as blower energy, filter procurement and shipping, maintenance personnel, filter disposal, inventory and storage, cost of money and more to be improved.

Multi-element structured arrays (MESA's) for cost effective and high efficiency treatment of fluids

Disclosed are sorbent compositions that include a porous titanium dioxide support impregnated with a silver material. The sorbent compositions may be utilized in systems and methods for removing sulfur compounds from hydrocarbon streams such as jet fuel.

Processes for removing sulfur from a hydrocarbon stream utilizing silver-based sorbents

A vessel packed with a microfibrous media made of micron-sized highly conductive fibers, which are able (and may be used) to immobilize various reactive materials including catalysts, sorbents, electrocatalysts, and other chemically reactive solids. The vessel enables fine temperature control and a uniform temperature profile for a range of highly endothermic or exothermic chemical reactions, sorptions, separation processes, mixing operations, and heat transfer applications.

Microfibrous media and packing method for optimizing and controlling highly exothermic and highly endothermic reactions/processes

A microfibrous matrix with embedded supporting particulates/fibers and chemically reactive materials is provided as a filtration system for the removal of contaminants and other harmful agents from liquid and gaseous streams. Such materials may include chemically reactive materials as high surface area carbons, zeolites, silicas, aluminas, inorganic metal oxides, polymer resins, ZnO, ZnO/Carbon, Pt/&#x3b3;-AlO, PtCo/&#x3b3;-AlO, ZnO/SiOand various other catalysts, sorbents or reactants. The invention may be used to protect the intolerant anodes and cathodes of fuel cells from damaging HS while simultaneously aiding the selective conversion of CO to COin fuel streams predominated by hydrogen, to provide a highly efficient gas and/or liquid separation and purification methodology for gas masks, building filtration systems, and/or as polishing media located downstream of traditional packed bed filtration systems.

Microfibrous entrapment of small reactive particulates and fibers for high contacting efficiency removal of contaminants from gaseous or liquid streams

A porous composite product comprised of a network of fibers is produced by forming an unsintered preformed network of fibers and a gasifiable structure forming agent, followed by gasification of the structure forming agent prior to sintering of the fibers at appropriate junction points. The preferred structure forming agent is a cellulosic material.

Production of composite structures

A new class of composites results from a matrix of fibers, such as fibers of carbon, alumina, ceramics, and aluminosilicates, interwined in a network of fused metal fibers. The composites can be fabricated to have varying surface area, void volume, and pore size while maintaining high electrical conductivity. Composites are readily prepared from a preform of a dispersion of the metal fibers, other fibers, and an organic binder such as cellulose, by heating the preform at a temperature sufficient to fuse the metal fibers and to volatilize at least 90% of the binder. Where a carbon fiber is used, the metal fibers are fused at a temperature causing a loss of less than about 25%, and usually under 15%, by weight of carbon fiber.

Preparation of mixed fiber composite structures

A family of composites are characterized as a network of a first fiber and at least a second fiber, where at least the first fibers have a multiplicity of bonded junctions at their point of crossing. The largest class has metals as one or both of the fibers, although the second fiber can be of materials such as carbon, ceramics, and high surface area materials. The composites can be simply prepared and manifest enormous variation in such properties as void volume, pore size, and electrical properties generally.

Mixed fiber composite structures

Composites of a matrix of metal fibers and carbon fibers interlocked in and interwoven among a network of fused metal fibers are inherently capable of displaying a broad range of values of a particular physical property. Where the composite is made by sintering a preform of the fiber network dispersed in a matrix of an organic binder, the value of the physical property of the resulting composite is a function of several independent variabiles which can be controlled during composite fabrication. With particular regard to the capacitance of a stainless steel-carbon fiber electrode, there is described a method of optimizing capacitance during electrode fabrication.

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Auburn, AL, United States of America

Bruce J Tatarchuk