Haldor Topsoe A/s

Other

Electric Power Research Institute Incorporated

Haldor Torsoe A/s

Jens R Rostrup-Nielsen

Henrik Otto Stahl

Karsten Pedersen

Ib Greve Jorgensen

Kim Aasberg-Petersen

Troels Dahlgaard Stummann

Ernst Jorn

Niels Ulrik Andersen

Allan Skov

Kjeld Jorn Andersen

Madhanakrishnan Janardhanan

Roberto Candia

Ernest Jorn

Kjeld J Andersen

Lars J Christiansen

Peter B Tottrup

The present disclosure relates to a reactor and a method of operation for an exothermal process being catalyzed by a catalytically active material receiving a reactant gas and providing a product gas, in which said exothermal process has a heat development having a potential for thermally degrading said catalytically active material, and which exothermal process operates at a temperature at which the reactants and at least 80% or all of the products are present as gases, said method comprising the steps of a) directing the reactant gas to a first zone of a material catalytically active in the exothermal process producing an first product gas, and b) directing the first product gas to a second zone of a material catalytically active in the exothermal process producing a product gas, with the option of fully or partially by-passing either said first zone or said second zone, while directing a non-condensing gas stream having a temperature at least 50&#xb0; C. lower than the product gas to said by-passed zone, wherein the choice of by-passing said zone is made based on the time of operation or a process parameter reflecting the catalytic activity of the zone of catalytically active material which is not by-passed with the associated benefit of reducing the extent of thermal deactivation of the catalytically active material, and thus increasing the overall lifetime of the catalytically active material.

Process and reactor for exothermal reaction

A process for producing electrical energy in an internal reforming, high-temperature fuel cell. Steam reforming of a carbonaceous feed gas takes place in the presence of a steam-reforming catalyst in heat-conducting relationship with electrochemical reactions in the fuel cell. The steam reformed feed gas is electrochemically reacted in an anode compartment of the fuel cell. The process is improved by controlled addition of a gaseous, sulfur-containing compound to the carbonaceous feed gas in an amount sufficient to obtain a sulfur coverage on the steam reforming catalyst of between 0.1 to 0.9.

Process for the production of electrical energy in an internal reforming

A fuel cell power plant utilizing hydrogen and carbon oxide rich feed gas (4) and comprising a hydrogen-carbon oxide consuming fuel cell (2) with an anode compartment (2a) and a cathode compartment (2c), means for supplying feed gas (8, 10, 12) to the anode compartment (2a), compression means (41) for supplying the cathode compartment (2c) with compressed cathode oxidant gas (44), and means for recirculating fuel cell exhaust gas (46, 50, 42) to the cathode compartment (2c), which fuel cell power plant further comprises a methanation unit (9) for converting the hydrogen and carbon-oxide rich feed gas (4) into a methanated gas, a reforming catalyst bed (13) adapted to receive and reform the methanated gas to anode process gas (14) by absorbing waste heat from said fuel cell (2).

Fuel cell power plant

Improved heat utilization is achieved in a process for the catalytic steam reforming of hydrocarbons to form a product stream rich in hydrogen by (a) first passing the process gas through a first portion of catalyst comprising 25-75% of the total steam reforming catalyst (whereby the heat needed for the endothermic reactions during reforming and for heating the process gas is supplied partly from a moderately hot flue gas generated by combustion of a fluid fuel and partly from the product stream) and then (b) passing the partly reformed process gas through the remaining portion of the reforming catalyst. In this second step, the heat needed for the further endothermic reactions and for heating the process gas is supplied by a hot flue gas, the hot flue gas thereby being cooled to form the moderately hot flue gas mentioned unde (a). A reactor for use in this process is also described.

Reactor for the catalytic reforming of hydrocarbons

An improved heat utilization in catalytic steam reforming of hydrocarbons to form a product stream rich in hydrogen is obtained by (a) first passing the process gas through a first portion comprising 25-75% of the steam reforming catalyst, whereby the heat needed for the endothermic reactions during reforming and for heating the process gas is supplied partly from a moderately hot flue gas and partly from the product stream; after which (b) the partly reformed process gas is passed through the remaining portion of the reforming catalyst, the heat needed for the further endothermic reactions and for heating the process gas is supplied by a hot flue gas generated by combustion of a fluid fuel, the hot flue gas being thereby cooled to form the moderately hot flue gas mentioned under (a). A reactor for use in this process is also described.

Heat exchange reforming process and reactor

The invention relates to a process for the preparation of a reducing gas having a high reduction potential by catalytic conversion in two steps of a sulphur-free gas mixture of hydrocarbons having a high content of hydrocarbons with two or more carbon atoms. In the first step an inlet stream of at least a part of the gas mixture together with added steam is passed through an adiabatic reactor containing a steam reforming catalyst at an inlet temperature of 440.degree.-510.degree. C. and an outlet temperature of 400.degree.-500.degree. C. and at a pressure of 1-30 kg/cm.sup.2 g the amount of steam added being calculated for obtaining in the inlet stream an H/C ratio of at least 4.8 and an O/C ratio of between 0.5 and 1. The outlet stream from the first step is combined with the top-gas from a reduction furnace, and the combined stream is then further converted in the second step by steam reforming into a reducing gas.

Process for preparation of a reducing gas

A gas rich in methane is prepared by the methanantion of a synthesis gas containing carbon oxides, hydrogen and optionally other gases in the presence of one or more gaseous sulphur compounds, normally in an amount of at least 10 ppm preferably at least 200 ppm by volume, calculated as H.sub.2 S, with the aid of a catalyst comprising vanadium and/or molybdenum, which during the process is present as one or more sulphides, on a support comprising titanium dioxide. A high activity and a high selectivity for methane are obtained. A further advantage is that, by far, the main constituent of the higher hydrocarbons formed is ethane, which, by conversion into ethylene, is an important raw material in petrochemical synthesis. The selectivity for methane formation may be further improved by promoting the catalyst with compounds, especially sulphides of metals of groups IA, IIA and/or IIIB, particularly cerium. The invention also relates to the catalyst itself which may be prepared by impregnation or coprecipitation techniques.

Process and catalyst for the preparation of a gas mixture having a high

Synthetic hydrocarbons, especially high octane gasoline, are prepared by catalytic conversion in two steps of a synthetic gas containing hydrogen and carbon oxides. In the first step the synthesis gas is converted at 10-80 bar and 200.degree.-300.degree. C. into an intermediate containing methanol and/or dimethyl ether. Useful catalysts for methanol synthesis are oxides of chromium, aluminium and/or copper, and zinc; and for dimethyl ether synthesis certain zeolites. In the second step the entire intermediate from the first step is converted at the same pressure as in the first step and an inlet temperature of 300.degree.-340.degree. C. while supplying heat to obtain an outlet temperature of 410.degree.-440.degree. C.; the difference between inlet and outlet temperature being at least 30.degree. C. higher than the temperature increase caused by the conversion reaction. As catalyst in the second step one can use any conventional catalyst for converting methanol and/or dimethyl ether into hydrocarbons, especially synthetic zeolites. The raw product stream from the second step is cooled and thereby separated into a condensed hydrocarbon product stream and a gaseous recycle stream, the latter being recycled without further separation to the inlet of the first stream and here combined with fresh synthesis gas feed. There is obtained a low rate of deactivation of the catalyst used in the second step and a high quality hydrocarbon product.

Process for the preparation of synthetic hydrocarbons

A gas mixture rich in ethan and/or ethylene is prepared by the conversion of a synthesis gas mixture containing hydrogen, carbon oxides and, optionally, other gases in the presence of one or more gaseous sulphur compounds, in an amount of at least 10 ppm by volume, preferably at least 200 ppm, calculated as H.sub.2 S, utilizing a catalyst consisting of one or more metals of group V-B and/or VI-B of the Periodic Table of Elements, preferably molybdenum and/or vanadium, together with one or more iron group metals each metal being in the form of free metal, oxide, or sulphide, the catalyst being supported on a porous, refractory oxidic support containing titanium dioxide. There is achieved a high activity and notably a high selectivity for the formation of ethane/ethylene, small amounts of propane, not insignificant amounts of methane and almost full suppression of the formation of higher hydrocarbons. The invention also relates to the catalyst prepared by impregnation or coprecipitation techniques.

Hydrocarbons and especially as gasoline are prepared by the catalytic conversion in two subsequent reactors of a synthesis gas containing hydrogen and carbon oxides and having a mole ratio CO/H.sub.2 above 1 and when the conversion commences a mole ratio CO/CO.sub.2 of 5 to 20. In the first reactor, which is preferably a cooled reactor, the synthesis gas is converted into a methane-containing first intermediate and this at least partly further into a second intermediate containing dimethyl ether, at 5-100 bar and 150.degree.-400.degree. C., in the presence of catalyst(s), the effluent from this reactor is combined with a recycle stream containing low boiling components of the effluent from the second reactor, and then passed to the second reactor, which is adiabatic, where the conversion of the second intermediate is carried out at substantially the same pressure as in the first reactor and 150.degree.-600.degree. C. in the presence of a catalyst, preferably a zeolite catalyst, converting said intermediate partly into hydrocarbons, preferably hydrocarbons that are liquid at NTP conditions.

Process for the preparation of hydrocarbons

The invention concerns a methanation catalyst essentially consisting of nickel on a porous support containing alumina and zirconia in a weight ratio of from 1:2.0 to 1:0.05. This catalyst has good activity at low temperatures and good stability at high temperatures and allows to limit the temperature of the catalyst bed.

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Virum, Denmark

Jens R Rostrup-Nielsen