US 12,269,740 B2
Device and process for the production of hydrogen and solid carbon from C1- to C4-alkane containing gas
Georg Markowz, Alzenau (DE)
Assigned to Uniper Kraftwerke GmbH, Dusseldorf (DE)
Appl. No. 17/600,568
Filed by Uniper Kraftwerke GmbH, Dusseldorf (DE)
PCT Filed Apr. 1, 2020, PCT No. PCT/EP2020/059258
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Sep. 30, 2021,
PCT Pub. No. WO2020/201356, PCT Pub. Date Oct. 8, 2020.
Claims priority of application No. 19020245 (EP), filed on Apr. 2, 2019.
Prior Publication US 2022/0212923 A1, Jul. 7, 2022
Int. Cl. C01B 3/24 (2006.01); B01D 45/16 (2006.01); B01J 19/00 (2006.01); B01J 19/18 (2006.01); C01B 3/50 (2006.01); C09C 1/48 (2006.01); H05H 1/40 (2006.01); H05H 1/42 (2006.01); H05H 1/48 (2006.01)
CPC C01B 3/24 (2013.01) [B01J 19/0013 (2013.01); B01J 19/1806 (2013.01); C01B 3/50 (2013.01); C09C 1/485 (2013.01); H05H 1/40 (2013.01); H05H 1/42 (2013.01); H05H 1/48 (2013.01); B01D 45/16 (2013.01); B01J 2219/00166 (2013.01); C01B 2203/0861 (2013.01); C01B 2203/0872 (2013.01); C01B 2203/1235 (2013.01)] 17 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A device for producing hydrogen and solid carbon from C1- to C4-alkane-containing gas by means of thermal plasma, said device comprising:
at least one reactor for generating a thermal plasma by means of an electric arc, the reactor comprising:
i) a plasma section comprising
an anode and a cathode for generating an electric arc, the arc extending within the plasma section, and
at least one first feed line for introducing a C1- to C4-alkane-containing plasma gas into the plasma section of the reactor,
wherein the anode has a hollow channel along a flow direction of a main stream of the plasma gas which has an inner surface, an outlet in the flow direction of the main stream of the plasma gas which forms an open end of the anode in the flow direction of the main stream, and at least one inlet for receiving the C1- to C4-alkane-containing plasma gas introduced into the plasma section of the reactor via the at least one first feed line, wherein the at least one inlet forms an open end of the anode facing into the direction opposite to the flow direction of the main stream, and wherein the anode is configured such that the plasma gas flows through the hollow channel via the open end of the anode facing into the direction opposite to the flow direction of the main stream and the open end of the anode in the flow direction of the main stream, wherein the plasma gas contacts the inner surface of the hollow channel of the anode during passage through the anode, and
wherein said anode and said cathode are arranged so that the arc generated by said anode and cathode is formed in said plasma section to form a plasmaeous plasma gas in said plasma section from the C1- to C4-alkane-containing plasma gas introduced into said plasma section through said at least one first feed line, and
wherein foot points of the electric arc contacting the anode are located on the inner surface of the hollow channel of the anode, and
ii) a second reactor section directly downstream of the plasma section of the reactor in the flow direction of the main stream, the second reactor section comprising
a first subsection and a second subsection, wherein the second subsection is directly downstream of the first subsection in the flow direction of the main stream, and
outlet means for withdrawing components from the reactor, wherein the outlet means are located at the end of the second reactor section in the flow direction of the main stream, wherein
the first subsection comprises at least one second feed line for introducing a C1- to C4-alkane-containing gas into the second reactor section, wherein
the at least one second feed line is arranged such that the C1- to C4-alkane-containing gas which is introduced into the reactor via the at least one second feed line is introduced into the plasmaeous plasma gas at a position downstream of the foot points of the electric arc in the flow direction of the main stream, so that in the first subsection of the second reactor section downstream of the at least one second feed line a mixture is formed from the plasmaeous plasma gas leaving the plasma section and the C1- to C4-alkane-containing gas of the at least one second feed line, and
wherein the position of the at least one second feed line along the flow direction of the main stream defines a beginning of the second reactor section and of its first subsection, and
wherein the plasma section has a volume which begins at the most upstream position at which the inner surface of the hollow channel of the anode is facing the electric arc and reaches down to the end of the plasma section of the reactor, wherein the plasma section volume is in the range of 0.0001 m3 to 0.4 m3, and defines a reference volume, and
wherein the first subsection of the second reactor section has a volume in the range of 10 to 200 times the reference volume, and
wherein the total second reactor section has a volume in the range of 20 to 2000 times the reference volume, and
wherein the reactor comprises in the first subsection of the second reactor section and/or in the plasma section in the range downstream in the flow direction of the main stream of the foot points of the electric arc on the inner surface of the hollow channel of the anode down to the end of the plasma section at least at one point a flow cross-section transverse to the flow direction of the main stream which is greater by at least a factor of 5, in comparison with the average flow cross-section of the anode transverse to the flow direction of the main stream in the range of the foot points of the electric arc on the inner surface of the hollow channel of the anode.