US 12,110,229 B2
Process for recovering heat at high temperatures in plasma reforming systems
Leslie Bromberg, Sharon, MA (US); Kim-Chinh Tran, Cambridge, MA (US); and Jorj Ian Owen, Dulles, VA (US)
Assigned to MAAT Energy Company, Cambridge, MA (US)
Appl. No. 17/276,563
Filed by MAAT Energy Company, Cambridge, MA (US)
PCT Filed Sep. 26, 2019, PCT No. PCT/US2019/053177
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Mar. 16, 2021,
PCT Pub. No. WO2020/069146, PCT Pub. Date Apr. 2, 2020.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/737,420, filed on Sep. 27, 2018.
Prior Publication US 2022/0048003 A1, Feb. 17, 2022
Int. Cl. C01B 3/34 (2006.01); B01J 8/04 (2006.01); C01B 3/40 (2006.01); F28D 17/02 (2006.01); F28D 17/04 (2006.01); F28D 20/02 (2006.01); F28D 21/00 (2006.01)
CPC C01B 3/342 (2013.01) [B01J 8/04 (2013.01); B01J 8/0492 (2013.01); B01J 8/0496 (2013.01); C01B 3/40 (2013.01); F28D 17/02 (2013.01); F28D 17/04 (2013.01); F28D 20/023 (2013.01); B01J 2208/00513 (2013.01); B01J 2208/0053 (2013.01); B01J 2208/00752 (2013.01); C01B 2203/0238 (2013.01); C01B 2203/0861 (2013.01); C01B 2203/0866 (2013.01); C01B 2203/0872 (2013.01); C01B 2203/0883 (2013.01); C01B 2203/1241 (2013.01); C01B 2203/1614 (2013.01); C01B 2203/1623 (2013.01); F28D 2021/0022 (2013.01)] 10 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A thermal reformer with heat recovery for the conversion of one or more reactants into products, comprising:
a first fixed-bed regenerator;
a heat source fluidly connected to the first fixed-bed regenerator;
a second fixed-bed regenerator fluidly connected to the heat source;
a heat exchanger fluidly connected to the first fixed-bed regenerator and the second fixed-bed regenerator, the heat exchanger having a cold side and a hot side; and
a valve system controlling a fluid flow direction through the first fixed-bed regenerator, the heat source, the second fixed-bed regenerator, the cold side of the heat exchanger, and the hot side of the heat exchanger, wherein the valve system comprises a first valve and a second valve;
wherein the cold side of the heat exchanger is fluidly connectable to one of the first fixed-bed regenerator and the second fixed-bed regenerator, and the hot side of the heat exchanger is fluidly connectable to the other of the first fixed-bed regenerator and the second fixed-bed regenerator, and wherein the cold side and the hot side are reversible by switching the fluid flow direction using the first valve and the second valve;
wherein the first valve and the second valve of the valve system are configured to periodically switch the fluid flow direction between,
a first fluid flow direction wherein a fluid comprising said one or more reactants flows through the cold side of the heat exchanger to partly preheat the one or more reactants, then flows through the first fixed-bed regenerator to further preheat the one or more reactants using heat stored in the first fixed-bed regenerator, and then flows through said heat source to reform a portion of the one or more reactants into products, after which said products flow through said second fixed-bed regenerator to remove a portion of the heat from the products by absorbing the heat in the second fixed-bed regenerator, and then flow through the hot side of the heat exchanger to remove a further portion of the heat from the products, and
a second fluid flow direction wherein a fluid comprising said one or more reactants flows through the cold side of the heat exchanger to partly preheat the one or more reactants, then flows through said second fixed-bed regenerator to further preheat the one or more reactants using heat stored in the second fixed-bed regenerator, and then flows through said heat source to reform a portion of the one or more reactants into products, after which said products flow through said first fixed-bed regenerator to remove a portion of the heat from the products by absorbing the heat in the first fixed-bed regenerator, and then flow through the hot side of the heat exchanger to remove a further portion of the heat from the products;
wherein the heat source is configured to heat said one or more reactants to a temperature where the portion of the one or more reactants is reformed into products having a molecular composition different from that of the one or more reactants.