A process and apparatus for converting an alkane to an olefin. In one embodiment, the process involves oxidative coupling of an alkane, e.g., methane, with an oxidant, such as air, to produce an olefin having twice the number of carbon atoms as the alkane, e.g., ethylene. In another embodiment, the process involves oxidative dehydrogenation of an alkane, e.g., ethane, with an oxidant to form an olefin having the same number of carbon atoms as the alkane, e.g., ethylene. The process involves passing a flow of the oxidant from a first flow passage through a porous medium; diffusing a flow of the alkane from a second flow passage into the porous medium; and contacting the reactant alkane and the oxidant in the presence of a catalyst within the porous medium to produce the olefin.

A reforming device 1 for producing a reformed gas from a methane-containing gas containing methane and carbon dioxide includes a reforming reaction tube 10 containing a catalyst layer 12 filled with a reforming catalyst 12a for reforming the methane-containing gas, and a multilayer pipe 103 for spraying a cooling fluid to an outer peripheral surface of the reforming reaction tube 10 at a position corresponding to a gas inlet of the catalyst layer 12 in a length direction of the catalyst layer 12.

Provided is a hydrogen production reactor as a reactor producing a reforming gas including hydrogen, in which a burning unit and a reforming unit are sequentially arranged and spaced apart from each other in a concentric structure based on a raw material transfer pipe positioned at a central axis of the reactor, including a heating raw material transfer pipe supplying a raw material to the burning unit, a burning unit burning the supplied raw material and supplying heat to the reforming unit, a reforming raw material phase change pipe positioned within the burning unit and heating the supplied raw material, and a reforming unit reforming the phase-changed raw material supplied from the reforming raw material phase change pipe, wherein the reforming raw material phase change pipe is provided as a coil surrounding an outer circumferential surface of a lower end of the heating raw material transfer pipe.

A bayonet reactor including a catalytic reactor in the form of an annular structured packing is provided with increased surface area for the transfer of heat between annulus gas and return gas, an increased coefficient of heat transfer between the annulus and return gases, and a reduced overall pressure drop relative to conventional reactors. The reactors of the present technology can enable intensified catalytic processing.

The invention relates to a chemical reactor comprising reformer tubes for reforming a first feed stream comprising a hydrocarbon gas and steam. The chemical reactor comprises one or more reformer tubes arranged to being heated by an electrically driven heat source. The reformer tube comprises a first inlet for feeding said first feed stream into a first reforming reaction zone of the reformer tube, and a feed conduit arranged to allow a second feed stream into a second reforming reaction zone of the reformer tube. The second reforming reaction zone is positioned downstream of the first reforming reaction zone. The feed conduit is configured so that the second feed stream is only in contact with catalyst material in the second reforming reaction zone. The invention also relates to a process of producing CO rich synthesis gas at low S/C conditions.

Disclosed is a technology based upon the nesting of tubes to provide chemical reactors or chemical reactors with built in heat exchanger. As a chemical reactor, the technology provides the ability to manage the temperature within a process flow for improved performance, control the location of reactions for corrosion control, or implement multiple process steps within the same piece of equipment. As a chemical reactor with built in heat exchanger, the technology can provide large surface areas per unit volume and large heat transfer coefficients. The technology can recover the thermal energy from the product flow to heat the reactant flow to the reactant temperature, significantly reducing the energy needs for accomplishment of a process.

A reforming device 1 for producing a reformed gas from a methane-containing gas containing methane and carbon dioxide includes a reforming reaction tube 10 containing a catalyst layer 12 filled with a reforming catalyst 12a for reforming the methane-containing gas, and a multilayer pipe 103 for spraying a cooling fluid to an outer peripheral surface of the reforming reaction tube 10 at a position corresponding to a gas inlet of the catalyst layer 12 in a length direction of the catalyst layer 12.

Disclosed is a technology based upon the nesting of tubes to provide chemical reactors or chemical reactors with built in heat exchanger. As a chemical reactor, the technology provides the ability to manage the temperature within a process flow for improved performance, control the location of reactions for corrosion control, or implement multiple process steps within the same piece of equipment. As a chemical reactor with built in heat exchanger, the technology can provide large surface areas per unit volume and large heat transfer coefficients. The technology can recover the thermal energy from the product flow to heat the reactant flow to the reactant temperature, significantly reducing the energy needs for accomplishment of a process.

Axial-radial flow reactor comprising a catalytic bed (1) of a hollow cylindrical shape, having a vertical axis (2), a base (5), a radial gas inlet section (3b), an axial gas inlet section (6) and a radial gas outlet section (4b), wherein the catalytic bed (1) comprises: a first cylindrical annular region (10) containing a layer of a first catalyst (A) and a layer of a second catalyst (B), the layer of the first catalyst being above the layer of the second catalyst; a second cylindrical annular region (9) coaxial to the first annular region and containing only the first catalyst (A).

Axial-radial flow reactor comprising a catalytic bed (1) of a hollow cylindrical shape, having a vertical axis (2), a base (5), a radial gas inlet section (3b), an axial gas inlet section (6) and a radial gas outlet section (4b), wherein the catalytic bed (1) comprises: a first cylindrical annular region (10) containing a layer of a first catalyst (A) and a layer of a second catalyst (B), the layer of the first catalyst being above the layer of the second catalyst; a second cylindrical annular region (9) coaxial to the first annular region and containing only the first catalyst (A).