A reactor for carrying out catalytic reactions. The reactor includes a reactor component optionally arranged on a central rod in a reactor tube. The reactor component can have fluid ducts for directing fluid flow through the reactor. The fluid ducts are effective for increasing heat transfer in the reactor. The reactor component can further have a washer attached to a top or bottom surface for directing fluid flow.

The present invention relates to high efficient tubular catalytic steam reforming reactor configured from about 0.2 inch to about 2 inch inside diameter high temperature metal alloy tube or pipe and loaded with a plurality of rolled catalyst inserts comprising metallic monoliths. The catalyst insert substrate is formed from a single metal foil without a central supporting structure in the form of a spiral monolith. The single metal foil is treated to have 3-dimensional surface features that provide mechanical support and establish open gas channels between each of the rolled layers. This unique geometry accelerates gas mixing and heat transfer and provides a high catalytic active surface area. The small diameter, high aspect ratio tubular catalytic steam reforming reactors loaded with rolled catalyst inserts can be arranged in a multi-pass non-vertical parallel configuration thermally coupled with a heat source to carry out steam reforming of hydrocarbon-containing feeds. The rolled catalyst inserts are self-supported on the reactor wall and enable efficient heat transfer from the reactor wall to the reactor interior, and lower pressure drop than known particulate catalysts. The heat source can be oxygen transport membrane reactors.

A reaction assembly has an elongate vessel defining a reaction chamber. Planar supports within the reaction chamber have surfaces for supporting a solid catalyst. The planar supports are mounted transversely to an elongate axis of the vessel, forming a series of spaced-apart barriers. A conduit introduces gas through openings between successive barriers such that gas flow through the conduit causes gas to flow along the support surfaces. With selection of an appropriate metal nanoparticle catalyst that may be seeded on the support surfaces. the reaction assembly may be used to produce carbon nanofibers from carbon monoxide and hydrogen, wherein the nanofibers may be subsequently removed via injection of a fluid.

A catalytic reactor is provided comprising a plurality of first flow channels including a catalyst for a first reaction; a plurality of second flow channels arranged alternately with the first flow channels; adjacent first and second flow channels being separated by a divider plate (13a, 13b), and a distributed temperature sensor such as an optical fibre cable (19). The distributed temperature sensor may be located within the divider plate, or within one or 10 more of the flow channels.

A clean energy system, a renewable energy system or a zero emission energy system (ZEES) to utilize CO.sub.2 waste. The energy system may include a fuel processor, an energy catalytic reactor, and a power generator. The fuel processor may catalytically convert the CH.sub.4 component in the natural gas, biogas or syngas into a reformate including H.sub.2, CO, CO.sub.2 and H.sub.2O species. The energy reactor may convert the reformate in gas form into a liquid fuel. The power generator may generate power using an output of the fuel processor and/or an output of the energy reactor.

Certain configurations described herein comprise a reformer that is operative to liberate hydrogen gas from a hydrogen-rich feedstock in a catalytic reforming reaction, where a hydrogen purifier is effective to remove and purify hydrogen gas, in a thermally integrated assembly combining the reformer and purifier. Methods of using the combined reformer/purifier are also described.

In a catalytic reactor including catalyst carriers inserted into a plurality of channels defined by corrugated fins, the corrugated fins include a first corrugated fin, and a second corrugated fin arranged to adjoin the first corrugated fin. When viewed from the first corrugated fin toward the second corrugated fin along the channels, at least a portion of side walls of the second corrugated fin is located between two adjacent ones of side walls of the first corrugated fin at adjoining end faces of the first and second corrugated fins.

A chemical flow reactor comprising: a housing having an inlet and an outlet; at least one heat exchange pipe extending through the interior of the housing; a space defined between the interior surface of the housing and the outer surface of Gas Flow the at least one pipe, said space being in fluid communication with the inlet and the outlet; and a plurality of plates stacked within said space forming a stacked plate assembly between the inlet and the outlet, each plate comprising at least one hole through which the at least one pipe extends such that the at least one pipe extends through the stacked plate assembly. An active chemical, such as a catalyst, is disposed on each plate.