Nested-flow heat exchangers

Abstract

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.

Claims

1. A heat exchanger, the heat exchanger comprising: a first tube having a first end; a second tube having a second end; a third tube having a third end; and a manifold assembly, wherein: the first tube, the second tube, and the third tube are coaxial about a longitudinal axis, the first tube defines a portion of a first flow path, the first tube and the second tube define a portion of a second flow path, the second tube and the third tube define a portion of a third flow path, the second flow path and the third flow path are annular flow paths, the second end is the end of the second tube closest to the first end, the third end is the end of the third tube closest to the first end, the manifold assembly is in contact with the first end, the second end, and the third end, the manifold assembly defines an input and an outlet, the input is in fluid communication with at least one of the first flow path, the second flow path, or the third flow path, and the outlet is in fluid communication with at least one of the first flow path, the second flow path, or the third flow path.

2. The heat exchanger of claim 1, wherein the first tube, the second tube, and the third tube are substantially made of metal.

3. The heat exchanger of claim 1, further comprising: a first spacer disposed in the first flow path, a second spacer disposed in the second flow path, and a third spacer disposed in the third flow path, wherein: the first spacer does not substantially block flow in the first flow path, the second spacer does not substantially block flow in the second flow path, and the third spacer does not substantially block flow in the third flow path.

4. The heat exchanger of claim 3, wherein the first spacer, the second spacer, and the third spacer comprise a wire.

5. The heat exchanger of claim 3, wherein: the first tube has a fourth end opposite the first end, and the second spacer is disposed in a spiral wrap around the first tube from the first end to the fourth end.

6. The heat exchanger of claim 1, wherein: the first tube is characterized by a first diameter, the second tube is characterized by a second diameter, the third tube is characterized by a third diameter, the third diameter is greater than the first diameter, the third diameter is greater than the second diameter, and the first tube, the second tube, and the third tube comprise metal.

7. The heat exchanger of claim 1, wherein: the first tube is characterized by a first diameter, the second tube is characterized by a second diameter, the third tube is characterized by a third diameter, the first diameter is less than the second diameter and the third diameter, the first diameter is 0.25 inch, and the first flow path, second flow path, and the third flow path are at least partially defined by a gap of at least 0.014 inch.

8. The heat exchanger of claim 1, wherein: the first flow path is in fluid communication with the third flow path, and the second flow path is not in fluid communication with neither the first flow path nor the third flow path.

9. The heat exchanger of claim 1, wherein the first tube, the second tube, and the third tube are circular.

10. The heat exchanger of claim 1, further comprising: a fourth tube, a fifth tube, a sixth tube, a seventh tube, an eighth tube, wherein: the fourth tube, the fifth tube, the sixth tube, the seventh tube, and the eighth tube are coaxial about the longitudinal axis, the third tube and the fourth tube define a fourth flow path, the fourth tube and the fifth tube define a fifth flow path, the fifth tube and the sixth tube define a sixth flow path, the sixth tube and the seventh tube define a seventh flow path, the seventh tube and the eighth tube define an eighth flow path, and the fourth flow path, the fifth flow path, the sixth flow path, the seventh flow path, and the eighth flow path are annular flow paths, and the manifold assembly comprises eight plates, with each plate of the eight plates contacting a different tube.

11. The heat exchanger of claim 10, wherein: the first flow path, the third flow path, the fifth flow path, and the seventh flow path are in fluid communication, the second flow path, the fourth flow path, the sixth flow path, and the eighth flow path are in fluid communication, and the first flow path is not in fluid communication with the second flow path.

12. The heat exchanger of claim 10, wherein: the first flow path, the fourth flow path, and the seventh flow path are in fluid communication, the second flow path, the fifth flow path, and the eighth flow path are in fluid communication, the third flow path and the sixth flow path are in fluid communication, the first flow path is not in fluid communication with the second flow path, and the first flow path is not in fluid communication with the third flow path.

13. The heat exchanger of claim 10, wherein: six of the eight flow paths are defined by a first flow gap, and the remaining two flow paths are defined by a second flow gap smaller than the first flow gap.

14. The heat exchanger of claim 1, wherein the heat exchanger comprises an area per volume of 850 m.sup.2/m.sup.3.

15. The heat exchanger of claim 1, wherein the first flow path, the second flow path, and the third flow path are in a bayonet configuration.

16. The heat exchanger of claim 1, further comprising: a fourth tube having a fourth end, a fifth tube having a fifth end, a sixth tube having a sixth end, wherein: the longitudinal axis is a first longitudinal axis, the fourth tube, the fifth tube, and the sixth tube are coaxial about a second longitudinal axis, the second longitudinal axis is not the first longitudinal axis, the second longitudinal axis is parallel to the first longitudinal axis, and the manifold assembly is in contact with the fourth end, the fifth end, and the sixth end.

17. The heat exchanger of claim 16, wherein: the first tube is characterized by a first diameter, the second tube is characterized by a second diameter, the third tube is characterized by a third diameter, the fourth tube is characterized by a fourth diameter, the fifth tube is characterized by a fifth diameter, the sixth tube is characterized by a sixth diameter, the first diameter is equal to the fourth diameter, the second diameter is equal to the fifth diameter, the third diameter is equal to the sixth diameter, the manifold assembly comprises a first plate, a second plate, and a third plate, the first tube and the fourth tube contact the first plate, the second tube and the fifth tube contact the second plate, and the third tube and the sixth tube contact the third plate.

18. The heat exchanger of claim 1, wherein the first flow path is an annular flow path.

19. The heat exchanger of claim 1, wherein the first flow path is a tubular flow path.

20. A heat exchanger, the heat exchanger comprising: a first tube having a first end; a second tube having a second end; a third tube having a third end; and a manifold assembly, wherein: the first tube, the second tube, and the third tube are coaxial about a longitudinal axis, the first tube defines a portion of a first flow path, the first tube and the second tube define a portion of a second flow path, the second tube and the third tube define a portion of a third flow path, the second flow path and the third flow path are annular flow paths, the second end is the end of the second tube closest to the first end, the third end is the end of the third tube closest to the first end, the manifold assembly is in contact with the first end, the second end, and the third end, the manifold assembly defines an input and an outlet, the input is in fluid communication with at least one of the first flow path, the second flow path, or the third flow path, the outlet is in fluid communication with at least one of the first flow path, the second flow path, or the third flow path, the first flow path is in fluid communication with the third flow path, the second flow path is not in fluid communication with neither the first flow path nor the third flow path, and the first flow path, the second flow path, and the third flow path are in a bayonet configuration.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) FIG. 1 is an end view of one set of nested tubes showing tubes and resulting flow channels for one design of a nested-flow heat exchanger.

(2) FIG. 2 is a side view of one set of nested tubes with inner tubes pulled slightly out to reveal spacers used (in this case wire wrap) to maintain flow gap spacing.

(3) FIG. 3 is a cutaway view of a manifold nested-flow unit where seven single nested-flow units, each consisting of eight tubes and a central rod, are assembled onto one manifold.

(4) FIG. 4 is a cutaway view of a single nested-flow unit used for ammonia production.

(5) FIG. 5 is a cutaway view of a single nested-flow unit used for Steam Methane Reforming.

(6) FIG. 6 is a cutaway view of a single nested-flow unit used for Water Shift Reaction.

(7) FIG. 7 is a cutaway view of a single nested-flow used for urea production.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Definitions

(8) Nested-flow technology as used herein shall mean a system of nested tubes with associated flow channels, created by those tubes, which are maintained as open flow channels through the use of spacers within those flow channels.

(9) Single nested-flow unit as used herein shall mean a group of nested tubes with a common axial centerline, more or less, providing as many flow channels as desired.

(10) Manifold nested-flow unit as used herein shall mean more than one single nested-flow unit assembled onto a common manifold for achieving desired product flow rates.

(11) Wire wrap as used herein shall mean the installation of a small rod or wire spiraling from one end of a tube to the other end. The wire wrap can spiral fairly quickly from one end of the tube to the other, meaning that several inches of tube length would be incorporated for each wrap around the tube. The wire in this wire wrap need not be metal, but shall be compatible to the tube onto which it is wrapped and the fluid flowing within the channel in which it resides.

(12) Phase change jacket is a larger volume enclosed by a single tube which contains a number of single nested-flow units in which the principle heat transfer mechanism is either boiling or condensation.

(13) Endothermic process as used herein shall mean a process in which energy must be added else the reaction temperature would decrease.

(14) Exothermic process as used herein shall mean a process in which energy must be removed else the reaction temperature would increase.

Best Mode of the Invention

(15) Best mode of the invention as contemplated by the inventor is to maximize the energy savings within the design until the incremental energy savings from a size increase does not recover the added capital and pumping cost. As contemplated by the inventor, any tube placed within another should first have a spacer installed on the outside of the tube, and in the inventors opinion that spacer should be a wire spiral wrap from, essentially, one end of the tube to the other. That wire wrap should be the gap size minus any uncertainty in that gap size as a result of size uncertainties in the tubes.

How to Make the Invention

(16) Although a single nested-flow unit can be operated, most production units will consist of a multitude of single nested-flow units connected to a common manifold system consisting of several plates, depending upon the number of flow channels in the single nested-flow unit. A plate is machined to accept the number of same size tubes needed to meet the users desired flow as well as to provide a flow path for the fluid. All nested-flow tubes of the same size are installed on the same manifold plate, and every tube size within a single nested-flow unit has an independent plate. Thus if seven size tubes are incorporated into the single nested-flow unit, then at least seven manifold plates are provide, one for each tube size. If the inner-most tube is used for a flow channel, then an eighth plate is added to provide a corresponding channel in the manifold. All tubes which go inside another are first wire wrapped to provide a physical spacer to maintain the resulting flow path open, then the tubes are attached to the manifold plates; then nested together with inclusion of catalyst, when needed, to produce a manifold nested-flow unit. The manifold can be welded, brazed, or incorporate gasket and seals to prevent loss of process fluid.

(17) FIG. 1 shows the end view of a single set of nested tubes that can be used for a single nested-flow unit. In this arrangement, a center inch wire wrapped rod 1 is slid into a 0.25 inch diameter 0.049 inch wall thickness wire wrapped tube 2 then six 0.035 wall thickness wire wrapped tubes each 0.125 inches larger than the other starting with a 0.375 inch tube 2 until the final 0.035 inch wall thickness 1.0 inch diameter wire wrapped tube 3. A final 1.125 inch diameter 0.049 inch wall thickness tube 4 without wire wrap is then slid over this bundle of nested tubes to provide an eight flow channel single nested-flow unit. This arrangement provides six 0.028 inch flow gaps 7, 8, 9, 10 and 11 and two 0.014 inch flow gaps 6 and 12. This nested-flow arrangement on a hexagonal configuration provides an area per volume of 850 m.sup.2/m.sup.3, rivaling the printed circuit heat exchanger area per volume at a significantly less complicated construction effort.

(18) FIG. 2 shows the side view of a single set of tubes that can be used for a single nested-flow unit. Within the outer most tube 13 are nested tubes 14, 15, 16, and 17 along with a nested rod 18 each wire wrapped 19, 20, 21, 22 and 23 in order to maintain open, for fluid flow, the flow path created by the tube arrangement. While the diameters of these tubes are usually less than a few inches, the length of these tubes are several to twenty feet making the flow paths very thin and very long. These long flow paths permit the flow to reach turbulent behavior with high heat transfer effectiveness. Once in turbulent flow, the heat transfer effectiveness is nearly independent of flow rate, with only the rising pressure drop due to increasing flow that limits the performance.

(19) FIG. 3 shows a cutaway view of a manifold nested-flow unit where each single nested-flow unit consists of eight nested tubes and a central rod. Seven single nested-flow units (one in the center 24 and six around that one 25, 26, 27, 28, 29 and 30) are assembled onto one manifold 31. In the nested-flow arrangement the outer tube of the nested-flow nested tubes is attached to the upper plate, the next tube in is attached to the next lower plate and so forth, until finally the rod located in the nested-flow's center is attached to the lowest plate. This manifold arrangement permits the construction of large number of single nested-flow units into a single production unit. It is only the ability to handle this manifold unit size that limits its size.

How to Use the Invention

(20) The nested-flow technology can be used as a heat exchanger or as a chemical reactor or as a combined unit accomplishing both chemical reaction and heat exchange.

(21) FIG. 3 shows the basic configuration of the nested-flow technology attached to one manifold using seven single nested-flows units, each consisting of one rod and eight tubes. This arrangement provides eight flow paths. When used as a two flow heat exchanger a similar manifold is installed at the other end of the tubes and every other flow path is used for one fluid flow and the remaining paths serve the remaining fluid flow.

Examples of the Invention

(22) FIG. 4 shows a cutaway view of a single nested-flow unit used for ammonia production. Reference centerline 54 is shown as a reminder that the configuration is a set of nested tubes where the created flow paths are maintained through the use of a widely spaced spiral wire wraps. Ammonia is produced when the nitrogen and hydrogen reactants are heated to an optimum temperature and exposed to a formation catalyst. That optimum temperature is a tradeoff driven by the speed of formation which favors higher temperatures and extent of conversion favored by lower temperatures. In the nested-flow unit, the energy to raise the reactant flow to the optimum temperature is obtained from the product flow. Innermost tube 32 is used to reduce the gap in the reactant channel 48 created by the outside surface of tube 32 and the inside surface of tube 33 to improve this heat transfer. Tube 32 is a relatively small diameter tube, approximately 0.5 inches+/0.25 inches in diameter but extends many feet into the nested-flow where it is sealed with an end plug. The length of tube 32 is driven by the need for heat transfer area. Cavity 47 provides a volume for thermal couple insertion for chemical reactor control if so desired. Tube 32 is attached to manifold plate 39 and manifold plate 39 may have many similar tubes attached, one for each single nested-flow unit in the final manifold nested-flow unit, all having a common reactant input 42. Tube 33 is used as a flow baffle to force the flow from the cooler end of this unit to the warmer end and then back to the cooler end. Tube 33 becomes the outer boundary of the reactant channel and the inner boundary of the product channel 49. Tube 33 is attached to manifold plate 38, which may have many similar tubes attached, one for each single nested-flow unit in the final manifold nested-flow unit, all having a common product outlet 41. Tube 33 is approximately 0.625 inches+/0.25 inches in diameter between the manifold connection and past tube 32, where its diameter is reduced to permit the placement of an ammonia production catalyst 44. Tube 33 is not closed at the upper end, but left open permitting the reactants to flow from the inside of tube 33 to the outside at the warmer end of the nested-flow system. Tube 33 provides the heat transfer surface area for the for the thermal energy exchange between the reactants in channel 48 and the products in channel 49. Tube 34 provides the outer surface of the product flow channel. Tube 34 is attached to manifold plate 37, which may have many similar tubes attached. Tube 34 is approximately 0.75 inches+/0.25 inches and ten to twenty feet long. Tube 34 is closed at the warm end of the nested-flow, forcing the reactants to flow across the catalyst and form ammonia which is then cooled as it flows towards the cooler end of the nested-flow by both the reactant flow 48 and the water jacket flow 50. Tube 35 provides an outer boundary for the cooling jacket water flow. Tube 35 is attached to manifold plate 36, which may have many similar tubes attached. Manifold plate 36 provides for a common water input 40 for all of the single nested-flow units installed in the manifold nested-flow unit. Tube 35 is approximately 0.875 inches+/0.25 inches in diameter, and runs from manifold plate 36 to an intermediate manifold plate 51 just before the catalyst region of this nested-flow system. Manifold plate 51 is a transitional manifold plate which goes from one tube around each nested-flow to a common tube 52 around all nested-flow units attached to manifold 36. This common tube 52 provides a boiling region 45 for all single nested-flow units that allow the system to be operated either vertically or horizontally. Tube 52 is approximately 2 ft+/1 ft in diameter and 2 ft+/1 ft in length. A pressure vessel end cap 53 is attached to tube 52, with an exit port 46 near the top of the unit, which depends on the orientation, for steam to be used elsewhere in the production operation. This steam removes nearly all of the heat of formation for the ammonia operation. A manifold nested-flow unit for the production of twenty metric tons per day at a per cycle conversion fraction of 17% would be approximately one foot in diameter and ten feet long. The nested-flow design for ammonia production converts an ammonia production process from an energy consumption process costing $12/ton-of-ammonia to an energy production process worth $12/ton-of-ammonia based on natural gas cost of $4/million-BTUs.

(23) Operation of the ammonia manifold nested-flow unit is accomplished by first heating the water in region 45 to the operation temperature for the water. The reactant mixture of approximately one molar part nitrogen and three molar parts hydrogen is introduced at the common port 42. The reactants are heated by the tube surfaces as they flow toward the warm end of the nested-flow, where they form ammonia when in contact with the catalyst 44. Most of the heat of formation is deposited in the common boiling water volume 45, where the steam produced is removed for use elsewhere. The ammonia and un-reacted hydrogen and nitrogen are cooled as they move towards the cooler end of the nested-flow, providing the heat to the tubes which is used to heat both the reactants and water to their desired temperature. The flow from all the nested-flows is gathered inside the manifold where it exits at the common port 41. The ammonia will condense as it is cooled in flow channel 49. If operated vertically, then the ammonia, nitrogen and hydrogen are separated shortly after exiting the nested-flow manifold. If operated horizontally, then a lower and upper port can be incorporated for port 41, permitting separation of ammonia from un-reacted reactants within the manifold. Significantly higher once through production rates will occur because the temperature is not permitted to rise in the production of ammonia. As a result, significantly less recycling will occur and the total ammonia production size will be smaller.

(24) FIG. 5 shows a cutaway view of a single nested-flow used for Steam Methane Reforming (SMR). Centerline 73 is added to remind the reader that the nested-flow consists of a series of nested tubes with a more-or-less common centerline. Steam Methane Reforming is a process where steam and methane are reacted at relatively high temperatures to produce carbon-monoxide and hydrogen. The center most tube 55 is used to reduce the gap of the methane used as a combustion heat source that drives the endothermic SMR process and provides a cavity 61 for the insertion of one or more thermocouples for process controls if so desired. Wire wrap tube 55 has a diameter of approximately 0.5 inches+/0.25 inches and is 8 feet to 18 feet long. Wire wrap tube 56 has a diameter of approximately 0.625 inches+/0.25 inches, and provides the outer surface of the combustion methane flow channel 62 and the inner surface of the combustion air flow channel 63. The combustion reactants are maintained in separate channels due to the tendency to auto-ignite prior to arriving at the desire combustion location 72. Wire wrap tube 57 has a diameter of approximately 0.75 inches+/0.25 inches, and provides the outer surface of the combustion air channel and the inner surface of the combustion exhaust channel 64. Wire wrap tube 58 has a diameter of 0.875 inches+/0.25 inches and provides the outer surface of the combustion exhaust channel and the inner surface of the SMR reactant channel 65. Tube 58 is plugged at the warm end of the assembly to force the air and methane of the combustion process to start flowing down the tube where the combustion process occurs. Wire wrap tube 59 has a diameter of 1.0 inches+/0.25 inches and provides the outer surface of the SMR reactant flow channel and the inner channel of the SMR product flow channel 66. Tube 60 has a diameter of 1.125 inches+/0.25 inches and provides the outer surface of the SMR products. Tube 60 is plugged at the warm end of the tube and is the outer tube of the nested-flow tubes. All of the single nested-flows units that are assembled for a manifold nested-flow unit are housed within a common pressure tube 67. Tube 67 has a thermal insulator blanket 68 that isolates tube 67 form the internal temperatures of the nested-flow units, allowing the use of stainless steel throughout the system by minimizing the pressure differential across all tubes with the exception of tube 67.

(25) The methane flow for combustion is through channel 62. This methane flow is heated as it moves toward the warm end of the nested-flow nested tubes. The air flow for combustion is through channel 63. This air flow is heated as it moves toward the warm end of the nested-flow nested tubes. The methane and air are mixed at the warm end of the nested-flow unit, where the temperatures are greater than 800 C. Since the auto-ignition temperature for methane air is approximately 550 C., the methane and air will auto-ignite. The reactant flow for the SMR process is a mixture of steam and methane introduced through channel 65. The SMR reactant flow is heated as it travels toward the warm end of the nested-flow nested tubes, but will not substantially react until it enters the SMR catalyst 70 region of the channel 71. The SMR process has a significant entropy gain, going from three molecules of reactants to four molecules of products and proceeds nearly to completion provided sufficient energy is provided through the combustion process occurring in region 72. By having the combustion process so tightly coupled with the SMR process, the combustion process is only a few degrees hotter than the SMR process. As a result, the methane combustion process of the nested-flow system will have an equilibrium level significantly higher than 85% combustion level of the standard 2000 C. methane combustion. In addition, a combustion catalyst 69 is included in the system to take the methane combustion to even higher values as the combustion gases cool from loss of energy to the SMR process. Assembled into a manifold nested-flow unit, the SMR production unit will be twenty feet long and approximately twenty inches in diameter to meet the hydrogen production needs for twenty tons of ammonia per day. The efficiency improvement provided by the nested-flow technology will reduce the cost of hydrogen production from $140/ton-of-ammonia to $110/ton-of-ammonia based on natural gas cost of $4/million-BTUs.

(26) FIG. 6 shows a cutaway view of a single nested-flow used for Water Shift Reaction (WSR). Centerline 74 is added to remind the reader that the nested-flow consists of a series of nested tubes with a more-or-less common centerline. The WSR is a mildly exothermic process in which one mole of carbon-monoxide and one mole of water is reacted to produce one mole of carbon-dioxide and one mole of hydrogen. The optimum reaction temperature is a tradeoff driven by the speed of formation which favors higher temperatures and extent of conversion favored by lower temperatures. This WSR unit also serves to preheat the reactants for the SMR process and cool the products from the SMR to a lower temperature. This recuperation heat exchanger is built into the nested-tube arrangement of the WSR to same space. One option for the WSR unit is to incorporate it into the SMR unit producing a combined SMR/WSR unit. For clarity, these two units are shown separately. Wire wrapped tube 75 serves to improve the heat transfer between flows by decreasing the gaps in outer nested-flows. Wire wrapped tube 76 serves as a separation barrier between the combustion methane flow 83 and combustion air flow 84. Wire wrapped tube 77 serves as a separation barrier between the combustion air flow and the combustion exhaust product flow 85. It is the surface area of this tube and the hydraulic diameters of the adjacent flow channels that determine the temperature difference between these two flows. Wire wrap tube 78 serves as the barrier between the combustion exhaust flow and the WSR/SMR reactant flow 86. It is the heat transfer area of this tube and the hydraulic diameter of channels 86 and 87 that are the hardware drivers for determining the temperature difference between these two flows. Wire wrapped tube 79 serves as the barrier between the WSR/SMR reactant flow 86 and the WSR/SMR product flow 87. Wire wrapped tube 80 serves as the barrier between the WSR/SMR product flow 87 and the water cooling jacket flow 86 which removes the excess heat from the WSR process. The SMR products and excess water flow down channel 87 where they react when in contact with catalyst 90 in region 91. The length of catalyst 90 is determined from both the catalyst resonance time requirement and channel 87 flow rates. Tube 81 serves as the outer channel barrier for the coolant channel 88, tube 81 runs from the lower manifold (not shown) to an intermediate manifold 82. The intermediate manifold is a transition plate to allow the water flow channel 88 from all the nested-flow units to enter into a common volume 92 for water boiling, which is bounded by the larger circular tube 93. This common boiling volume permits the operation of the unit in either a horizontal or vertical orientation; exit 94 is provided at the top of this volume based upon that orientation. The WSR nested-flow system is similar in layout to the SMR nested-flow system, with the exception that the WSR nested-flow system results in all flows going through the unit while the SMR nested-flow system had all flows in the bayonet configuration. Assembled into a manifold nested-flow unit, the WSR production unit will be ten feet long and approximately twenty inches in diameter to meet the hydrogen production needs for twenty tons of ammonia per day. The efficiency improvement provided by the nested-flow technology will change the process energy needs from a process that requires external steam production at a cost of approximately $2.30/ton-of-ammonia to a process that is nearly self-sufficient in generating its own steam based on natural gas cost of $4/million-BTUs.

(27) FIG. 7 is a cutaway view of a single nested-flow used for urea production. Centerline 95 is included to remind the reader that the nested-flow is a nested tube assembly. Urea is produced by combining carbon-dioxide with ammonia at high pressure and slightly elevated temperatures. Tube 96 is the pressure boundary of a boiling volume used to control the operating temperature of the urea formation process. The pressure within volume 111 is regulated to control the boiling temperature. Tube 96 is approximately two feet in diameter and encloses all of the single nested-flow unit for urea production. For non-portable plants, this tube could be up to twenty feet long, while for portable plants, this tube may be as short as six feet long. Tube 97 is approximately 3 to 4 inches in diameter and is the outer tube and pressure boundary of the single nested-flow unit. The nested-flow unit length is dependent upon site constraints and could be as short as six feet or as long as twenty feet. Tube 97 is constructed of thick walled stainless steel for pressure requirements. Wire wrapped tube 98 and all tubes nested within tube 98 are non-metallic to provide compatibility with the ammonia-carbamate being formed in the down-flow channel 112. Wire wrapped tube 99 provides an initial formation channel for the ammonia-carbamate which is only slightly more dense than water. The ammonia-carbamate flows to the lower end of channel 112, and then flows up between tube 99 and tube 100. Tube 100 is a tube with many cascading ledges to slow the fall of the urea/ammonia-carbamate mixture as this mixture flow down the tube. O-ring grove 101 provides one method of sealing the non-metallic nested tubes to the manifold plates. Manifold plate 102 provides the upper flow path for the boiling flow 117 that cools all the single nested-flow units within this manifold nested-flow unit. Plate 103 serves as the lower boundary for that boiling flow and the upper boundary for one of the urea reactants flow, carbon-dioxide. Plate 104 serves as the lower boundary for that reactant flow and the upper plate of the remaining reactant flow, ammonia. Plate 105 serves as the lower boundary for the second reactant flow and the upper plate of the urea discharge flow. Plate 106 serves as the lower plate for the urea discharge flow. Flow 117 is the liquid flow into the common boiling region 111, while flow 108 is the gaseous discharge from that region. Flow 118 is the common flow of the reactant, carbon-dioxide. This reactant flow through nested-flow channel 113, providing a sweep gas to assure no ammonia-carbamate enters this channel and corrodes the pressure boundary provided by tube 97. At location 110, the carbon-dioxide gas enters the non-metallic flow channel 112 where it reacts with the ammonia reactant and forms ammonia-carbamate. This ammonia-carbamate flows down channel 112 then up channel 114, providing sufficient resonance time to convert approximately 80% of the ammonia-carbamate into urea. The urea/ammonia-carbamate mixture then spills over tube 100 at the upper end 109 and cascades down a series of landings to permit the ammonia reactant flow to strip the urea of ammonia-carbamate by subjecting the mixture to a constantly decreasing carbon-dioxide partial pressure. This stripping action results in extremely low levels of ammonia-carbamate in the urea flow at the lower end of tube 100. All single nested-flow units combine their urea flow into manifold channel 120 where it is discharged from the production unit. Flow channel 119 provides the common entrance point for ammonia. Ammonia reactant is used as a stripping gas to remove the ammonia-carbamate from the down-flowing liquid mixture. Ammonia is used as the stripping gas to suppress the formation of Biuret, a chemical that is damaging to some crops. At region 116, the carbon-dioxide vapor pressure is essentially zero, while the vapor pressure of the ammonia is essentially the operating pressure of the urea production system. This ammonia flows counter to the urea/ammonia-carbamate mixture, the mixture being a liquid and the reactant being a gas. As the reactant flow moves up tube 100, the vapor pressure of the carbon-dioxide increases due to the decomposition of the ammonia-carbamate as a direct result of the reduced carbon-dioxide partial pressure. Eventually the ammonia reactant flow 107 exits the top of tube 100 carrying with it all of the carbon-dioxide and ammonia released from the decomposition of ammonia-carbamate from this liquid/gas counter-flow stripping reaction. All of this gas flow is then mixed with the feed carbon-dioxide reactant flow in channel 112 where the deficiency in the carbon-dioxide partial pressure is made up by the feed of carbon-dioxide reactant flow through opening 110 and ammonia-carbamate once again is formed. Configured as 6 ft tall columns, a total of 110 columns will be required to obtain a resonance time of approximately 20 minutes. One arrangement could be three units each 24 inches in diameter and 80 inches tall. This urea production nested-flow system provides a compact and economic system for the ammonia-carbamate formation, urea formation and stripping step for removing residual ammonia-carbamate form the urea.

Deployment of the Invention

(28) These chemical reactors permit the modularization of a fertilizer plant. One modularization option would be to house these chemical reactors into standard forty feet long eight feet wide and eight feet tall shipping containers. To meet production goals of thirty-five tons per day of urea, only two shipping containers would be required to house all the chemical reactors, purification equipment, pumps and compressors. Such an arrangement would permit the equipment to be deployed rapidly to both regions that are short of fertilizer production capability and locations where natural gas is being wasted through flaring operations. For locations that are not supported or under-supported with electrical power, hydrogen production can be increased to provide additional hydrogen for use in hydrogen based fuel cells for production of needed electrical power. To meet 20 tons/day ammonia or 35 tons/day urea production, 1 million cubic feet per day of hydrogen measured at STP will be required. If the hydrogen production is doubled, a 35 ton/day urea production plant could provide approximately 3.5 MW of electrical power using hydrogen fuel cell technology.