Abstract:
The present invention relates to methods for gas phase reactant catalytic reactions. In particular the present invention relates to a method of hydrocarbon steam reforming, comprising:
passing a reactant stream comprising steam and hydrocarbon into at least one reaction chamber; wherein the reaction chamber has an internal volume having dimensions of chamber height, chamber width and chamber length; wherein the chamber has a length of greater than 1 cm; wherein the chamber height or chamber width is 2 mm or less; wherein the reaction chamber is in thermal contact through a reaction chamber wall with an exothermic reaction chamber; transferring heat from the exothermic reaction chamber to the reaction chamber through the reaction chamber wall at a rate such that heat flux between the reaction chamber and the exothermic reaction chamber is at least 0.6 W per cubic centimeter of the reaction chamber wall; wherein the method is controlled under conditions such that the hydrocarbon has a contact time of less than 300 ms; wherein the reactant stream is converted to a product stream; and wherein at least 70% of the equilibrium conversion of the hydrocarbon entering the reaction chamber is converted to hydrogen, carbon monoxide or carbon dioxide.
Abstract:
New designs, methods and processes are described that in which laminated devices and configured in a style named the "ortho" style. To form a device in the ortho style, plates or sheets are machined to have apertures and then stacked together such that the apertures connect and fluid can flow through the device in a direction that is substantially parallel to the direction of sheet thickness. Various laminated devices and processes using them are also described. For example, devices in which non-rectangular microchannels conform around reaction chambers or other bodies that need to be heated or cooled, are described. Features that separate or trip boundary layer and enhance heat transfer are also described.