Chemical reactor and method for chemically converting a first material into a second material

• US 20060103318A1
• Filed: 11/17/2004
• Published: 05/18/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 11/17/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Battelle Energy Alliance LLC (Battelle Memorial Institute)
• Original Assignee: Bechtel BWXT Idaho, LLC
• Inventors: Kong, Peter C.
• Granted Patent: US 7,354,561 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 315/111.210
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 19/088 giving rise to electric discharges for heating purposes H05B7/00; for the production of ozone C01B13/11, H01T19/00
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/0809 employing two or more electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/0833 forming part of a full circle
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/0871 Heating or cooling of the reactor
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/0884 Gas-liquid
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/0886 Gas-solid
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/089 Liquid-solid
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/0894 Processes carried out in the presence of a plasma
• CPC Class Codes: C01B 6/21 Preparation of borohydrides of alkali metals, alkaline earth metals, magnesium or beryllium; Addition complexes thereof, e.g. LiBH4.2N2H4, NaB2H7
• CPC Class Codes: F23G 2204/201 Plasma

Abstract

A chemical reactor and method for converting a first material into a second material is disclosed and wherein the chemical reactor is provided with a feed stream of a first material which is to be converted into a second material; and wherein the first material is combusted in the chemical reactor to produce a combustion flame, and a resulting gas; and an electrical arc is provided which is passed through or superimposed upon the combustion flame and the resulting gas to facilitate the production of the second material.

Claims

1. A method for chemically converting a first material into a second material, comprising:

providing a feed stream of a first material which is to be converted into a second material;

combusting the first material to produce a combustion flame, and a resulting gas; and

passing an electrical arc through the combustion flame and resulting gas to facilitate the production of the second material.

2. A method as claimed in claim 1, and wherein the step of passing the electrical arc through the combustion flame, and the resulting gas produces a high temperature plasma.

3. A method as claimed in claim 1, and further comprising:

providing a third material which is chemically reacted with the first material to produce the second material.

4. A method as claimed in claim 1, and wherein the second material comprises a borohydride, and wherein the first material comprises a borate.

5. A method as claimed in claim 1, and wherein the step of passing the electrical arc through the combustion flame facilitates a substantially one-step chemical reaction to produce the second material.

6. A method as claimed in claim 1, and further comprising:

providing a source of carbon which chemically reacts with the first material to produce the second material.

7. A method as claimed in claim 6, and wherein the source of carbon comprises elemental carbon, methane and other hydrocarbons.

8. A method as claimed in claim 1, and wherein the first material comprises more than one compound.

9. A method as claimed in claim 1, and further comprising:

increasing the exposure time of the combustion flame and the resulting gas to the effects of the electrical arc to facilitate the production of the second material.

10. A method for chemically converting a first material into a second material, comprising:

combusting a first material to produce a chemical flame which has a major dimension; and

passing an electrical arc through the combustion flame to create a plasma which extends along the major dimension of the flame and which facilitates the production of a second material.

11. A method as claimed in claim 10, and further comprising:

providing a chemical reactor which defines a passageway having opposite first and second ends, and wherein the chemical flame extends, at least in part, into the passageway, and wherein the passageway confines, at least in part the chemical flame.

12. A method as claimed in claim 11, and wherein the electrical arc extends between the first and second ends of the passageway.

13. A method as claimed in claim 11, and further comprising:

providing a first electrode which is positioned near the first end of the passageway;

providing a second electrode which is positioned near the second end of the passageway; and

providing a source of electricity and selectively coupling the source of electricity to the first and second electrodes to generate the electrical arc, and wherein the electrical arc extends along the passageway, and between the first and second ends of the passageway.

14. A method as claimed in claim 11, and wherein the step of combusting the first material to produce the chemical flame further comprises:

providing a chemical torch and positioning the chemical torch near the first end of the passageway, and wherein the chemical torch is electrically insulated from the reaction chamber; and

supplying the first material to the chemical torch to be combusted.

15. A method as claimed in claim 11, and further comprising:

providing a collection chamber, and positioning the collection chamber in receiving relation relative to the second end of the passageway, and wherein the collection chamber is electrically isolated from the chemical reactor.

16. A method as claimed in claim 11, and further comprising:

cooling a region of the chemical reactor which is located intermediate the first and second ends of the passageway.

17. A method as claimed in claim 10, and wherein the chemical flame has a major and a minor dimension, and wherein the electrical arc extends along less than about 50% of a distance as measured along the major dimension of the chemical flame.

18. A method as claimed in claim 10, and wherein the chemical flame has a major and a minor dimension, and wherein the electrical arc extends along greater than about 50% of a distance as measured along the major dimension of the chemical flame.

19. A method as claimed in claim 10, and wherein the first material comprises borate and wherein the second material comprises a borohydride, and wherein the method further comprises:

supplying sources of carbon and hydrogen and combusting the sources of carbon and hydrogen with the borate to produce the borohydride.

20. A method as claimed in claim 19, and wherein the sources of carbon and hydrogen are selected from the group which comprises elemental carbon, methane, water and other hydrocarbons.

21. A method for chemically converting a first material into a second material, comprising:

providing a feed stream of a first material;

providing a chemical torch, and combusting the first material in the chemical torch to produce a chemical flame;

providing a first electrode which is positioned adjacent to the chemical torch, and the chemical flame;

providing a second electrode which is positioned in spaced relation, and downstream of the first electrode, and which is further located adjacent to the chemical flame;

providing a source of electricity coupled to the respective first and second electrodes, and wherein the source of electricity produces an electrical arc which passes through the chemical flame, and which facilitates a chemical reaction of the first material to produce a second material; and

collecting the second material produced by the chemical reaction of the first material at a location downstream of the second electrode.

22. A method as claimed in claim 21, and further comprising:

providing a chemical reactor having opposite first and second ends, and wherein the chemical reactor defines a passageway which extends between the first and second ends thereof, and wherein the first and second electrodes are borne by the chemical reactor and individually positioned near the respective first and second ends of the chemical reactor, and wherein the chemical torch is positioned near the first end of the chemical reactor.

23. A method as claimed in claim 22, and further comprising:

cooling a region of the chemical reactor which is positioned intermediate the first and second ends.

24. A method as claimed in claim 21, and wherein the feed stream includes a third material which is combusted with the first material.

25. A method as claimed in claim 24, and wherein the electrical arc creates a plasma in the chemical flame, and wherein the first material comprises a borate, and the third material comprises a source of hydrogen, and wherein the plasma simultaneously reduces and then hydrogenates the borate to produce the second material which comprises a borohydride.

26. A method as claimed in claim 22, and wherein the step of collecting the second material further comprises providing a collection chamber and positioning the collection chamber downstream of the second electrode, and wherein the method further comprises:

positioning the chemical torch and the collection chamber in an electrically nonconductive orientation relative to the chemical reactor.

27. A method as claimed in claim 22, and wherein a region of the chemical reactor positioned between the first and second electrodes is electrically nonconductive.

28. A method as claimed in claim 21, and wherein the first material comprises sodium borate, and second material comprises sodium borohydride, and wherein the method further comprises:

providing a source of methane and combusting the sodium borate and methane to produce the chemical flame, and wherein the electrical arc creates a plasma in the chemical flame which increases the temperature of the flame and facilitates the reduction of the sodium borate and the simultaneous hydrogenation of the sodium borate to produce the sodium borohydride in a single step chemical reaction.

29. A method as claimed in claim 21, and wherein after the steps of providing the first and second electrodes, the method further comprises:

positioning the first and second electrodes at a given distance apart which facilitates the chemical reaction of the first material to produce the second material.

30. A method as claimed in claim 28, and wherein the passageway as defined by the chemical reactor has a major length dimension and a minor transverse dimension, and wherein the plasma created by the electrical arc extends substantially along the major length dimension of the passageway.

31. A chemical reactor, comprising:

a combustion assembly for receiving a first material, and combusting the first material to produce a combustion flame;

a chemical reactor positioned adjacent to the combustion assembly, and which receives the combustion flame; and

an electrical arc which passes through the combustion flame to create a high temperature plasma, and wherein the plasma is formed in a fashion so as to increase the residency time of the combustion flame within the plasma, and to facilitate the chemical reaction of the first material into a second material.

32. A chemical reactor as claimed in claim 31, and wherein the combustion assembly comprises a chemical torch, and wherein the chemical torch is mounted adjacent to the chemical reactor and is electrically insulated therefrom.

33. A chemical reactor as claimed in claim 31, and further comprising:

a collection chamber positioned in downstream fluid flowing relation relative to the chemical reactor, and wherein the collection chamber is electrically insulated from the chemical reactor.

34. A chemical reactor as claimed in claim 31, and wherein the electrical arc, and the resulting high temperature plasma are formed in the chemical reactor, and wherein the chemical reactor has a first and a second end, and a passageway having a length dimension is defined by the chemical reactor and extends from the first end, and through the second end, and wherein the high temperature plasma is created along a preponderance of the length dimension of the passageway.

35. A chemical reactor as claimed in claim 31, and further comprising:

a first electrode borne by the chemical reactor and juxtaposed relative to the passageway;

a second electrode borne by the chemical reactor and positioned in spaced relation relative to the first electrode, and further juxtaposed relative to the passageway;

a source of electricity which is selectively electrically coupled to the respective electrodes and which creates the electrical arc and the resulting high temperature plasma; and

an electrically insulative material positioned therebetween the first and second electrodes and which defines, at least in part, the passageway.

36. A chemical reactor as claimed in claim 35, and wherein the first and second electrodes are spaced apart at a distance which facilitates the production of the second material from the first material.

37. A chemical reactor as claimed in claim 33, and wherein the combustion assembly, chemical reactor and collection chamber are substantially aligned along a substantially vertically oriented axis.

38. A chemical reactor as claimed in claim 31, and wherein the high temperature plasma has a temperature of greater than about 5000 degrees C., and wherein the chemical flame has a temperature of least about 15 percent of the temperature of high temperature plasma.

39. A chemical reactor as claimed in claim 33, and wherein the first material comprises sodium borate, which is supplied to the combustion assembly, and the second material comprises sodium borohydride which is collected in the collection chamber, and wherein a third material comprising a source of hydrogen is supplied to the combustion assembly, and combusted with the sodium borate by the combustion assembly, and subsequently acted upon by the high temperature plasma to facilitate the production of the sodium borohydride.

40. A chemical reactor as claimed in claim 39, and wherein the third material comprises methane.

41. A chemical reactor, comprising:

a source of a first material which is to be converted into a second material;

a chemical torch which is coupled in fluid flowing relation relative to the source of the first material, and which combusts the first material to produce a chemical flame;

a chemical reactor positioned adjacent to the chemical torch and which defines a passageway that receives the chemical flame, and wherein the chemical reactor is electrically insulated from the chemical torch;

a first electrode borne by the chemical reactor, and which is positioned downstream, and at a first distance from the chemical torch;

a second electrode borne by the reaction chamber, and which is positioned downstream, and at a second distance from the chemical torch, and wherein the second distance is greater than the first distance, and wherein the second electrode is electrically insulated from the first electrode;

a source of electrical power supplied to the first and second electrodes and which generates an electrical arc which passes between the first and second electrodes and through the chemical flame which is passing through the reaction zone, and wherein the electrical arc facilitates the formation of a high temperature plasma which promotes the chemical reaction of the first material to produce a second material; and

a collection chamber positioned downstream, and at a third distance from the chemical torch, and wherein the third distance is greater than the second distance, and wherein the collection chamber receives, at least in part, the chemical flame, and which further collects the second material, and wherein the second electrode is electrically insulated from the collection chamber.