Microchannel with internal fin support for catalyst or sorption medium

• US 8,580,211 B2
• Filed: 09/14/2010
• Issued: 11/12/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 05/16/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Velocys Incorporated (Velocys PLC)
• Original Assignee: Velocys Incorporated (Velocys PLC)
• Inventors: Tonkovich, Anna Lee, Qiu, Dongming, Long, Richard Q., Yang, Barry L., Yuschak, Thomas, Perry, Steven T.
• Primary Examiner(s): BHAT, NINA NMN
• Application Number:
  US12/881,371
• Publication Number:
  US 20110002818A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,155 Days
• Field of Search: 422/603, 422/606, 422/625, 422/626, 422/627, 422/628, 422/645, 422/634
• US Class Current: 422/603
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 2256/245 Methane
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 2257/102 Nitrogen
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 2257/7025 Methane
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 2259/40092 using hot liquid
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 53/0438 Cooling or heating systems
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 53/0462 Temperature swing adsorption
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 19/0093 Microreactors, e.g. miniaturised or microfabricated reactors laboratory containers with capillary fluid transport in microfabricated channels or chambers B01L3/5027
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/00783 Laminate assemblies, i.e. the reactor comprising a stack of plates
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/00822 Metal
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/00824 Ceramic
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/00831 Glass
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/00833 Plastic
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/00835 Comprising catalytically active material
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/00855 Surface features
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/0086 Dimensions of the flow channels
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/00873 Heat exchange
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/00889 Mixing micromixers B01F33/30
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/38 for implementing user interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: Y02C 20/20 of methane

Abstract

An apparatus is described which comprises at least one process microchannel having a height, width and length, the height being up to about 10 mm, the process microchannel having a base wall extending in one direction along the width of the process microchannel and in another direction along the length of the process microchannel; at least one fin projecting into the process microchannel from the base wall and extending along at least part of the length of the process microchannel; and a catalyst or sorption medium supported by the fin.

Claims

1. An apparatus, comprising:

a microchannel; and

a fin assembly positioned in the microchannel, the fin assembly comprising a plurality of parallel spaced fins mounted on a fin support, the fin assembly being made of an alumina forming material, the surface of the fin assembly being oxidized to form an alumina skin, the fin assembly supporting a catalyst, the fin assembly including fin channels positioned between the fins providing a passageway for fluid to flow through the fin channels in contact with the catalyst, the fin assembly being made separately from the microchannel and inserted into the microchannel.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the fins are aligned parallel to one another.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein each fin has a cross-section in the form of a square, rectangle or trapezoid.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein a porous material overlies the alumina skin, the catalyst being supported by the porous material.

5. The apparatus of claim 4 wherein the porous material comprises a coating, fibers, foam or felt.

6. The apparatus of claim 4 wherein the porous material has a pore size in the range from about 3 angstroms to about 100 microns.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein a plurality of fibers or protrusions extend from the alumina skin, the catalyst being supported by the fibers or protrusions.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the catalyst is:

washcoated on the alumina skin;

grown on the alumina skin;

or deposited on the alumina skin.

9. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the fin assembly is made of a material comprising FeCrAlY.

10. The apparatus of claim 9 wherein the fin assembly is heated in air to form a surface layer of Al₂O₃.

11. The apparatus of claim 10 wherein an Al₂O₃ slurry is washcoated on the surface layer of Al₂O₃.

12. The apparatus of claim 11 wherein the slurry comprises the catalyst.

13. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the catalyst comprises a catalyst useful in conducting one or more of the following chemical reactions:

acetylation addition, alkylation, dealkylation, hydrodealkylation, reductive alkylation, amination, ammonia synthesis, aromatization, arylation, autothermal reforming, carbonylation, decarbonylation, reductive carbonylation, carboxylation, reductive carboxylation, reductive coupling, condensation, cracking, hydrocracking, cyclization, cyclooligomerization, ammoxidation, water-gas shift, dehalogenation, dimerization, epoxidation, esterification, Fischer-Tropsch reaction, halogenation, hydrohalogenation, homologation, hydration, dehydration, hydrogenation, dehydrogenation, hydrocarboxylation, hydroformylation, hydrogenolysis, hydrometallation, hydrosilation, hydrolysis, hydrotreating, isomerization, methylation, demethylation, metathesis, methanol synthesis, nitration, oxidation, partial oxidation, polymerization, reduction, reformation, reverse water gas shift, sulfonation, telomerization, transesterification, trimerization, Sabatier reaction, carbon dioxide reforming, preferential oxidation, or preferential methanation.

14. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the catalyst comprises Mo, W, V, Nb, Sb, Sn, Pt, Pd, Cs, Zr, Cr, Mg, Mn, Ni, Co, Ce, or a mixture of two or more thereof.

15. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the catalyst comprises La, Rh, Pt or a combination of two or more thereof.

16. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the catalyst comprises Co.

17. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the catalyst comprises a steam-methane reforming catalyst.

18. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the catalyst comprises a Fischer-Tropsch catalyst.

19. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the catalyst comprises a combustion catalyst.

20. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the catalyst comprises an oxidation catalyst.

21. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the microchannel has a height of up to about 10 mm.

22. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein each fin has a height in the range from about 0.02 to about 10 mm.

23. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the width of each fin is in the range of about 0.02 to about 5 mm.

24. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein gaps forming the fin channels are positioned between the fins, each gap having a width in the range from about 0.02to about 5 mm.

25. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the fin assembly comprises from 1 to about 50 fins per centimeter of width of the fin assembly.

26. An apparatus, comprising:

a microchannel; and

a fin assembly positioned in the microchannel, the fin assembly comprising a plurality of fins mounted on a fin support, the fin assembly supporting a catalyst, the fin assembly including fin channels positioned between the fins providing a passageway for fluid to flow through the fin channels in contact with the catalyst, the fin assembly being made separately from the microchannel and inserted into the microchannel;

the fin assembly being made of an alumina forming material, the fin assembly having a surface layer of Al₂O₃;

the catalyst being applied with a washcoat to the surface layer of Al₂O₃.

27. The apparatus of claim 26 wherein the washcoat comprises Al₂O₃.

28. The apparatus of claim 26 wherein the catalyst is a Fischer-Tropsch catalyst.

29. The apparatus of claim 26 wherein the catalyst is a steam-methane reforming catalyst.

30. The apparatus of claim 26 wherein the catalyst is a combustion catalyst.

31. The apparatus of claim 26 wherein the catalyst is an oxidation catalyst.

32. The apparatus of claim 26 wherein the catalyst comprises Co.