Patent ID: 11939218
Assignee: WEST VIRGINIA UNIVERSITY BOARD OF GOVERNORS ON BEHALF OF WEST VIRGINIA UNIVERSITY
Field: Chemical engineering (Chemistry)
Classification: CPC C  B  H | IPC B  C  H

Claim 0:
1. A method for producing hydrogen and crystalline carbon materials from methane, the method comprising:
a. conveying a process gas comprising methane to a chemical reactor; wherein the reactor comprises a catalyst material comprising Ni—Pd, Ni—Cu, Co, Fe, or a combination thereof and a catalyst support comprising a solid carbon material;
b. heating the catalyst with a thermal fluid and microwave irradiation using a hybrid heating device;
c. contacting the catalyst with the process gas; wherein the methane undergoes pyrolysis, thereby forming hydrogen and at least one solid carbon product; and
d. collecting the hydrogen;, wherein hybrid heating device comprises:, a process gas reactor;
wherein the process gas reactor has a thermally heated reactor surface;
wherein the thermally heated reactor surface is in contact with a catalyst bed within the process gas reactor;, a heating system comprising a thermal fluid heating system and a microwave heating system;
wherein the thermal fluid heating system comprises a thermal fluid inlet for conveying the thermal fluid to the thermal fluid heating system and a thermal fluid outlet for conveying the thermal fluid from the thermal fluid heating system;
wherein the thermal fluid heating system transfers heat to the thermally heated reactor surface;
wherein the microwave heating system comprises a microwave generator and a microwave tuner;
wherein the microwave generator is positioned to irradiate the catalyst bed;, a process gas inlet for conveying a process gas to the process gas reactor;
wherein the process gas is conveyed to be in contact with the catalyst bed;, a process gas outlet for conveying unreacted process gas and reactant gas out from the process gas reactor.