Patent ID: 11878953
Assignee: UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND, COLLEGE PARK
Field: Chemical engineering (Chemistry)
Classification: CPC C  B | IPC B  C

Claim 5:
6. A method comprising:
(a) providing an input gas flow stream to a first gas flow volume of a first membrane reactor, the first membrane reactor comprising the first gas flow volume, a second gas flow volume, and a first membrane separating the first gas flow volume from the second gas flow volume, the first gas flow volume having a first catalyst therein;
(b) providing, via a first gas supply, a first sweep gas to the second gas flow volume, the first sweep gas comprising 02 or an oxygen-containing compound;
(c) converting, via the first membrane reactor, at least some at least some CH4 in the input gas flow stream into C2 hydrocarbons, H2, and aromatics, so as to provide a first processed stream comprising CH4, C2 hydrocarbons, H2, and aromatics and such that a quantity of CH4 in the first processed stream being less than that in the input gas flow stream, the C2 hydrocarbons being acetylene (C2H2), ethylene (C2H4), ethane (C2H6), or any combination of the foregoing, the aromatics being benzene (C6H6), toluene (C7H8), naphthalene (C10H8), or any combination of the foregoing;
(d) removing, via the first membrane, at least some H2 from the first gas flow volume by permeating hydrogen ions through the first membrane into the second gas flow volume and such that oxygen ions permeate through the first membrane from the second gas flow volume into the first gas flow volume so as to reduce coking of the first membrane;
(e) removing, via an aromatics separation device connected to receive the first processed stream from the first gas flow volume, at least some aromatics from the first processed stream so as to provide a second processed stream comprising CH4 and C2 hydrocarbons and to provide a first output stream comprising the removed at least some aromatics, a quantity of the aromatics in the second processed stream being less than in the first processed stream;
(f) providing the second processed stream to a third gas flow volume of a second membrane reactor, the second membrane reactor comprising the third gas flow volume, a fourth gas flow volume, and a second membrane separating the third gas flow volume from the fourth gas flow volume, the second gas flow volume having a second catalyst therein;
(g) providing, via a second gas supply, a second sweep gas to the fourth gas flow volume, the second sweep gas comprising O2 or an oxygen-containing compound;
(h) converting, via the second membrane reactor, at least some CH4 in the second processed stream provided to the third gas flow volume of the second reactors, so as to provide a recycle stream to a recycle line, the recycle stream comprising C2 hydrocarbons and aromatics and such that a quantity of CH4 in the recycle stream is less than in the second processed stream;
(i) removing, via the second membrane, at least some H2 from the third gas flow volume by permeating hydrogen ions through the second membrane into the fourth gas flow volume and such that oxygen ions permeate through the second membrane from the fourth gas flow volume into the third gas flow volume so as to reduce coking of the second membrane; and
(j) providing, via the recycle line comprising one or more fluid conduits, the recycle stream as at least part of the input gas flow stream to the first membrane reactor,
wherein the removing of (d) provides autothermal operation of the first reactor via an exothermic reaction between the permeated hydrogen in the second gas flow volume and the O2 or oxygen-containing compound in the second gas flow volume, and
the removing of (i) provides autothermal operation of the second reactor via an exothermic reaction between the permeated hydrogen in the fourth gas flow volume and the O2 or oxygen-containing compound in the fourth gas flow volume.