Patent ID: 9561957
Date: 2017-02-07
CPC Classifications: B01J,B82Y,C01B,Y02P

Claim:
1. A device for production of a hydrogen-containing gas and a solid carbon, comprising a reactor configured axially, in the form of a horizontally and electrically heated tube, and defining a cavity, the reactor including: an inlet for a hydrocarbon-containing feed gas; an inlet connected to a source of a catalyst, wherein said catalyst is suitable for cracking hydrocarbons to form hydrogen and solid carbon; a reactor zone containing catalyst in the cavity during use; an outlet for a reactor gas; and an outlet for the catalyst; wherein: the reactor is configured for continuous operation and the inlets and outlets are arranged to enable the catalyst to be conducted in counter-current flow to the hydrocarbon-containing feed gas within the reactor zone; the axially configured reactor comprises a cooling zone at one end with a temperature and a heating zone at the opposite end externally heated and with a temperature higher than the temperature of the cooling zone, thus creating a temperature gradient with gradually decreasing temperature gradient from the externally heated heating zone to the cooling zone in the axially configured reactor during use, the hydrocarbon-containing feed gas inlet positioned such that the hydrocarbon-containing feed gas is provided to the cooling zone during operation; the device comprises external heating means; the external heating means provides heating to the hydrocarbon-containing feed gas and the catalyst in the heating zone, the external heating means selected from a group including heating rods, heating coils or a gas burner, wherein the external heating means is free of the catalyst; and the external heating means extends along a length that is less than 50% of a length of the reactor.