Patent ID: 8673035
Filing Date: 2014-03-18
Classification: B01J,C01B,C01P,C09C,F24S,F28C,Y02E,Y02P

Abstract:
1. A high temperature chemical reactor configured to conduct a reaction process that produces hydrogen or synthesis gas, comprising: a reactor having at least two reactor shells, including an inner shell and an outer shell, wherein the inner shell has an inlet and an outlet and the outer shell is nonporous and substantially encloses the second inner shell, a particle inlet configured to provide heat absorbing particles in a first gas stream flowing in the inner shell; wherein the reactor is heated at least in part by a source of concentrated sunlight, where the inner shell is heated by the concentrated sunlight, and the inner shell re-radiates from the inner wall and heats the heat absorbing particles in the first gas stream flowing through the inner shell, and heat transfers from the heat absorbing particles to the first gas stream, thereby heating the reactants in the first gas stream to a sufficiently high temperature so that the first gas stream undergoes the desired reaction(s), thereby producing hydrogen or synthesis gas in the first gas stream, a cooling zone located downstream of the inner shell the reactor, where the cooling zone is expanded and of a larger diameter than inner shell and the cooling zone provides a larger volume where product gases and dissociated product particles can be cooled; and a system element for removing the solid dissociation products from the first g as stream after the first gas stream exits the inner shell, where the solid dissociation products are removed from the first gas stream by 1) filtration, 2) cyclonic separation, or 3) a combination thereof; and a low pressure compressor connected downstream of the inner shell of the reactor.