Patent EP-2676926-A1 (EP)
Inventor: FINKELDEI CASPAR HEINRICH
IPC: C01B17/16
Filed: 2012-06-22
Abstract: Reactor suitable for continuous preparation of hydrogen sulfide by exothermic reaction of sulfur and hydrogen to form a final product gas mixture P f i n a l comprising hydrogen sulfide and sulfur at elevated temperature and elevated pressure relative to standard conditions, comprises a lower reactor region suitable for accommodating a sulfur melt, one or more non-pressure-bearing first cavern(s) and at least one supply device suitable for controlled supply of pressurized gaseous hydrogen per first cavern. Reactor suitable for continuous preparation of hydrogen sulfide by exothermic reaction of sulfur and hydrogen to form a final product gas mixture P f i n a l comprising hydrogen sulfide and sulfur at elevated temperature and elevated pressure relative to standard conditions, comprises a lower reactor region suitable for accommodating a sulfur melt, one or more non-pressure-bearing first cavern(s) and at least one supply device suitable for controlled supply of pressurized gaseous hydrogen per first cavern, the caverns being suitable for at least temporary accommodation of a product gas mixture P 1 which forms in exothermic reaction and comprises hydrogen sulfide, sulfur and hydrogen, one or more non-pressure bearing second cavern(s) which are arranged above the first cavern(s) and are suitable for at least temporary accommodation of the product gas mixture P 1 formed in the first cavern(s) and for formation of further hydrogen sulfide by exothermic reaction of sulfur and hydrogen to form a product gas mixture P 2, and a gas collecting region suitable for accommodating the product gas mixture P f i n a l at elevated temperature and elevated pressure relative to standard conditions, where at least one of the second caverns has a greater volume than each of the first caverns, and/or in that at least one of the second caverns has lower heat removal for construction reasons than each of the first caverns. An independent claim is included for a process for preparing hydrogen sulfide by exothermic reaction of sulfur with hydrogen at elevated temperature and elevated pressure relative to standard conditions to form a product gas mixture P f i n a l comprising hydrogen sulfide and sulfur, involving providing a sulfur melt in a lower reactor region of a pressurized reactor, supplying pressurized hydrogen into the sulfur melt, the hydrogen supplied being accommodated at least partly, together with sulfur converted from the sulfur melt to the gaseous state, by at least one non-pressure-bearing first cavern, at least temporarily leaving the hydrogen and the sulfur in the first cavern(s), so as to form, in exothermic reaction, a product gas mixture P 1 comprising hydrogen sulfide, sulfur and hydrogen, accommodating the product gas mixture P 1 in one or more second cavern(s) and at least temporarily leaving the product gas mixture P 1, such that the sulfur and hydrogen present in the product gas mixture P 1 are reacted with formation of further hydrogen sulfide to a product gas mixture P 2, and use of at least one second cavern having a greater volume than each of the one or more first caverns and/or a lower heat removal for construction reasons than each of the one or more first caverns results in an increase in the hydrogen conversion in the second cavern in question, and collecting the product gas mixture P f i n a l in a gas collecting region.