초록 ▼

Gas or vapor phase chemical reactions are conducted inside an open loop Stirling cycle apparatus which may operate as a heat engine or as a heat pump. Adsorbent surfaces are associated with the thermal regenerators of the Stirling cycle apparatus, so that pressure swing adsorption separation of reac

Gas or vapor phase chemical reactions are conducted inside an open loop Stirling cycle apparatus which may operate as a heat engine or as a heat pump. Adsorbent surfaces are associated with the thermal regenerators of the Stirling cycle apparatus, so that pressure swing adsorption separation of reactant and product gas species may be achieved in response to cyclic variations of flow and pressure within the apparatus. Flow control means are provided to introduce the feed gas into the working space of the apparatus and to remove separated product fractions. The feed gas is chemically reactive in a reaction zone of the working space, with reactant and product species separated by the apparatus to remove desired product(s) from the reaction zone while retaining reactant(s) in the reaction zone, so that conversion and selectivity objectives can be achieved. Engine embodiments of the invention may then convert heat of an exothermic reaction to mechanical power, while heat pump embodiments may supply heat to an endothermic reaction.

대표청구항 ▼

A process for conducting a chemical reaction between reacting species of gases, the process including the steps of: (a) providing a reactant for the reaction which produces a product of the reaction, the reactant and the product being gas phase components which have different selectivities of adsorp

A process for conducting a chemical reaction between reacting species of gases, the process including the steps of: (a) providing a reactant for the reaction which produces a product of the reaction, the reactant and the product being gas phase components which have different selectivities of adsorption on an adsorbent material, such that one of the components is a more readily adsorbed component and the other is a less readily adsorbed component, (b) providing a flow path connecting first and second variable volume spaces within an internal working volume, (c) introducing a feed gas which includes the reactant into a reaction space constituting a part of the internal working volume, (d) conducting the reaction within the reaction space to form a gas mixture which includes the reactant and the product of the reaction, (e) permitting the gas mixture from the reaction to contact the adsorbent material disposed along the flow path connecting first and second variable volume spaces, (f) cyclically varying volumes of the first and second variable volume spaces at equal periodic frequencies and with a different phase relative to each other to impose flow of the gas mixture in the flow path with cyclic reversals of flow direction, (g) maintaining the temperature of the first variable volume space approximately at a first temperature, and the temperature of the second variable volume space approximately at a second temperature, (h) cyclically exchanging heat between the gas mixture in the flow path and a material with heat capacity disposed along the flow path, (i) cyclically varying total pressure of the gas mixture in the flow path, at the same periodic frequency as said cyclic volume variations and with a phase coordinated with the variations of the first and second variable volume spaces, such that the more readily adsorbed component is preferentially adsorbed on the adsorbent material under increased pressure when the gas mixture is flowing along the flow path in one direction, and is desorbed and free to move with the gas flow when the pressure is decreased and the flow direction in the flow path is reversed, thus separating the gas mixture within the internal working volume by pressure swing adsorption so the reactant is relatively concentrated toward the first variable volume space, while the product is removed from the first variable volume space and relatively concentrated in the second variable volume space, (j) withdrawing a concentrated product from the internal working volume, (k) converting and transporting thermal energy within the internal working volume according to a regenerative thermodynamic cycle associated with the said cyclic variations of pressure and the said cyclic variations of the volumes of the first and second variable volume spaces. An apparatus for conducting a chemical reaction between reacting species of gases having a pair of gas phase components which include a reactant and a product which have different selectivities of adsorption on an adsorbent material, such that one of the reactant and product pair is a more readily adsorbed component and the other is a less readily adsorbed component, the apparatus comprising: (a) a first volume displacement means cooperating with a first variable volume space and means to change volume of the first space cyclically at a periodic frequency, (b) a second volume displacement means cooperating with a second variable volume space and means to change volume of the second space cyclically at the same periodic frequency as the first volume displacement means, (c) means to maintain the first variable volume space approximately at a first temperature, and means to maintain the second variable volume space approximately at a second temperature, (d) an adsorbent loaded regenerator connected at one end thereof to the first variable volume space and at a second end thereof to the second variable volume space, so that the regenerator provides a flow path between the first and second spaces, the adsorbent material and a material with heat capacity being associated with the flow path,