초록 ▼

The disclosed technology relates to an apparatus, comprising: at least one microchannel, the microchannel comprising at least one heat transfer wall; a porous thermally conductive support in the microchannel in contact with the heat transfer wall; a catalyst or a sorption medium supported by the por

The disclosed technology relates to an apparatus, comprising: at least one microchannel, the microchannel comprising at least one heat transfer wall; a porous thermally conductive support in the microchannel in contact with the heat transfer wall; a catalyst or a sorption medium supported by the porous support; and a heat source and/or heat sink in thermal contact with the heat transfer wall.

대표청구항 ▼

1. A process for conducting a chemical reaction in a microchannel reactor, the microchannel reactor comprising: at least one microchannel, the microchannel comprising at least one heat transfer wall;a porous catalyst in the microchannel on the heat transfer wall, the porous catalyst comprising a por

1. A process for conducting a chemical reaction in a microchannel reactor, the microchannel reactor comprising: at least one microchannel, the microchannel comprising at least one heat transfer wall;a porous catalyst in the microchannel on the heat transfer wall, the porous catalyst comprising a porous support and an active catalyst, the porous support comprising primary pores and secondary pores, the primary pores being larger than the secondary pores;the active catalyst being in the secondary pores;a bulk flow region adjacent to the porous catalyst;a heat source and/or heat sink in thermal contact with the heat transfer wall;the process comprising flowing a first reactant and a second reactant in the microchannel through the bulk flow region in contact with the catalyst to form a product, and exchanging heat between the heat source and/or heat sink and the heat transfer wall. 2. The process of claim 1 wherein: the porous support comprises grooves that are stamped, etched, cut or machined in one or more thermally conductive support strips positioned in the microchannel adjacent to and in contact with the heat transfer wall. 3. The process of claim 1 wherein: the process is conducted with a contact time in the range from about 0.4 to about 4 ms, a heat flux in the range from about 10 to about 100 W/cm2, and a pressure drop in the microchannel less than about 15 atmospheres per meter. 4. The process of claim 1 wherein the process comprises conducting an equilibrium limited chemical reaction: the process being conducted with a contact time in the range from about 0.4 to about 4 ms, a heat flux in the range from about 10 to about 100 W/cm2, a pressure drop in the microchannel less than about 15 atmospheres per meter, and an approach to equilibrium conversion of at least about 75%. 5. The process of claim 1 wherein: the porous support comprises: a composite structure containing multiple layers of one or more thermally conductive metals, silicon carbide, graphite, alumina, or a combination thereof; a macroporous layer comprising SiCN, SiC, TiO2, SiO2, ZrO2, or Al2O3; sol gel deposited SiO2, Al2O3 or TiO2; surfactant templated SiO2; anodized Al2O3 or TiO2; Al2O3, TiO2 or carbon nanotubes; multiwall or single wall nanotubes; or one or more zeolites. 6. The process of claim 1 wherein: the porous support and the heat transfer wall comprise: a sintered metal powder on a sheet of solid metal; or a porous layer of pure metal on a solid sheet of metal alloy. 7. The process of claim 1 wherein the porous catalyst comprises: Pt/Al2O3 nanofibers; a carbon nanotube-Co/SiO2 composite; gold nanoparticles supported on carbon nanotubes; or metal nanowires in Al2O3 or TiO2 nanotubes. 8. The process of claim 1 wherein the process is conducted in a microchannel reactor, the microchannel reactor comprising a plurality of the microchannels adapted to be operated in parallel, the microchannels being process microchannels, a header for providing for the flow of fluid into the process microchannels, a footer for providing for the flow of fluid out of the process microchannels. 9. The process of claim 8 wherein a second reactant stream channel is adjacent each process microchannel and an apertured section for permitting the flow of one or more reactants into the process microchannel is positioned between the second reactant stream channel and the process microchannel. 10. The process of claim 1 wherein the heat source and/or heat sink is adjacent to the microchannel. 11. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the heat source and/or heat sink is remote from the microchannel. 12. The process of claim 1 wherein the heat source and/or heat sink comprises at least one heat exchange channel. 13. The process of claim 12 wherein the heat exchange channel comprises a microchannel. 14. The process of claim 1 wherein the heat source and/or heat sink comprises at least one electric heating element, resistance heater and/or non-fluid cooling element. 15. The process of claim 14 wherein the electric heating element, resistance heater and/or non-fluid cooling element is adjacent to the microchannel. 16. The process of claim 14 wherein the microchannel comprises one or more walls and the electric heating element, resistance heater and/or non-fluid cooling element is part of at least one of the walls of the microchannel. 17. The process of claim 14 wherein the microchannel comprises one or more walls and at least one of the walls of the microchannel is formed from the electric heating element, resistance heater and/or non-fluid cooling element. 18. The process of claim 12 wherein a heat exchange fluid is in the heat exchange channel. 19. The process of claim 1 wherein the microchannel is formed from parallel spaced sheets and/or plates. 20. The process of claim 1 wherein a second reactant stream channel is adjacent to the microchannel, the microchannel and the second reactant stream channel being formed from parallel spaced sheets and/or plates. 21. The process of claim 1 wherein the heat source and/or heat sink comprises a heat exchange channel, the heat exchange channel and the microchannel being formed from parallel spaced sheets and/or plates. 22. The process of claim 1 wherein the first reactant and the second reactant are mixed upstream of the microchannel. 23. The process of claim 1 wherein the first reactant and the second reactant are mixed in the microchannel. 24. The process of claim 8 wherein the first reactant and the second reactant are mixed in the header. 25. The process of claim 9 wherein the second reactant flows from the second reactant stream channel into the process microchannel. 26. The process of claim 1 wherein a reaction zone is in the microchannel, the second reactant contacting the first reactant in the reaction zone. 27. The process of claim 1 wherein a mixing zone and a reaction zone are in the microchannel, the mixing zone being upstream of the reaction zone, the second reactant contacting the first reactant in the mixing zone. 28. The process of claim 1 wherein a mixing zone and a reaction zone are in the process microchannel, the mixing zone being upstream of the reaction zone, part of the second reactant contacting the first reactant in the mixing zone, and part of the second reactant contacting the first reactant in the reaction zone. 29. The process of claim 18 wherein the heat exchange fluid undergoes a phase change in the heat exchange channel. 30. The process of claim 12 wherein an endothermic process is conducted in the heat exchange channel. 31. The process of claim 12 wherein an exothermic process is conducted in the heat exchange channel. 32. The process of claim 18 wherein the reactants flow in the microchannel in a first direction, and the heat exchange fluid flows in the heat exchange channel in a second direction, the second direction being cross current relative to the first direction. 33. The process of claim 18 wherein the reactants flow in the microchannel in a first direction, and the heat exchange fluid flows in the heat exchange channel in a second direction, the second direction being cocurrent or counter current relative to the first direction. 34. The process of claim 18 wherein the heat exchange fluid comprises the first reactant, the second reactant, the product, or a mixture of two or more thereof. 35. The process of claim 18 wherein the heat exchange fluid comprises one or more of air, steam, liquid water, carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, gaseous nitrogen, liquid nitrogen, inert gas, gaseous hydrocarbon, oil, and liquid hydrocarbon. 36. The process of claim 1 wherein the reaction comprises one or more of the following reactions: acetylation addition, acylation, alkylation, dealkylation, hydrodealkylation, reductive alkylation, amination, ammonia synthesis, aromatization, arylation, autothermal reforming, carbonylation, decarbonylation, reductive carbonylation, carboxylation, reductive carboxylation, reductive coupling, condensation, cracking, hydrocracking, cyclization, cyclooligomerization, ammoxidation, water-gas shift, dehalogenation, dimerization, epoxidation, esterification, Fischer-Tropsch reaction, halogenation, hydrohalogenation, homologation, hydration, dehydration, hydrogenation, dehydrogenation, oxidative dehydrogenation, hydrocarboxylation, hydroformylation, hydrogenolysis, hydrometallation, hydrosilation, hydrolysis, hydrotreating, isomerization, methylation, demethylation, metathesis, methanol synthesis, nitration, oxidation, partial oxidation, polymerization, reduction, reformation, steam methane reforming reaction, reverse water gas shift, sulfonation, telomerization, transesterification, dimerization, trimerization, oligmerization, Sabatier reaction, carbon dioxide reforming, preferential oxidation, preferential methanation, or a combination of two or more of the foregoing reactions. 37. The process of claim 12 wherein an endothermic reaction is conducted in the microchannel and an exothermic reaction is conducted in the heat exchange channel. 38. The process of claim 37 wherein the endothermic reaction is a steam reforming reaction and the exothermic reaction is a combustion reaction. 39. The process of claim 1 wherein the reaction comprises a Fischer-Tropsch reaction. 40. The process of claim 1 wherein the pressure within the microchannel is in the range up to about 250 atmospheres absolute pressure. 41. The process of claim 1 wherein the contact time for the reaction is in the range from about 1 microsecond to about 100 seconds. 42. The process of claim 1 wherein the product is removed from the microchannel, the process further comprising flowing a regenerating fluid through the microchannel in contact with the catalyst. 43. The process of claim 1 wherein the reaction is an ultrafast reaction. 44. The process of claim 1 wherein the process is conducted with a heat flux intensity, the heat flux intensity being in the range from about 1000 to about 800,000 W/m2-K. 45. The process of claim 1 wherein the process is conducted with a mass flux intensity, the mass flux intensity being in the range from about 1 to about 20 moles/m2/sec.