Claims
- 1. A gas purification system comprising:
a reactor having a volume and a wall, the wall having an interior side and an exterior side, and a communicating portal therebetween for a mixed gas flow; a reaction catalyst coating in contact with the interior side of the wall; a gas selective membrane within the reactor volume, said gas membrane in contact with the mixed gas flow and selectively passing a constituent gas of the mixed gas flow therethrough, whereby a raffinate of the mixed gas flow is retained in contact with said membrane; an outlet channel for removing said raffinate from contact with said selective membrane; and a passageway for the removal of the constituent gas from the interior of said reactor.
- 2. The gas purification system of claim 1 further comprising a heater in thermal contact with said reactor.
- 3. The gas purification system of claim 1 further comprising a space between the reaction catalyst coating and the membrane.
- 4. The gas purification system of claim 3 wherein the space ranges from 0.05 inch to 1.0 inch.
- 5. The gas purification system of claim 3 wherein the space ranges from 0.3 inch to 0.6 inch.
- 6. The gas purification system of claim 3 wherein the space comprises a flow distributor.
- 7. The gas purification system of claim 6 wherein the flow distributor is selected from the group consisting of: packing, particulate, mesh wire, wool, granule, pellet and fluidized catalyst.
- 8. The gas purification system of claim 6 wherein the flow distributor is a multichannel monolith.
- 9. The gas purification system of claim 8 wherein the multichannel monolith has channels ranging in diameter from 10 micrometers to 1 millimeter.
- 10. The gas purification system of claim 8 wherein the multichannel monolith has channels ranging in diameter from 50 micrometers to 500 micrometers.
- 11. The gas purification system of claim 8 wherein the monolith channels are coated.
- 12. The gas purification system of claim 8 wherein the monolith channels are coated with a reaction catalyst.
- 13. The gas purification system of claim 8 wherein the monolith channels are coated with a selective membrane.
- 14. The gas purification system of claim 8 wherein the monolith is bonded to the reactor wall such that heat is conducted from the wall exterior to the wall interior.
- 15. The gas purification system of claim 8 wherein the heating means comprises a combustion catalyst.
- 16. The gas purification system of claim 15 wherein the combustion catalyst is on the exterior wall of the reactor.
- 17. The gas purification system of claim 15 wherein the combustion catalyst is on the exterior wall of a feed tube.
- 18. The gas purification system of claim 1 further comprising a flow disruptor.
- 19. The gas purification system of claim 18 wherein the flow disrupter is selected from the group consisting of: a bump, a protrusion, a baffle and a helical tube.
- 20. The gas purification system of claim 2 wherein the heating means comprises a sweep gas.
- 21. The gas purification system of claim 20 wherein the sweep gas is inert.
- 22. The gas purification system of claim 21 wherein the sweep gas is steam.
- 23. The gas purification system of claim 1 further comprising partial pressure decreasing means.
- 24. The gas purification system of claim 23 wherein the partial pressure decreasing means is sweep gas flow.
- 25. The gas purification system of claim 1 further comprising feed 2 liquid compression means.
- 26. The gas purification system of claim 1 wherein the membrane is tubular.
- 27. The gas purification system of claim 1 further comprising a plurality of the membranes.
- 28. The gas purification system of claim 1 wherein the membrane is hydrogen selective and the constituent gas is hydrogen.
- 29. The gas purification system of claim 1 wherein the catalyst coating comprises a methanol reforming catalyst.
- 30. The gas purification system of claim 1 wherein the catalyst coating comprises an ammonia cracking catalyst.
- 31. The gas purification system of claim 1 wherein heat is provided by catalytic combustion.
- 32. The gas purification system of claim 1 wherein said reactor further comprises a heat transfer fin on the exterior surface thereof.
- 33. A gas purification system comprising:
a reactor operating above room temperature having a volume and a wall, the wall having an interior side and an exterior side, and a communicating portal therebetween for a mixed gas flow; a gas selective membrane within the reactor volume, said gas membrane in contact with the mixed gas flow and selectively passing a constituent gas of the mixed gas flow therethrough, whereby a raffinate of the mixed gas flow is retained in contact with said membrane; an outlet channel for removing said raffinate from contact with said selective membrane; a catalyst in contact with the exterior side of said reactor that induces an exothermic combustion reaction with the raffinate; and a passageway for the removal of the constituent gas from the interior of said reactor.
- 34. The gas purification system of claim 33 further comprising an insulating jacket surrounding said reactor, the jacket having an oxygen containing gas flowing therethrough.
- 35. The gas purification system of claim 33 further comprising a plurality of the membranes.
- 36. The gas purification system of claim 33 wherein the membrane is hydrogen selective and the constituent gas is hydrogen.
- 37. The gas purification system of claim 33 wherein the membrane is a tube membrane.
RELATED APPLICATION
[0001] This patent application claims priority of provisional patent application 60/216,561, filed Jul. 7, 2000.
Provisional Applications (1)
|
Number |
Date |
Country |
|
60216561 |
Jul 2000 |
US |