Liquid compression chemical reactors

Openbare samenvatting Liquid Compression Reactors are novel types of multifunctional chemical reactors proposed by Encontech B.V. for the most energy and capital intensive processes at high temperature and pressure. In these reactors high pressures and temperatures are generated during cyclic compression-expansion of reactants by liquids directly in the reactors. A feed in form of two- or three-phase mixture is introduced into the reaction space at a low pressure, compressed there, and reacts; the products expand in the same reaction space so that they leave the reactor also at a low pressure. During the expansion the most energy spent on the compression is recovered. As a result the reactors are anticipated to be very energy efficient. They seem very promising for many high pressure and high temperature processes such as: production of ethylene, acetylene and hydrogen by pyrolysis of methane, syngas production, hydrogenation of biomass and other hydrocarbons, liquid phase methanol/DME synthesis, Fischer-Tropsch synthesis, economic production of synthetic fuels from low quality synthesis gas, nitrogen fixation, etc. Several liquid compression reactor concepts that are based on the use of different physical phenomena, such as hydraulic ram and centrifugal effects, have been proposed. The goal of the feasibility study is to evaluate the proposed reactor concepts, to identify processes that can be carried out in the reactors and select the most promising and significant reactor-process combinations for the follow-up research and development projects.