Two phase injector for fluidized bed reactor

Abstract

A fluidized-bed reactor for producing hydrogen from methane by steam reforming includes a flow splitter that splits a dense-phase flow of a gas having entrained calcium oxide particles into a plurality of equal flow streams. The reactor also incorporates an orifice plate having at least one high-velocity, rocket-style impinging injector for injecting reactants into the reactor bed. The injector includes a central orifice extending perpendicularly through the plate, and one or more adjacent peripheral orifices that extend through the plate at such an angle that respective streams of reactants injected into the reactor bed through the peripheral orifices impinge on a stream of reactants injected vertically into the reactor bed through the central orifice. The injector cooperates with adjacent base-bleed orifices in the plate to provide a uniform distribution and rapid mixing of the calcium oxide particles with a steam/methane gas mixture across the entire bottom of the reactor bed.

1 - 25 . (canceled) 
   
   
       26 . A dense-phase flow splitter for splitting a flow of a stream of a gas having particles of a solid entrained therein at or near the static-bed bulk density of the particles into equal constituent dense-phase flows, said flow splitter comprising:
 an elongated, annular inlet tube having an inlet end, an outlet end, and an internal cross-sectional area; and,   a plurality of elongated, annular outlet tubes having:
 respective internal cross-sectional areas that are substantially equal to each other, and the sum of which is substantially equal to that of the inlet tube; 
 respective diameters of not less than about 0.25 inches; and, 
 respective inlet ends coupled to the outlet end of the inlet tube such that the flow of the stream through the inlet tube is substantially equally divided among the outlet tubes; 
   and, wherein:   any change in the axial direction of the flow of the stream through the flow splitter does not exceed about 10 degrees;   the gas comprises steam, methane, or a mixture thereof; and, the solid comprises calcium oxide.   
   
   
       27 . The flow splitter of  claim 26 , wherein:
 the stream of gas and entrained particles has an axial velocity of between about 10 to about 30 ft./sec.; and,
 the calcium oxide particles have a static-bed bulk density of about 30 lb.sub m /ft. 3 . 
   
   
   
       28 . The flow splitter of  claim 26 , wherein each of the outlet tubes includes a tube outlet end, and each tube outlet end is associated with a different fluidized-bed reactor. 
   
   
       29 . The flow splitter of  claim 28 , wherein each fluidized-bed reactor comprises an injector plate, and each injector plate is connected with a corresponding one of the outlet tubes.