Advanced smr reactor design featuring high thermal efficiency

Abstract

An improved reactor process is provided. This process includes providing at least one reactor tube, the reactor tube comprising an exterior and an interior, the interior comprising an inside surface, providing a heat source to the exterior of the at least one reactor tube, providing a reactant gas stream to the interior of the at least one reactor tube, placing at least one heat transfer structure in thermal contact with the inside surface of the at least one reactor tube, and transferring heat from the heat source to at least a portion of the reactant gas stream at least partially through the at least one heat transfer structure, thereby producing a product gas stream. There may be a catalyst on the interior of the at least one reactor tube. The reactant gas stream may comprise methane and steam.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An improved reactor process, comprising;
 providing at least one reactor tube, said reactor tube comprising an exterior and an interior, said interior comprising an inside surface,   providing a heat source to the exterior of said at least one reactor tube,   providing a reactant gas stream to the interior of said at least one reactor tube,   placing at least one heat transfer structure in thermal contact with the inside surface of said at least one reactor tube, and   transferring heat from said heat source to at least a portion of said reactant gas stream at least partially through said at least one heat transfer structure, thereby producing a product gas stream.   
     
     
         2 . The process of  claim 1 , further comprising a catalyst on the interior of said at least one reactor tube. 
     
     
         3 . The process of  claim 2 , wherein said reactant gas stream comprises ethane and steam. 
     
     
         4 . The process of  claim 1 , wherein said heat transfer structure thermally contacts the inside surface of said at least one reactor tube at two or more points. 
     
     
         5 . The process of  claim 1 , wherein said heat transfer structure thermally contacts the inside surface of said at least one reactor tube at two or more points which are equally spaced along the circumference. 
     
     
         6 . The process of  claim 5 , wherein said heat transfer structure thermally contacts the inside surface of said at least one reactor tube at three points which are equally spaced along the circumference. 
     
     
         7 . The process of  claim 5 , wherein said heat transfer structure thermally contacts the inside surface of said at least one reactor tube at four points which are equally spaced along the circumference. 
     
     
         8 . The process of  claim 1 , wherein said heat transfer structure thermally contacts the inside surface of said at least one reactor tube along an entire circumference. 
     
     
         9 . The process of  claim 1 , wherein said heat transfer structure is formed from metal identical to that which forms said reactor tube. 
     
     
         10 . The process of  claim 1 , wherein said heat transfer structure is formed from metal with a greater thermal conductivity than that of the tube metal. 
     
     
         11 . The process of  claim 1 , wherein said heat transfer structure is formed from a high temperature metal. 
     
     
         12 . The process of  claim 1 , wherein said heat transfer structure is formed from a metal with a lower linear coefficient of thermal expansion (α L ) than that which forms the reactor tube. 
     
     
         13 . The process of  claim 1 , wherein said heat transfer structure has a structure which transmits thermal expansion inward from said reactor tube, thereby minimizing hoop stress on said reactor tube. 
     
     
         14 . The process of  claim 12 , wherein said structure is such that said thermal expansion is predominantly transmitted in an axial direction. 
     
     
         15 . The process of  claim 1 , wherein at least two heat transfer structures are located along the length of said reactor tube. 
     
     
         16 . The process of  claim 1 , wherein at least two heat transfer structures are located in a first section of said reactor tube. 
     
     
         17 . The process of  claim 16 , wherein said first section is the section nearest the top of the reactor. 
     
     
         18 . The process of  claim 1 , further comprising a first set and a second set of heat transfer structures sequentially located along the length of said reactor tube, wherein
 said first set comprises at least three heat transfer structures separated by a first distance, and   said second set comprises at least three heat transfer structures separated by a second distance.   
     
     
         19 . The process of  claim 18 , wherein said first set is upstream of said second set, and said first distance is less than said second distance.