Tubular Reactor and Method for Operating a Tubular Reactor

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The invention relates to a tube (plug flow) reactor and an operating method that efficiently converts hydrogen and carbon dioxide into methane through three sequential reaction zones, each with increasing catalyst bed density and controlled temperature ranges. This setup allows for flexible and energy-efficient methanation, especially in situations with fluctuating hydrogen supply, such as from renewable electricity-powered water electrolysis.

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• Power-to-gas systems that convert surplus renewable electricity (from solar or wind) into synthetic natural gas (methane) for storage or grid injection.
• Industrial methane synthesis for use as feedstock in chemical industries.
• Production of synthetic fuels for vehicles by making use of renewable hydrogen and CO2.
• Decarbonization of natural gas networks by supplementing with renewable methane.
• On-site methane generation for remote energy supply or off-grid applications.

BenefitsContent extracted from patent full text and abstract with AI.

• Allows dynamic and flexible methane production, even with fluctuating hydrogen input, reducing the need for large, expensive hydrogen storage systems.
• Improved energy efficiency and operational cost savings by minimizing heating and maximizing heat utilization within sequential reactor zones.
• Enables direct grid injection of produced methane, leveraging existing natural gas infrastructure for renewable energy storage.
• Reduces reliance on fossil natural gas by facilitating production of renewable, carbon-neutral methane.
• Optimized catalyst bed and temperature zone design ensures high conversion rates and product gas quality.
• Can support grid stability by absorbing excess renewable energy during periods of oversupply.

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Patent Abstract

The invention relates to a plug flow reactor and a method for operating the plug flow reactor in order to convert hydrogen into methane. The plug flow reactor comprises three reaction zones. The first reaction zone comprises a first catalyst bed with a first density and a temperature in a first temperature range, the second reaction zone comprises a second catalyst bed with a second density and a temperature in a second temperature range, and the third reaction zone comprises a third catalyst bed with a third density and a temperature in a third temperature range, wherein the first density lies below the second density, and the second density lies below the third density, i.e. the density of the catalyst beds increases in the direction of the reactant gas flow, thus advantageously allowing a dynamic operation of the plug flow reactor for a methanation process.