Process Intensification through Directly Coupled Autothermal Operation of Chemical Reactors

Autothermal operation combines energy-absorbing and energy-releasing chemical reactions to control the temperature of a chemical reactor instead of removing or adding heat. Eliminating heat transfer simplifies reactor design and reduces costs. Furthermore, by eliminating the processing bottleneck that heat transfer often represents, the reactor can convert reactants into products at rates much higher than are possible in a conventional reactor of the same physical dimensions. Such “process intensification” is key to advancing industries that produce energy, fuels, consumer goods, and food products. Process intensification also enables modular manufacturing in which a manufacturing plant is constructed from factory-built modules that are shipped to the construction site rather than constructed from the ground up. Instead of capturing the economic advantages of a few very large plants, modular manufacturing captures the benefits of many smaller plants close to resources and markets.