Chemical reactor with manifold for management of a flow of gaseous reaction medium thereto

1. A chemical reactor system comprising:

a chemical reactor having an inlet; and

a manifold in fluid communication with the inlet of the chemical reactor, the manifold comprising a manifold housing, the manifold housing defining a manifold chamber and having at least one additional component selected from the group consisting of:

a gaseous reactants distributor disposed within, and extending for at least a majority of the length of, the manifold chamber, wherein the gaseous reactants distributor is in fluid communication with a gaseous reactants conduit, and the gaseous reactants distributor comprises one or more outlets facing in an opposite direction with respect to the inlet of the chemical reactor;

a heater in thermal communication with the manifold chamber; and

a cavity, wherein the manifold housing defines the cavity, a seal is disposed within or adjacent to the cavity, and the seal engages the inlet of the chemical reactor thereby providing a gas-tight seal between the manifold housing and the inlet.

2. The chemical reactor system of Claim 1 wherein the chemical reactor is a fixed bed reactor, a fluidized bed reactor, a microchannel reactor, a shell-and-tube reactor, a tubular reactor, a multi-tubular reactor, or a combination thereof.

3. The chemical reactor system of claim 1 wherein the seal is a gasket.

4. The chemical reactor system of claim 1 wherein the chemical reactor is adapted to carrying out a gas phase reaction selected from the group consisting of acetylation, addition reactions, alkylation, dealkylation, hydrodealkylation, reductive alkylation, amination, aromatization, arylation, reforming, carbonylation, decarbonylation, reductive carbonylation, carboxylation, reductive carboxylation, reductive coupling, condensation, cracking, hydrocracking, cyclization, cyclooligomerization, combustion, dehalogenation, dimerization, epoxidation, esterification, exchange, Fischer-Tropsch, gasification, halogenation, hydrohalogenation, homologation, hydration, dehydration, hydrogenation, dehydrogenation, hydrocarboxylation, hydrofolinylation, hydrogenolysis, hydrometallation, hydrolysis, hydroprocessing, hydrotreating, isomerization, methylation, demethylation, metathesis, nitration, oxidation, partial oxidation, polymerization, reduction, sulfonation, telomerization, transesterification, trimerization and water gas shift.

5. The chemical reactor system of claim 1 wherein the chemical reactor comprises a plurality of tubular reactor units.

6. The chemical reactor system of claim 1 wherein the manifold housing is fabricated from a material that remains thermally and mechanically stable at the temperature of operation of the chemical reactor.

7. The chemical reactor system of claim 1 wherein the heater is an electrical resistance heater disposed within the manifold chamber and/or at least one thermally conductive element in thermal communication with the manifold and a reaction zone of the chemical reactor.

8. The chemical reactor system of claim 1 , wherein the chemical reactor comprises a plurality of tubes having tube inlets, the tubes adapted to perform a chemical reaction and the reactor system comprising an elongated gaseous reactants distributor having an opening or openings facing away from the tube inlets.

9. The chemical reactor system of claim 1 , comprising an electrical resistance heater located within the manifold chamber.

10. The chemical reactor system of claim 1 , comprising the gaseous reactants distributor or the heater.

11. A reformer system for reforming at least one reformable fuel to produce a hydrogen-rich reformate, the reformer comprising:

a reformer reactor unit having an inlet; and

a manifold in fluid communication with the inlet of the reformer reactor unit, the manifold comprising a manifold housing, the manifold housing defining a manifold chamber and having at least one additional component selected from the group consisting of:

a gaseous reforming reactants distributor disposed within, and extending for at least a majority of the length of the manifold chamber, wherein the gaseous reactants distributor is in fluid communication with a reactants conduit, and the gaseous reactants distributor comprises one or more outlets having openings facing in an opposite direction away from the inlet of the reformer reactor;

a heater in thermal communication with the manifold chamber; and

a cavity, wherein the manifold housing defines the cavity, a seal is disposed within or adjacent to the cavity, and the seal engages the inlet of the reformer reactor thereby providing a gas-tight seal between the manifold housing and the inlet.

12. The reformer system of claim 11 wherein the manifold housing is fabricated from a material that remains thermally and mechanically stable at the temperature of the reforming reaction zone during operation of the at least one reformer reactor.

13. The reformer system of claim 11 wherein the heater is an electrical resistance heater disposed within the manifold chamber and the passive heater assembly includes at least one thermally conductive element in thermal communication with the manifold and a reaction zone of the reformer reactor.

14. The reformer system of claim 11 which comprises a plurality of tubular reforming reactor units.

15. The reformer system of claim 11 which is a catalytic partial oxidation reformer.

16. The reformer system of claim 11 , comprising the gaseous reactants distributor or the heater.

17. The reformer system of claim 11 , wherein the reformer reactor unit comprises a plurality of tubes having tube inlets, the tubes adapted to perform a. chemical reformation reaction and the reformer reactor unit comprising an elongated gaseous reactants distributor having an opening or openings facing away from the tube inlets.

18. The reformer system of claim 11 , comprising an electrical resistance heater located within the manifold chamber.