Reactor for carrying out equilibrium-limited reactions

1. A reactor for carrying out equilibrium-limited reactions, the reactor comprising:

a reaction chamber for receiving a catalyst;

a sorption chamber for receiving a sorption agent;

a feedstock feeding device;

a sorption agent feeding device;

a sorption agent discharge device for removing sorption agent from a lower region of the reactor; and

a gas-permeable element separating the reaction chamber from the sorption chamber, wherein the gas-permeable element repels particles of the sorption agent;

wherein the sorption agent feeding device provides sorption agent to an upper region of the reactor; and

the gas-permeable element exhibits a liquid drop repellent effect decreasing from the upper region to the lower region.

2. The reactor as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the gas-permeable element comprises passage openings with a diameter of less than 100 μm.

3. The reactor as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the gas-permeable element comprises a textile.

4. The reactor as claimed in claim 3 , wherein the textile comprises metallic fibers.

5. The reactor as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the gas-permeable element comprises a metal mesh, a metal gauze, or an expanded metal.

6. The reactor as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the gas-permeable element comprises a membrane.

7. The reactor as claimed in claim 1 , wherein a sorption agent collection zone collects the sorption agent in the lower region.

8. The reactor as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising a product separation device external to the reaction chamber and to the sorption chamber.

9. The reactor as claimed in claim 8 , wherein the product separation device comprises a phase separator for separation of reaction products and the sorption agent.

10. The reactor as claimed in claim 8 , further comprising a sorption agent conveying device between the product separation device and the sorption agent feeding device.

11. The reactor as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising a suction device in the upper region for circulating a gas phase from the sorption chamber into the reaction chamber.

12. The reactor as claimed in claim 11 , wherein:

the suction device is at least partially integrated in a stirring device; and

a stirring shaft forms a flow channel of the suction device.

13. A method for operating an equilibrium-limited reaction, the method comprising:

introducing gaseous reaction starting materials and a liquid sorption agent into a sorption chamber of a reactor;

wherein the reactor comprises a reaction chamber with a catalyst therein;

wherein the reaction chamber and the sorption chamber are separated by a gas-permeable element allowing gaseous reaction products of the reaction to flow through the gas-permeable element;

preventing penetration of the liquid sorption agent into the reaction chamber with the gas-permeable element and repelling particles of the liquid sorption agent with the gas-permeable element;

removing sorption agent from a lower region of the reactor with a sorption agent discharge device; and

circulating a gas phase from the sorption chamber into the reaction chamber.

14. A reactor for carrying out equilibrium-limited reactions, the reactor comprising:

a reaction chamber for receiving a catalyst;

a sorption chamber for receiving a sorption agent;

a feedstock feeding device;

a sorption agent feeding device for providing sorption agent to an upper region of the reactor;

a sorption agent discharge device for removing sorption agent from a lower region of the reactor;

a suction device in the upper region of the reactor for circulating a gas phase from the sorption chamber into the reaction chamber; and

a gas-permeable element separating the reaction chamber from the sorption chamber, wherein the gas-permeable element repels particles of the sorption agent.

15. The reactor as claimed in claim 14 , wherein the gas-permeable element comprises a textile.

16. The reactor as claimed in claim 14 , wherein the gas-permeable element comprises a textile having metallic fibers.

17. The reactor as claimed in claim 14 , wherein the gas-permeable element comprises a metal mesh, a metal gauze, or an expanded metal.

18. The reactor as claimed in claim 14 , wherein:

the suction device is at least partially integrated in a stirring device; and

a stirring shaft forms a flow channel of the suction device.