IP Library › Granted Patent US 12,351,457
Granted Patent B2
US 12,351,457 · App. 17/776,824 · Granted Jul 8, 2025

Method and device for producing hydrogen and pyrolytic carbon from hydrocarbons

Inventors: Nicolai Antweiler (Essen, DE); Karsten Bueker (Dortmund, DE)
Assignees: thyssenkrupp Uhde GmbH; thyssenkrupp AG
C01B3/28B01J6/008B01J8/0242C09C1/48C09C1/485C09C1/50C01B2203/0272C01B2203/085C01B2203/1241C01B2203/169
View Patent ↗
Loading inventors, assignments & file history…
Monitor This Case
Get email alerts when status or documents change.
Order Certified Copies
Most orders are placed with the USPTO same day — all within 24 business hours.
Order via The Patent Place →
Pre-filled with this patent's details
Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,351,457
App. No.
17/776,824
Granted
Jul 8, 2025
Kind
B2
Abstract

A process for producing hydrogen and pyrolytic carbon from hydrocarbons may involve converting hydrocarbons into hydrogen and carbon in a reactor at temperatures of 1000° C. or more. The reactor may include two electrodes spaced apart from one another in a flow direction of the hydrocarbons. In a region of the reactor between the electrodes an inert gas component is supplied over an entire reactor cross section. The reactor contains carbon particles in the region between the two electrodes. By introducing an inert gas component over the entire reactor cross section, deposition of carbon in this region of the reactor inner wall is prevented, thus effectively inhibiting the formation of conductivity bridges on the reactor inner wall.

Claims (23)

1. A process for producing hydrogen and pyrolytic carbon from hydrocarbons, the process comprising:

converting the hydrocarbons into hydrogen and carbon in a reactor at a temperature of 1000° C. or more, wherein the reactor includes two electrodes spaced directly apart from one another in a flow direction of the hydrocarbons in a region between the two electrodes, such that the two electrodes are directly aligned with one another in the flow direction, wherein the two electrodes are electrically coupled to one another by a carbon bed; and

supplying, from an uninterrupted slot extending around an entire reactor cross section, in the region between the two electrodes, an inert gas component.

2. The process of claim 1 wherein the hydrocarbons are methane.

3. The process of claim 1 wherein the inert gas component is nitrogen or hydrogen.

4. The process of claim 1 wherein the reactor comprises a reaction zone that is arranged vertically in a reactor space, wherein the hydrocarbons pass through the reaction zone from bottom to top and the carbon bed passes through the reaction zone from top to bottom.

5. The process of claim 1 wherein the inert gas component has a temperature of less than 1000° C.

6. The process of claim 1 comprising supplying as the inert gas component a portion of a product gas that is generated by the process.

7. The process of claim 1 comprising introducing the inert gas component into the reactor at an angle of between 30° to 60° relative to the flow direction of the hydrocarbons.

8. The process of claim 1 comprising maintaining a temperature in a reaction zone of the reactor in a range from 1000° C. to 1800° C.

9. The process of claim 1 comprising feeding the hydrocarbons into the reactor at a flow rate in a range from 0.001 m/s to 10 m/s.

10. The process of claim 1 comprising feeding the inert gas into the reactor at a flow rate in a range from 0.001 m/s to 100 m/s.

11. The process of claim 1 comprising passing the carbon bed particles through the reactor counter to the flow direction of the hydrocarbons.

12. The process of claim 11 wherein the carbon bed is fed into the reactor at a flow rate in a range from 0.5 m/h to 100 m/h.

13. An apparatus for pyrolytic conversion of hydrocarbons into hydrogen and carbon, the apparatus comprising:

a reactor having a reactor space that comprises two electrodes that are spaced directly apart from one another in a flow direction of the hydrocarbons, such that the two electrodes are directly aligned with one another in the flow direction, wherein the two electrodes are electrically coupled to one another by a carbon bed, by means of which the reactor may be resistance-heated; and

a feeding apparatus for an inert gas, including an uninterrupted slot extending around an entire reactor cross section, installed in a region between the two electrodes.

14. The apparatus of claim 13 wherein the feeding apparatus is configured such that the reactor cross section narrows above and/or below a gas entry opening.

15. The apparatus of claim 13 wherein the feeding apparatus is configured such that the reactor cross section is uniform in the region between the two electrodes except at an outlet for the inert gas from the feeding apparatus.

16. The apparatus of claim 13 wherein the feeding apparatus is configured to supply the inert gas to the reactor via the slot and the slot has a height, wherein the height of the slot is configured to cause a pressure drop that ensures distribution of the inert gas over the entire reactor cross section while the inert gas is flowing.

17. The apparatus of claim 13 wherein the feeding apparatus is configured such that the inert gas is introducible into the reactor at an angle of 30° to 60° relative to the flow direction of the hydrocarbons.

18. The apparatus of claim 13 comprising a discharge conduit for product gas formed in the reactor, wherein the discharge conduit comprises a diversion conduit by way of which a portion of the product gas is returnable to the reactor via the feeding apparatus for the inert gas.

19. The apparatus of claim 18 comprising a compressor in a region of the diversion conduit.

Assignments (2)
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Jan 8, 2025
From: THYSSENKRUPP INDUSTRIAL SOLUTIONS AG
To: THYSSENKRUPP UHDE GMBH
Reel/Frame 069789/0400 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded May 13, 2022
From: ANTWEILER, NICOLAI; BÜKER, KARSTEN
To: THYSSENKRUPP INDUSTRIAL SOLUTIONS AG; THYSSENKRUPP AG
Reel/Frame 059902/0791 →
Priority Claims (1)
DE 10 2019 130 600.0 · Nov 13, 2019 · national
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20230025624A1 · Jan 26, 2023
References Cited (42)
US 2926073A · Robinson et al. · 1960 [cited by applicant]
US 3284161A · Pohlenz et al. · 1966 [cited by applicant]
US 3344051A · Latham, Jr. · 1967 [cited by examiner]
US 4044117A · Matovich · 1977 [cited by applicant]
US 4671944A · Schramm · 1987 [cited by applicant]
US 5650132A · Murata et al. · 1997 [cited by applicant]
US 9359200B2 · Maass et al. · 2016 [cited by applicant]
US 20040253168A1 · Chu · 2004 [cited by applicant]
US 20070111051A1 · Muradov · 2007 [cited by applicant]
US 20090060805A1 · Muradov et al. · 2009 [cited by applicant]
CN 1774291A · 2006 [cited by applicant]
DE 102015218098A1 · 2017 [cited by applicant]
DE 102015219861A1 · 2017 [cited by applicant]
JP H0290939A · 1990 [cited by applicant]
RU 80160U1 · 2009 [cited by applicant]
RU 2414418C2 · 2010 [cited by applicant]
RU 2425795A · 2011 [cited by applicant]
RU 2608398A · 2015 [cited by applicant]
RU 166224U1 · 2016 [cited by applicant]
WO 2004091773A1 · 2004 [cited by applicant]
WO 2014208503A1 · 2014 [cited by applicant]
Dunker, et al.,“Kinetic modeling of hydrogen production by thermal decomposition of methane”, Int. J. Hydrogen Energy, 31:1989-1998 (2006). [cited by applicant]
Dunker, et al., “Production of hydrogen by thermal decomposition of methane in a fluidized-bed reactor—Effects of catalyst, temperature, and residence time”, Int. J. Hydrogen Energy, 31:473-484 (2006). [cited by applicant]
Bai, et al., “Catalytic decomposition of methane over activated carbon”, J. Anal. Appl. Pyrolysis, 73:335-341 (2005). [cited by applicant]
Moliner, et al., “Thermocatalytic decomposition of methane over activated carbons: influence of textural properties and surface chemistry”, International Journal of Hydrogen Energy, 30:293-300 (2005). [cited by applicant]
Hox, et al., “Plasmabased Hydrogen and Energy Production”, Hydrogen Power: Theoretical and Engineering Solutions, pp. 143-148 (1998). [cited by applicant]
Muradov, et al., Autothermal catalytic pyrolysis of methane as a new route to hydrogen production with reduced CO2 emissions, Catalysis Today, 116:281-288 (2006). [cited by applicant]
Kreysa, et al., “Decarbonisation of Fossil Energy via Methane Pyrolysis”, The Future Role of Hydrogen in Petrochemistry and Energy Supply, DGMK Conference Oct. 4-6, 2010, Berlin, Germany, pp. 31-38 (2010). [cited by applicant]
Lynum, Steinar, “Hydrogen from natural gas without release of CO2 to the atmosphere”, Bjorn Gaudernack Institute for Energy Technology, pp. 511-523 (1996). [cited by applicant]
Steinberg,M., “Fossil fuel decarbonization technology for mitigatingglobal warming”, Int. J. Hydrogen Energy, 24:771-777 (1999). [cited by applicant]
Shpilrain, E.E., et al., “Comparative analysis of different natural gas pyrolysis methods”, Int. J. Hydrogen Energy, 24:613-624 (1999). [cited by applicant]
English Translation of International Search Report issued in PCT/EP2020/081928, dated Feb. 9, 2021. [cited by applicant]
Agar, bschlussbericht Förderprojekt “Methanpyrolyse zur Wasserstofferzeugung ohne CO2-Emissionen” (“Final report on the funded project Methane pyrolysis for hydrogen production without CO2 emissions”), Feb. 11, 2014. [cited by applicant]
Muradov, “Thermocatalytic CO2-Free Production Of Hydrogen From Hydrocarbon Fuels”, U.S. Department of Energy, 105 pages, 2003. [cited by applicant]
Rodat, et al., “A pilot-scale solar reactor for the production of hydrogen and carbon black from methane splitting”, International Journal of Hydrogen Energy, 35:7748-7758, Apr. 2018. [cited by applicant]
Steinberg et al., Rates of Reaction and Process Design Data for the Hydrocarb Process, EPA, 4 pages, Apr. 1993. [cited by applicant]
Kreysa, “Climate Protection by an Alternative Use of Methane—The Carbon Moratorium”, Chem. Sus. Chem., 2:49-55, 2009. [cited by applicant]
Maag, et al., “Solar thermal cracking of methane in a particle-flow reactor for the co-production of hydrogen and carbon”, International Journal of Hydrogen Energy, 34: 7676-7685, 2009. [cited by applicant]
Kreysa,G., “Climate Protection by an Alternative Use of Methane—TheCarbon Moratorium**”, Chem. Sus. Chem., 2: 49-55 (2009). [cited by applicant]
Gaudernack et al., “Hydrogen From Natural Gas Without Release of CO1 to the Atmosphere”, Int. J. Hydrogen Energy, 23(12): 1087-1093 (1998). [cited by applicant]
Callahan, M., “Catalytic Pyrolysis of Methane and Other Hydrocarbons”, Fuel Cell Sessions, pp. 181-184 (1974). [cited by applicant]
Sandstede, G., “Decompostion of Hydrocarbons into Hydrogen and Carbon for the CO2-free Production of Hydrogen”, Battelle Institut, Germany, pp. 1745-1753 (1992). [cited by applicant]