Electrically heated catalyst support plate and method for starting up water gas shift reactors

1. A reactor comprising:

a reactor vessel;

a bed of catalyst material provided within said reactor vessel;

a permeable support plate having a plurality of channels extending therethrough, said support plate having a planar shape and being in contact with said bed of catalyst material; and

a plurality of heating elements extending through said plurality of channels in said support plate,

wherein said plurality of channels all extend in directions parallel to a plane of said planar shape of said support plate wherein said plurality of heating elements are electrical heating elements.

2. The reactor according to claim 1 , wherein said support plate is made of a perforated metal plate, a metal screen, expanded metal, sintered metal fibers, metal foam, or carbon form.

3. The reactor according to claim 1 , further comprising:

a second bed of catalyst material provided within said reactor vessel;

a second permeable support plate having an additional channel extending therethrough, said second support plate being provided in contact with said second bed of catalyst material; and

an additional heating element extending through said additional channel in said second support plate.

4. The reactor according to claim 1 , wherein at least one channel of said plurality of channels extends through a wall of said reactor vessel at one or more locations.

5. The reactor according to claim 1 , wherein at least one channel of said plurality of channels is mechanically joined to a wall of said reactor vessel at one or more locations.

6. The reactor according to claim 1 , wherein at least one channel of said plurality of channels has one or more openings.

7. The reactor according to claim 6 , wherein said at least one channel has external threads or internal threads at said one or more openings.

8. The reactor according to claim 1 , wherein at least one channel of said plurality of channels has means for facilitating extraction of a heating element from said at least one channel.

9. The reactor according to claim 1 , wherein said support plate has a surface contacting said bed of catalyst material, and wherein said support plate is configured to be permeable to fluid flow through said surface in a direction normal to said surface.

10. The reactor according to claim 9 , wherein said plurality of channels all extend in directions parallel to said surface.

11. The reactor according to claim 1 , wherein said plurality of channels each extend in a linear direction.

12. The reactor according to claim 1 , wherein said plurality of channels are impermeable to fluid.

13. A heated catalyst support device for a reactor including a reactor vessel containing a bed of catalyst material, said heated catalyst support device comprising:

a permeable support plate having a plurality of channels extending therethrough, said support plate having a planar shape and being adapted to contact the bed of catalyst material; and

a plurality of heating elements extending through said plurality of channels in said support plate,

wherein said plurality of channels all extend in directions parallel to a plane of said planar shape of said support plate wherein said plurality of heating elements are electrical heating elements after “plate”.

14. The heated catalyst support device according to claim 13 , wherein said support plate is made of a perforated metal plate, a metal screen, expanded metal, sintered metal fibers, metal foam, or carbon form.

15. The heated catalyst support device according to claim 13 , wherein at least one channel of said plurality of channels has one or more openings.

16. The heated catalyst support device according to claim 15 , wherein said at least one channel has external threads or internal threads at said one or more openings.

17. The heated catalyst support device according to claim 13 , wherein at least one channel of said plurality of channels has means for facilitating extraction of a heating element from said at least one channel.

18. The heated catalyst support device according to claim 13 , wherein said support plate has a surface adapted to contact the bed of catalyst material, and wherein said support plate is configured to be permeable to fluid flow through said surface in a direction normal to said surface.

19. The heated catalyst support device according to claim 18 , wherein said plurality of channels all extend in directions parallel to said surface.

20. The heated catalyst support device according to claim 13 , wherein said plurality of channels each extend in a linear direction.

21. The heated catalyst support device according to claim 13 , wherein said plurality of channels are impermeable to fluid.

22. A reactor comprising:

a reactor vessel having a fluid flow path therein

a permeable support plate provided within said vessel and extending across said fluid flow path, said support plate having a channel extending therethrough;

a bed of catalyst material provided within said vessel and provided in contact with said support plate; and

a heating element extending through said channel in said support plate,

wherein said support plate and said bed of catalyst material are provided in series along said fluid flow path,

wherein said support plate has a planar shape, and

wherein said channel extends in a direction parallel to a plane of said planar shape of said support plate wherein said plurality of heating elements are electrical heating elements after.