Various design schemes are considered, and deficiencies of traditional catalytic reactors with axial and radial flow through a fixed granular bed are indicated. A new design is proposed for a catalytic reactor with radial-spiral movement of reactive medium (reactor designed by the FAST INZhINIRING Company -FIR), which offers a number of advantages over traditional vessels: effective heat supply (removal) into (away from) the reaction zones, the possibility of using the most active fine-grain catalyst, uniform distribution of the medium throughout the granular bed, etc.Catalytic processes occupy a prominent position in modern chemistry, petrochemistry, and petroleum refining; in a number of cases, however, use of highly effective catalysts is restricted due to significant pressure losses in the flow of medium passing through the catalyst bed; and, limited potential of the reactors with respect to the removal (supply) of heat from (into) the reaction zones, maintaining its optimal temperature regime, and eliminating overheating of the catalyst during its reduction, service, etc.In addition to improvement of existing, and the creation of new active catalysts, therefore, the development of highly effective catalytic reactors devoid of these deficiencies is a critical problem.Traditionally, processes involving heterogeneous catalysis are conducted in reactors with an axial or radial flow of medium through a fixed granular bed of catalyst (abbreviated AR and RR, respectively).AR with both one, and also several catalyst trays (CT) established sequentially or parallel within the housing of the vessel are widely used in industry [1][2][3].AR are distinguished by simplicity of design; however, the limited size of the cross section of the housing results in high linear velocities of the reactive medium through the granular bed, and large pressure losses in the flow. As a rule, therefore, a catalyst with large-size granules, and, consequently, a low specific surface, are used in these reactors. Moreover, the distribution of the reactive medium is nonuniform throughout the granular bed [2]. The catalytic process conducted under elevated pressures in AR places a constraint on the diameter of the reactor housing and its throughput. The catalyst process in an AR is carried out in an adiabatic regime, and different methods are used to create a temperature regime close to optimal.Heating or cooling of the reactive medium prior to the layer of catalyst [1, 3, 4] in a reverse heat exchanger for recuperation of heat: here, it is important to provide for minimum pressure loss of the medium and deep heat recuperation in the exchanger.Supply (removal) of heat into (away from) the reaction zone via tubular heat-exchange surfaces arranged in the catalytic bed (Fig. 1a) [1, 3, 4].

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Burners used traditionally for oxidizing hydrocarbons are considered. A method developed by FAST ENGINEERING is presented for effective fuel burning with thorough flue gas heat recuperation and stable maintenance of a prescribed adiabatic combustion temperature on the basis of using heat exchangers and flameless burners of a conceptually new design.A considerable part of extracted natural gas (NG) and other fuel is burnt in the furnaces of steam and water-heating boilers, gas turbine combustion chambers, and tubular furnaces for various branches of industry. The main requirements in burning fuel are provision of high effective utilization of the thermal energy obtained and minimum discharge of harmful components (CO, NO x , etc.) into the environment with flue gases [1,2].Technology for effective burning of fuel and also engineering facilities for accomplishing it developed at FAST ENGINEERING make it possible to resolve questions of saving energy and environmental protection to a considerable extent.Traditional Fuel Burning Technology. Flame burners are used extensively for burning fuel [1, 2], and heat exchangers are used for heat recuperation and utilization [2, 3] discharged with waste flue gases, and for a whole number of reasons it is impossible to resolve adequately urgent problems of energy saving and environmental protection.Existing flameless fuel combustion technology, for example, burning fuel in permeable matrices [4], and in a granular catalytic layer [5], have limitations with respect to application temperature and unit power of the burners used.Burning fuel in flame burners with an adiabatic combustion temperature above 1200°C leads to formation of considerable amounts of harmful components CO and NO x [2], discharged with waste flue gases into the environment. The higher the adiabatic combustion temperature, the greater the amount of CO and NO x formed.A dependence is shown in Fig. 1 for the amount of CO and NO x formed during burning of 1 nm 3 of NG in 10.5 nm 3 of air for different values of adiabatic combustion temperature with excess air coefficient α = 1. As may be seen from this, with an increase in adiabatic combustion temperature above 1200°C there is an increase in the amount of CO and NO x formed.For a whole number of thermal energy users, for example, gas turbines, there are limitations with respect to flue gas temperature (combustion products), entering heat utilization. As a rule, this is traditionally resolved by an increase in the supply of excess air in combustion or dilution products with cold air, and this leads to a reduction in unit efficiency.Normally, waste flue gas after different thermal energy uses has a temperature of 150-200°C and above [1][2][3]. As a result of the considerable amount of waste flue gas with a high temperature discharged into the environment, a great deal of thermal energy is lost.Normally, in order to heat air entering a burner as an oxidizing agent, shell-and-tube, plate, or other types of waste gas heat recuperator are used [2,3]. This equipment is i...

Conventional technologies of synthetic liquid fuels (SLF) production from gaseous hydrocarbons by producing synthesis gas and synthesizing synthetic liquid hydrocarbons are examined. A high-efficiency SLF production technology that allows creation of high-efficiency autonomous units of specific capacities, including small ones, eliminates use of oxygen for producing synthesis gas and reduces energy consumption by thorough utilization of the heat of process and energy flows, including low-potential, is described. In this technology, the hydrocarbon feedstock conversion processes and synthesis of liquid hydrocarbons are carried out with highly effective fine-grained catalysts under optimal temperature conditions in compact reactors of a new design.Efficient conversion of gaseous hydrocarbon feedstock right at the gas recovery sites to synthetic liquid fuels (SLF) holds wide prospects in solving many problems of energy security of regions. This will allow production of high-quality SLF that can be transported by conventional means (by tankers, containers, pipelines, etc.). In contrast to hydrocarbon gases, SLF can be stored and marketed by using the existing developed infrastructure [1].Russia possesses enormous reserves of natural (NG) and associated petroleum gases (APG) and is a major supplier of energy resources to the countries of Western Europe.The largest oil and gas companies of the world have been working vigorously to develop and implement projects based on GTL (gas-to-liquid) technology in regions with substantial NG reserves [2].Efficient conversion of NG to SLF may introduce corrections to the necessity of implementation of some costly projects. In that case:1) there will be no need for constructing multi-kilometer trunk pipelines with compressor stations and their costly operation;2) there will be no need for transit countries for NG transportation; 3) the seasonal NG supply factor will be solved; 4) there will be no need for building costly NG liquefying plants, special liquefied NG storing and dispatching terminals, special vessels for its transportation, receiving terminals with regasification plants, etc.; 5) the APG will be put into commercial production instead of burning in flares; and 6) noxious vehicular emissions will be reduced, which is of especial importance for solving environmental problems of large cities, and so on.