Heat energy conversion to chemical energy - by cracking methanol in reactor heated with steam from nuclear reactor and heat exchange between charge and product

摘要

Conversion of heat energy to chemically bound energy is carried out in a reactor heated by steam from a nuclear reactor, in which a synthesis gas (I) contg. CO and H2 is produced from MeOH. The reactor (11) is heated with fresh steam from a light water reactor at 230-300 deg.C and the (I) formed is passed through a heat exchanger (21) cooled by the MeOH charge, which is first brought to a pressure above that in the reactor, so that no vaporisation of MeOH takes place in the heat exchanger. The MeOH is expanded again after the heat exchanger and before entering the reactor. The reaction is accelerated and a large portion of the heat of (I) is utilised for the process.