System for accelerating the heating rate of a fixed bed catalyst by supplying supplemental energy

US5569441A · kind A · utility

Assignee

• Degussa AG · DE

Inventors

• Bernd Engler · Hanau, DE
• Egbert Lox · Hanau, DE
• Andreas Niemann-Weber · Rheinfelden (Baden), DE

Key dates

• Filing date: Dec 5, 1994
• Grant date: Oct 29, 1996
• Expiry date: Dec 5, 2014

Classification

• Technology area (CPC Y): Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
• CPC primary: Y02T10/12
• WIPO field: Chemical engineering
• WIPO sector: Chemistry

Abstract

A process and apparatus for accelerating the rate of heating of a fixed bed catalyst to a light-off temperature for a catalytic reaction is disclosed. Supplementary energy from an external energy source is provided to a predetermined area of the catalyst bed for a limited period of time. The fixed bed catalyst may be present as a solid body or in bulk form and has a gas inlet area defined by a cross-section of the flow through channels of the reaction media. The supplementary energy is supplied to one or more isolated sections of the gas inlet area of the catalyst. Such a system significantly reduces the energy required in order to effectuate at least partial conversion of harmful emissions during initial operation of the converter.