Performance of a tube-wall type reactor for transforming heat energy into chemical energy efficiently

The cyclohexane/benzene/hydrogen chemical heat pump (CHP) cycle is a hopeful way of backing up the UT-3 system or the world energy network system for heat and hydrogen storage. To realize the CHP system, a tube-wall type reactor (TWR) has been proposed to transform thermal energy into chemical energy efficiently. The catalyst volume in the TWR was six times smaller and the pressure drop was 100 times smaller than those of a classical fixed bed reactor (FBR). For reactor performances over 42 kW the TWR also became smaller than the FBR. It will be possible to design a high performance TWR by improving the reactivity. The catalyst layers have been formed on the surfaces of fin-tube and fin-plate type heat exchangers.