CHEMICAL REACTOR FOR CONTROLLED TEMPERATURE GAS PHASE OXIDATION REACTIONS

A chemical reactor includes one or more solid oxide fuel cells, each cell having an electrolyte layer joining a cathode and an anode, the one or more fuel cell cathodes being located in a first gas zone of the reactor, and the one or more fuel cell anodes being located in a second gas zone of the reactor. The chemical reactor further includes a first gas supply route for supplying a flow of oxidant to the first gas zone. The chemical reactor further includes a second gas supply route for supplying a flow of reactant to the second gas zone. The chemical reactor further includes a gas removal route for removing a flow of reaction products away from the second gas zone. The chemical reactor further includes one or more leakage paths which fluidly connect the first gas zone to the second gas zone such that a leakage flow of oxidant leaks from the first gas zone into the second gas zone to support a direct exothermic chemical reaction between the oxidant and the reactant, while substantially preventing a reverse flow of reactant into the first gas zone. The reaction products are a mixture of reaction product from the direct reaction and reaction product from an indirect electrochemical oxidation reaction of the reactant at the anode or anodes. The reactor further includes a catalyst in the second gas zone for catalysing the direct reaction, and a controller for drawing a controlled electric current from the fuel cell or cells to control the rate of the indirect reaction and thereby the temperature of the catalyst.