Structured packing for catalytic distillation

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10537826-B2
Application number	US-201916381432-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 11, 2019
Priority date	Apr 11, 2018
Publication date	Jan 21, 2020
Grant date	Jan 21, 2020

Abstract

A catalytic distillation structure that may include a rigid framework having at least two grids with a plurality of horizontal fluid permeable tubes mounted to said grids to form a plurality of fluid pathways among the plurality of horizontal fluid permeable tubes. Additionally, each horizontal fluid permeable tubes may have a profile of a six-sided polygon. Further, the catalytic distillation structure may include a plurality of vertically plates or wires connecting vertically aligned tubes of the plurality of horizontal fluid permeable tubes. Furthermore, the plurality of vertically plates or wires connects from a corner of one vertically aligned tubes to a corner of an adjacent vertically aligned tube.

First claim

What is claimed:

1. A catalytic distillation structure, comprising:
a rigid framework having at least two grids;
a plurality of horizontal fluid permeable tubes mounted to said grids to form a plurality of fluid pathways among the plurality of horizontal fluid permeable tubes, wherein each horizontal fluid permeable tubes have a profile of a six-sided polygon; and
a plurality of vertically plates or wires connecting vertically aligned tubes of the plurality of horizontal fluid permeable tubes, wherein the plurality of vertically plates or wires connects from a corner of one vertically aligned tubes to a corner of an adjacent vertically aligned tube.

2. The catalytic distillation structure of claim 1 , further comprising a first series of vertically aligned tubes and a second series of vertically aligned tubes, wherein the first series comprises the plurality of horizontal fluid permeable tubes arrayed in a parallel, adjacent and vertically aligned columns within the first series, and the second series comprises the plurality of horizontal fluid permeable tubes arrayed in a parallel, adjacent and vertically aligned columns within the second series.

3. The catalytic distillation structure of claim 2 , wherein the first series of vertically aligned tubes are offset from the second series of vertically aligned tubes thereby the horizontal fluid permeable tubes of the first series overlap the horizontal fluid permeable tubes of the second series without contacting the horizontal fluid permeable tubes of the second series of plates to thereby form a tortuous fluid pathway.

4. The catalytic distillation structure of claim 3 , wherein a height of the plurality of vertically plates or wires evenly space apart the horizontal fluid permeable tubes in the first series and the second series.

5. The catalytic distillation structure of claim 4 , wherein the first series and the second series are stacked side-by-side a distance apart.

6. The catalytic distillation structure of claim 3 , further comprising a geometry of the six-sided polygon forming a first angle in four corners of the six-sided polygon, a second angle in two corners of the six-sided polygon, wherein the first angle is greater than the second angle.

7. The catalytic distillation structure of claim 6 , wherein the second angle is in the corners of vertically aligned tubes that are connected by the plurality of vertically plates or wires.

8. The catalytic distillation structure of claim 7 , wherein the six-sided polygon comprises two sides of a first length and four sides of a second length.

9. The catalytic distillation structure of claim 8 , wherein the first angle is at a corner of a connection of a side of the first length and aside of the second length and the second angle is at a corner of a connection of two sides of the second length.

10. The catalytic distillation structure of claim 9 , wherein the second length is greater than the first length.

11. The catalytic distillation structure of claim 9 , wherein the second length is shorter than the first length.

12. The catalytic distillation structure of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of horizontal fluid permeable and tubes plurality of vertically plates or wires are made of a same material, such as wire mesh.

13. The catalytic distillation structure of claim 1 , further comprising at least one support rod to rigidly hold the at least two grids at distance apart from each grid.

14. The catalytic distillation structure of claim 1 , wherein each of the plurality of horizontal fluid permeable tubes have an opening at a first end and second end of said tubes.

15. The catalytic distillation structure of claim 1 , wherein the grids comprises a plurality of openings.

16. The catalytic distillation structure of claim 15 , wherein the plurality of openings of the girds have a profile equal to the profile of the plurality of horizontal fluid permeable.

17. The catalytic distillation structure of claim 16 , wherein the plurality of horizontal fluid permeable are positioned in the plurality of openings of the girds.

18. The catalytic distillation structure of claim 1 , wherein the six-sided polygon is a hexagon, and the plurality of vertically plates or wires connect the vertically aligned tubes from a top corner of the hexagon of one vertically aligned tube to a bottom corner of the hexagon of the adjacent vertically aligned tube.

19. A distillation column reactor for concurrently carrying out reactions and separating the products from the reactants, comprising:
a vertically disposed vessel;
one or more catalytic distillation structures disposed in the vertically disposed vessel, comprising:
a rigid framework having at least two grids;
a plurality of horizontal fluid permeable tubes mounted to said grids to form a plurality of fluid pathways among the plurality of horizontal fluid permeable tubes, wherein each horizontal fluid permeable tubes have a profile of a six-sided polygon; and
a plurality of vertically plates or wires connecting vertically aligned tubes of the plurality of horizontal fluid permeable tubes, wherein the plurality of vertically plates or wires connects from a corner of one vertically aligned tubes to a corner of an adjacent vertically aligned tube.

20. The distillation column reactor of claim 19 , further comprising one or more re-boilers, condensers, feeding tanks, or separators connected to the vertically disposed vessel via flow lines.

21. The distillation column reactor of claim 20 , wherein the flow line from the feeding tanks connects to the vertically disposed vessel at, above, or below the one or more catalytic distillation structures.

22. The distillation column reactor of claim 19 , wherein the rigid framework is removably attached to the vertically disposed vessel by welding, crimping, adhesives, or mechanical fasteners.

Assignees

• Lummus Technology Inc

Inventors

• Chen Liang
• Loezos Peter
• Lew Perry
• Tomsula Bryan
• Groten Willibrord A
• Podrebarac Gary G

Classifications

• B01J2219/32227

  Vertical orientation · CPC title

• B01J2219/32296

  Honeycombs · CPC title

• B01J2219/32466

  comprising catalytically active material · CPC title

• B01D3/28

  Fractionating columns with surface contact and vertical guides, e.g. film action · CPC title

• B01J19/32

  Packing elements in the form of grids or built-up elements for forming a unit or module inside the apparatus for mass or heat transfer · CPC title