Isothermal reactor

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10875002-B2
Application number	US-201816484500-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 8, 2018
Priority date	Feb 8, 2017
Publication date	Dec 29, 2020
Grant date	Dec 29, 2020

Abstract

A reactor ( 1 ) for thermochemical reactions is provided comprising a reactor shell ( 13 ) having an inlet ( 2 ) and an outlet ( 3 ). Solid catalyst ( 16 ) is provided in reaction zones ( 4 a, 4 b, 4 c ) in which at least a portion of reactants entering the reactor ( 1 ) undergo a thermochemical reaction. A heat exchange medium is provided in heat exchange zones such that heat is exchanged between the reaction zones ( 4 a, 4 b, 4 c ) and the heat exchange medium. One or more hollow inserts ( 11 ) at least partially extend through the reaction zones ( 4 a, 4 b, 4 c ). The hollow inserts ( 11 ) are configured to form a flow path to either: divert a portion of the reactants from the reactor inlet ( 2 ) or from one reaction zone to a different reaction zone; or divert a portion of the heat exchange medium from one heat exchange zone to a different heat exchange zone.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A reactor for thermochemical reactions, comprising:
a reactor shell having an inlet for receiving reactants into the reactor and an outlet for the removal of products from the reactor;
a plurality of reaction zones located within the reactor shell comprising a solid catalyst in which at least a portion of the reactants undergo a thermochemical reaction and form a reaction mixture of products and reactants;
a plurality of heat exchange zones comprising a heat exchange medium;
a plurality of tubes for housing the heat exchange medium, wherein heat is exchanged between the reaction zones and the heat exchange medium through walls of the tubes; and
one or more hollow inserts at least partially extending through one or more reaction zones thereby to displace solid catalyst in the reaction zone and reduce temperature variation across the reaction zone, each hollow insert comprising an inlet and an outlet, the hollow inserts configured to:
form a flow path to divert a portion of the reactants or reaction mixture from the reactor inlet or from one reaction zone to a different reaction zone.

2. A reactor according to claim 1 , wherein the flow path is defined by at least one longitudinally extending bore in the hollow insert.

3. A reactor according to claim 2 , wherein the flow path is further defined by at least one laterally extending bore in fluid communication with the at least one longitudinally extending bore.

4. A reactor according to claim 1 , wherein the hollow inserts comprise an assembly of hollow insert portions which, when assembled, define a longitudinally extending passage with one or more laterally extending passages.

5. The reactor according to claim 1 , wherein the density or number of inserts is substantially constant across each cross-sectional quadrant around a longitudinal axis of the reactor.

6. The reactor according to claim 5 , wherein the one or more inserts are spaced substantially equidistant from adjacent heat exchange zones.

7. The reactor according to claim 1 , wherein the inserts are disposed in a symmetrical arrangement relative to a longitudinal axis.

8. A reactor according to claim 1 , further comprising one or more wall inserts mounted on an inner wall of the reactor shell.

9. A reactor according to claim 1 , wherein the inserts are thermally conductive, said thermal conductivity greater than the thermal conductivity of the solid catalyst.

10. The reactor according to claim 1 , wherein the different reaction zone is downstream from the hollow insert inlet.

11. The reactor according to claim 1 , wherein at least one insert is connected to one or more tubes with a web member.

12. A reactor according to claim 1 , further comprising one or more reaction-free zones disposed between sequential reaction zones.

13. A reactor according to claim 1 , wherein the tubes are longitudinally extending tubes.

14. A reactor according to claim 1 , wherein the heat exchange medium flows through the reactor in a countercurrent or co-current direction to a flow of the reactants.

15. A reactor according to claim 1 , wherein the thermochemical reaction is:
the production of methanol from synthesis gas;
the production Fischer Tropsch products from synthesis gas;
the methanation of CO x reactants;
the production of dimethyl ether (DME) from synthesis gas;
the production of ammonia;
hydrogenation reactions; or
hydrocarbon reforming processes.

16. A method of designing a reactor comprising the steps of:
A. generating a thermochemical reactor model for a reactor according to claim 1 ;
B. portioning the reactor into one or more virtual reaction zones along a longitudinal axis of the reactor;
C. using the reactor model to determine an expected temperature across each of the virtual reaction zones Tvr i to compare against a target temperature T target ;
D. adjusting one or more of the following parameters:
i. the number, diameter, length and/or positioning of the one or more inserts;
ii. the inlet point and the outlet point of the one or more inserts;
iii. the amount of catalyst per unit volume of the reactor;
iv. the location of the catalyst with respect of the heat exchange zone, hollow inserts and/or inserts; and/or
v. space velocity of a reactant/reaction mixture within the reactor to thereby meet or approach the criteria of Tvr i to equal T target ;

E. repeating step D until said criteria is satisfied.

17. A method of reducing temperature variation across one or more reaction zones in a reactor for thermochemical reactions,
wherein said reactor comprises:
a reactor shell having an inlet for receiving reactants into the reactor and an outlet for the removal of products from the reactor;
a plurality of reaction zones comprising a solid catalyst in which at least a portion of the reactants undergo a thermochemical reaction;
a plurality of heat exchange zones located within the reactor shell comprising a heat exchange medium; and
a plurality of tubes for housing or the heat exchange medium, wherein heat is exchanged between the reaction zones and the heat exchange medium through walls of the tubes,

the method comprising:
introducing one or more hollow inserts at least partially extending through one or more reaction zones thereby to displace solid catalyst in the reaction zone and reduce temperature variation across the reaction zone, each hollow insert comprising an inlet and an outlet, the hollow inserts configured to:
form a flow path to divert a portion of the reactants or reaction mixture from the reactor inlet or from one reaction zone to a different reaction zone.

Assignees

• Commw Scient Ind Res Org

Inventors

• Patel Jim
• Bhatelia Tejas
• Rakshit Pranab
• Webley Paul
• Voolapalli Ravi Kumar

Classifications

• B01J2208/00132

  Tubes · CPC title

• F28D2021/0022

  for chemical reactors · CPC title

• C10G2/00

  Production of liquid hydrocarbon mixtures of undefined composition from oxides of carbon · CPC title

• C10G49/00

  Treatment of hydrocarbon oils, in the presence of hydrogen or hydrogen-generating compounds, not provided for in a single one of groups C10G45/02, C10G45/32, C10G45/44, C10G45/58 or C10G47/00 · CPC title

• B01J8/0496 Primary

  Heating or cooling the reactor · CPC title