Production of oxidized olefins

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9290469-B2
Application number	US-201214125863-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 22, 2012
Priority date	Jun 23, 2011
Publication date	Mar 22, 2016
Grant date	Mar 22, 2016

Abstract

A system and method for the production of oxidized olefins. The system includes two or more reactors having a number of reaction tubes. A catalyst for catalytic oxidation of olefins is on a first side of the number of reaction tubes. A common supply line supplies a mixture comprising olefins and oxygen to the catalyst. Product outlet streams from each reactor are joined to a single product stream. Coolant fluid passing through the reactors flows into a single coolant drum. The single coolant drum supplies the coolant fluid at a common temperature to a number of coolant fluid inlet streams of each reactor.

First claim

What is claimed:

1. A system for producing oxidized olefins, comprising:
two or more reactors, each of the two or more reactors including a number of reaction tubes each including a first surface defining a first side and a second surface opposite the first surface that defines a second side of each of the number of reaction tubes;
a catalyst for catalytic oxidation of olefins on the first side of the number of reaction tubes;
an inlet to each of the two or more reactors that supplies a mixture comprising olefins and oxygen to the catalyst;
a common supply line for supplying the mixture comprising olefins and oxygen to each inlet of the two or more reactors;
a product outlet from each of the two or more reactors for receiving a product stream comprising the oxidized olefins; and
only one steam drum connected to the two or more reactors, where coolant fluid passing through the two or more reactors produces a vapor phase to remove heat from the number of reaction tubes by a phase change of the coolant fluid, where the vapor phase flows into the only one steam drum from a number of coolant fluid outlet streams of each of the two or more reactors and the only one steam drum separates the vapor phase from a liquid phase of the coolant fluid, where the liquid phase of the coolant fluid is supplied at a common temperature to a number of coolant fluid inlet streams of each of the two or more reactors.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the system comprises a single cross heat exchanger that removes heat from a number of components in the single common product stream.

3. The system of claim 1 , where the number of coolant fluid outlet streams of each of the two or more reactors flow into the only one steam drum through inlets on opposing ends of the only one steam drum.

4. The system of claim 1 , where pipes for the coolant fluid outlet and inlet streams to and from each of the two or more reactors cross over one another to provide stress relief for fluid flow and load forces on the only one steam drum.

5. The system of claim 1 , where an aftercooler is connected to each of the two or more reactors to preheat a coolant makeup supply.

6. The system of claim 1 , where the catalyst contained in the number of reaction tubes of each of the two or more reactors deactivates at a substantially equivalent rate.

7. The system of claim 1 , where a common coolant fluid temperature is maintained across the catalyst contained in the number of reaction tubes of each of the number of reactors.

8. The system of claim 1 , where the coolant fluid outlet and inlet streams provide substantially equivalent cooling of each of the two or more reactors.

9. A method for producing oxidized olefins, comprising:
supplying a mixture comprising olefins and oxygen to two or more reactors from a common supply line;
reacting the mixture in each of the two or more reactors to produce a product stream comprising the oxidized olefins;
joining the product stream from each of the two or more reactors into a single common product stream comprising the oxidized olefins;
supplying a coolant fluid from each of the two or more reactors to only one steam drum by a number of coolant fluid outlet streams of each of the two or more reactors; and
supplying the coolant fluid at a common temperature from the only one steam drum to each of the two or more reactors to remove heat produced in the two or more reactors during the reaction of the mixture.

10. The method of claim 9 further comprising removing heat from a number of components in the single common product stream with a single cross heat exchanger.

11. The method of claim 9 , where the two or more reactors include a number of reaction tubes including a first side and a second side and a catalyst for catalytic oxidation of olefins on the first side of the number of reaction tubes and reacting the mixture occurs at a rate such that the catalyst in the number of reaction tubes of each of the number of reactors deactivates at a common rate.

12. The method of claim 11 , where the method includes maintaining a common coolant fluid temperature across the catalyst contained in the number of reaction tubes of each of the number of reactors.

13. The method of claim 9 , where the method includes maintaining a promoter concentration feed of each of the two or more reactors within a tolerance level.

14. The method of claim 9 , where the method includes: preheating a coolant makeup supply with an aftercooler connected to each of the two or more reactors; and feeding a preheated coolant makeup outlet of each aftercooler to the only one steam drum.

Assignees

• Newman Kent
• Osborne Bernie
• Szul John
• Dow Technology Investments Llc

Inventors

• Newman Kent
• Osborne Bernie
• Szul John

Classifications

• B01J8/067

  Heating or cooling the reactor (B01J8/062 takes precedence) · CPC title

• B01J19/0013

  Controlling the temperature of the process · CPC title

• C07D301/06 Primary

  in the liquid phase · CPC title