Conically Shaped Screenless Internals for Radial Flow Reactors

• US 20090238729A1
• Filed: 05/28/2009
• Published: 09/24/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 07/19/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Bryan K. Glover
• Original Assignee: Bryan K. Glover
• Inventors: Glover, Bryan K.
• Granted Patent: US 7,842,259 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 422/139
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/0077 inclined
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/00774 in the form of cones
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 8/085 Feeding reactive fluids for solid material, see B01J8/0015
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 8/12 moved by gravity in a downward flow

Abstract

An apparatus for contacting a bed of particulate material with a cross flowing fluid, which maintains the bed of particulate material within a retention volume. The apparatus includes partitions for retaining particles, with apertures disposed within the partitions. The apertures are covered by shrouds that extend above the edges of the apertures to prevent solid particles from spilling through inlet apertures.

Claims

1. An apparatus for supporting a granular solid in a cross-flow system comprising:

an inlet partition having apertures defined therein, wherein each aperture has a lower edge and an upper edge;

an outlet partition having apertures defined therein, wherein each aperture has a lower edge and an upper edge and wherein the inlet partition and the outlet partition are spaced to define a particle retention volume for holding a granular solid; and

a plurality of inlet shrouds, wherein each inlet shroud is affixed to the inlet partition at a position above an inlet aperture and covers at least one inlet aperture, and wherein each inlet shroud is affixed above the upper edges of the covered apertures, extends into the particle retention space at an angle between about 1 degrees and about 85 degrees, and the inlet shroud lower edge extends to at least the lower edge of the inlet apertures.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the shroud lower edge extends to at least a distance, d, below the aperture lower edge according to the formula:

d=L*sin(θ

)*tan(φ

),

where L is the length of the shroud, θ

is the angle the shroud extends away from the inlet partition, and φ

is the angle of repose for the granular solid.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein each shroud extends from the partition at an angle from vertical between about 10 degrees and about 50 degrees.

4. The apparatus of claim 3 wherein each shroud extends from a partition at an angle from vertical between about 10 degrees and about 35 degrees.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the uppermost shrouds extend from a partition at an angle from vertical between about 1 degree and about 20 degrees.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the wherein the uppermost outlet shrouds extend away from the particle retention volume space at an angle from vertical of about 1 degree to about 20 degrees, the remaining outlet shrouds extend away from the particle retention volume space at an angle from vertical of about 10 degree to about 30 degrees and the uppermost outlet shrouds extend away from the vertical at a steeper angle than the remaining outlet shrouds.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the shrouds have a conical shape.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the shrouds have a pyramidal shape having two or more planar faces.

9. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the shrouds are staggered at successive elevations on the inlet partition.

10. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising at least one outlet shroud, where each outlet shroud is affixed to the outlet partition at a position above an outlet aperture and extends into the particle retention volume space at an angle between about 1 degree and about 85 degrees and the outlet shroud lower edge extends to at least the lower edge of the outlet apertures.

11. The apparatus of claim 10 wherein the outlet shroud lower edge extends to at least a distance, d, below the outlet aperture lower edge according to the formula:

d=L*sin(θ

)*tan(φ

),

where L is the length of the shroud, θ

is the angle the shroud extends away from the inlet partition, and φ

is the angle of repose for the granular solid.