Multi-bed catalytic reactor

• US 4,225,562 A
• Filed: 05/14/1979
• Issued: 09/30/1980
• Est. Priority Date: 05/14/1979
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: UOP Des Plaines IL A NY General Partnership
• Original Assignee: UOP Llc (Honeywell International Inc.)
• Inventors: Anderson, Mark C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Scovronek, Joseph
• Application Number:
  US06/038,990
• Time in Patent Office: 505 Days
• Field of Search: 422/188, 422/190, 422/191, 422/193, 422/194, 422/195, 422/207, 422/211, 422/219, 422/198, 422/242, 208/146, 55/387, 55/484
• US Class Current: 422/600
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2208/021 comprising a plurality of beds with flow of reactants in parallel
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 8/0207 the fluid flow within the bed being predominantly horizontal

Abstract

A vapor-solids contacting apparatus useful as a catalytic reactor in the processing of hydrocarbonaceous reactants. A plurality of preferably rectangular cross-section elongated catalyst compartments are formed by box-like structures having two opposing parallel perforate planar sides and sealed ends. The perforate sides of adjacent catalyst compartments form two of the sides of reactant flow chambers having the same length. Alternating ends of the reactant flow chambers are sealed to direct the reactants flowing from one end of the vessel to the other through the catalyst compartments.

Claims

1. A catalytic reactor useful in processing vaporous reactants which comprises:

(a) a vessel which is cylindrical about a central axis and which has a first end and a second end and a cylindrical inner surface;

(b) a first substantially imperforate tubular-form wall located within the outer vessel at a distance radially inward from the inner surface of the vessel and which is concentric about the central axis of the vessel;

(c) a second substantially imperforate tubular-form wall located within the vessel at a distance radially inward from the first tubular-form wall and which is concentric about the central axis of the vessel;

(d) a plurality of elongated catalyst compartments located in the volume located between the first and the second tubular-form walls, with each catalyst compartment being oriented with the central axis of the vessel and having two opposing sides formed by a pair of parallel planar perforate panels which extend from the first to the second tubular-form walls, with each catalyst compartment having sealed first and second ends, and with the opposing perforate panels of adjacent catalyst compartments being spaced apart to provide reactant flow chambers located between the first and the second tubular-form walls having substantially the same length as the catalyst compartments, with each reactant flow chamber having a first and a second end;

(e) a bed of particulate catalyst within each of the catalyst compartments;

(f) seal plates closing the first end of the alternating reactant flow chambers;

(g) seal plates closing the second end of each reactant flow chamber which does not have a seal plate on the first end;

(h) inlet means for passing reactants into alternating reactant flow chambers; and

,

(i) outlet means for removing reactants from reactant flow chambers which are not in communication with said inlet means.

2. The reactor of claim 1 further characterized in that the perforate planar panels are oriented such that a plane parallel to and halfway between the perforate panels coincides with the central axis of the vessel.

3. An apparatus useful as a reactor for processing vaporous reactants which comprises:

(a) an enclosed vessel which is cylindrical about a central axis and which has a first end and a second end and a cylindrical inner surface;

(b) a plurality of elongated box-like catalyst compartments located within the vessel and oriented with the central axis of the vessel, with each catalyst compartment having a sealed first end, a sealed second end and sides formed by four planar panels of which one pair of opposing panels is perforate and parallel and one pair of opposing panels is substantially imperforate;

(c) a plurality of reactant flow chambers located within the vessel and having substantially the same length as the catalyst compartments and being oriented with the central axis of the vessel, each reactant flow chamber having at least one side formed by the opposing perforate planar panel of an adjacent catalyst compartment;

(d) a bed of particulate catalyst within each catalyst compartment;

(e) means for sealing the first end of alternating reactant flow chambers;

(f) means for sealing the second end of each reactant flow chamber which is not sealed on the first end in a manner such that one of the perforate planar panels of each catalyst compartment adjoins a reactant flow chamber sealed at the first end and the second perforate panel of the same catalyst compartment adjoins a reactant flow chamber sealed at the second end;

(g) inlet means for passing reactants into alternating reactant flow chambers; and

,

(h) outlet means for removing reactants from reactant flow chambers which are not in communication with said inlet means whereby reactants may be passed into the vessel, distributed between alternating reactant flow chambers, passed through the two parallel perforate panels and the catalyst bed of a catalyst compartment and then withdrawn from the vessel.

4. The apparatus of claim 3 further characterized in that the catalyst compartments which form two sides of each reactant flow chamber are located at the same radial distance from the central axis of the vessel.

5. The apparatus of claim 4 further characterized in that the catalyst compartments are rectangular in cross-section.

6. The apparatus of claim 5 further characterized in that the catalyst compartments are arranged in a circular pattern about the central axis of the vessel, said pattern comprising two rows of catalyst compartments, with each row being at a different radial distance from the central axis of the vessel and with the outer row of catalyst compartments abutting the inner surface of the vessel.

7. The apparatus of claim 5 further characterized in that there is an equal number of catalyst compartments and reactant flow chambers.

8. The apparatus of claim 5 further characterized in that the catalyst compartments are oriented such that a plane parallel to and halfway between the perforate panels coincides with the central axis of the vessel.

9. The apparatus of claim 8 further characterized in that each reactant flow chamber has two sides formed by perforate panels of two different catalyst compartments.