Devices for making reaction products by controlling transient conversion in an atomized liquid

• US 5,580,531 A
• Filed: 06/07/1995
• Issued: 12/03/1996
• Est. Priority Date: 06/07/1995
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: RPC Incorporated (Estate of R Randall Rollins)
• Original Assignee: Twenty-First Century Research Corporation
• Inventors: Dassel, Mark W., Vassiliou, Eustathios
• Primary Examiner(s): Warden, Robert J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): KIM, CHRISTOPHER Y
• Application Number:
  US08/478,257
• Time in Patent Office: 545 Days
• Field of Search: 422/105, 422/106, 422/108, 422/110, 422/230, 422/257, 261/129, 261/130, 261/26, 261/27, 261/28, 261/29, 261/39.1
• US Class Current: 422/108
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 23/2132 using nozzles
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 10/002 carried out in foam, aerosol or bubbles
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 10/02 of the thin-film type
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 19/0006 Controlling or regulating processes controlling or regulating in general G05
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 19/24 Stationary reactors without moving elements inside B01J19/08, B01J19/26 take precedence; with stationary particles B01J8/02
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 19/26 Nozzle-type reactors, i.e. the distribution of the initial reactants within the reactor is effected by their introduction or injection through nozzles
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/00058 Temperature measurement
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/00069 Flow rate measurement
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/00083 Coils
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/00094 Jackets
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/00103 in a heat exchanger separate from the reactor
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/0011 involving reactant liquids
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/00126 Cryogenic coolants
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/0013 by condensation of reactants
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/00162 controlling the pressure
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/00164 controlling the flow
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/00182 controlling the level of reactants in the reactor vessel
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/00186 controlling the composition of the reactive mixture
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/00252 Formation of deposits other than coke

Abstract

Devices for making reaction products by atomizing into droplets a first liquid containing a first reactant into a gas containing a second reactant in a manner to form a reaction product within the droplets. The reaction is controlled by monitoring the transient conversion (conversion taking place in the time interval between the formation of the droplets and their coalescence into a mass of liquid) of first reactant to reaction product just before the droplets coalesce into a mass of a second liquid.

Claims

1. A device for preparing a reaction product from a first liquid containing a first reactant and a gas containing a second reactant comprising:

a reaction chamber having an upper end, a lower end, a wall, and a reaction zone, in which zone the first liquid is brought in contact with the gas for reacting at a reaction pressure;

an atomizer disposed within the reaction chamber adapted to break the first liquid into a plurality of droplets within the gas at an atomization temperature in a manner that the droplets coalesce on a mass of a second liquid containing reaction product, the mass of the second liquid having a second liquid surface, the atomizer being away from said second liquid surface at an atomization distance;

a conversion detector for monitoring transient conversion of the first reactant and the second reactant to reaction product in the droplets before the droplets coalesce onto the mass of the second liquid;

a control means connected to the conversion detector for pointing said transient conversion in the droplets toward a predetermined conversion range; and

a separator for separating the reaction product from the second liquid.

2. A device as defined in claim 1, wherein the droplets have an average droplet diameter and are produced at a desired first flow rate, the gas flows at a second flow rate, the droplets contain volatile ingredients volatilizing at a volatilization rate, the first liquid contains first reactant at a first content, the gas contains second reactant at a second content, and wherein the control means comprise means for changing a variable selected from a group consisting of

the atomization temperature,

the reaction pressure,

the atomization distance,

the average droplet diameter,

the first flow rate,

the second flow rate,

the volatilization rate,

the first content,

the second content, and

a combination thereof.

3. A device as defined in claim 2, wherein the conversion detector comprises a chromatography apparatus.

4. A device as defined in claim 2, wherein the conversion detector comprises a High Performance Liquid Chromatography apparatus.

5. A device as defined in claim 1, wherein the atomizer is disposed toward the upper end, and directed toward the lower end at the atomization distance.

6. A device as defined in claim 5, wherein the atomizer is airless.

7. A device as defined in claim 1, further comprising a recirculation branch for recirculating at least part of the second liquid.

8. A device as defined in claim 7, further comprising a recirculation tank for providing a third liquid containing first reactant to be added to the first liquid to replenish first reactant consumed during the reaction.

9. A device as defined in claim 1, wherein the reaction product is a solid, and the separator comprises a filtration apparatus for separating at least part of said reaction product from the second liquid.

10. A device as defined in claim 1, further comprising means for adding an antistatic compound to a component selected from a group consisting of the first liquid, the gas, and a combination thereof, in order to prevent development of electrostatic charges and sparking.

11. A device as defined in claim 10, wherein the antistatic compound comprises water.

12. A device as defined in claim 1, further comprising an internal condenser for condensing condensibles at substantially reaction pressure.

13. A device as defined in claim 1, further comprising means for providing a film of liquid or curtain on the wall.

14. A device as defined in claim 1, further comprising a second reaction chamber and a second atomizer inside said second reaction chamber adapted to atomize a solution comprising metal ions of a lower oxidation state in a manner to form a plurality of droplets in the second reaction chamber, the second reaction chamber containing a gas comprising an oxidant adapted to cause at least partial oxidation of the metal ions to a higher valance state, the device further comprising means for feeding the solution containing the oxidized metal ions to a desired section of the device.