Chemical reactor

• US 6,921,518 B2
• Filed: 01/25/2001
• Issued: 07/26/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 01/25/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Meggitt UK Ltd (Parker-Hannifin Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Meggitt UK Ltd (Parker-Hannifin Corporation)
• Inventors: Johnston, Anthony
• Primary Examiner(s): Stoner, Kiley S.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Tran, Len
• Application Number:
  US09/769,583
• Publication Number:
  US 20010020444A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,643 Days
• Field of Search: 422/198, 422/188, 422/200, 422/187
• US Class Current: 422/198
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 19/0013 Controlling the temperature of the process
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2208/0015 Plates; Cylinders
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2208/00212 Plates; Jackets; Cylinders
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2208/00221 comprising baffles for guiding the flow of the heat exchange medium
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/00085 Plates; Jackets; Cylinders
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/182 horizontal
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/1943 cylindrical
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 8/0221 in a cylindrical shaped bed B01J8/0214 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 8/0235 in a spiral shaped bed
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 8/0285 Heating or cooling the reactor for tubular reactors in furnaces B01J8/062
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 8/0292 with stationary packing material in the bed, e.g. bricks, wire rings, baffles
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 8/0438 the beds being placed next to each other
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 8/0496 Heating or cooling the reactor
• CPC Class Codes: C01C 1/0417 characterised by the synthesis reactor, e.g. arrangement of catalyst beds and heat exchangers in the reactor arrangement of several reactors C01C1/0405; fixed-bed reactors in general B01J8/02
• CPC Class Codes: F28D 9/0037 the conduits for the other heat-exchange medium also being formed by paired plates touching each other F28D9/0043 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F28F 2260/00 Heat exchangers or heat exchange elements having special size, e.g. microstructures
• CPC Class Codes: F28F 3/048 in the form of ribs integral with the element or local variations in thickness of the element, e.g. grooves, microchannels
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 20/52 using catalysts, e.g. selective catalysts

Abstract

A reactor of the staged adiabatic reactor type, comprises at least one heat exchanger panel, preferably a printed circuit heat exchange (PCHE) panel, interposes between adiabatic beds of catalyst, wherein the facial area of the panels and the superficial facial area of the corresponding catalyst are substantially similar, and the panels include means defining discrete passages for handling of reactants and heat transfer media, wherein the means defining passages for heat transfer media provide for at least two differing flow path directions for the heat transfer media through the heat exchanger panel whereby the occurrence of temperature bias or differentials is reduced.

Claims

1. A reactor of the staged adiabatic reactor type, comprising:

(a) adiabatic beds of catalyst each including at least one catalyst and that receive reactants for reaction purposes;

(b) at least one printed circuit heat exchange (PCHE) panel interposed between the adiabatic beds of catalyst that receives reactants for heat exchange purposes, wherein a facial area of the heat exchanger panel and a superficial facial area of the catalyst are substantially similar, wherein the heat exchanger panel includes discrete passages for handling reactants and heat transfer media, respectively, and wherein the passages for heat transfer media permit at least two differing flow path directions for the heat transfer media through the heat exchanger panel.

2. A reactor according to claim 1, wherein the PCHE panel is comprised of a plurality of plates are superposed and diffusion bonded to form a stack of plates to form the PCHE heat exchange panel, wherein fluid passages are defined in the stack by virtue of a pre-treatment of the plates, and wherein each plate is selectively configured to provide either channeled surfaces or blank surfaces in order to obtain a desired pattern of fluid passages in the heat exchanger.

3. A reactor according to claim 2, wherein channels are formed by removal of surface material from the plate.

4. A reactor according to claim 2, wherein at least one plate includes a passageway in which a heat exchange medium can flow in a first direction and at least one plate includes a passageway in which a heat exchange medium can flow in a second direction that is opposite the first direction.

5. A reactor according to claim 2, wherein plates of substantially the same shape are juxtaposed in a stack, each plate having a particular pattern of passages etched out on a surface thereof, and wherein passages in different orientations are defined by alternate alignment of successive plates by rotation of the respective plate in the plane of the plate.

6. A reactor according to claim 2, wherein plates lacking channelled surfaces are incorporated in the heat exchanger panel to prevent intermixing of fluids.

7. A reactor according to claim 1, further comprising a chemical reaction zone bounded by at least one surface including a heat exchanger that permits heat exchange with fluids flowing through the zone to achieve a reaction, the zone and the surface at least in part being defined by a printed circuit heat exchange (PCHE) panel, the heat exchange panel defining discrete passages providing for flow of fluid reactants and a heat transfer medium, respectively,

wherein at least two different flow paths are defined in the plate for handling the heat transfer medium, and

wherein the heat transfer medium is permitted to pass in at least two differing directions through the fluid flow passages with respect to the flow of fluid reactants through the fluid flow passages.

8. A reactor according to claim 7, wherein the fluid flow passages are configured to cause heat transfer medium flowing therethrough to make more than one pass along the length of the plate.

9. A reactor according to claim 8, wherein the fluid flow passages comprise serpentine portions including a series of short, sharp turns.

10. A reactor according to claim 7, wherein the fluid flow passages comprise a zig-zag pattern imposed upon substantially the whole length of each individual passage.

12. A reactor according to claim 2, wherein at least two differing plate designs are used to make up the panel.

13. A reactor according to claim 10, wherein the catalyst bed includes a catalyst comprising one of spherical bodies, cylindrical bodies, hollow bodies, solid particles, expanded particles, pourous solids, wire mesh coated matrix catalyst, and woven gauze coated matrix catalyst.

11. A process for performing chemical reactions under controlled temperature conditions, the process comprising:

(a) delivering reactant fluids successively through a chemical reaction zone to achieve a reaction and through a heat exchanger that bounds the chemical reaction zone and that allows heat exchange between the reactant fluids and a heat transfer medium, the heat exchanger at least in part being defined by a printed circuit heat exchange (PCHE) panel providing (1) passages providing for flow of the heat transfer medium therein and (2) passages providing for flow of the reactant fluids therein;

(b) introducing the heat transfer medium to the PCHE panel; and

(c) causing the heat transfer medium to pass in at least two differing directions through the passages in the PCHE panel with respect to the flow of fluid reactants through the passages in the PCHE panel.