Centrifugal blower system with internal gas mixing and gas phase chemical reactor incorporating same

A chemical reactor comprising at least one reactor unit having a reaction zone and at least one centrifugal blower system for driving gaseous flow, the centrifugal blower system comprising:

• a) a series of blower units, including at least a first blowers unit and a second blower unit, the first blower unit in the series comprising a first casing having a first axial inlet and a first radial outlet, a first impeller disposed within the first casing for drawing a first gaseous medium at a first pressure in the first axial inlet and expelling the first gaseous medium at a second higher pressure through the first axial outlet into a duct having a gas flow passageway defined by a gas flow-confining wall and a motor for driving the first impeller;
• b) the second blower unit comprising a second casing having a second axial inlet in communication with the duct receiving the first gaseous medium from the first radial outlet, a second radial outlet, a second impeller disposed within the second casing for drawing the first gaseous medium into the second axial inlet and expelling a second gaseous medium through the second radial outlet;
• c) a gas flow inlet in communication with the duct, for admitting the second gaseous medium to the gas flow passageway of the duct, the gas flow inlet being defined in or connected to the gas flow-confining wall of the duct, whereby the second gaseous medium mixes with the first gaseous medium in the second blower unit to form a gas mixture and the centrifugal blower system driving gaseous flow to, within and/or from the reaction zone of the at least one reactor unit.

A process for conducting a chemical reaction to produce at least one chemical reaction product, the process comprising:

• driving the flow of a gaseous reaction mixture to, within and/or from the reaction zone of a chemical reactor, the gaseous reaction mixture being driven by a centrifugal blower system comprising:
• a) a series of blower units including a first blower unit and a second blower unit, each blower unit in the series comprising a casing having an axial inlet and a radial outlet, an impeller disposed within the casing for drawing a first gaseous medium at a first pressure in the axial inlet and expelling first gaseous medium at a second higher pressure through the radial outlet and a motor for driving the impeller;
• b) a duct having a first end connected to the radial outlet of a blower unit in the series, a second end connected to the axial inlet of another blower unit in the series, and a gas flow-confining wall defining a gas flow passageway;
• and
• c) a gas flow inlet for admitting a second gaseous medium to the gas flow passageway of duct (b), the gas flow inlet being defined in or connected to the gas flow-confining wall of duct (b),
• such that upon the admission of second gaseous medium into duct (b) through inlet (c), the first and second gaseous mediums within the gas flow passageway of duct (b) are drawn into the blower unit whose axial inlet is connected to duct (b) and expelled from the radial outlet of such blower unit as a uniform gaseous reaction mixture of the first and second gaseous mediums, the gaseous reaction mixture undergoing reaction within the reaction zone of the chemical reactor to produce at least one chemical reaction product.