Loop slurry reactor cooling processes and systems
AssigneeChevron Phillips Chemical Company LP
InventorsReza Khankal, James E. Hein, Anurag Gupta, Enrique J. Mancillas, Timothy O. Odi
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Abstract
Disclosed are systems and processes for distributing reactor coolant flow to the cooling jackets of a loop slurry reactor, where the reactor coolant is used to control the temperature of the loop slurry reactor in olefin polymerization. Also disclosed are systems and processes for controlling the temperature of the reactor coolant that is used for cooling olefin polymerization reactors, which can be used in combination with traditional coolant distribution regimes and in combination with the coolant distribution systems and processes that are disclosed herein.
Claims20
A process for controlling temperature of a coolant in olefin polymerization, the process comprising:
- flowing a temperature adjusted coolant through a first plurality of cooling jackets and then a second plurality of cooling jackets to form a warmed coolant, wherein the first plurality of cooling jackets and the second plurality of cooling jackets are placed around a plurality of vertical legs of a loop slurry reactor;
- flowing the warmed coolant from the second plurality of cooling jackets to a heat exchanger;
- cooling the warmed coolant in the heat exchanger to form a cooled coolant;
- passing the cooled coolant through a steam injection heater to form the temperature adjusted coolant;
- and
- flowing the temperature adjusted coolant to the first plurality of cooling jackets;
- wherein the heat exchanger and the steam injection heater are fluidly coupled to one another in series and not in parallel with respect to the direction of flow of the coolant through the heat exchanger and the steam injection heater.
A temperature control system for a coolant in olefin polymerization, the temperature control system comprising:
- a coolant return conduit coupled to a first plurality of cooling jackets of a loop slurry reactor;
- a heat exchanger connected to the coolant return conduit and configured to cool warmed coolant received from the coolant return conduit to form a cooled coolant;
- a steam injection heater coupled to the heat exchanger and configured to i) heat the cooled coolant to form a temperature adjusted coolant, or ii) allow the cooled coolant to pass through without heating to form the temperature adjusted coolant;
- and
- a coolant supply conduit coupled to the steam injection heater and to a second plurality of cooling jackets of the loop slurry reactor, wherein the first plurality of cooling jackets are fluidly coupled to the second plurality of cooling jackets;
- wherein the heat exchanger and the steam injection heater are connected in series and not in parallel.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.