Or relating to catalyst carriers for tubular reactors and associated methods
AssigneeJohnson Matthey Davy Technologies Limited
InventorsJay Simon Clarkson, Henry Arthur Claxton, Benjamin Geoffrey Mallam
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Abstract
A catalyst carrier for insertion into a reactor tube of a tubular reactor comprises a container for holding catalyst and a seal for sealing between the container and the reactor tube. The seal comprises at least a first seal layer and a second seal layer each comprising a plurality of deflectable tongues separated by notches. The second seal layer is rotationally offset relative to the first seal layer such that the notches of the second seal layer are aligned with the deflectable tongues of the first seal layer.
Claims23
A catalyst carrier for insertion into a reactor tube of a tubular reactor, the catalyst carrier comprising a container for holding catalyst in use and a seal for sealing between the container and an inner surface of the reactor tube;
- the catalyst carrier having a longitudinal axis that in use can be aligned with a longitudinal axis of the reactor tube to facilitate installation of the catalyst carrier into the reactor tube;
- wherein the seal comprises at least a first seal layer and a second seal layer;
- the first seal layer and the second seal layer each comprising a plurality of deflectable tongues separated by notches;
- the second seal layer being rotationally offset about the longitudinal axis of the catalyst carrier relative to the first seal layer such that the notches of the second seal layer are aligned with the deflectable tongues of the first seal layer,
- wherein each seal layer comprises a key or keyway for engaging a complementary keyway or key on the container for maintaining relative rotational alignment of the seal layers with each other.
A method of installing a catalyst carrier into a reactor tube of a tubular reactor, the method comprising the steps of:
- i) providing an installation tool comprising a movable ram configured for pushing the catalyst carrier into the reactor tube;
- ii) using the movable ram to push the catalyst carrier into the reactor tube such that a container of the catalyst carrier is received within the reactor tube;
- and
- iii) pushing the catalyst carrier into the reactor tube causes a seal of the catalyst carrier to contact and be deformed by an inner surface of the reactor tube and at least a first seal layer and a second seal layer of the seal are deformed by the contact of the seal with the inner surface,
- wherein each seal layer comprises a key or keyway for engaging a complementary keyway or key on the container for maintaining relative rotational alignment of the seal layers with each other.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.