Fluidic seal apparatus for continuous polymerization process
AssigneeBraskem S.A.
InventorsDihogenes Adriano Pozzer, Élita Cavalli, Olavo Martins Junior, Thiago Roberto Almeida
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Abstract
Described is a fluidic seal apparatus for continuously injecting a sealing gas into a bottom section of a gas-solids separation chamber. The fluidic seal apparatus includes an external section, a feed tube in fluid communication with a sealing gas supply, and an internal section. The external section connects the sealing gas supply to the internal section. The internal section includes gas distribution nozzles for distributing the sealing gas inside the bottom section of the gas-solids separation chamber. An internal chamber between the internal section and the external section is pressurized by the sealing gas.
Claims25
A fluidic seal apparatus for continuously injecting a sealing gas into a bottom section of a gas-solids separation chamber, comprising:
- an external section;
- a feed tube extending from a sealing gas supply to a connection with the external section, wherein the feed tube is configured to continuously feed the sealing gas to the fluidic seal apparatus;
- an internal section comprising a plurality of gas distribution nozzles, each gas distribution nozzle configured to distribute the sealing gas inside the bottom section of the gas-solids separation chamber;
- and
- an internal chamber formed between the internal section and the external section, when connected to each other,
- wherein the external section connects the sealing gas supply to the internal section, and
- wherein the internal chamber is pressurized by the sealing gas.
An apparatus for reducing the amount of molecular weight regulator carried out to a polymerization gas phase reactor process, wherein a feeding zone in which a sealing gas is fed to a gas-solids separation chamber, comprises:
- (i) a maximum polymer particles concentration in walls of the gas-solids separation chamber of at least three times higher than a minimum polymer particles concentration in a bottom section of the gas-solids separation chamber;
- (ii) a cyclonic physics that introduces an upward flow of gas presenting a pattern of a low velocity vortex up to 2.5 meters per second;
- (iii) a temperature in a range of 60° C. to 120° C.;
- (iv) a pressure in a range of 0.05 megapascal (MPa) to 4 MPa;
- and
- (v) a d (0.5) of polymer particles in the feeding zone of up to 2500 micrometers (μm).
A process for reducing an amount of molecular weight regulator carried out to a polymerization gas phase reactor, comprising:
- continuously feeding a sealing gas to a fluidic seal apparatus connected with a bottom section of a gas-solids separation chamber;
- and
- using the fluidic seal apparatus, injecting the sealing gas to a feeding zone in the bottom section of the gas-solids separation chamber,
- wherein the sealing gas injection reduces a total volumetric flowrate of sealing gas that is carried out to the polymerization gas phase reactor by at least 50%.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.