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US 12,747,164 B2Granted
Method and apparatus for fast iron and nickel carbonylation
OwnerRolf Miles Olseninventor
Life of this patent
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Abstract
The inventions relate to controlling the particle size, and gas flows in moving beds of particles containing metallic iron and/or nickel, wherein the metallic iron or nickel are reactants in carbonylation reactions with carbon monoxide (a component of the flowing gas). The inventions' use is to increase the rates of production of iron carbonyl and nickel carbonyl. The inventions use cross-flow funnels containing moving beds of carbonylation particles (i.e., that contain iron and nickel) and regulation of the removal of those particles from the bottoms of the funnels. Cross-flow refers to the horizontal flow of the carbonylation gas (containing carbon monoxide) through the downward moving beds of carbonylation particles held in the cross-flow funnels.
Claims17
A method for performing carbonylation of beds of carbonylation particles, the method comprising:
- forming a moving bed of carbonylation particles;
- forming a reactor comprising an outer reactor pressure vessel shell wall and an interior to the shell wall, wherein the shell wall has an upper end and a lower end with one or more inlets for carbonylation particles formed toward the upper end of the shell wall and one or more outlets for carbonylation particles formed toward the lower end of the shell wall, and with one or more gas inlets and outlets formed through the shell wall, and wherein the interior to the shell wall includes/contains one or more carbonylation gas distributor volumes, one or more product-mixture gas collector volumes, and also one or more funnels each aimed generally at the lower end of the vessel shell, the funnels each being cross-flow funnels, that is, with a first inlet gas-permeable wall section and a second outlet gas-permeable wall section, and with an open bottom end surface through which carbonylation particles can flow, each funnel paired with a moving bed flow regulator below and in proximity to the bottom end surface of each funnel,
- wherein each funnel contains a moving bed of carbonylation particles wherein these particles move with the force of gravity toward each funnel's bottom end surface and its paired regulator and wherein the downward flow of the carbonylation particles in each funnel is repeatedly stopped and started by the flow regulator,
- whereby, for at least one cross-flow funnel, the carbonylation gas flows from a distributor volume through the funnel's inlet gas-permeable wall section into the moving bed of carbonylation particles, the gas flowing through the bed of particles in a cross flow, the cross-flow being in a substantially horizontal cross-flow direction relative to the downward moving bed of particles, the gas then flowing through the second gas-permeable wall section of that funnel into a product-mixture gas collector volume;
- inputting carbonylation particles through the one or more carbonylation particle inlets in the pressure vessel wall and placing carbonylation particles on one or more moving beds;
- filling the void fractions of the interiors of each funnel with carbonylation gas thereby causing carbonylation of the carbonylation particles within the vessel shell;
- generating gas pressure differences between a pair of carbonylation distributor and product-mixture gas collector volumes thereby causing substantially horizontal cross-flows through the downward moving bed of carbonylation particles held in a funnel between each such pair of distributor and collector volumes;
- and
- outputting reduced-sized, residue carbonylation particles from at least one funnel with the flow rate of particles controlled by the funnel's paired regulator.
6 more elements
An apparatus for performing carbonylation of beds of carbonylation particles, the apparatus comprising:
- a moving bed of carbonylation particles;
- a reactor comprising:
- an outer reactor pressure vessel shell wall and an interior to the shell wall, the shell wall having an upper end and a lower end with one or more carbonylation particle-passing inlets formed toward the upper end of the shell wall and one or more carbonylation particle-passing outlets formed toward the lower end of the shell wall;
- one or more gas inlets and one or more gas outlets formed through the shell wall;
- one or more carbonylation gas distributor volumes provided within the interior to the shell wall, each carbonylation gas distributor volume being connected to a gas inlet;
- one or more product-mixture gas collector volumes, each product-mixture gas collector volume being connected to a gas outlet;
- one or more carbonylation particle-holding hoppers provided in the interior of the shell;
- one or more funnels each aimed generally at the lower end of the vessel shell, each funnel having an inlet gas-permeable wall section and an outlet gas-permeable wall section;
- at least one gas-impermeable wall section formed between the gas permeable wall sections, each funnel further including a carbonylation particle-passing open bottom end surface;
- and a moving bed flow regulator paired and fitted to each funnel below and in proximity to the carbonylation particle-passing open bottom end surface of each funnel, wherein each funnel contains a moving bed of carbonylation particles.
7 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.