Method for Temperature Control in a Bubble Column Reactor for Selective 1-Hexene Production

A method of temperature control, comprising:

• passing a feed stream comprising ethylene and a liquid solvent through a reactor at a feed location, wherein the reactor is a two-phase bubble column reactor comprising a liquid phase and a vapor phase, wherein an oligomerization reaction, preferably a trimerization reaction occurs within the reactor;
• withdrawing an outlet steam comprising unconverted ethylene, butene-1, solvent, optionally other and/or higher carbon number linear alpha olefins, or a combination comprising at least one of the foregoing from the reactor;
• optionally passing the outlet stream through one or more condensers to a condensate vessel, wherein the outlet stream is split into a vapor fraction and a liquid fraction within the condensate vessel, wherein the vapor fraction comprises greater than or equal to 55 weight % ethylene and the liquid fraction comprises ethylene, butene-1, solvent, optionally other and/or higher carbon number linear alpha olefins, or a combination comprising at least one of the foregoing;
• withdrawing the vapor fraction from the condensate vessel, optionally passing the vapor fraction through a purge stream, and optionally passing at least a portion of the vapor fraction through a heat exchanger and recycling it back to the feed stream at a constant flow rate;
• and
• withdrawing the liquid fraction from the condensate vessel and injecting it into the reactor at a constant flow rate, wherein the liquid fraction is injected into the liquid phase and/or the vapor phase of the reactor.