Load-following reactor system, associated facilities, and method of operating the same
AssigneeCri, Hf
InventorEmeric SARRON
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A load-following reactor system and associated facilities for improved control of a reactor under varying loads. The load-following reactor may be a tube-cooled reactor for methanol synthesis. A reactant may be controlled by at least one valve element such that a portion of the reactant is fed to the reactor through the reactor tubes, and a portion of the reactant is fed to the reactor after being heated in a heat exchanger. The heated portion of the reactant may be fed to the reactor after the tubes. The valve element may be controlled based on a temperature of the reactor and/or a flowrate of reactant feed to adapt the temperature of the reactor to the changing reactant flowrate.
Claims20
A load-following reactor system, comprising:
- at least one reactor configured for carrying out at least one chemical reaction;
- a reactant line configured to convey a flow of reactants;
- a first heat exchanger through which a first portion of the flow of reactants is configured to pass by a first feed line to the at least one reactor;
- at least one valve element configured to control a flowrate of the first portion to the first feed line;
- and
- at least one second feed line connected to the at least one reactor through which a remainder portion of the flow of reactants is configured to pass.
A method of operating a load-following reactor system, the method comprising the steps of:
- providing at least one reactor configured for carrying out at least one chemical reaction;
- a reactant line configured to convey a flow of reactants;
- a first heat exchanger through which a first portion of the flow of reactants is configured to pass by a first feed line to the at least one reactor;
- at least one valve element configured to control a flowrate of the first portion to the first feed line;
- and
- at least one second feed line connected to the at least one reactor through which a remainder portion of the flow of reactants is configured to pass;
- detecting one or more process conditions in the at least one reactor;
- determining a suitable change in the one or more process conditions;
- determining a proportion of the flow of reactants to divert to the first feed line;
- and
- actuating the at least one valve element.
A load-following reactor system, comprising:
- at least one reactor configured for carrying out at least one chemical reaction, the at least one reactor is a tube-cooled reactor comprising a plurality of tubes configured to extract heat from a methanol-synthesis catalyst and one or more of a reactant, byproducts, and product;
- a reactant line configured to convey a flow of reactants;
- a first heat exchanger through which a first portion of the flow of reactants is configured to pass by a first feed line to the at least one reactor;
- at least one valve element configured to control a flowrate of the first portion to the first feed line;
- and
- at least one second feed line connected to the at least one reactor through which a remainder portion of the flow of reactants is configured to pass.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.