Methanol synthesis reactor

A methanol synthesis reactor for producing methanol from a synthesis gas mixture comprising:

• (a) a pressure jacket having an interior, wherein at least a first process unit and a second process unit fluidically interconnected are arranged one atop the other in the interior;
• (b) a first process unit, wherein the first process unit is configured as a reactor stage RS1 for synthesis of methanol from a synthesis gas stream over a catalyst bed CB1, thus making it possible to produce a methanol-containing product stream RP1, and
• the first process unit is in the form of a plate heat exchanger, wherein the first process unit comprises a multiplicity of plates arranged vertically and parallel to one another with traversable plate interiors and plate interspaces are present between adjacent plates, wherein
• a solid methanol synthesis catalyst forming the catalyst bed CB1 is arranged in the plate interspaces and
• the first process unit is configured such that the plate interspaces are
• traversable from top to bottom by the synthesis gas stream and/or by the methanol-containing product stream RP1 and the plate interiors are traversable from bottom to top by a first cooling media stream CM1, thus making
• the methanol-containing product stream RP1 coolable in countercurrent by the first cooling media stream CM1, and wherein
• the first process unit comprises means for withdrawing the methanol-containing product stream RP1 from the first process unit;
• (c) a second process unit arranged below the first process unit, wherein
• the second process unit is in the form of a plate heat exchanger, wherein the second process unit comprises a multiplicity of plates arranged vertically and parallel to one another with traversable plate interiors, and plate interspaces are present between adjacent plates, wherein
• the second process unit is configured such that the plate interiors are traversable from bottom to top by a second cooling media stream CM2 and wherein
• (c1) the second process unit is in the form of a cooling stage and configured such that the plate interspaces are traversable from top to bottom by the methanol-containing product stream RP1, thus making the methanol-containing product stream RP1 coolable in countercurrent by the second cooling media stream CM2 or
• (c2) the second process unit is in the form of a reactor stage RS2 and configured for synthesis of methanol from the methanol-containing product stream RP1 withdrawable from the first process unit over a catalyst bed CB2, thus configuring the methanol synthesis reactor to produce a methanol-containing product stream RP2, and wherein
• a solid methanol synthesis catalyst forming the catalyst bed CB2 is arranged in the plate interspaces and the second process unit is configured such that the plate interspaces are traversable from top to bottom by the methanol-containing product stream RP1 and/or the methanol-containing product stream RP2, thus making the methanol-containing product stream RP2 coolable in countercurrent by the second cooling media stream CM2.