US 2024/0424463 A1Published application

Cooled reactor for performing exothermic equilibrium reactions

AssigneeL'Air Liquide, Societe Anonyme pour l'Etude et l’Exploitation des Procedes Georges Claude

InventorsFrank CASTILLO-WELTER, Nga Thi Quynh DO, Stephane HAAG

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Abstract

What is proposed is a reactor for performing exothermic equilibrium reactions, in particular for performing methanol synthesis and/or ammonia synthesis, by heterogeneously catalysed reaction of the corresponding reactant gases which makes it possible to overcome the establishment of the reaction equilibrium in the reactor. To this end, according to the invention, the coolant temperature is influenced and thus optimized along the longitudinal coordinate of the reactor through subcooling of the coolant.

Claims15

Dependent claims

Reactor for performing exothermic equilibrium reactions where a fluid input mixture stream is at least partially reacted over a solid catalyst to afford a fluid product mixture stream, wherein the reactor comprises the following constituents in fluid connection with one another:

(a) at least one tubular reactor or plate reactor in which a catalyst is arranged as a fluid-permeable catalyst fill of solid catalyst particles, wherein the catalyst is active for performing the exothermic equilibrium reaction in a reaction temperature range at a reaction pressure;
(b) wherein the at least one tubular reactor or plate reactor bears the reaction pressure and at its one end comprises a reactant inlet for the fluid input mixture stream and at its other end comprises a product outlet for the fluid product mixture stream;
(c) a shell which surrounds the at least one tubular reactor or plate reactor and at its ends is fluid-tightly sealed with respect to the at least one tubular reactor or plate reactor, wherein the shell has a coolant inlet and a coolant outlet for a fluid coolant stream at opposite ends of the shell;
(d) wherein the interior space between the outer wall of the at least one tubular reactor or the outer walls of the at least one plate reactor and the inner wall of the shell is traversable by the coolant stream, wherein the coolant inlet and the coolant outlet are arranged such that the coolant stream passes through the reactor in countercurrent to the input mixture stream and the product mixture stream;
(e) a coolant for producing the coolant stream, wherein the coolant is selected such that it undergoes evaporation in the reaction temperature range at a specified coolant pressure;
(f) a pressure control apparatus for adjusting the coolant pressure in the interior space;
(g) a coolant cooling apparatus which makes it possible for the coolant stream to enter into the interior space in the liquid state via the coolant inlet and flow through the interior space initially as a liquid and thus cool a first cooled section of the at least one tubular reactor or plate reactor, then evaporate and in the vaporous state and/or as a biphasic stream of liquid and vaporous coolant cool the remaining, second cooled section of the at least one tubular reactor or plate reactor and then in the vaporous state and/or as a biphasic flow of liquid and vaporous coolant be discharged from the interior space via the coolant outlet.

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Process for performing exothermic equilibrium reactions where a fluid input mixture stream is at least partially reacted over a solid catalyst to afford a fluid product mixture stream, wherein the process comprises the steps of:

(1) providing a reactor comprising:
(a) at least one tubular reactor or plate reactor in which a catalyst is arranged as a fluid-permeable catalyst fill of solid catalyst particles, wherein the catalyst is active for performing the exothermic equilibrium reaction in a reaction temperature range at a reaction pressure;
(b) wherein the tubular reactor or plate reactor bears the reaction pressure and at its one end comprises a reactant inlet for the fluid input mixture stream and at its other end comprises a product outlet for the fluid product mixture stream;
(c) a shell which surrounds the at least one tubular reactor or plate reactor and at its ends is fluid-tightly sealed with respect to the at least one tubular reactor or plate reactor, wherein the shell has a coolant inlet and a coolant outlet for a fluid coolant stream at opposite ends of the shell;
(d) wherein the interior space between the outer wall of the at least one tubular reactor or the outer walls of the at least one plate reactor and the inner wall of the shell is traversable by the coolant stream, wherein the coolant inlet and the coolant outlet are arranged such that the coolant stream passes through the reactor in countercurrent to the input mixture stream and the product mixture stream;
(e) a coolant for producing the coolant stream, wherein the coolant is selected such that it undergoes evaporation in the reaction temperature range at a specified coolant pressure;
(f) a pressure control apparatus for adjusting the coolant pressure in the interior space;
(g) a coolant cooling apparatus which makes it possible for the coolant stream to enter into the interior space in the liquid state via the coolant inlet and flow through the interior space initially as a liquid and thus cool a first cooled section of the at least one tubular reactor or plate reactor, then evaporate and in the vaporous state and/or as a biphasic stream of liquid and vaporous coolant cool the remaining, second cooled section of the at least one tubular reactor and then in the vaporous state and/or as a biphasic flow of liquid and vaporous coolant be discharged from the interior space via the coolant outlet;
(2) providing a fluid input mixture stream containing reactant components;
(3) introducing the fluid input mixture stream via the reactant inlet into the at least one tubular reactor or plate reactor;
(4) at least partially reacting the gaseous input mixture stream under conditions of exothermic equilibrium reaction to afford a fluid product mixture stream containing product components and unconverted reactant components;
(5) discharging the fluid product mixture stream from the at least one tubular reactor or plate reactor via the product outlet.

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Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

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Abstract

(a) at least one tubular reactor or plate reactor in which a catalyst is arranged as a fluid-permeable catalyst fill of solid catalyst particles, wherein the catalyst is active for performing the exothermic equilibrium reaction in a reaction temperature range at a reaction pressure;
(b) wherein the at least one tubular reactor or plate reactor bears the reaction pressure and at its one end comprises a reactant inlet for the fluid input mixture stream and at its other end comprises a product outlet for the fluid product mixture stream;
(c) a shell which surrounds the at least one tubular reactor or plate reactor and at its ends is fluid-tightly sealed with respect to the at least one tubular reactor or plate reactor, wherein the shell has a coolant inlet and a coolant outlet for a fluid coolant stream at opposite ends of the shell;
(d) wherein the interior space between the outer wall of the at least one tubular reactor or the outer walls of the at least one plate reactor and the inner wall of the shell is traversable by the coolant stream, wherein the coolant inlet and the coolant outlet are arranged such that the coolant stream passes through the reactor in countercurrent to the input mixture stream and the product mixture stream;
(e) a coolant for producing the coolant stream, wherein the coolant is selected such that it undergoes evaporation in the reaction temperature range at a specified coolant pressure;
(f) a pressure control apparatus for adjusting the coolant pressure in the interior space;
(g) a coolant cooling apparatus which makes it possible for the coolant stream to enter into the interior space in the liquid state via the coolant inlet and flow through the interior space initially as a liquid and thus cool a first cooled section of the at least one tubular reactor or plate reactor, then evaporate and in the vaporous state and/or as a biphasic stream of liquid and vaporous coolant cool the remaining, second cooled section of the at least one tubular reactor or plate reactor and then in the vaporous state and/or as a biphasic flow of liquid and vaporous coolant be discharged from the interior space via the coolant outlet.

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