Chemical reactor, flow distributor, system and method
OwnerAlvin B. Kennedy, Jr.inventor
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A chemical reactor, flow distributor, system and method are disclosed. A plurality of chemically inert flow distributors are embedded in the receiving surface of a layer of chemically inert objects supported by a bed of catalytic material which is disposed within a chemical reactor. The flow distributors are constructed from spheres of chemically inert material interconnected to one another and defining a desirable geometric form having voids and interstices which provide passageways therethrough, the passageways permitting the reactants to pass in effectively distributed manner into the bed of catalytic material.
Claims17
A system for inhibiting plugging of fluid reactants flowing through a chemical reactor, comprising:
- (a) a bed of catalytic material mounted in said reactor for affecting the rate of chemical change in the incoming fluid reactants;
- (b) a bed of chemically inert material mounted in said reactor for supporting said bed of catalytic material;
- (c) a layer of chemically inert material covering said bed of catalytic material;
- (d) a plurality of chemically inert flow distributors embedded in the receiving surface of said layer of chemically inert material;
- and
- (e) each of said flow distributors being constructed from objects of substantially chemically inert material interconnected to one another for creating voids and interstices which provide passageways therethrough, the passageways permitting the reactants to pass into the bed of catalytic material beneath its receiving surface.
A chemical reactor, comprising:
- (a) a shell having
- (i) an inlet for receiving fluid reactants;
- and
- (ii) an outlet for removing reacted fluid;
- (b) a bed of catalytic material positioned within said shell for affecting the rate of chemical change in the reactants;
- (c) a bed of chemically inert material disposed in said shell for supporting said bed of catalytic material;
- (d) a layer of chemically inert objects being supported by said bed of catalytic material;
- (e) a plurality of chemically inert flow distributors embedded in the inlet side surface of the layer of chemically inert objects;
- and
- (f) each flow distributor being constructed from objects of chemically inert material attached to one another for creating voids and interstices which provide passageways therethrough, said passageways permitting the reactants to pass into the bed of catalytic material beneath the inlet side surface.
A method of filling a reactor shell to form a chemical reactor to inhibit the plugging of fluid reactants flowing through the chemical reactor, comprising the steps of:
- positioning a bed of chemically inert material within the reactor shell;
- mounting a bed of catalytic material on top of said bed of chemically inert material for causing incoming fluid reactants to react chemically;
- positioning a layer of loose chemically inert objects in evenly distributed manner against the inlet surface defined by said bed of catalytic material;
- attaching objects of chemically inert material to one another in such manner as to define a flow distributor;
- and
- embedding a plurality of the chemically inert flow distributors in the inlet side surface of said layer of chemically inert objects.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.