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US 5,494,811 AGranted
Biparticle fluidized bed reactor
AssigneeMartin Marietta Energy Systems, Inc.
InventorsCharles D. Scott, Joseph A. Marasco
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A fluidized bed reactor system which utilizes a fluid phase, a retained fluidized primary particulate phase, and a migratory second particulate phase. The primary particulate phase is a particle such as a gel bead containing an immobilized biocatalyst. The secondary and tertiary particulate phases, continuously introduced and removed simultaneously in the cocurrent and countercurrent mode, act in a role such as a sorbent to continuously remove a product or by-product constituent from the fluid phase. Means for introducing and removing the sorbent phases include feed screw mechanisms and multivane slurry valves.
Claims7
A simultaneously countercurrent and cocurrent mode fluidized bed reactor system comprising:
- a reactor vessel having a top portion and a bottom portion, said reactor vessel containing primary particles therein,
- a first particle delivery means connected to said bottom portion of said reactor vessel,
- a source of tertiary particles connected to said first particle delivery means,
- a second particle delivery means connected to said top portion of said reactor vessel,
- a source of secondary particles connected to said second particle delivery means,
- a source of liquid,
- an upflowing liquid delivery means connected to said source of liquid and to said bottom portion of said reactor vessel for upwardly delivering said liquid to said reactor vessel, said upflowing liquid delivery means delivering said upflowing liquid at a flow rate sufficient to suspend said primary particles in said liquid, said primary particles to be fluidized and maintained within said vessel by said upflowing liquid flowing through said vessel, said primary particles having a settling velocity and diameters sufficient to maintain a suspended zone of said primary particles suspended within said vessel at said flow rate of said upflowing liquid, said secondary particles having a settling velocity and diameters, said settling velocity of said secondary particles in said upflowing liquid being greater that said settling velocity of said primary particles in said upflowing liquid, said settling velocity and said diameters of said secondary particles being sufficient to permit said secondary particles to migrate to said bottom portion of said vessel through said suspended zone of said primary particles suspended in said suspended zone, said tertiary particles having a settling velocity and diameters, said settling velocity of said tertiary particles in said upflowing liquid being less that said settling velocity of said primary particles in said upflowing liquid, said settling velocity and said diameters of said tertiary particles being sufficient to permit said tertiary particles to migrate to said top portion of said vessel through said suspended zone of said primary particles suspended in said suspended zone,
- a first particle removing and upflowing liquid exit means connected to said top portion of said reactor vessel for removing said upflowing liquid and said tertiary particles from said top portion of said reactor vessel, and
- a second particle removing exit means connected to said bottom portion of said reactor vessel for removing said secondary particles from said bottom portion of said reactor vessel.
6 more elements
A method of operating a fluidized bed reactor system comprising:
- Step 1. providing a reactor system comprising:
- a reactor vessel having a top portion and a bottom portion, said reactor vessel containing primary particles therein,
- a first particle delivery means connected to said bottom portion of said reactor vessel,
- a source of tertiary particles connected to said first particle delivery means,
- a second particle delivery means connected to said top portion of said reactor vessel,
- a source of secondary particles connected to said second particle delivery means,
- a source of liquid,
- an upflowing liquid delivery means connected to said source of liquid and to said bottom portion of said reactor vessel for upwardly delivering said liquid to said reactor vessel, said delivery means delivering said upflowing liquid at a flow rate sufficient to suspend said primary particles in said liquid, said primary particles to be fluidized and maintained within said vessel by said upflowing liquid flowing through said vessel, said primary particles having a settling velocity and diameters sufficient to maintain a suspended zone of said primary particles suspended within said vessel at said flow rate of said upflowing liquid, said secondary particles having a settling velocity and diameters, said settling velocity of said secondary particles in said upflowing liquid being greater that said settling velocity of said primary particles in said upflowing liquid, said settling velocity and said diameters of said secondary particles being sufficient to permit said secondary particles to migrate to said bottom portion of said vessel through said suspended zone of said primary particles suspended in said suspended zone, said tertiary particles having a settling velocity and diameters, said settling velocity of said tertiary particles in said upflowing liquid being less that said settling velocity of said primary particles in said upflowing liquid, said settling velocity and said diameters of said tertiary particles being sufficient to permit said tertiary particles to migrate to said top portion of said vessel through said suspended zone of said primary particles suspended in said suspended zone,
- a first particle removing and upflowing liquid exit means connected to said top portion of said reactor vessel for removing said upflowing liquid and said tertiary particles from said top portion of said reactor vessel, and
- a second particle removing exit means connected to said bottom portion of said reactor vessel for removing said secondary particles from said bottom portion of said reactor vessel;
- Step 2. continuously introducing upflowing liquid from said liquid source to said reactor vessel through said upflowing liquid delivery means at a sufficient flow rate to fluidize said primary particles, and maintaining said primary particles in a suspended zone in said vessel;
- Step 3. continuously introducing into said reactor vessel said secondary particles from said source of secondary particles through said second particle delivery means and allowing said secondary particles to migrate from said top portion of said reactor vessel to said bottom portion thereof and said tertiary particles from said source of tertiary particles through said first particle delivery means and allowing said tertiary particles to migrate from said bottom portion of said reactor vessel to said top portion thereof;
- Step 4. continuously converting said upflowing liquid into a liquid reaction product;
- Step 5. continuously removing said liquid reaction product through said particle removing and upflowing liquid exit means;
- and
- Step 6. continuously removing said secondary particles which have migrated from said top portion of said vessel through said suspended zone of said primary particles suspended in said suspended zone to said bottom portion of said vessel by said second particle removing exit means attached to said bottom portion of said vessel and said tertiary particles which have migrated from said bottom portion of said vessel through said suspended zone of said primary particles suspended in said suspended zone to said top portion of said vessel by said first particle removing and upflowing liquid exit means attached to said top portion of said vessel.
13 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.