Process and apparatus for introducing a solid into a reactor
AssigneeBP Chemicals Limited
InventorJean-Claude Chinh
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A process and an apparatus introduce fine particles of a solid into a reactor with the help of a feed enclosure connected to the reactor through an injection pipe. The process comprises (a) introducing the solid into the feed enclosure wherein most of the solid particles settle at rest and then (b) introducing a gas into the feed enclosure so that the solid particles are suspended by the gas to form a solid particle suspension entrained in a dilute-phase conveying system by the gas into the reactor through the injection pipe. The invention is particularly useful for introducing particles of a solid catalyst into a gas-phase polymerization reactor.
Claims12
A process for introducing fine particles of a solid into a reactor containing a gas under predetermined pressure above atmospheric pressure through a feed enclosure connected to the reactor by an injection pipe connected at one end to the enclosure and at an opposite end to the reactor through entry means which can be opened to permit conveying gas and said particles to flow from said injection pipe into said reactor and which can be closed to prevent flow of the conveying gas and said particles from said injection pipe into said reactor, said process comprising:
- while said entry means is closed, introducing said particles into said feed enclosure and permitting most of the particles to settle at rest;
- after most of said particles have settled at rest and while said entry means remains closed, introducing the conveying gas under pressure into said feed enclosure at a position thereon which causes said particles to become suspended in the conveying gas introduced into said enclosure and until a pressure of said conveying gas in said enclosure is higher than said predetermined pressure;
- and
- thereafter, opening said entry means and permitting said gas in said feed enclosure with the particles suspended therein to flow from said feed enclosure through said injection pipe and into said reactor.
Apparatus for introducing particles of a solid into a reactor, said apparatus comprising:
- a feed enclosure for receiving said particles and having an outlet;
- means for introducing said particles into said feed enclosure and permitting most of said particles to settle;
- means for introducing a gas under pressure above atmospheric pressure into said feed enclosure after most of said particles have settled in said feed enclosure for producing a gas suspension of said particles;
- and
- pipe means interconnecting said outlet and the reactor for conveying said gas suspension of said particles from said feed enclosure to and into said reactor, said pipe means including means for preventing substantial flow of said particles into said pipe means by gravity prior to the introducing of said gas into said feed enclosure.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.