Reactor system

A reactor system for the carrying out of exothermic reactions of a liquid first reactant and one of a gas and liquid second reactant comprising:

• (a) a vertically positioned tube and shell reactor vessel having a hollow draft tube in the center thereof and heat exchanger tubes in the annular space between the hollow draft tube and the outer wall of the reactor vessel, said reactor vessel having an upper space above and a hollow mixing chamber below said hollow draft tube and said heat exchanger tube;
• (b) impeller means positioned within said hollow draft tube to cause the flow of the liquid first reactant downward through the hollow draft tube into the bottom mixing chamber and upward through said heat exchanger tubes as a substantially uniform dispersion of reactants and into said upper space in the reactor vessel;
• (c) an upper chamber positioned above and in fluid communication with said reactor vessel;
• (d) conduit means for introducing said liquid first reactant into the reactor vessel and for introducing said one of said gas and liquid second reactant into one of said reactor vessel and said upper chamber for recirculation with the liquid first reactant downward through the hollow draft tubes into the bottom mixing chamber and upward through said heat exchanger tubes into said upper space;
• (e) conduit means for withdrawing product liquid from the reactor vessel;
• (f) conduit means for flowing cooling fluid to the reactor vessel for the removal of exothermic heat of reaction generated within said reactor vessel;
• (g) control means for maintaining a desired liquid level within one of said reactor vessel and said upper chamber, and
• (h) cross baffle means located at the lower end of said hollow draft tube, and having a design such that there is even flow distribution of recirculating reactants across said heat exchanger tubes.