Three-phase cascade separator

A reactor, comprising:

• an upper region;
• and
• a three-phase separator in said upper region, said three-phase separator being for separating a gas and a plurality of solids from a three-phase mixture containing a liquid, the gas, and the plurality of solids, said three-phase separator including:
• an inlet region for the three-phase mixture;
• an outlet for a fraction rich in the plurality of solids;
• an outlet for the liquid;
• a first separator for separating the gas from the three-phase mixture and thereby for forming a two-phase mixture which contains the liquid and the plurality of solids, said first separator one of forming said inlet region for the three-phase mixture and being connected to said inlet region for the three-phase mixture, said first separator including at least one first plate block each having at least two first flow channels and at least three mutually parallel first plates between which a respective one of said at least two first flow channels is formed in each case, said first separator being configured such that the three-phase mixture entering through said inlet region is led from a top of said first separator to a bottom of said first separator in said at least two first flow channels, relative to a vertical;
• and
• a second separator for separating the plurality of solids from said two-phase mixture formed in said first separator, said second separator including at least one second plate block each having at least two second flow channels and at least three mutually parallel second plates between which a respective one of said at least two second flow channels is formed in each case, said second separator being configured and arranged in relation to said first separator such that said two-phase mixture emerging from said first separator enters said at least two second flow channels of said second separator from below, relative to said vertical, and is led upward in said at least two second flow channels, the three-phase separator being configured in such a way that the three-phase mixture can enter said first separator of the three-phase separator only via said inlet region.

A process for separating a gas and a plurality of solids from a three-phase mixture containing a liquid, the gas, and the plurality of solids, said process comprising the steps of:

• a) introducing the three-phase mixture via an inlet region into a first separator of a three-phase separator, said first separator one of forming said inlet region for the three-phase mixture and being connected to said inlet region for the three-phase mixture, said first separator including at least one first plate block each having at least two first flow channels and at least three mutually parallel first plates between which a respective one of said at least two first flow channels is formed in each case;
• b) leading the three-phase mixture from a top of said first separator to a bottom of said first separator through said at least two first flow channels of said first separator, in relation to a vertical, in order to separate the gas from the three-phase mixture, forming a two-phase mixture;
• c) extracting said two-phase mixture from said first separator;
• d) introducing at least a portion of said two-phase mixture into a second separator, said second separator including at least one second plate block each having at least two second flow channels and at least three mutually parallel second plates between which a respective one of said at least two second flow channels is formed in each case;
• e) leading said two-phase mixture from a bottom of said second separator to a top of said second separator through said at least two second flow channels of said second separator, in relation to said vertical, in order to separate the plurality of solids from said two-phase mixture and thereby form a purified liquid and a fraction rich in the plurality of solids;
• f) discharging said purified liquid from said second separator;
• and
• g) discharging said fraction rich in the plurality of solids from said three-phase separator through an outlet of said three-phase separator, only said two-phase mixture being discharged from said first separator but no three-phase mixture being introduced into said second separator.