Device and process for precision loading of particles in a vertical tube chemical reactor

A method for loading particles into vertical chemical reactor tubes supported by an upper tubesheet, comprising the steps of:

• dispensing particles onto a conveyor belt;
• driving the conveyor belt at a controlled rate;
• allowing the particles to follow a plurality of first paths from said conveyor belt into the respective inlets of a plurality of respective vertical chemical reactor tubes for a first prescribed period of time;
• then
• altering at least one of said plurality of first paths that had been leading to a respective one inlet of a respective one tube to form a respective second path which diverts the particles away from the respective one inlet of the respective one tube;
• continuing to drive said belt to send a portion of the particles coming from the conveyor belt along the respective second path;
• measuring the elevation of the particles in the respective one tube while diverting the particles along the respective second path;
• using the elevation measurement for the respective one tube to make a calculation of what is needed to load the respective one tube to a desired elevation;
• and
• altering said respective second path to resume sending particles into the respective one inlet of the respective one tube and controlling the flow rate and flow of the particles from said belt into the respective one tube for an additional time to ensure that the respective one tube is loaded to the desired elevation.