# US 8,273,299 B2 · Reactor cooling system

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- Number: US 8,273,299 B2
- Document ID: US8273299B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 12/735,353
- Filed: 2009-02-04
- Published: 2010-11-04
- Granted: 2012-09-25
- Earliest claimed: 2008-02-12
- Assignees: Ineos Manufacturing Belgium NV
- Inventors: Marc Parisel; Brent Walworth
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US8273299B2

## CPC

- B01J 19/0013: {Controlling the temperature of the process}
- B01J 19/2435: {Loop-type reactors}
- C08F 2/01: characterised by special features of the polymerisation apparatus used
- B01J 2219/00038: Processes in parallel
- B01J 2219/0004: Processes in series
- B01J 2219/00094: Jackets
- B01J: CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROCESSES, e.g. CATALYSIS OR COLLOID CHEMISTRY; THEIR RELEVANT APPARATUS
- C08F: MACROMOLECULAR COMPOUNDS OBTAINED BY REACTIONS ONLY INVOLVING CARBON-TO-CARBON UNSATURATED BONDS

## Abstract

Process for removing heat from at least two reactors forming at least part of a polymerization reactor system for a multimodal polymerization in which the reactors are linked in series and all produce at least one component of the same polymer. The process includes cooling a stream of fluid in one or more heat exchangers and passing part of it to the cooling system of a first reactor and part of it to the cooling system of a second reactor, so as to remove the heat from said reactors, and passing back through the heat exchangers a return flow having a portion of the combined exit flows of the cooling fluids used to remove the heat from each of the reactors. The heat exchangers provide at least 90% of the cooling requirement for the reactors, and a portion of the combined exit flows from the reactors bypasses at least one of the heat exchangers and is passed directly to the cooling system of one or more of the reactors. The cooling circuit is powered by no more than one pump at any one time.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A process for removing heat from at least two reactors forming at least part of a polymerisation reactor system for a multimodal polymerisation in which the reactors are linked in series and all produce at least one component of the same polymer, said process comprising:
cooling a stream of fluid in one or more heat exchangers and passing part of it to the cooling system of a first reactor and part of it to the cooling system of a second reactor, so as to remove the heat from said reactors;
passing back through the heat exchangers a return flow comprising a portion of the combined exit flows of the cooling fluids used to remove the heat from each of the reactors;
wherein the heat exchangers provide at least 90% of the cooling requirement for the reactors, and a portion of the combined exit flows from the reactors bypasses at least one of the heat exchangers and is passed directly to the cooling system of one or more of the reactors, and wherein the cooling circuit is powered by no more than one pump at any one time.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The process according to claim 1, wherein a portion of the return flow bypasses all of the heat exchangers.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The process according to claim 1, wherein part of the portion of the return flow which bypasses the heat exchangers passes into the cooling system of the first reactor, and part of it passes into the cooling system of the second reactor.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The process according to claim 1, wherein the cooling circuit is a closed circuit.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The process according to claim 1, wherein the pump is located in the return flow comprising the combined exit flows from the two reactors.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The process according to claim 1, wherein the pump is located upstream of the separation of the return flow into two portions.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The process according to claim 1, wherein the cooling system for each reactor is a jacket or jackets surrounding the reactor over part or all of its surface.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The process according to claim 1, wherein the reactors are loop reactors.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The process according to claim 1, wherein the total cooling capacity of the heat exchangers is less than 90% of the sum of the individual maximum cooling requirements of each of the reactors.