Reactor with reactor head and integrated valve

A reactor comprising:

• a) a reactor body;
• b) a first head engaged with said reactor body;
• c) a first conduit extending from outside said head to at least partially through said head;
• d) a first valve in flow communication with said first conduit controlling fluid flow along a flow path extending from the first valve and through the reactor body;
• e) a second head engaged with said reactor body;
• f) a second conduit extending from outside the first head or the second head to at least partially through said respective head;
• and
• g) a second valve in flow communication with said second conduit controlling fluid flow along the flow path including a portion extended from the reactor body to the second valve;
• wherein (A) the reactor body comprises a reactor bed, and the volume of the flow path consists of i) a packed flow path volume within a solids-fluids contact portion of the reactor bed and ii) an open flow path volume between the valve(s) and the reactor bed, as well as any open flow portion within the reactor bed, and (B) the ratio of the open flow path volume to packed flow path volume is less than 1.

A reactor comprising:

• a) a reactor body;
• b) a first head engaged with said reactor body;
• c) a first conduit extending from outside said head to at least partially through said head;
• d) a first valve in flow communication with said first conduit controlling fluid flow along a flow path extending from the first valve and through the reactor body;
• e) a second head engaged with said reactor body;
• f) a second conduit extending from outside the first head or the second head to at least partially through said respective head;
• and
• g) a second valve in flow communication with said second conduit controlling fluid flow along the flow path including a portion extended from the reactor body to the second valve;
• wherein (A) at least one of said valves is a poppet valve comprising a disk element connected to a valve stem element, (B) the poppet valve disk element has a surface substantially parallel to and facing the proximal reactor bed surface, and (C) the distance during operation between the poppet valve disk element flat surface in the fully open position and the reactor bed surface is between 5% and 200% of the disk element diameter.

A reactor comprising:

• a) a reactor body;
• b) a first head engaged with said reactor body;
• c) a first conduit extending from outside said head to at least partially through said head;
• d) a first valve in flow communication with said first conduit controlling fluid flow along a flow path extending from the first valve and through the reactor body;
• e) a second head engaged with said reactor body;
• f) a second conduit extending from outside the first head or the second head to at least partially through said respective head;
• and
• g) a second valve in flow communication with said second conduit controlling fluid flow along the flow path including a portion extended from the reactor body to the second valve;
• wherein (A) the reactor body comprises a reactor bed, and the volume of the flow path consists of i) a packed flow path volume within a solids-fluids contact portion of the reactor bed and ii) an open flow path volume between the valve(s) and the reactor bed, as well as any open flow portion within the reactor bed, (B) at least one of said valves is a poppet valve comprising a disk element connected to a valve stem element, (C) said poppet valve stem element extends to a location outside said head, the valve stem having an associated valve stem seal associated with the valve stem, and (D) the valve stem seal is a reciprocating compressor-type seal.

A reactor comprising:

• a) a reactor body;
• b) a first head engaged with said reactor body;
• c) a first conduit extending from outside said head to at least partially through said head;
• d) a first valve in flow communication with said first conduit controlling fluid flow along a flow path extending from the first valve and through the reactor body;
• e) a second head engaged with said reactor body;
• f) a second conduit extending from outside the first head or the second head to at least partially through said respective head;
• and
• g) a second valve in flow communication with said second conduit controlling fluid flow along the flow path including a portion extended from the reactor body to the second valve;
• wherein (A) the reactor body comprises a reactor bed, and the volume of the flow path consists of i) a packed flow path volume within a solids-fluids contact portion of the reactor bed and ii) an open flow path volume between the valve(s) and the reactor bed, as well as any open flow portion within the reactor bed, (B) at least one of said valves is a poppet valve comprising a disk element connected to a valve stem element, (C) said poppet valve stem element extends to a location outside said head, the valve stem having an associated valve stem seal associated with the valve stem, and (D) the poppet valves associated with a particular head are substantially circular, uniform in diameter and spaced center-to-center by 120% to 400% of the average poppet disk element diameter.

A process for rapid stream-switching of at least two streams in a reverse-flow reactor, the process comprising:

• (A) providing a reverse-flow reactor, the reactor including
• a) a reactor body;
• b) a first head engaged with said reactor body;
• c) first and third conduits, each extending from outside said first head to at least partially through said first head;
• d) first and third poppet valves, wherein (i) the first valve is in flow communication with said first conduit controlling fluid flow along a flow path extending from the first valve and through the reactor body and (ii) the third valve is in flow communication with said third conduit controlling fluid flow along a flow path extending from the third valve and through the reactor body;
• e) a second head engaged with said reactor body;
• f) second and fourth conduits, each extending from outside the first head or the second head to at least partially through said respective head;
• g) second and fourth poppet valves, wherein (i) the second valve is in flow communication with said second conduit controlling fluid flow along the flow path including a portion extended from the reactor body to the second valve and and (ii) the fourth valve is in flow communication with said fourth conduit controlling fluid flow along the flow path including a portion extended from the reactor body to the fourth valve;
• h) the reactor body further including a reactor bed, and the volume of each flow path comprises i) a packed flow path volume within a solids-fluids contact portion of the reactor bed, ii) an open flow path volume between the flowpath's valve and the reactor bed, and iii) any open flow portion within the reactor bed, and wherein the ratio of the open flow path volume to packed flow path volume is less than 1;
• (B) introducing from one or more inlet gas sources at least one first gas stream to the first conduit, through the first head, and into the reactor body and withdrawing a treated first gas stream from the reactor body, through the second head, and to the second conduit;
• wherein said introducing is controlled by the first poppet valve and said withdrawing is controlled by the second poppet valve;
• and
• (C) introducing from one or more inlet gas sources at least one second gas stream to the fourth conduit, through the second head, and into the reactor body and withdrawing a treated second gas stream from the reactor body, through the first head, to the third conduit, wherein said introducing is controlled by the fourth poppet valve or other intake flow control means located in the second head and said withdrawing is controlled by the third poppet valve.