Efficient fixed bed platform for production of ethylene oxide by partial oxidation of ethylene using catalyst of wide selectivity

A method for producing gaseous ethylene oxide product from partial oxidation of hydrocarbon using a heterogeneous catalyst in a fixed bed enclosed within a reaction vessel shell, comprising:

• introducing a sufficient amount of gaseous ethylene, oxygen, ballast gas, and catalyst promoter into a reaction vessel having an inflow and an outflow, said vessel having a shell with a length and a width to define a reactor vessel volume;
• said reactor vessel volume defining a catalyst bed shape;
• said catalyst bed having a length such that an out flow area and an in flow area over said catalyst bed length in between the reactor outflow and inflow has an absolute ratio difference less than or equal to about 1.3 meter anywhere in the reactor bed;
• said catalyst bed defining a process side and having a selectivity greater than about 80%, said catalyst bed length less than said shell length and having a volume less than said reactor shell volume;
• circulating a heat transfer fluid through at least one coolant enclosure heat exchanger in said shell interior to define a coolant side of the process;
• said coolant enclosure equipped with an outside surface and an inside surface;
• said coolant enclosure outside surface in contact with said catalyst bed and having an inlet and an outlet for the flow of coolant fluid therethrough;
• said coolant enclosure further defining a cooling surface area with a coolant flow cross sectional area ratio to cooling surface area less than about 1;
• said coolant side having a higher pressure than said process side, and flowing said gaseous ethylene, oxygen, ballast gas and catalyst promoter over said catalyst bed and through a fixed catalyst bed outlet zone in said reactor vessel;
• said zone configured with average residence time less than or equal to 4 seconds of said gaseous ethylene, oxygen, ballast gas and catalyst promoter flow through the catalyst bed to a heat exchanger to quench said process to create gaseous ethylene oxide product;
• and flowing said gaseous ethylene oxide product through said reactor vessel outlet.