CA1287481C - Device conceived as nh _reactor - Google Patents
Device conceived as nh _reactorInfo
- Publication number
- CA1287481C CA1287481C CA000554798A CA554798A CA1287481C CA 1287481 C CA1287481 C CA 1287481C CA 000554798 A CA000554798 A CA 000554798A CA 554798 A CA554798 A CA 554798A CA 1287481 C CA1287481 C CA 1287481C
- Authority
- CA
- Canada
- Prior art keywords
- gas
- heat exchanger
- loop
- reactor
- heat exchangers
- Prior art date
- Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
- Expired - Fee Related
Links
Classifications
-
- C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
- C01—INORGANIC CHEMISTRY
- C01C—AMMONIA; CYANOGEN; COMPOUNDS THEREOF
- C01C1/00—Ammonia; Compounds thereof
- C01C1/02—Preparation, purification or separation of ammonia
- C01C1/04—Preparation of ammonia by synthesis in the gas phase
- C01C1/0405—Preparation of ammonia by synthesis in the gas phase from N2 and H2 in presence of a catalyst
- C01C1/0417—Preparation of ammonia by synthesis in the gas phase from N2 and H2 in presence of a catalyst characterised by the synthesis reactor, e.g. arrangement of catalyst beds and heat exchangers in the reactor
- C01C1/0423—Cold wall reactors
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B01—PHYSICAL OR CHEMICAL PROCESSES OR APPARATUS IN GENERAL
- B01J—CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROCESSES, e.g. CATALYSIS OR COLLOID CHEMISTRY; THEIR RELEVANT APPARATUS
- B01J8/00—Chemical or physical processes in general, conducted in the presence of fluids and solid particles; Apparatus for such processes
- B01J8/02—Chemical or physical processes in general, conducted in the presence of fluids and solid particles; Apparatus for such processes with stationary particles, e.g. in fixed beds
- B01J8/04—Chemical or physical processes in general, conducted in the presence of fluids and solid particles; Apparatus for such processes with stationary particles, e.g. in fixed beds the fluid passing successively through two or more beds
- B01J8/0403—Chemical or physical processes in general, conducted in the presence of fluids and solid particles; Apparatus for such processes with stationary particles, e.g. in fixed beds the fluid passing successively through two or more beds the fluid flow within the beds being predominantly horizontal
- B01J8/0407—Chemical or physical processes in general, conducted in the presence of fluids and solid particles; Apparatus for such processes with stationary particles, e.g. in fixed beds the fluid passing successively through two or more beds the fluid flow within the beds being predominantly horizontal through two or more cylindrical annular shaped beds
- B01J8/0415—Chemical or physical processes in general, conducted in the presence of fluids and solid particles; Apparatus for such processes with stationary particles, e.g. in fixed beds the fluid passing successively through two or more beds the fluid flow within the beds being predominantly horizontal through two or more cylindrical annular shaped beds the beds being superimposed one above the other
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B01—PHYSICAL OR CHEMICAL PROCESSES OR APPARATUS IN GENERAL
- B01J—CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROCESSES, e.g. CATALYSIS OR COLLOID CHEMISTRY; THEIR RELEVANT APPARATUS
- B01J8/00—Chemical or physical processes in general, conducted in the presence of fluids and solid particles; Apparatus for such processes
- B01J8/02—Chemical or physical processes in general, conducted in the presence of fluids and solid particles; Apparatus for such processes with stationary particles, e.g. in fixed beds
- B01J8/04—Chemical or physical processes in general, conducted in the presence of fluids and solid particles; Apparatus for such processes with stationary particles, e.g. in fixed beds the fluid passing successively through two or more beds
- B01J8/0492—Feeding reactive fluids
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B01—PHYSICAL OR CHEMICAL PROCESSES OR APPARATUS IN GENERAL
- B01J—CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROCESSES, e.g. CATALYSIS OR COLLOID CHEMISTRY; THEIR RELEVANT APPARATUS
- B01J8/00—Chemical or physical processes in general, conducted in the presence of fluids and solid particles; Apparatus for such processes
- B01J8/02—Chemical or physical processes in general, conducted in the presence of fluids and solid particles; Apparatus for such processes with stationary particles, e.g. in fixed beds
- B01J8/04—Chemical or physical processes in general, conducted in the presence of fluids and solid particles; Apparatus for such processes with stationary particles, e.g. in fixed beds the fluid passing successively through two or more beds
- B01J8/0496—Heating or cooling the reactor
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B01—PHYSICAL OR CHEMICAL PROCESSES OR APPARATUS IN GENERAL
- B01J—CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROCESSES, e.g. CATALYSIS OR COLLOID CHEMISTRY; THEIR RELEVANT APPARATUS
- B01J2208/00—Processes carried out in the presence of solid particles; Reactors therefor
- B01J2208/00008—Controlling the process
- B01J2208/00017—Controlling the temperature
- B01J2208/00106—Controlling the temperature by indirect heat exchange
- B01J2208/00168—Controlling the temperature by indirect heat exchange with heat exchange elements outside the bed of solid particles
- B01J2208/00194—Tubes
-
- Y—GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
- Y02—TECHNOLOGIES OR APPLICATIONS FOR MITIGATION OR ADAPTATION AGAINST CLIMATE CHANGE
- Y02P—CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES IN THE PRODUCTION OR PROCESSING OF GOODS
- Y02P20/00—Technologies relating to chemical industry
- Y02P20/50—Improvements relating to the production of bulk chemicals
- Y02P20/52—Improvements relating to the production of bulk chemicals using catalysts, e.g. selective catalysts
Landscapes
- Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
- Organic Chemistry (AREA)
- Chemical Kinetics & Catalysis (AREA)
- Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
- Fluid Mechanics (AREA)
- Analytical Chemistry (AREA)
- Inorganic Chemistry (AREA)
- Devices And Processes Conducted In The Presence Of Fluids And Solid Particles (AREA)
- Organic Low-Molecular-Weight Compounds And Preparation Thereof (AREA)
- Physical Or Chemical Processes And Apparatus (AREA)
- Jet Pumps And Other Pumps (AREA)
- Medicines Containing Material From Animals Or Micro-Organisms (AREA)
- Peptides Or Proteins (AREA)
- Industrial Gases (AREA)
- Nitrogen And Oxygen Or Sulfur-Condensed Heterocyclic Ring Systems (AREA)
- Gasification And Melting Of Waste (AREA)
- Excavating Of Shafts Or Tunnels (AREA)
- Exhaust Gas Treatment By Means Of Catalyst (AREA)
Abstract
ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE
An ammonia synthesis reactor which mainly consists of a pressure vessel housing at least two heat exchangers series-connected and installed concentrically in catalyst beds is described. A simple construction permitting an optimum cooling of the vessel wall with the aid of loop gas (cold, non-reacted gas), an optimization of the pre-heating of said gas and an improvement of the gas-stream pattern within the vessel is provided, in a reactor which preferably is equipped with more than two catalyst beds. This is achieved by providing at least two, separately controllable sources of loop gas in order to optimize heat transfer in the heat exchangers.
An ammonia synthesis reactor which mainly consists of a pressure vessel housing at least two heat exchangers series-connected and installed concentrically in catalyst beds is described. A simple construction permitting an optimum cooling of the vessel wall with the aid of loop gas (cold, non-reacted gas), an optimization of the pre-heating of said gas and an improvement of the gas-stream pattern within the vessel is provided, in a reactor which preferably is equipped with more than two catalyst beds. This is achieved by providing at least two, separately controllable sources of loop gas in order to optimize heat transfer in the heat exchangers.
Description
lZ197481 A Gas Synthesis Reactor The invention relates to a gas reactor, for example, for the synthesis of ammonia, mainly consisting of a pressure vessel housing at least two heat exchangers, these heat exchangers being arranged axially in sequence one behind the other, and substan-tially concentrically in each catalyst bed.
Various reactor configurations for exothermal catalytic gas reactions are known, for instance for the synthesis of ammonia and methanol. Such devices normally comprise a pressure vessel, the walls of which must not be exposed to the high reaction temp-eratures if possible. It is recommended that the whole of the pressure vessel walls have a uniform, and relatively low, tempera-ture.
West German Patent 3,343,114, for example, describes a reactor vessel with two catalyst beds, the process gas enters the reactor at the bottom, rises in the shell, by-passing the internal catalyst beds, then flows downwards through the heat exchangers and finally through the first catalyst bed. With regard to reactor shell cooling, West German OLS 3,14~,778 describes a similar configuration. In this case, the process gas inlet is also located at the bottom. The gas rises in the shell, then descends in a concentric downpipe and flows through the first heat exchanger. This vessel also houses two catalyst beds in a common shell. This applies also to West German patent 2,710,247 which describes a configuration wherein synthesis gas is supplied at the vessel top, the gas flowing downwards and cooling the vessel wall.
Two catalyst beds are used, the cold synthesis gas flowing back to ' ~7~8~1 the heat exchanger at ~he bottom and then penetratlng the first atalyst bed.
This invention seeks to provide a simple configuration which permits an optimization of the process gas stream flow in such a reaction vessel, thus improving the gas pre-heating and ensuring an optimum cooling of the vessel wall. A speclal feature of this invention is that it allows for the incorporation of more than two catalyst beds in the reactor vessel.
Thus this invention provides either a lateral radial or l~ a bottom inlet pipe ~or 1;he channel o~ a second heat exchanger, this inlet pipe being required for the distribution of at least a part of the loop gas which is used for shell coollng. If there are more than ~wo heat exchangers, this invention will then be applied to the last in the series, which generally is at the bottom of the reactor shell.
As used in the followin~ discussion and claims, the terms "first heat exchanger", "second heat exchanger" as well as "first, second, third catalyst bed" are intended to mean that the upper heat exchanger is the "first", and the surrounding catalyst bed is the "first bed" in the vertical pressure vessel, the heat exchanger below is the "second" and the related bed is the "second bed", etc. It is of course possible to combine the first and second heat exchanger such that they form a single heat exchanger.
This invention provides a gas reactor comprising in combination a pressure vessel; an inner shell spaced and separated from the pressure vessel to provide a gas flow space therebetween;
at least two heat exchanger series connected and installed concentrically within each of at least ~wo catalyst beds; and ~A
~..
12874~1 2a 270g6-9 means to feed process gas and loop cooling gas; wherein the second heat exchanger is provided with a channel adapted to receive at least a part stream of the cooling loop yas whereby this stream flows countercurrently in the second heat exchanger with the process gas, thereby cooling the process gas.
In a preferred embodiment the reactor includes radial channels communicating between the gas flow space and the second heat exchanger channel.
In a further preferred embodiment the reactor comprises three catalyst beds, a gas collection space communicating with the gas flow space below the third catalyst bed, and a gas feed channel linking ~he gas collection space to the second heat exchanger inlet channel and passing through a central outlet pipe of the third catalyst bed.
In another preferred embodiment at least one of the loop gas feed means is connected to a point between the first and second heat exchangers, thus permitting mixing of at leas~ two sources of loop gas before mixed loop gas passes into the first heat exchanger.
The invention additlonally provides a gas reactor comprising a pressure vessel, an inner shell spaced and separated from the pressure vessel to provide a gas flow space therebetween, at least two heat exchangers connected and installed concentrically within each of at least two catalys~ beds loca~ed within said inner shell, at least first and second separately controllable, loop gas feed means to said heat exchangers, at least one of said heat exchangers receiving loop gas from both first and second loop gas feed means, whereby said loop gas flows .
~ . '`, : :
'` ':`''~' '' .
-' ~287481 2~ 270~6-9 countercurrently to process gas flowing through the heat exchangers, thereby cooling said process gas.
The invention provides for a relatively simple configuration. Since a part stream of the gas coaling the shell is admitted at the vessel top and descends in the vessel - thereby "
123~7481 partly cooling the vessel wall - it is possible to feed at least some of this gas to a channel leading to the second exchanger, via a lateral or bottom inlet; the heat exchanger being of a relative-ly simple conventional construction. Thus this gas does not pass through a third heat exchanger. ~ccording to an embodiment of the invention, the reactor has three catalyst beds arranged axially one below the other. The loop gas is used for cooling the entire shell and then it flows through a concentric riser from the collecting chamber below the third catalyst bed into the feed channel of the second heat exchanger. This configuration offers the possibility of heating the concentric riser with the aid of loop gas, if required; the riser passes through the third catal~st bed, preferably concentrically.
According to a further embodiment, the first heat ex-changer incorporated into the first catalyst bed is equipped with a concentric channel for piping the gas for temperature control, which communicates with the channel of the first heat exchanger.
Moreover, the channel below the first heat exchanger is also used as a mixing chamber for the loop gas and the gas for temperature control.
According to another embodiment of the invention, the device is equipped with an upper and a lower inlet nozzle for a part stream of loop gas for shell cooling, the part streams of cooling gas being fed via a radial inlet to the channel of the second heat excha~ger. In this case, it is possible to feed part streams of the loop or process gas to the pressure vessel (at top and bottom) and to cool the shell with the aid of dif~erent ., .
~ ' ' :
:.
:: :' .
. , . . :
~2l~748~1 streams.
A particular advantage of the construction is that provision can be made for the different, separa~ely controllable, sources of loop gas whlch can be used to control heat emitted by the different stages of the catalyst beds due to the process configuration.
The invention will now be described by way of reference to the attached figures wherein:
Figure 1 represents a cross-sectional view of a reactor according to this invention (schematic drawing); and Figure 2 represents a modified construction of the reactor device shown in E'igure 1.
In these figures it is to be noted that the heat exchangers are shown diagrammatically. The dotted lines indicate the channels, normally a tube bank or the like, for one gas flow, whilst the arrows indicate the other, counter current, gas flow.
Device 1 in Eigure 1 comprises a pressure vessel 2, housing three catalyst beds arranged concentrically to the centre-line 3 of ~he reactor. The reactor contains three catalyst beds, a first 4, a second 5, and a third 6. The first heat exchanger 7 is mounted inside the first catalyst bed 4, and the second heat exchanger 8 is mounted inside the second bed S; the two heat exchangers are series-connected. The catalyst and the heat :
exchangers are arranged in shell 9 sized such that the external face of the shell and the internal face of the reactor wall 2 form an annular spa~e 10 which extends from the top to the boktom of the reactor, to provide a gas flow space.
Feed nozzle 11 for the start-up device and process-gas F - ~ ' ,~ 5 ., ' ' ~, f`"~ ~874~1 feed nozzle 12 are installed in the upper part of the reactor. In the arrangement shown in Figure 1, feed nozzle 13 for the gas required for temperature control is located in the upper section of the reactor. The gas used for temperature control gas flows through downcomer 14 in the centre of the reactor 1 through the first heat exchanger 7 into channel 15. The second heat exchanger 8 has a channel 16 filled via the lower inlet 17 as illustrated in Figure 1. The outlet nozzle of the reactor device is marked 18.
The process operates in such a reactor as follows.
The process or synthesis gas enters the reactor 1 via inlet nozzle 12 and flows through annular space 10 between reactor wall 2 and shell 9 of the catalyst beds, wi~h their incorporated heat exchangers. The shell-cooling gas collects in chamber 19 below the third catalyst bed and flows through riser 17 into channel 16 of the second heat exchanger 8. It has to be mentioned that the heat exchangers are numbered in accordance with the related catalyst beds. The gas in channel 16 passes through heat exchanger 8 and enters channel 15 of the first heat exchanger 7;
this channel communicates with downcomer 14 for gas required to control the temperature. Channel lS thus serves as a mixing chamber for the gas flows in downcomer 14 and the second heat exchanger 8. This mixed gas then passes upwardly through heat exchanger 7, and serves to cool the process gas flowing counter-currently therein. On leaving heat exchanger 7, the gas mixes with any gas entering through the startup nozzle 11, and then passes to the first catalyst bed 4. The gas then leaves the bed 4 .
:: : , . .
:~ ' , .~ ' `:
to flow through the heat exchanger 7 a second time, in counter current flow to the incoming loop and process gas as noted above.
A similar flow pattern also occurs in the catalyst bed 5, and its adjacent heat exchanger 8. The process gas finally passes through the third catalyst bed 6, and leaves the reactor through the outer shell of the concentric pipes 17 to the exit nozzle 18. In the pipes 17 heat transfer will also take place between the process gas and loop gas flowing countercurrently therein.
Figure 2 shows a slightly modified construction, the modifications being described below. Device la in Figure 2 is equipped with two inlet nozzles 12a and 12b. Each of these con~
veys into the reactor a part stream of the loop gas entering the shell. In this case. channel 16a of the second heat exchanger 8a is filled via radial inlets 17a with the gas descending from the upper shell part and rising from the lower part. The downstream process section then corresponds to Figure 1. In this configura-tion the concentric exit channel 17 is also not used.
It is of course possible to modify the configuration described above and yet to maintain the basic configuration.
~ence, the device need not have three catalyst beds, i.e. it may also be divided into four beds with three incorporated heat ex-changers, etc. According to the invention, the reactor can also be operated with only one heat exchanger 8 and beds 5 and 6. With this configuration it is essential that at least a part stream of the process gas be fed through a riser and/or radial inlets, in order to be able to maintain adequate temperature control.
Various reactor configurations for exothermal catalytic gas reactions are known, for instance for the synthesis of ammonia and methanol. Such devices normally comprise a pressure vessel, the walls of which must not be exposed to the high reaction temp-eratures if possible. It is recommended that the whole of the pressure vessel walls have a uniform, and relatively low, tempera-ture.
West German Patent 3,343,114, for example, describes a reactor vessel with two catalyst beds, the process gas enters the reactor at the bottom, rises in the shell, by-passing the internal catalyst beds, then flows downwards through the heat exchangers and finally through the first catalyst bed. With regard to reactor shell cooling, West German OLS 3,14~,778 describes a similar configuration. In this case, the process gas inlet is also located at the bottom. The gas rises in the shell, then descends in a concentric downpipe and flows through the first heat exchanger. This vessel also houses two catalyst beds in a common shell. This applies also to West German patent 2,710,247 which describes a configuration wherein synthesis gas is supplied at the vessel top, the gas flowing downwards and cooling the vessel wall.
Two catalyst beds are used, the cold synthesis gas flowing back to ' ~7~8~1 the heat exchanger at ~he bottom and then penetratlng the first atalyst bed.
This invention seeks to provide a simple configuration which permits an optimization of the process gas stream flow in such a reaction vessel, thus improving the gas pre-heating and ensuring an optimum cooling of the vessel wall. A speclal feature of this invention is that it allows for the incorporation of more than two catalyst beds in the reactor vessel.
Thus this invention provides either a lateral radial or l~ a bottom inlet pipe ~or 1;he channel o~ a second heat exchanger, this inlet pipe being required for the distribution of at least a part of the loop gas which is used for shell coollng. If there are more than ~wo heat exchangers, this invention will then be applied to the last in the series, which generally is at the bottom of the reactor shell.
As used in the followin~ discussion and claims, the terms "first heat exchanger", "second heat exchanger" as well as "first, second, third catalyst bed" are intended to mean that the upper heat exchanger is the "first", and the surrounding catalyst bed is the "first bed" in the vertical pressure vessel, the heat exchanger below is the "second" and the related bed is the "second bed", etc. It is of course possible to combine the first and second heat exchanger such that they form a single heat exchanger.
This invention provides a gas reactor comprising in combination a pressure vessel; an inner shell spaced and separated from the pressure vessel to provide a gas flow space therebetween;
at least two heat exchanger series connected and installed concentrically within each of at least ~wo catalyst beds; and ~A
~..
12874~1 2a 270g6-9 means to feed process gas and loop cooling gas; wherein the second heat exchanger is provided with a channel adapted to receive at least a part stream of the cooling loop yas whereby this stream flows countercurrently in the second heat exchanger with the process gas, thereby cooling the process gas.
In a preferred embodiment the reactor includes radial channels communicating between the gas flow space and the second heat exchanger channel.
In a further preferred embodiment the reactor comprises three catalyst beds, a gas collection space communicating with the gas flow space below the third catalyst bed, and a gas feed channel linking ~he gas collection space to the second heat exchanger inlet channel and passing through a central outlet pipe of the third catalyst bed.
In another preferred embodiment at least one of the loop gas feed means is connected to a point between the first and second heat exchangers, thus permitting mixing of at leas~ two sources of loop gas before mixed loop gas passes into the first heat exchanger.
The invention additlonally provides a gas reactor comprising a pressure vessel, an inner shell spaced and separated from the pressure vessel to provide a gas flow space therebetween, at least two heat exchangers connected and installed concentrically within each of at least two catalys~ beds loca~ed within said inner shell, at least first and second separately controllable, loop gas feed means to said heat exchangers, at least one of said heat exchangers receiving loop gas from both first and second loop gas feed means, whereby said loop gas flows .
~ . '`, : :
'` ':`''~' '' .
-' ~287481 2~ 270~6-9 countercurrently to process gas flowing through the heat exchangers, thereby cooling said process gas.
The invention provides for a relatively simple configuration. Since a part stream of the gas coaling the shell is admitted at the vessel top and descends in the vessel - thereby "
123~7481 partly cooling the vessel wall - it is possible to feed at least some of this gas to a channel leading to the second exchanger, via a lateral or bottom inlet; the heat exchanger being of a relative-ly simple conventional construction. Thus this gas does not pass through a third heat exchanger. ~ccording to an embodiment of the invention, the reactor has three catalyst beds arranged axially one below the other. The loop gas is used for cooling the entire shell and then it flows through a concentric riser from the collecting chamber below the third catalyst bed into the feed channel of the second heat exchanger. This configuration offers the possibility of heating the concentric riser with the aid of loop gas, if required; the riser passes through the third catal~st bed, preferably concentrically.
According to a further embodiment, the first heat ex-changer incorporated into the first catalyst bed is equipped with a concentric channel for piping the gas for temperature control, which communicates with the channel of the first heat exchanger.
Moreover, the channel below the first heat exchanger is also used as a mixing chamber for the loop gas and the gas for temperature control.
According to another embodiment of the invention, the device is equipped with an upper and a lower inlet nozzle for a part stream of loop gas for shell cooling, the part streams of cooling gas being fed via a radial inlet to the channel of the second heat excha~ger. In this case, it is possible to feed part streams of the loop or process gas to the pressure vessel (at top and bottom) and to cool the shell with the aid of dif~erent ., .
~ ' ' :
:.
:: :' .
. , . . :
~2l~748~1 streams.
A particular advantage of the construction is that provision can be made for the different, separa~ely controllable, sources of loop gas whlch can be used to control heat emitted by the different stages of the catalyst beds due to the process configuration.
The invention will now be described by way of reference to the attached figures wherein:
Figure 1 represents a cross-sectional view of a reactor according to this invention (schematic drawing); and Figure 2 represents a modified construction of the reactor device shown in E'igure 1.
In these figures it is to be noted that the heat exchangers are shown diagrammatically. The dotted lines indicate the channels, normally a tube bank or the like, for one gas flow, whilst the arrows indicate the other, counter current, gas flow.
Device 1 in Eigure 1 comprises a pressure vessel 2, housing three catalyst beds arranged concentrically to the centre-line 3 of ~he reactor. The reactor contains three catalyst beds, a first 4, a second 5, and a third 6. The first heat exchanger 7 is mounted inside the first catalyst bed 4, and the second heat exchanger 8 is mounted inside the second bed S; the two heat exchangers are series-connected. The catalyst and the heat :
exchangers are arranged in shell 9 sized such that the external face of the shell and the internal face of the reactor wall 2 form an annular spa~e 10 which extends from the top to the boktom of the reactor, to provide a gas flow space.
Feed nozzle 11 for the start-up device and process-gas F - ~ ' ,~ 5 ., ' ' ~, f`"~ ~874~1 feed nozzle 12 are installed in the upper part of the reactor. In the arrangement shown in Figure 1, feed nozzle 13 for the gas required for temperature control is located in the upper section of the reactor. The gas used for temperature control gas flows through downcomer 14 in the centre of the reactor 1 through the first heat exchanger 7 into channel 15. The second heat exchanger 8 has a channel 16 filled via the lower inlet 17 as illustrated in Figure 1. The outlet nozzle of the reactor device is marked 18.
The process operates in such a reactor as follows.
The process or synthesis gas enters the reactor 1 via inlet nozzle 12 and flows through annular space 10 between reactor wall 2 and shell 9 of the catalyst beds, wi~h their incorporated heat exchangers. The shell-cooling gas collects in chamber 19 below the third catalyst bed and flows through riser 17 into channel 16 of the second heat exchanger 8. It has to be mentioned that the heat exchangers are numbered in accordance with the related catalyst beds. The gas in channel 16 passes through heat exchanger 8 and enters channel 15 of the first heat exchanger 7;
this channel communicates with downcomer 14 for gas required to control the temperature. Channel lS thus serves as a mixing chamber for the gas flows in downcomer 14 and the second heat exchanger 8. This mixed gas then passes upwardly through heat exchanger 7, and serves to cool the process gas flowing counter-currently therein. On leaving heat exchanger 7, the gas mixes with any gas entering through the startup nozzle 11, and then passes to the first catalyst bed 4. The gas then leaves the bed 4 .
:: : , . .
:~ ' , .~ ' `:
to flow through the heat exchanger 7 a second time, in counter current flow to the incoming loop and process gas as noted above.
A similar flow pattern also occurs in the catalyst bed 5, and its adjacent heat exchanger 8. The process gas finally passes through the third catalyst bed 6, and leaves the reactor through the outer shell of the concentric pipes 17 to the exit nozzle 18. In the pipes 17 heat transfer will also take place between the process gas and loop gas flowing countercurrently therein.
Figure 2 shows a slightly modified construction, the modifications being described below. Device la in Figure 2 is equipped with two inlet nozzles 12a and 12b. Each of these con~
veys into the reactor a part stream of the loop gas entering the shell. In this case. channel 16a of the second heat exchanger 8a is filled via radial inlets 17a with the gas descending from the upper shell part and rising from the lower part. The downstream process section then corresponds to Figure 1. In this configura-tion the concentric exit channel 17 is also not used.
It is of course possible to modify the configuration described above and yet to maintain the basic configuration.
~ence, the device need not have three catalyst beds, i.e. it may also be divided into four beds with three incorporated heat ex-changers, etc. According to the invention, the reactor can also be operated with only one heat exchanger 8 and beds 5 and 6. With this configuration it is essential that at least a part stream of the process gas be fed through a riser and/or radial inlets, in order to be able to maintain adequate temperature control.
Claims (5)
1. A gas reactor comprising in combination a pressure vessel; an inner shell spaced and separated from the pressure vessel to provide a gas flow space therebetween; at least two heat exchanger series connected and installed concentrically within each of at least two catalyst beds; and means to feed process gas and loop cooling gas; wherein the second heat exchanger is provided with a channel adapted to receive at least a part stream of the cooling loop gas whereby this stream flows countercurrently in the second heat exchanger with the process gas, thereby cooling the process gas.
2. A reactor according to claim 1 including radial channels communicating between the gas flow space and the second heat exchanger channel.
3. A reactor according to claim 1 including three catalyst beds, a gas collection space communicating with the gas flow space below the third catalyst bed, and a gas feed channel linking the gas collection space to the second heat exchanger inlet channel and passing through a central outlet pipe of the third catalyst bed.
4. A reactor according to claim 1 wherein at least one of the loop gas feed means is connected to a point between the first and second heat exchangers, thus permitting mixing of at least two sources of loop gas before mixed looped gas passes into the first heat exchanger.
5. A gas reactor comprising a pressure vessel, an inner shell spaced and separated from the pressure vessel to provide a gas flow space therebetween, at least two heat exchangers connected and installed concentrically within each of at least two catalyst beds located within said inner shell, at least first and second separately controllable, loop gas feed means to said heat exchangers, at least one of said heat exchangers receiving loop gas from both first and second loop gas feed means, whereby said loop gas flows countercurrently to process gas flowing through the heat exchangers, thereby cooling said process gas
Applications Claiming Priority (2)
| Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| DE19863643726 DE3643726A1 (en) | 1986-12-20 | 1986-12-20 | DEVICE AS NH (DOWN ARROW) 3 (DOWN ARROW) REACTOR |
| DEP3643726.3 | 1986-12-20 |
Publications (1)
| Publication Number | Publication Date |
|---|---|
| CA1287481C true CA1287481C (en) | 1991-08-13 |
Family
ID=6316750
Family Applications (1)
| Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| CA000554798A Expired - Fee Related CA1287481C (en) | 1986-12-20 | 1987-12-18 | Device conceived as nh _reactor |
Country Status (13)
| Country | Link |
|---|---|
| EP (1) | EP0272448B1 (en) |
| JP (1) | JPS63190707A (en) |
| CN (1) | CN1013034B (en) |
| AT (1) | ATE62646T1 (en) |
| AU (1) | AU592245B2 (en) |
| CA (1) | CA1287481C (en) |
| DE (2) | DE3643726A1 (en) |
| DK (1) | DK165404C (en) |
| ES (1) | ES2021683B3 (en) |
| FI (1) | FI875282A (en) |
| MY (1) | MY102724A (en) |
| NO (1) | NO874935L (en) |
| ZA (1) | ZA878825B (en) |
Families Citing this family (9)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DE68906006T2 (en) * | 1988-12-21 | 1993-08-12 | Ammonia Casale Sa | REACTORS FOR HETEROGENEOUS SYNTHESIS. |
| DK173023B1 (en) * | 1997-04-21 | 1999-11-15 | Topsoe Haldor As | Process and reactor for producing ammonia |
| US7435401B2 (en) * | 2004-07-02 | 2008-10-14 | Kellogg Brown & Root Llc | Pseudoisothermal ammonia process |
| CN101703910B (en) * | 2009-08-20 | 2012-10-17 | 上海国际化建工程咨询公司 | Built-in cold wall type shift reactor for heat exchanger and direction connection structure for shift reactor and downstream heat exchanging equipment |
| EP2759338A1 (en) * | 2013-01-29 | 2014-07-30 | Ammonia Casale S.A. | Adiabatic multi-bed catalytic converter with inter-bed cooling |
| GB201401518D0 (en) * | 2014-01-29 | 2014-03-12 | Johnson Matthey Davy Technologies Ltd | Apparatus & process |
| DE102014209636A1 (en) | 2014-05-21 | 2015-11-26 | Thyssenkrupp Ag | Reactor with vertically movable gas barrier |
| DE102016107124A1 (en) * | 2016-04-18 | 2017-10-19 | Thyssenkrupp Ag | NH3 synthesis configuration for large plants |
| CN108057399B (en) * | 2018-01-19 | 2024-06-04 | 湖南安淳高新技术有限公司 | Ammonia synthesis reactor and ammonia synthesis process |
Family Cites Families (7)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| GB1574723A (en) * | 1976-03-10 | 1980-09-10 | Haldor Topsoe As | Apparatus for the synthesis of ammonia |
| US4341737A (en) * | 1979-05-22 | 1982-07-27 | The Lummus Company | Apparatus for carrying out catalytic exothermic and endothermic high-pressure gas reactions |
| IT1141102B (en) * | 1980-11-28 | 1986-10-01 | Ammonia Casale Sa | AXIAL-RADIAL REACTOR FOR HETEROGENEOUS SYNTHESIS |
| CH646618A5 (en) * | 1981-03-26 | 1984-12-14 | Ammonia Casale Sa | REACTOR FOR CATALYTIC HETEROGENEOUS SYNTHESIS. |
| DE3343114C2 (en) * | 1983-11-29 | 1985-11-07 | Uhde Gmbh, 4600 Dortmund | Device for carrying out exothermic, catalytic gas reactions for ammonia or methanol synthesis |
| CH666198A5 (en) * | 1985-09-13 | 1988-07-15 | Ammonia Casale Sa | REACTOR FOR CATALYTIC SYNTHESIS OF AMMONIA, METHANOL AND HIGHER ALCOHOLS. |
| US4696799A (en) * | 1986-07-15 | 1987-09-29 | The M. W. Kellogg Company | Ammonia synthesis converter |
-
1986
- 1986-12-20 DE DE19863643726 patent/DE3643726A1/en not_active Ceased
-
1987
- 1987-11-16 ES ES87116872T patent/ES2021683B3/en not_active Expired - Lifetime
- 1987-11-16 DE DE8787116872T patent/DE3769449D1/en not_active Expired - Fee Related
- 1987-11-16 AT AT87116872T patent/ATE62646T1/en not_active IP Right Cessation
- 1987-11-16 EP EP87116872A patent/EP0272448B1/en not_active Expired - Lifetime
- 1987-11-20 DK DK612387A patent/DK165404C/en not_active IP Right Cessation
- 1987-11-25 ZA ZA878825A patent/ZA878825B/en unknown
- 1987-11-26 NO NO874935A patent/NO874935L/en unknown
- 1987-11-27 MY MYPI87003121A patent/MY102724A/en unknown
- 1987-11-30 FI FI875282A patent/FI875282A/en not_active Application Discontinuation
- 1987-12-01 JP JP62301640A patent/JPS63190707A/en active Pending
- 1987-12-10 AU AU82415/87A patent/AU592245B2/en not_active Ceased
- 1987-12-18 CA CA000554798A patent/CA1287481C/en not_active Expired - Fee Related
- 1987-12-19 CN CN87108154A patent/CN1013034B/en not_active Expired
Also Published As
| Publication number | Publication date |
|---|---|
| FI875282A0 (en) | 1987-11-30 |
| DE3769449D1 (en) | 1991-05-23 |
| CN1013034B (en) | 1991-07-03 |
| DK165404C (en) | 1993-04-05 |
| ZA878825B (en) | 1988-05-20 |
| ATE62646T1 (en) | 1991-05-15 |
| FI875282A (en) | 1988-06-21 |
| AU8241587A (en) | 1988-06-23 |
| AU592245B2 (en) | 1990-01-04 |
| EP0272448B1 (en) | 1991-04-17 |
| DK612387D0 (en) | 1987-11-20 |
| MY102724A (en) | 1992-09-30 |
| EP0272448A2 (en) | 1988-06-29 |
| DK165404B (en) | 1992-11-23 |
| ES2021683B3 (en) | 1991-11-16 |
| CN87108154A (en) | 1988-10-19 |
| DK612387A (en) | 1988-06-21 |
| JPS63190707A (en) | 1988-08-08 |
| EP0272448A3 (en) | 1988-10-05 |
| DE3643726A1 (en) | 1988-06-30 |
| NO874935D0 (en) | 1987-11-26 |
| NO874935L (en) | 1988-06-21 |
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| Date | Code | Title | Description |
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| MKLA | Lapsed |