WO2016083989A1 - A fixed bed reactor - Google Patents
A fixed bed reactor Download PDFInfo
- Publication number
- WO2016083989A1 WO2016083989A1 PCT/IB2015/059069 IB2015059069W WO2016083989A1 WO 2016083989 A1 WO2016083989 A1 WO 2016083989A1 IB 2015059069 W IB2015059069 W IB 2015059069W WO 2016083989 A1 WO2016083989 A1 WO 2016083989A1
- Authority
- WO
- WIPO (PCT)
- Prior art keywords
- reactor
- heat
- heat pipe
- tube
- temperature
- Prior art date
Links
Classifications
-
- 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
- B01J8/06—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 in tube reactors; the solid particles being arranged in tubes
- B01J8/067—Heating or cooling the reactor
-
- F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
- F28—HEAT EXCHANGE IN GENERAL
- F28D—HEAT-EXCHANGE APPARATUS, NOT PROVIDED FOR IN ANOTHER SUBCLASS, IN WHICH THE HEAT-EXCHANGE MEDIA DO NOT COME INTO DIRECT CONTACT
- F28D15/00—Heat-exchange apparatus with the intermediate heat-transfer medium in closed tubes passing into or through the conduit walls ; Heat-exchange apparatus employing intermediate heat-transfer medium or bodies
- F28D15/02—Heat-exchange apparatus with the intermediate heat-transfer medium in closed tubes passing into or through the conduit walls ; Heat-exchange apparatus employing intermediate heat-transfer medium or bodies in which the medium condenses and evaporates, e.g. heat pipes
-
- 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
-
- 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
- B01J2208/00256—Controlling the temperature by indirect heat exchange with heat exchange elements outside the bed of solid particles in a heat exchanger for the heat exchange medium separate from 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
- B01J2208/0053—Controlling multiple zones along the direction of flow, e.g. pre-heating and after-cooling
-
- 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
- B01J2208/06—Details of tube reactors containing solid particles
- B01J2208/065—Heating or cooling the reactor
Definitions
- This invention relates to a fixed bed reactor.
- the Fischer Tropsch reaction converts syngas ( a mixture of CO, H 2 and CO 2 ) to hydrocarbons over a solid catalyst.
- the Fischer Tropsch reaction is extremely exothermic.
- the Fischer Tropsch reaction is unusual in that many products are produced, including alkanes, alkenes and alcohols, and a wide range of carbon numbers of these hydrocarbons.
- the product distribution is described by the Schultz Flory distribution, or modifications of this, including the 2 alpha models.
- the products will comprise mainly vapour phase products (T>300 °C ) or alternatively a mix of vapour and liquids products (T ⁇ 250 °C).
- the chain length of products includes methane (C1 ) and ranges to oils and waxes (C>100).
- methane C1
- oils and waxes C>100
- the product covers a wide range of boiling points.
- certain products, such as methane are mainly in the gas phase while the heavier products (waxes) are mainly in the liquid phase.
- the reaction is often performed in a fixed bed reactor.
- the catalyst is placed in the tube side.
- the flow, temperature profile and heat transfer in the tube is very complicated.
- there is three phase flow including solid (catalyst), liquids (heavy hydrocarbons) and vapour/gas (light hydrocarbons and syngas).
- the temperature profile in the tube limits the reaction rate that can be obtained in the reactor. Furthermore this limits the productivity of the tube and thus the fixed bed reactor.
- the maximum temperature is often found close to the inlet of the tube, and the operating temperature (often determined by the temperature of the steam in the shell) is set so as to ensure that this maximum temperature is within certain ranges.
- the inventor is aware of fixed bed reactor designs.
- Existing reactor designs uses an outer shell as main heat extraction mechanism with a plurality of tubes disposed longitudinally inside the reactor to enhance heat exchange between reactants and the fixed bed.
- the present invention aims to address the problem of heat concentrations inside the fixed bed reactors.
- a reactor which includes
- reactor body and two reactor ends sealing the ends of the reactor body; a plurality of reactor tubes extending inside the reactor body at least partially between the reactor ends; and
- the reactor may be a fixed bed reactor.
- the reactor body may be oriented in an upright condition and the reactor tubes may extend vertically inside the reactor body.
- the reactor body may be tubular and defined by a tubular shell.
- At least one of the reactor ends may be dome shaped.
- the tubular shell may be a walled shell with a first heat removal medium (FHRM) disposed therein.
- FHRM first heat removal medium
- the fixed bed reactor may include a cooling plant arranged to cool the first heat removal medium, the first heat removal medium being circulated in the double walled shell and the cooling plant.
- the at least one heat pipe may comprise
- SHRM second heat removal medium
- the heat pipe may have a heat-receiving portion disposed in a portion of the reactor body from which heat is to be removed.
- the at least one heat pipe may protrude beyond the at least one reactor tube.
- the at least one heat pipe may protrude beyond the top end of the at least one reactor tube.
- the heat pipe may have a heat-dissipating portion along the heat pipe length disposed in a portion of the reactor body in which heat can be dissipated.
- the heat pipe may include fins, arranged around the heat pipe.
- the at least one heat pipe may extend only partially along the length of the at least one reactor tube.
- the at least one heat pipe may only extend partially towards the bottom end of the at least one reactor tube.
- the bi-phase condensable working fluid may comprise either a single component or a multi-component mixture.
- the multi-component mixture of liquids may comprise a mixture of Fischer-Tropsch products in which a variable boiling and condensing point of the mixture may be obtained by suitable mixing of the components.
- composition of the multi component mixture may be designed so that the temperature profile in the tube is controlled to achieve a higher average reaction rate and to extend the catalyst life in the Fischer-Tropsch reactor.
- Figure 1 shows a side section of a reactor in accordance with one aspect of the invention.
- Figure 2 shows a top section of the reactor of Figure 1 ;
- Figure 3 shows a schematic diagram of the radial heat flux in a standard heatpipe during a Fischer-Tropsch reaction
- Figure 4 shows a schematic diagram of the heat flux in a heatpipe of the fixed bed Fischer-Tropsch reactor of Figure 1 ;
- Figure 5 shows a residue curve for a ternary mixture with normal alkanes of carbon numbers of 9, 12, and 15;
- Figure 6 shows the composition of an FT oil, with the mass percent of each size fraction versus the carbon number
- Figure 7 shows the boiling curve for oil in Figure 6, with the temperature in °C versus mass % boiled off at atmospheric pressure;
- Figure 8 shows the temperature composition curves for the Acetone/Benzene system at different overall pressures
- Figure 9 shows the reactor temperature versus length for the fixed bed reactor of Figure 1 against a conventional fixed bed reactor.
- FIG. 1 a fixed bed reactor 10 in accordance with one aspect of the invention, is shown.
- the fixed bed reactor 10 includes an upright tubular reactor body defined by a tubular shell wall 12, two domed ends (a reactor top section) 14 and (a reactor bottom section) 16, at the ends of the tubular shell. As can be seen, the shell 12 is positioned in a substantially upright orientation.
- the fixed bed reactor 10 includes a plurality of reactor tubes 18 (of which only one is shown) extending vertically inside the reactor body between the domed ends 14, 16.
- the reactor includes two baffles 20, 22 to which the reactor tubes 18 are mounted.
- a plurality of hermetically sealed heat pipes 24 are disposed inside at least some of the plurality of reactor tubes 18, one heat pipe per reactor tube.
- the heat pipes 24 include radially arranged, longitudinally extending fins 24.1 . As can be seen in Figure 1 , the heat pipes 24 protrude beyond the top end of the reactor tubes 18 and extend only partially towards the bottom ends of the reactor tubes 18.
- the tubular shell 12 in this example is a double walled shell with a first heat removal medium (not shown) disposed therein.
- the fixed bed reactor includes a cooling plant (not shown) arranged to cool the first heat removal medium when the first heat removal medium is circulated in the double walled shell and the cooling plant.
- the heat pipes 24 include a second heat removal medium.
- the reactor is designed for highly exothermic reactions, such as Fischer-Tropsch Reactions.
- the reactor tubes 18 are loaded with catalyst to convert gas phase reactants to products. Heat is generated by the reaction(s) in the catalyst bed.
- Each heat pipe 24 can be divided into two sections namely a cooling zone 24.2 and a heating zone 24.3. The section that is merged in the catalyst bed (inside the reactor tube 18) is called cooling zone 24.2 and the section that sticks out from the reactor tube 18 is called heating zone 24.3.
- the heat pipe 24 has radially extending heat fins running longitudinally along the length of the heat pipe.
- gas phase reactants are fed from the top of the reactor (26 in the drawing) at low temperature (temperature ranges between 25°C to 40°C) and heated up by the heating zone 24.3 of the heat pipe 24 to the reaction temperature. Heated up gas enters the catalyst bed in the reactor tube to commence reaction.
- heat generated by reaction is removed in two paths, namely from the catalyst bed to the first heat removal medium in the shell and from the catalyst bed to the second heat removal medium in the heat pipe.
- the first heat removal medium (FHRM) is heated up and vaporized in the shell.
- the vapour phase of the FHRM is discharged from the top side of the shell 28 for heat recovery.
- the FHRM is condensed after heat recovery by the cooling plant and sent back to the reactor from the bottom side of the reactor shell 30.
- the second heat removal medium (SHRM) in the cooling zone of the heat pipe is vaporized by the heat from the reaction and rise to the heating zone of the heat pipe.
- the vapour phase of the SHRM is condensed by giving heat to the reactant gas in the top section 24.3 of the reactor 10.
- the condensed SHRM flows down to the cooling zone 24.2 of the heat tube and then is vaporized again by the heat from reaction.
- the products produced with Fischer-Tropsch reaction as well as the unconverted reactants are discharged from the bottom section of the reactor at 32.
- FIG 3 a schematic diagram of the radial heat flux in a standard heatpipe 50 during a Fischer-Tropsch reaction, is shown. As indicated by arrow 52, heat generated by the reaction is transferred via the reactor tube wall only.
- FIG 4 a schematic diagram of the heat flux in a heatpipe 60 of the fixed bed Fischer-Tropsch reactor in accordance with the present invention is shown.
- An additional heat transfer route is created which allows the heat generated by the reaction to transfer both through the reactor tube wall as indicated by arrow 62 as well as through the heat pipe as indicated by arrow 64 so that the temperature rise in the catalyst bed could be suppressed effectively.
- Figure 5 shows a residue curve for a ternary mixture with normal alkanes of carbon numbers of 9, 12, and 15.
- the purpose of the SHRM is to have a heat pipe temperature that is tuned to match or to be close to the desired working temperature range of the catalyst bed.
- single component could be, but not limited to, water working between the temperature range of 190 to 250 °C with pressure of 1 .254 to 3.973 MPa; a ternary mixture may be made of, but not limited to, normal alkanes of carbon numbers of 9, 12, and 15 to give a temperature range from 150 to 270 °C at atmospheric pressure.
- SHRM high degree of alkanes of carbon numbers
- the temperature of the heat pipe is tuneable within a temperature range of 150 to 270 °C by adjusting the composition of these three components.
- the steeper part of the boiling curve occurs where there is a smaller amount of the material; that is at the beginning and the end of the curve.
- the shape of the curve can be changed by changing the composition of the mixture. For instance if this boiling range is considered too large, namely 60-300 °C, one can narrow its range say to 150- 250 °C by cutting out the appropriate amounts of the low and high boiling fractions. Furthermore the shape of the curve can be changed by changing the relative proportions of the different fractions.
- the rate of heat absorbed at each point in the reactor is proportional to the temperature difference between the reactor contents and the heat pipe at that point. In this way we can design the temperature profile in the heat pipe to take out the heat from the reactor where it is most needed. In this way it is possible to use the multi- component heat pipe described in this patent to better control the reactor temperature.
- the pressure that the heat pipe operates at can be controlled by the filling of the tube; that is by the relative amount of liquid one puts in the volume of the inside of the heat pipe. The more liquid one puts in the heat pipe the higher the total pressure.
- Figure 8 the effect of pressure on the temperature range that can be operated at.
- a heat pipe with a mixture of Acetone and Benzene at 8 bar pressure could operate over a range 135-165°C.
- the multi-component mixture of liquids may comprise a mixture of Fischer-Tropsch products in which a variable boiling and condensing point of the mixture may be obtained by suitable mixing of the components.
- a variable boiling and condensing point of the mixture may be obtained by suitable mixing of the components.
- an FT oil that was collected had the composition shown in Figure 5 and its boiling point curve is shown in Figure 6.
- the inventor is of the opinion that the invention as described provides new fixed bed reactor which will be of particular use in the effective heat exchange reactors which are prone to heat build up.
Abstract
Description
Claims
Priority Applications (5)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
---|---|---|---|
EP15864055.7A EP3223937B1 (en) | 2014-11-24 | 2015-11-24 | A fixed bed reactor |
CN201580072813.4A CN107206341B (en) | 2014-11-24 | 2015-11-24 | Fixed bed reactor |
US15/528,824 US10751683B2 (en) | 2014-11-24 | 2015-11-24 | Fixed bed reactor |
AU2015352038A AU2015352038B2 (en) | 2014-11-24 | 2015-11-24 | A fixed bed reactor |
ZA2017/03608A ZA201703608B (en) | 2014-11-24 | 2017-05-25 | A fixed bed reactor |
Applications Claiming Priority (2)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
---|---|---|---|
ZA2014/08600 | 2014-11-24 | ||
ZA2014008600 | 2014-11-24 |
Publications (1)
Publication Number | Publication Date |
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WO2016083989A1 true WO2016083989A1 (en) | 2016-06-02 |
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ID=56073709
Family Applications (1)
Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
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PCT/IB2015/059069 WO2016083989A1 (en) | 2014-11-24 | 2015-11-24 | A fixed bed reactor |
Country Status (1)
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WO (1) | WO2016083989A1 (en) |
Cited By (1)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US10710043B2 (en) | 2014-09-24 | 2020-07-14 | Raven Sr, Llc | Compact and maintainable waste reformation apparatus |
Citations (6)
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---|---|---|---|---|
US4767791A (en) * | 1983-11-14 | 1988-08-30 | Mitsubishi Jukogyo Kabushiki Kaisha | Process for synthesizing methanol with an optimal temperature profile using a concentric pipe reactor |
US5069169A (en) * | 1989-03-27 | 1991-12-03 | Nippon Chemical Plant Consultant Co., Ltd. | Tube-in-shell heating apparatus |
US20040102530A1 (en) * | 2002-11-22 | 2004-05-27 | Blue Star Sustainable Technologies Corporation | Multistage compact fischer-tropsch reactor |
US20100240780A1 (en) * | 2009-03-23 | 2010-09-23 | Thomas Charles Holcombe | Fischer-Tropsch Reactions Using Heat Transfer Tubes with a Catalyst Layer on the Outside Surfaces |
US20100260651A1 (en) * | 2009-04-08 | 2010-10-14 | Man Dwe Gmbh | Cooling System and Shell-Type Reactor with Such Cooling System |
US20140147345A1 (en) * | 2011-07-13 | 2014-05-29 | James Banister | Fischer tropsch reactor |
-
2015
- 2015-11-24 WO PCT/IB2015/059069 patent/WO2016083989A1/en active Application Filing
Patent Citations (6)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US4767791A (en) * | 1983-11-14 | 1988-08-30 | Mitsubishi Jukogyo Kabushiki Kaisha | Process for synthesizing methanol with an optimal temperature profile using a concentric pipe reactor |
US5069169A (en) * | 1989-03-27 | 1991-12-03 | Nippon Chemical Plant Consultant Co., Ltd. | Tube-in-shell heating apparatus |
US20040102530A1 (en) * | 2002-11-22 | 2004-05-27 | Blue Star Sustainable Technologies Corporation | Multistage compact fischer-tropsch reactor |
US20100240780A1 (en) * | 2009-03-23 | 2010-09-23 | Thomas Charles Holcombe | Fischer-Tropsch Reactions Using Heat Transfer Tubes with a Catalyst Layer on the Outside Surfaces |
US20100260651A1 (en) * | 2009-04-08 | 2010-10-14 | Man Dwe Gmbh | Cooling System and Shell-Type Reactor with Such Cooling System |
US20140147345A1 (en) * | 2011-07-13 | 2014-05-29 | James Banister | Fischer tropsch reactor |
Cited By (2)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US10710043B2 (en) | 2014-09-24 | 2020-07-14 | Raven Sr, Llc | Compact and maintainable waste reformation apparatus |
US11179693B2 (en) | 2014-09-24 | 2021-11-23 | Raven Sr, Inc. | Compact and maintainable waste reformation apparatus |
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