Method of carrying out heterogeneous catalytic chemical processes

Claim 1

A method of carrying out a heterogenous catalytic chemical process under non-adiabatic conditions by passing a stream of a process fluid in one overall flow direction through a catalyst contained in a catalyst chamber defined by walls two of which are substantially uniformly spaced, and transmitting heat through at least one of the two substantially uniformly spaced walls between the process fluid inside the catalyst chamber and a fluid outside the catalyst chamber, said catalyst having a structure of channels arranged in groups of substantially parallel channels causing the process fluid to be sub-divided into a plurality of sub-streams having actual flow directions angled to the two uniformly spaced walls and to the overall flow direction, and changing direction whenever reaching one of the walls, characterized in that the mass flow towards one of the two substantially uniformly spaced walls, at any cross section orthogonal to the overall flow direction, is approximately equal to the mass flow towards the other of said two walls, the flow direction of the sub-streams in one of said groups of substantially parallel channels being different from that in the neighbouring group or groups of channels, and that the actual flow direction of any sub-stream is reflected whenever it reaches one of the two substantially uniformly spaced walls thereby leaving a channel and entering a channel of said neighbouring group of channels, so as to direct the sub-stream towards the other of those walls.

Claim 2

A method of carrying out a heterogenous catalytic chemical process under non-adiabatic conditions by passing a stream of a process fluid in one overall flow direction through a catalyst contained in a catalyst chamber defined by walls two of which are substantially uniformly spaced, and transmitting heat through at least one of the two substantially uniformly spaced walls between the process fluid inside the catalyst chamber and a fluid outside the catalyst chamber, said catalyst having a structure of channels arranged in groups of substantially parallel channels causing the process fluid to be sub-divided into a plurality of sub-streams having actual flow directions angled to the two uniformly spaced walls and to the overall flow direction, and changing direction whenever reaching one of the walls, characterized in that the mass flow towards one of the two substantially uniformly spaced walls, at any cross section orthogonal to the overall flow direction, is approximately equal to the mass flow towards the other of said two walls, the flow direction of the sub-streams in one of said groups of substantially parallel channels being different from that in the neighbouring group or groups of channels, and that the actual flow direction of any sub-stream is reflected whenever it reaches one of the two substantially uniformly spaced walls thereby leaving a channel and entering a channel of said neighbouring group of channels, so as to direct the sub-stream towards the other of those walls.

Claim 5

A method as claimed in any one of claims 1-3, using a catalyst wherein the channels are all arranged in layers which are approximately orthogonal to the heat transmitting wall or walls.

Claim 6

A method as claimed in any one of claims 1-4, using a catalyst chamber in which the two substantially uniformly spaced walls are coaxial cylindrical walls, the catalyst chamber being annular and the overall flow direction of the process fluid being parallel to the common axis of the cylindrical walls.

Claim 7

A method as claimed in any one of claims 1-4, using a catalyst chamber in which the two substantially uniformly spaced walls are parallel and plane, the catalyst having the form of a prism with at least one pair of parallel sides.

Claim 8

A method as claimed in any one of claims 1-6, using a catalyst wherein the catalyst is in the form of essentially identical bodies placed in the catalyst chamber in a systematic way.

Claim 9

A method as claimed in any one of claims 1-7, wherein the chemical reaction is an endothermic reaction.

Claim 11

A method as claimed in any one of claims 1-7, characterized in that the chemical reaction is an exothermic reaction such as partial oxidation of hydrocarbons or alcohols, or hydrocarbon synthesis from carbon oxides and hydrogen.

Claim 12

An apparatus for carrying out a heterogeneous catalytic chemical process under non-adiabatic conditions, said apparatus comprising a catalyst chamber having an entrance and an exit and being defined by walls two of which are substantially uniformly spaced, at least one of the said two substantially uniformly spaced walls being adapted to allow the transmittance of heat therethrough, said catalyst chamber containing a catalyst having a structure of channels arranged in groups of substantially parallel channels connected to provide a flow path from the entrance to the exit of the catalyst chamber, said channels being angled to the two uniformly spaced walls and changing direction whenever reaching one of the walls, the direction of one of said group of substantially parallel channels being different from that of the neighbouring group or groups of channels, so that the actual flow direction of a process fluid passing from the entrance to the exit of the process chamber is reflected whenever it reaches one of the two substantially uniformly spaced walls thereby leaving a channel and entering a channel of said neighbouring group of channels, so as to direct the fluid towards the other of those walls.

Claim 13

An apparatus for carrying out a heterogeneous catalytic chemical process under non-adiabatic conditions, said apparatus comprising a catalyst chamber having an entrance and an exit and being defined by walls two of which are substantially uniformly spaced, at least one of the said two substantially uniformly spaced walls being adapted to allow the transmittance of heat therethrough, said catalyst chamber containing a catalyst having a structure of channels arranged in groups of substantially parallel channels connected to provide a flow path from the entrance to the exit of the catalyst chamber, said channels being angled to the two uniformly spaced walls and changing direction whenever reaching one of the walls, the direction of one of said group of substantially parallel channels being different from that of the neighbouring group or groups of channels, so that the actual flow direction of a process fluid passing from the entrance to the exit of the process chamber is reflected whenever it reaches one of the two substantially uniformly spaced walls thereby leaving a channel and entering a channel of said neighbouring group of channels, so as to direct the fluid towards the other of those walls.

Claim 14

An apparatus for carrying out a heterogeneous catalytic chemical process under non-adiabatic conditions, said apparatus comprising a catalyst chamber having an entrance and an exit and being defined by walls two of which are substantially uniformly spaced, at least one of the said two substantially uniformly spaced walls being adapted to allow the transmittance of heat therethrough, said catalyst chamber containing a catalyst having a structure of channels arranged in groups of substantially parallel channels connected to provide a flow path from the entrance to the exit of the catalyst chamber, said channels being angled to the two uniformly spaced walls and changing direction before reaching one of the walls, the direction of one of said group of substantially parallel channels being different from that of the neighbouring group or groups of channels, so that the inner surface of said walls is in substantially total contact with the process fluid, and so that the actual flow direction of a process fluid passing from the entrance to the exit of the process chamber is reflected whenever it reaches one of the two substantially uniformly spaced walls thereby leaving a channel and entering a channel of said neighbouring group of channels, so as to direct the fluid towards the other of those walls.

Claim 15

An apparatus for carrying out a heterogeneous catalytic chemical process under non-adiabatic conditions, said apparatus comprising a catalyst chamber having an entrance and an exit and being defined by walls two of which are substantially uniformly spaced, at least one of the said two substantially uniformly spaced walls being adapted to allow the transmittance of heat therethrough, said catalyst chamber containing a catalyst having a structure of channels arranged in groups of substantially parallel channels connected to provide a flow path from the entrance to the exit of the catalyst chamber, said channels being angled to the two uniformly spaced walls and changing direction before reaching one of the walls, the direction of one of said group of substantially parallel channels being different from that of the neighbouring group or groups of channels, so that the inner surface of said walls is in substantially total contact with the process fluid, and so that the actual flow direction of a process fluid passing from the entrance to the exit of the process chamber is reflected whenever it reaches one of the two substantially uniformly spaced walls thereby leaving a channel and entering a channel of said neighbouring group of channels, so as to direct the fluid towards the other of those walls.