Reactors

Claim 1

A MULTI-TUBULAR REACTOR FOR EFFECTING REACTIONS, BETWEEN AT LEAST ONE REACTION IN THE GASEOUS PHASE AND AT LEAST ONE REACTANT IN THE LIQUID PHASE, WHICH NECESSITATE FOR THEIR CONTROL, THE TRANSFERENCE OF HEAT BETWEEN THE REACTANTS AND A HEAT EXCHANGE MEDIUM, SAID REACTOR COMPRISING A PLURALITY OF REACTION TUBES WHICH, IN THE OPERATING POSITION OF THE REACTOR, ARE SUBSTANTIALLY VERTICAL, THE UPPER ENDS OF SAID TUBES PASSING THROUGH AN UPPER TUBE PLATE AND THE LOWER ENDS OF ALL OF SAID TUBES PASSING THROUGH AND EXTENDING BEYOND A LOWER TUBE PLATE TO AT LEAST A COMMON LEVEL THEREBELOW, THE PORTION OF THE TUBES BETWEEN THE LOWER AND UPPER TUBE PLATES BEING ENCLOSED IN A SHELL, SAID SHELL BEING PROVIED WITH INLET AND OUTLET MEANS, WHEREBY THE EXTERNAL SURFACES OF SAID TUBES MAY BE CONTACTED WITH A HEAT EXCHARGE MEDIUM CIRCULATED WITHIN SAID SHELL, THE REACTOR BEING BOUNDED BELOW THE LOWER TUBE PLATE AND ABOVE THE UPPER TUBE PLATE BY ENCLOSED CHAMBERS PROVIDED WITH MEANS FOR THE INTRODUCTION OF REACTANTS AND MEANS FOR THE WITHDRAWAL OF PRODUCTS, RESPECTIVELY, THE LOWER ENDS OF AT LEAST SOME OF THE REACTION TUBES BEING PROVIDED WITH GAS DISTRIBUTING MEANS, WHEREBY, IN OPERATION, A STREAM OF SMALL BUBBLES OF THE GASEOUS PHASE REACTANT IS CAUSED TO ASCEND THROUGH THE LIQUID PHASE REACTANT WITHIN EACH TUBE, PROVIDED WITH SAID MEANS, IN PROXIMITY TO THE WALL OF SAID TUBE, AT LEAST ONE VERTICAL BAFFLE BEING PROVIDED WITHIN THE LOWER CHAMBER AND ATTACHED TO THE LOWER TUBE PLATE, WHEREBY THE UPPER PORTION OF THE LOWER CHAMBER IS DIVIDED INTO AT LEAST TWO COMPARTEMENTS, MEANS BEING PROVIDED FOR THE SEPARATE INTRODUCTION OF GASEOUS REACTANT TO EACH OF SAID COMPARTMENTS.