Reactor

Claim 1

IN A REACTION VESSEL FOR THE CATALYSTIC DEHYDROGENATION OF A GASEOUS STREAM OF OLEFINS HAVING AT LEAST 4 CARBON TOMS IN THE OLEFINIC CHAIN, SAID VESSEL CONSISTING ESSENTIALLY OF A SHELL CONTAINING A STATIC BED OF CONTACT MATERIAL AND EQUIPPED WITH INLET MEANS FOR ADMITTING AN AXIALLY MOVING STREAM OF SAID GAS HAVING A HIGH VELOCITY BUT RELATIVELY SMALL CROSS-SECTIONAL AREA, OUTLET MEANS AND A FUNNEL, SAID FUNNEL COMPRISING A DOWNCOMER ATTACHED TO THE INLET MEANS AND A FRUSTO-CONICAL HOOD SURROUNING THE DISCHARGE END OF SAID DOWNCOMER AND LYING ADJACENT THE PERIPHERY OF SAID BED, THE COMBINATION, WITH THE DISCHARGE END OF SAID DOWNCOMER, OF A DISTRIBUTOR, DESIGNED TO CONVERT THE HIGH VELOCITY STREAM HAVING A SMALL CROSS SECTIONAL AREA TO ONE OF LOW VELOCITY AND OF LARGE CROSS SECTIONAL AREA WITHIN A SHORT DISTANCE, BY THE STRUCTURE COMPRISING: A FIRST DEFLECTING PLATE SAID PLATE BEING ANNULAR AND BEING POSITIONED TO DEFLECT ONLY THAT AXIALLY MOVING FLUID DISCHARGED FROM THE PERIPHERAL AREA OF THE DISCHARGE END OF THE DOWNCOMER AND TO CONVERT SAID DEFLECTED STREAM TO A RADIALLY MOVING STREAM, SAID PLATE PROJECTING OUTWARDLY ONLY AS FAR AS AN IMAGINARY CONTINUATION OF THE SURFACE OF THE DISCHARGE END OF SAID DOWNCOMER; A SECOND DEFLECTING PLATE LOCATED DOWNSTREAM OF PERFORATED AND BEING POSITIONED FOR INTERCEPTING FLUID DISCHARGED FROM THE CENTRAL AREA OF THE DISCHARGE END OF THE DOWNCOMER FOR REDIRECTING AND CONVERTING A PART OF SAID AXIALLY MOVING STREAM OF GAS AT A HIGH VELOCITY AND OF SMALL CROSS SECTIONAL AREA RADIALLY OUTWARDLY THROUGH A SERIES OF PORTS TO CONVERT SUCH STEAM OF GAS OF LOWER RADIALLY OUTWARDLY DIRECTED STEAMS OF GAS OF LOWER VECOITY AND DISTRIBUTED OVER A LARGER CROSS SECTION WHILE PERMITTING THE REMAINDER OF SAID AXIALLY MOVING STREAM OF HIGH VELOCITY GAS TO PASS THROUGH THE PERFORATIONS AT A LOWER VELCOITY; AND A PERFORATED ENVELOPED ENCLOSING THE DISCHARGE END OF THE DOWNCOMER AND SAID FIRST AND SECOND DEFLECTING MEANS, WHEREBY THE ORIGINAL AXIALLY FLOWING GASEOUS STREAM HAVING HIGH VELOCITY AND RELATIVELY LOW CROSS SECTIONAL AREA IS CONVERTED TO A STREAM CONSISTING OF AXIALLY FLOWING LOW VELOCITY GASES AND RADIALLY FLOWING LOW VELOCITY GASES, THE CROSS SECTIONAL AREA OF SAID STREAMS BEING GREATER THAN THAT OF THE ORIGINAL GAS STREAM.