Process and apparatus for oxidizing hydrocarbons

Claim 1

A METHOD OF CONTINUOUSLY OXIDIZING A HYDROCARBON COMPRISING FORMING AND ADVANCING A MIXTURE OF HYDROCARBON WITH A LARGE EXCESS OF ATMOSPHERIC AIR, BRINGING THE MIXTURE IN SUCCESSIVE INDIVIDUALLY ADIABATIC STAGES INTO CONTACT WITH SUCCESSIVE AND INCREASING QUANTITIES OF CATALYST AT A TEMPERATURE B JUST BELOW THE OPTIMUM REACTION TEMPERATURE; LIMITING THE REACTION IN EACH STAGE TO A PREDETERMINED TEMPERATURE RISE $T; AND COOLING THE MIXTURE AFTER SAID CONTACT FROM THE TEMPERATURE B+$T ABOVE THE OPTIMUM REACTION TEMPERATURE TO THE LOWER TEMPERATURE $, THE SAID COOLING BEING EFFECTED BY ADDITION OF ATMOSPHERIC AIR AT A CONSTANT TEMPERATURE T0 IN AN AMOUNT FOR EACH STAGE EQUAL TO A FRACTION A=$T/(B-T0) OF THE REACTION MIXTURE FLOW WHEREBY THE SUPPLIES OF MIXTURE TO THE SUCCESSIVE STAGES INCREASES IN A GEOMETRICAL PROGESSION OF RATIO I+A WITH SUCCESSIVE STAGES.

Claim 2

A METHOD OF CONTINUOUSLY OXIDIZING A HYDROCARBON COMPRISING FORMING AND ADVANCING A MIXTURE OF HYDROCARBON WITH A LARGE EXCESS OF ATMOSPHERIC AIR, BRINGING THE MIXTURE IN SUCCESSIVE INDIVIDUALLY ADIABATIC STAGES INTO CONTACT WITH SUCCESSIVE AND INCREASING QUANTITIES OF CATALYST AT A TEMPERATURE B JUST BELOW THE OPTIMUM REACTION TEMPERATURE; LIMITING THE REACTION IN EACH STAGE TO A PREDETERMINED TEMPERATURE RISE $T; AND COOLING THE MIXTURE AFTER SAID CONTACT FROM THE TEMPERATURE B+$T ABOVE THE OPTIMUM REACTION TEMPERATURE TO THE LOWER TEMPERATURE $, THE SAID COOLING BEING EFFECTED BY ADDITION OF ATMOSPHERIC AIR AT A CONSTANT TEMPERATURE T0 IN AN AMOUNT FOR EACH STAGE EQUAL TO A FRACTION A=$T/(B-T0) OF THE REACTION MIXTURE FLOW WHEREBY THE SUPPLIES OF MIXTURE TO THE SUCCESSIVE STAGES INCREASES IN A GEOMETRICAL PROGESSION OF RATIO I+A WITH SUCCESSIVE STAGES.

Claim 3

AN APPARATUS FOR CONTINUOUS CATALYTIC PARTIAL OXIDATION OF HYDROCARBON WITH AIR WEHEREIN THE DESIRED OXIDATION REACTION TAKES PLACE WITHIN A NARROW TEMPERATURE RANGE INCLUDING A VERTICAL TOWER HAVING A PLURALITY OF HORIZONTALLY SUPPORTED CATALYST BEDS, THE QUANTITY OF CATALYST IN THE BEDS INCREASING PROGRESSIVELY FROM TOP TO BOTTOM OF THE TOWER, SAID BEDS BEING SPACED APART TO PROVIDE A SUBSTANTIAL FREE SPACE ABOVE EACH BED; MEANS IN THE FREE SPACE ABOVE THE UPPERMOST CATALYST BED FOR EVELY DIFFUSING A MIXTURE OF AIR AND HYDROCARBON INTO SAID SPACE; MEANS FOR MAINTAINING THE ENTERING CHARGE OF AIR AND HYDROCARBON AT A PREDETERMINED CONSTANT TEMPERATURE BELOW THE DESIRED REACTION TEMPERATURE; SEPARATE, INDIVIDUAL MEANS IN THE FREE SPACES ABOVE EACH OF THE CATALYST BEDS BELOW THE FIRST, FOR DIFFUSING AIR INTO THE RESPECTIVE FREE SPACES; CORRESPONDING SEPARATE MEANS FOR SEPARATELY REGULATING THE AMOUNT OF AIR SUPPLIED TO THE DIFFUSING MEANS, INDIVIDUAL TGEMPERATURE SENSING DEVICES IN EACH OF THE FREE SPACES EXCEPT THE FIRST; MEANS CONNECTING THE RESPECTIVE TEMPERATURE SENSING DEVICES WITH THE RESPECTIVE AIR REGULATING MEANS WHEREBY A SUFFICIENT AMOUNT OF AIR IS INTRODUCED TO COOL THE REACTION MIXTURE, WHICH HAS BEEN HEATED BY PASSAGE THROUGH THE CATALYST BED NEXT ABOVE THE FREE SPACE, TO SUBSTANTIALLY THE TEMPERATURE OF THE CHARGE ENTERING THE TOWER; AND MEANS FOR CONDUCTING AWAY THE REACTION PRODUCT EMERGING FROM THE LOWERMOST CATALYST BED.

Claim 4

AN APPARATUS FOR CONTINUOUS CATALYTIC PARTIAL OXIDATION OF HYDROCARBON WITH AIR WEHEREIN THE DESIRED OXIDATION REACTION TAKES PLACE WITHIN A NARROW TEMPERATURE RANGE INCLUDING A VERTICAL TOWER HAVING A PLURALITY OF HORIZONTALLY SUPPORTED CATALYST BEDS, THE QUANTITY OF CATALYST IN THE BEDS INCREASING PROGRESSIVELY FROM TOP TO BOTTOM OF THE TOWER, SAID BEDS BEING SPACED APART TO PROVIDE A SUBSTANTIAL FREE SPACE ABOVE EACH BED; MEANS IN THE FREE SPACE ABOVE THE UPPERMOST CATALYST BED FOR EVELY DIFFUSING A MIXTURE OF AIR AND HYDROCARBON INTO SAID SPACE; MEANS FOR MAINTAINING THE ENTERING CHARGE OF AIR AND HYDROCARBON AT A PREDETERMINED CONSTANT TEMPERATURE BELOW THE DESIRED REACTION TEMPERATURE; SEPARATE, INDIVIDUAL MEANS IN THE FREE SPACES ABOVE EACH OF THE CATALYST BEDS BELOW THE FIRST, FOR DIFFUSING AIR INTO THE RESPECTIVE FREE SPACES; CORRESPONDING SEPARATE MEANS FOR SEPARATELY REGULATING THE AMOUNT OF AIR SUPPLIED TO THE DIFFUSING MEANS, INDIVIDUAL TGEMPERATURE SENSING DEVICES IN EACH OF THE FREE SPACES EXCEPT THE FIRST; MEANS CONNECTING THE RESPECTIVE TEMPERATURE SENSING DEVICES WITH THE RESPECTIVE AIR REGULATING MEANS WHEREBY A SUFFICIENT AMOUNT OF AIR IS INTRODUCED TO COOL THE REACTION MIXTURE, WHICH HAS BEEN HEATED BY PASSAGE THROUGH THE CATALYST BED NEXT ABOVE THE FREE SPACE, TO SUBSTANTIALLY THE TEMPERATURE OF THE CHARGE ENTERING THE TOWER; AND MEANS FOR CONDUCTING AWAY THE REACTION PRODUCT EMERGING FROM THE LOWERMOST CATALYST BED.