Reactor vessel and up-down mixer

Claim 1

An apparatus for carrying out high pressure continuous chemical reactions wherein feed is continually injected and product continually withdrawn comprising in combination: a. a cylindrical reactor vessel having a vertical axis and having closed ends and a length to diameter ratio greater than one; b. a driven shaft rotatably mounted on one of said closed ends and located on said axis; c. at least a first plurality of radially extending identical oppositely arranged impeller blades attached to said shaft in a plane perpendicular to said shaft, said blades of said first plurality being positioned at a positive angle with their mounting plane, whereby rotation of said shaft creates fluid movement axially in a first direction along the shaft; d. at least a second plurality of radially extending identical oppositely arranged impeller blades attached to said shaft in a plane perpendicular to said shaft, said blades being positioned at a negative angle with their mounting plane, and located radially outwardly beyond the first set of impeller blades and attached to said shaft by small supports thereby defining flow path between said supports for fluid impelled therethrough by said first plurality of blades, the rotation of said shaft creating fluid movement in a second direction opposite to said first direction and parallel to said vessel wall, complementing thereby the fluid movement created in said first direction axially to the shaft by said first set of impeller blades, said arrangement being dynamically balanced to permit such rotation as to thereby produce a ratio of recirculation to feed rate within the range of 20-60.

Claim 2

An apparatus for carrying out high pressure continuous chemical reactions wherein feed is continually injected and product continually withdrawn comprising in combination: a. a cylindrical reactor vessel having a vertical axis and having closed ends and a length to diameter ratio greater than one; b. a driven shaft rotatably mounted on one of said closed ends and located on said axis; c. at least a first plurality of radially extending identical oppositely arranged impeller blades attached to said shaft in a plane perpendicular to said shaft, said blades of said first plurality being positioned at a positive angle with their mounting plane, whereby rotation of said shaft creates fluid movement axially in a first direction along the shaft; d. at least a second plurality of radially extending identical oppositely arranged impeller blades attached to said shaft in a plane perpendicular to said shaft, said blades being positioned at a negative angle with their mounting plane, and located radially outwardly beyond the first set of impeller blades and attached to said shaft by small supports thereby defining flow path between said supports for fluid impelled therethrough by said first plurality of blades, the rotation of said shaft creating fluid movement in a second direction opposite to said first direction and parallel to said vessel wall, complementing thereby the fluid movement created in said first direction axially to the shaft by said first set of impeller blades, said arrangement being dynamically balanced to permit such rotation as to thereby produce a ratio of recirculation to feed rate within the range of 20-60.