Jacket cooled header air distribution system for fluidized bed reactor

Claim 1

A fluidized bed reactor system comprising: an internally insulated enclosed metal walled reactor; a plurality of air distribution pipes for supplying fluidizing air to said reactor, said pipes extending from and communicating with an air manifold header, outside of the reactor, to inside a bottom portion of the reactor; conduit means for supplying fluidizing air to said air manifold header; preheater means in said conduit means for preheating the air supplied by said conduit means to said air manifold header; a jacket tube closed at each end spaced from and surrounding each air distribution pipe and projecting through, and joined to, the reactor metal wall; and means to pass a stream of cooling air through each jacket tube to control heat transfer from the air distribution pipes to the reactor metal wall, said stream being taken from said conduit at a point upstream of said preheater and being returned to said conduit at a point between said preheater and said supply point.