Abstract A heat exchange apparatus for an exothermic catalytic system comprising a closed cylindrical vessel containing a removable axial spine which extends through the top and bottom heads of said vessel. Two separate heat exchangers are embedded in catalyst within said vessel and are supported by said axial spine as a removable unit and are in communication therewith. The axial spine contains passageways for separately introducing and removing two separate coolant streams into said heat exchangers. The first coolant stream consists of unreacted fresh feedstream which is thereby preheated before it is introduced into the catalyst surrounding each heat exchanger. The second coolant stream is water or an organic liquid from an external source. Both coolant streams pass in noncontact concurrent heat exchange with the feedstream undergoing exothermic chemical reaction as it passes up through the catalyst surrounding each heat exchanger. The product stream leaves from the top of the catalyst and is discharged through an exit port in the top head of the vessel.
A heat exchange apparatus according to claim 1 with the addition of means for separately introducing a temperature moderating fluid into said bottom chamber.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
240 words
A heat exchange apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said plurality of separate heat exchange means comprises an upper heat exchanger comprising a plurality of upper inlet manifolds extending from the bottom of the upper section of said central pipe and in communication therewith, a plurality of upper outlet manifolds extending from the top of the upper section of said annular passage and in communication therewith, and a plurality of upper heat exchange passages disposed between said upper inlet and outlet manifolds and in communication therewith, and a lower heat exchanger comprising a plurality of lower inlet manifolds extending from the upper end of said axial pipe and in communication therewith, a plurality of lower outlet manifolds extending from the lower section of said central pipe and in communication therewith, and a plurality of lower heat exchange passages disposed between said lower inlet and outlet manifolds and in communication therewith; and an outlet conduit in said top head; wherein said fresh reactant feed stream enters through said upper section of central pipe and flows up through said upper heat exchanger and down through said annular passage into the bottom chamber, then up through said catalyst in indirect concurrent heat exchange first with the heat exchange fluid flowing up through said lower heat exchanger and then with the feed stream flowing up through the upper heat exchanger and finally the stream is discharged through said exit port in said top head.