Reactor system for gravity-flowing catalyst particles

Claim 1

A CATALYTIC REACTOR SYSTEM FOR REACTING A REACTANT SYSTEM TO OBTAIN A PRODUCT STREAM BY CONTACT OF THE REACTANT STREAM WITH CATALYST PARTICLES MOVABLE THROUGH SAID SYSTEM BY GRAVITY FLOW , WHICH SYSTEM COMPRISES, IN COMBINATION: A. AN ELONGATED, VERTICALLY-DISPOSED REACTION CHAMBER HAVING AN INLET IN THE UPPER PORTION THEREOF FOR SAID REACTANT STREAM, AN OUTLET IN THE LOWER PORTION THEREOF FOR SAID PRODUCT STREAM, AN INLET IN THE UPPER PORTION THEREOF FOR SAID CATALYST PARTICLES, AND AN OUTLET IN THE LOWER PORTION THEREOF FOR SAID CATALYST PARTICLES, SAID CHAMBER HAVING DISPOSED THEREIN; B. A TUBULAR-FROM CATALYST-RETAINING SCREEN HAVING A RING FLANGE AT ITS LOWER END, COAXIALLY DISTENDED SUBSTANTIALLY THE ENTIRE LENGTH OF SAID CHAMBER, AND HAVING A NOMINAL INTERNAL CROSS-SECTIONAL AREA LESS THAN SAID CHAMBER TO PROVIDE A REACTANT ANNULUS IN COMMUNICATION WITH SAID REACTANT STREAM INLET AND PRODUCT STREAM OUTLET; C. A TUBULAR-FROM, PERFORATED CENTERPIPE, COAXIALLY DISTENDED SUBSTANTIALLY THE ENTIRE LENGTH OF SAID CHAMBER, AND HAVING A NOMINAL INTERNAL CROSS-SECTIONAL AREA LESS THEN SAID CATALYST-RETAINING SCREEN TO PROVIDE AN ANNULAR CATALYST-HOLDING ZONE IN COMMUNICATION WITH SAID CATALYST PARTICLE INLET AND OUTLET; D. A TUBULAR-FROM CATALYST-RETAINING SCREEN SUPPORT MEMBER ATTACHED AT ITS LOWER END TO SAID REACTION CHAMBER AND HAVING AT ITS UPPER END A RING FLANGE, SAID CATALYSTRETAINING SCREEN SUPPORT MEMBER RING FLANGE BEING IN CONTACT WITH SAID CATALYST-RETAINING SCREEN RING FLANGE AND FORMING A MOVABLE SLIP JOINT CONNECTION THEREWITH; E. A TUBULAR-FROM DAM ATTACHED TO SAID SCREEN SUPPORT MEMBER RING FLANGE, COAXIALLY DISTENDED A FINITE DISTANCE ABOVE THE MOVABLE SLIP JOINT CONNECTION, AND A FINITE DISTANCE BELOW THE UPPER PORTION OF SAID CHAMBER, AND HAVING A NOMINAL INTERNAL CROSS-SECTIONAL AREA LESS THAN SAID CATALYST-RETAINING SCREEN AND GREATER THAN SAID CENTER-PIPE, TO PROVIDE A SEMI-CLOSED ANNULUS WITHIN THE LOWER PORTION OF SAID CATALYST-HOLDING ZONE; AND, F. PARTICULATE REFRACTORY MATTER OF A SIZE LARGER THAN SAID CATALYST PARTICLES, DISPOSED WITHIN SAID SEMI-CLOSED ANNULUS FROM THE MOVABLE CONNECTION TO A HEIGHT BELOW THE TOP EDGE OF THE DAM.