Process for cooling a polymerization reactor

Claim 2

In a process for cooling a polymerization reaction of compounds in a dispersion and/or solution with a polymerization reactor equipped with a reflux condenser, wherein the cooling is executed by evaporation of one or more liquids contained in the dispersion and/or solution, by condensation of vapors in the reflux condenser, and by recycling of the thus-condensed vapors into the reactor, and by cooling of the reactor with a controllable flow of coolant the improvement wherein a portion of said coolant is passed through said reflux condenser and the amount of heat given off during condensation in said reflux condenser provides the control variable for a controller for controlling the amount of coolant fed into the reflux condenser.

Claim 3

A process according to claim 1, wherein the amount of heat given off during condensation within said reflux condenser is determined by the temperature of the coolant within the reflux condenser and the temperature is utilized as the control variable for said controller.

Claim 4

A polymerization apparatus for conducting a polymerization reaction which comprises a polymerization reactor operatively associated with a reflux condenser, said reactor including a cooling jacket for cooling the contents of the reactor and conduit means for circulating a coolant through said cooling jacket and said reflux condenser including a cooling jacket means for cooling vapors to be condensed in a condensation chamber of the reflux condenser and means for circulating a coolant through said cooling jacket means of said reflux condenser, at least one temperature sensing means located within the coolant passing through the jacket means of said reflux condenser and a controller including control circuit means operatively associated with said at least one temperature sensing means for controlling the circulation of coolant through said reflux condenser.

Claim 5

A polymerization apparatus for conducting a polymerization reaction which comprises a polymerization reactor operatively associated with a reflux condenser, said reactor including a cooling jacket for cooling the contents of the reactor and conduit means for circulating a coolant through said cooling jacket and said reflux condenser including a cooling jacket means for cooling vapors to be condensed in a condensation chamber of the reflux condenser and means for circulating a coolant through said cooling jacket means of said reflux condenser, at least one temperature sensing means located within the coolant passing through the jacket means of said reflux condenser and a controller including control circuit means operatively associated with said at least one temperature sensing means for controlling the circulation of coolant through said reflux condenser.

Claim 6

An apparatus according to claim 3, wherein several temperature measuring sensor means are arranged one behind the other in the flow direction of the coolant within the reflux condenser, the measuring values of these sensor means being weighted averaged, and fed to the controller.

Claim 7

A process for controlling the cooling capacity of a reflux condenser operatively associated with a polymerization reactor wherein compounds in dispersion and/or solution are subjected to polymerization reactions, which comprises passing a liquid coolant through a portion of said reflux condenser to effect cooling of vapors passing through said reflux condenser from said reactor, disposing at least two temperature sensing means within the cooling passing within said reflux condenser, said sensing means being arranged at different positions one behind the other in series in a direction of flow of the coolant through said reflux condenser, measuring the temperatures of the coolant at said different positions with said sensing means, averaging the measured temperatures, feeding the averaged value of said temperatures to a controller and regulating the flow of coolant through said portion of said reflux condenser with said controller.

Claim 8

A process for controlling the cooling capacity of a reflux condenser operatively associated with a polymerization reactor wherein compounds in dispersion and/or solution are subjected to polymerization reactions, which comprises passing a liquid coolant through a portion of said reflux condenser to effect cooling of vapors passing through said reflux condenser from said reactor, disposing at least two temperature sensing means within the cooling passing within said reflux condenser, said sensing means being arranged at different positions one behind the other in series in a direction of flow of the coolant through said reflux condenser, measuring the temperatures of the coolant at said different positions with said sensing means, averaging the measured temperatures, feeding the averaged value of said temperatures to a controller and regulating the flow of coolant through said portion of said reflux condenser with said controller.

Claim 9

A process according to claim 5, wherein said polymerization reactor is also cooled by passing a liquid coolant through a jacket portion of said reactor, and through a controllable coolant cycle, the coolant being passed through said reflux condenser being withdrawn from said controllable cycle of said polymerization reactor.

Claim 10

A process according to claim 5, wherein four temperature measuring sensor means are arranged within the reflux condenser in the flow direction of the coolant.

Claim 11

A process according to claim 7, wherein the averaging of the measured values T 3 , T 4 , T 5 , T 6 , arranged starting with the entrance for the coolant in the flow direction of the coolant within the reflux condenser is effected with the aid of the resistance values R T .sbsb.3, R T .sbsb.4, R T .sbsb.5, R T .sbsb.6, in accordance with the equation ##EQU3## wherein R T .sbsb.3, R T .sbsb.4, R T .sbsb.5 and R T .sbsb.6 are resistance values corresponding respectively to the measured temperatures T 3 , T 4 , T 5 and T 6 .

Claim 12

A process according to claim 5, wherein the weighting factors for the individual measuring values to be determined are variable during the measuring procedure.

Claim 13

A process according to claim 5, wherein individual measuring sensor means can be eliminated and/or others can be introduced into the control circuit for controlling the temperature of the reflux condenser.

Claim 14

A process according to claim 5, wherein the averaged temperature value T m fed to the controller is, by means of an additional circuit, directly proportional to the cooling capacity of the reflux condenser.