Bp Corporation North America Inc.

Ineos USA LLC

Curtis D Dickinson

Hassan Taheri

Paul A Jacobson

Improved apparatus for use in process systems which include exothermic chemical conversions of organic compounds to value added products is disclosed, more particularly, flow reactors for exothermic chemical conversions using a fixed heterogeneous catalyst with means for control of the exotherm. Flow reactors of the invention comprise a plurality of walled conduits each having an outer surface disposed for contact with a heat-transfer medium, an inlet distribution manifold adapted for flow communication with a downstream manifold through channels formed by heterogeneous catalytic material disposed within each conduit during operation in a sequence of zones for catalyst having the same or different length along the longitudinal coordinate of the conduit and within each zone essentially uniform cross-section of the conduit measured in a plane perpendicular to the longitudinal coordinate thereby defining volume of the zone, and the sequence of zones comprising of at least two zones such that each downstream zone has a larger or smaller cross-section than the contiguous upstream zone. Another aspect of the invention includes processes which use such flow reactors, for example the continuous manufacture of maleic anhydride.

Flow reactors for chemical conversions with heterogeneous catalysts

Flow reactor having a plurality of walled conduits each having an outer surface disposed for contact with a heat-transfer medium, an inlet distribution manifold in flow communication with a downstream manifold through channels formed by heterogeneous catalytic material disposed within each conduit during operation, and a sequence of zones comprising at least two zones, the zones including the walled conduits. The walled conduits within each zone have the same or different length measured along a longitudinal coordinate of the zone, the walled conduits within each zone have essentially uniform cross-section measured in a plane perpendicular to the longitudinal coordinate thereby defining volume of the zone, and in the sequence of zones, the total cross-sectional area of the conduits in each downstream zone varies from the prior upstream zone. At least one crossover chamber is provided in flow communication with the plurality of walled conduits of a downstream zone and the plurality of walled conduits of the prior upstream zone. A shell is present for maintaining during operation the outer surface the plurality of walled conduits of each zone predominantly in contact with a heat transfer medium, the shell having an inlet in flow communication with an outlet for flow of the heat-transfer medium.

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Mahomet, IL, United States of America

Curtis D Dickinson