Uop Lcc

Union Carbide Corporation

Elias G Ragi

Thomas J Godry

Gary Wayne Fenner

Leslie Charles Kun

Patrick S O'Neill

The use of flow restrictors at the inlet of reactor cooling tubes significantly improves heat transfer and process performance in an acid catalyzed alkylation reaction process. Improved vaporization of the stream is achieved by equalizing the liquid distribution and the ratio of liquid and vapor entering each tube to overcome poor boiling film heat transfer. The invention relocates available pressure drop for equally subdividing the flow entering the heat exchanger into a plurality of heat exchanger inlet streams. Flow restrictors provide pressure drop at the inlets to each tube. This method and apparatus is particularly useful in contactors for the sulfuric acid catalyzed alkylation of olefinic and isoparaffinic hydrocarbons.

Method of indirect heat exchange for two phase flow distribution

A method and apparatus for indirectly heating a mixed phase stream by contact with a boiling surface located on the inside of the plurality of heat exchange tubes. Improved vaporization of the stream is achieved by equalizing the liquid distribution and the ratio of liquid and vapor entering each tube to overcome poor boiling film heat transfer. The invention uses a means for subdividing the flow entering the heat exchanger into a plurality of streams with each of the divided streams discharging directly into a heat exchange tube. The means for dividing the stream can include baffle arrangements or plugs providing pressure drop at the inlets to the tubes. This method and apparatus is particularly useful in contactors for the sulfuric acid catalyzed alkylation of hydrocarbons.

A black liquor process for paper pulping uses a nucleic boiling surface in a series of multi-effective evaporators. The nucleic boiling surface may be used to retube all effects or a single effect.

Evaporation for solids concentration

A process for the reforming of hydrocarbons is improved by the use of an enhanced nucleate boiling surface in a selected portion of the feed effluent heat exchanger. In a vertical type heat exchanger where the reforming feedstream enters at a lower end of the heat exchanger and is at least partially vaporized in the heat exchanger by contact with a reforming effluent stream that enters an upper end of the heat exchanger and is at least partially condensed therein, an enhanced nucleate boiling surface is formed on the heat exchange surface that is in contact with the entering liquid phase portion of the stream feed. The enhanced nucleate boiling surface increases the amount of condensing that takes place on the opposite side of the heat exchange surface in a boiling-condensing zone. The use of the enhanced nucleate boiling surface in the boiling zone of the heat exchanger not only improves the heat transfer coefficient on the boiling side of the tube wall surface, but also the overall heat transfer on the opposite condensing side of the tube wall surface. The addition of the enhanced nucleate boiling surface provides a substantial increase in the overall heat exchange and the overall heat transfer coefficients for the heat exchanger.

Reforming process with improved vertical heat exchangers

A system for enhancing the performance of the external condensing surfaces of the vertical tubes of a film condensation heat exchanger comprising a network of enhancement elements adjacent the tube surface to collect the condensate into rivulets and connecting elements wrapped around and bonded to the enhancement elements to maintain the latter in their proper positions. In a preferred embodiment, both the enhancement and connecting elements are made of a wettable plastic polymeric material in the form of a sleeve to slip over the condenser tube as a prefabricated unit.

Enhancement for film condensation apparatus

An inner surface substrate of metal tubes is provided with a single layer of randomly distributed metal bodies bonded to the substrate, spaced from each other, and substantially surrounded by the substrate to form body void space.

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Williamsville, NY, United States of America

Elias G Ragi