Linde Aktiengesellschaft

Helmut Schneider

Allan M Watson

Herbert Schmid

Michael Heisel

Reiner Lohmueller

Ulrich Lahne

Markus Raab

Reiner Lohmuller

Alan Watson

Peter Hohmann

Karl Hobel

For conducting exothermic catalytic reactions, e.g., production of methane from CO.sub.x and H.sub.2, a reactor is cooled internally by indirect heat exchange with a single heat exchanger provided in the reactor feed inlet region with a gradually increasing surface intensity (defined as the product of the overall coefficient of thermal conductivity, (h), of the tube wall times the cooling surface density, m.sup.2 /m.sup.3) reaching a maximum intensity at a central zone of the heat exchanger where the preponderant cooling occurs. A zone of gradually decreasing cooling surface intensity may also be provided at the outlet end of the reactor, and uncooled adiabatic zones may be incorporated in the zones immediate the inlet and outlet ends of the reactor.

Heat interchanging process and reactor therefor

Strongly exothermic, catalytically induced or promoted chemical reactions, e.g. the production of methane by the reaction of hydrogen with carbon oxides, are carried out by passing the reactants through an isothermically operated reactor in addition to an adiabatic reactor.

Methanation process

Highly exothermic continuous chemical reactions such as the methanization of carbon oxides are cooled by indirect heat exchange with a liquid coolant such as water, thereby converting at least some of the liquid to a vapor such as steam. When the reaction temperature, because of operational difficulties or the like, exceeds the design temperature of the reaction, said vapor such as steam is passed into the reaction chamber. In this way, the reaction stream is cooled as well as diluted; in addition, since the vapor is preferably selected to be a reaction product, the extent and rate of the exothermic reaction are diminished.

Control of highly exothermic chemical reactions

In a process for the production of a methane-rich gas from a feed gas of hydrogen and carbon oxides, wherein the feed gas, after preliminary purification thereof, is warmed, then subjected to a multistage, catalytic methanization, and thereupon is subjected to a CO.sub.2 separation step,

Production of a gas rich in methane

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Grunwalt, Germany

Helmut Schneider