Arrangement and process for indirect heat exchange with high heat

Abstract

A channel reactor arrangement and a process that uses a high heat capacity heat exchange liquid to indirectly heat or cool by indirect heat exchange. The channel reactor arrangement maintains a pressure gradient through the channels and a pressure differential between the reaction channels and the heat exchange channels at all points to preserve the integrity of the plates defining the channels and to prevent any leakage of high heat capacity liquids into the reaction channels. The system brings the efficiency of plate reactor arrangements to the effectiveness of high heat capacity heat exchange fluids such as molten salts and liquid metals. The process overcomes the problem of low heat exchange pressure drop in combination with high reactant pressure drop by creating a negative pressure differential from reactant channels to the heat exchange channels. Proper control of the pressure drop maintains a positive pressure differential at all locations between the reactant channels and heat exchange channels to prevent any backflow of the heat exchange fluid into the reactant channels while maintaining the overall pressure differential between the channels within suitable limits for plate reactor arrangements. Highly exothermic processes such as oxidation reactions or endothermic processes such as dehydrogenation achieve the most benefit from this invention.