Patent ID: 9376360
Filing Date: 2016-06-28
CPC Classification: B01J,C07C

Claim Text:
1. A method for heating up a catalytic fixed-bed reactor configured to convert methanol to dimethyl ether (DME), the method comprising: (a) adjusting a catalytic fixed-bed reactor, comprising a solid catalyst suitable for dehydrating methanol to DME, to an initial temperature of the solid catalyst at a first pressure, at least one temperature measuring device being mounted in the presence of the catalyst; (b) evaporating liquid pure methanol in an evaporation device, to obtain a first vaporous pure methanol stream; (c) contacting the first vaporous pure methanol stream with the catalyst, until a condensation temperature of the methanol is reached at the first pressure, to obtain a liquid condensate comprising methanol; (d) providing the liquid condensate to a separating device, the separating device being in fluid connection with the catalyst, and discharging a condensate stream comprising methanol from the separating device; (e) lowering the pressure in the catalytic fixed-bed reactor to a second pressure, the second pressure being below the first pressure, and contacting the catalyst with a second vaporous pure methanol stream suitable for removing condensed methanol, wherein the second vaporous pure methanol stream is superheated with respect to the second pressure; (f) heating up the second vaporous pure methanol stream using a heating device, to obtain a vaporous, superheated pure methanol stream, and contacting the vaporous, superheated pure methanol stream with the catalyst, wherein the vaporous, superheated pure methanol stream is heated up to such an extent that in or at the catalyst a fixed end temperature is reached.