Patent ID: 6258993
Filing Date: 2001-07-10
Classification: B01D,B01J,C07C,Y02C,Y10S

Abstract:
A method for reacting a feed gas to produce a product and separating the product from unreacted feed gas, the method comprising the steps of:a) providing a plurality of compartments connected in series, wherein each compartment comprises a reaction zone which includes a reaction zone inlet port connected to feed gas line and a carrier gas line, and a separation zone which includes an upstream section connected to a downstream section with a separation zone recovery port for recovering product passing through the connection between the upstream and the downstream sections; and said downstream section including at least one separation zone outlet port; and wherein the compartments are connected so that each of the separation zone outlet ports is connected to the reaction zone inlet port of the next compartment downstream in the series and the last compartment in the series is connected to the first compartment of the series to provide a closed loop;b) supplying pressurized feed gas to the reaction zone inlet port of a first one of the compartments in the series and pressurized carrier gas to the reaction zone inlet port of the preceding compartment upstream in the series so that the feed gas reacts in the reaction zone of said first one of the compartments to produce a mixture which includes a product and unreacted feed gas, and so that the mixture is passed to the upstream section of the separation zone of said first one of the compartments wherein product is separated from unreacted feed gas so as to effect a substantially simultaneous reaction and separation and so that the unreacted feed gas exits the separation zone outlet port;c) transferring carrier gas and unreacted feed gas exiting the separation zone outlet port of said first one of the compartments to the reaction zone inlet port of the next compartment in the series;d) at a time after the unreacted feed transfer of step (c), recovering the product from the separation zone recovery port of said first one of the compartments;e) after recovering the product as recited in step (d), purging said first one of the compartments with carrier gas;f) just prior to the unreacted feed transfer of step (c), switching the feed gas supply from the reaction zone inlet port of said first one of the compartments to the reaction zone inlet port of said next compartment in the series and switching the carrier gas supply from the reaction zone inlet port of said preceding compartment to the reaction zone inlet port of said first compartment in the series, so that the feed gas and the unreacted feed gas react in the reaction zone of said next compartment to produce the mixture which includes product and unreacted feed gas and so that the mixture is passed to the upstream section of the separation zone of said next compartment wherein product is separated from the unreacted feed gas so as to effect a substantially simultaneous reaction and separation, and so that the unreacted feed gas exits the separation zone outlet port;g) repeating the cycle of steps (c) through (f) in a continuous manner so that the compartment in which the reaction and separation occurs advances sequentially around the series of compartments in the closed loop.