Patent ID: 6174927
Filing Date: 2001-01-16
Classification: B01J,C07C

Abstract:
An exothermic catalytic process wherein reactants are passed through a fixed bed of a catalyst for the desired reaction and heat evolved by the reaction is transferred to at least part of the reactants fed to the catalyst bed by heat exchange means to which said part of the reactants are fed, characterised by operation of the process under conditions whereby increasing the temperature at which said reactants are fed to the catalyst bed has the effect of increasing the amount of heat transferred to said reactants in said heat exchange means, and vice versa, and controlling said process by monitoring the temperature of said reactants leaving said heat exchange means and/or entering said bed, decreasing the temperature at which the reactants are fed to said heat exchange means in response to any upward deviation of said monitored temperature from a desired temperature to which said reactants are heated in said heat exchange means, and increasing the temperature at which the reactants are fed to said heat exchange means in response to any downward deviation of said monitored temperature from a desired temperature to which said reactants are heated in said heat exchange means.