Patent ID: 8178075
Filing Date: 2012-05-15
Classification: B01J,C01B

Abstract:
1. A method for producing a product mixture in a tubular reactor, the tubular reactor comprising a tube having a tube wall, the tubular reactor having a tubular reactor inlet, and a tubular reactor outlet downstream of the tubular reactor inlet, and wherein the tubular reactor has an insert comprising a catalyst, the insert situated within the tube and wherein the insert has a plurality of orifices for forming fluid jets, the plurality of orifices characterized by a hydraulic diameter, d, and a spacing, h, from the tube wall, wherein h/d for the plurality of orifices ranges from 0.5 to 10, the method comprising: (a) introducing a reactant mixture comprising one or more reactants into the tubular reactor inlet with an inlet superficial axial velocity, v (b) contacting the one or more reactants from the reactant mixture with the catalyst on a first portion of the insert to react the one or more reactants under reaction conditions effective to form a first intermediate mixture comprising the one or more reactants and one or more products; (c) forming a first plurality of fluid jets with at least a portion of the first intermediate mixture; (d) impinging the first plurality of fluid jets on the tube wall thereby transferring heat between the tube and the first intermediate mixture from the first plurality of fluid jets; (e) diverting at least a portion of the first intermediate mixture from the first plurality of fluid jets away from the tube wall thereby forming a return fluid comprising the one or more reactants and the one or more products; (f) contacting the one or more reactants from the return fluid with the catalyst on a second portion of the insert to react the one or more reactants under reaction conditions effective to form a second intermediate mixture comprising the one or more reactants and the one or more products; (g) forming a second plurality of fluid jets with at least a portion of the second intermediate mixture, the second plurality of fluid jets located downstream of the first plurality of fluid jets; (h) impinging the second plurality of fluid jets on the tube wall thereby transferring heat between the tube and the second intermediate mixture; (i) diverting at least a portion of the second intermediate mixture from the second plurality of fluid jets away from the tube wall; and (j) withdrawing the product mixture comprising the one or more products from the tubular reactor outlet at a second pressure, P wherein a cumulative pressure drop in the tubular reactor, ΔP wherein wherein the tubular reactor comprises: the tube having the tube wall and a longitudinal axis, and the insert situated within the tube, wherein the insert comprises: the catalyst; and a metal structure defining a plurality of substantially parallel passages, the plurality of substantially parallel passages each having a longitudinal axis formed at an acute angle, α, to a virtual line parallel to the longitudinal axis of the tube, wherein α ranges from 10° to 80°, wherein each of the substantially parallel passages have an upstream end having a cross-sectional area, A