Patent ID: 6180068
Filing Date: 2001-01-30
Classification: B01J,C10G,Y10S

Abstract:
A mixing zone for a reactor column said mixing zone comprising:(a) a horizontal divider plate extending radially across a reactor column, said divider plate having an upper surface and a lower surface and having an opening therethrough;(b) a first cylindrical baffle mounted on said upper surface of said divider plate and encircling said opening through said divider plate, said cylindrical baffle having a plurality of entrance ports located along the circumference of said cylindrical baffle and defined by vanes, wherein each entrance port is defined by two vanes extending outwardly from the surface of said first cylindrical baffle, each of said vanes forming approximately the same angle with respect to a tangent at the point where a plane through the vane would contact said first cylindrical baffle as every other vane to a tangent similarly drawn, said vanes spaced from each other to define entrance ports there between, wherein the lower edges of said entrance ports are raised above said divider plate;(c) a cover plate extending radially across the top of said first cylindrical baffle to thereby prevent substantially downward flow in or out of the top of said first cylindrical baffle;(d) a second cylindrical baffle mounted on the lower surface of said divider plate, and together with said first cylindrical baffle defining a first cylindrical volume in which the effective radius may vary over the height of said first cylindrical volume;(e) a third cylindrical baffle mounted on the lower surface of said divider plate;(f) a horizontal bottom plate extending radially inward from the bottom edge of said third cylindrical baffle, said bottom plate having an upper surface and a lower surface and having a opening therethrough;(g) a fourth cylindrical baffle mounted on or above said upper surface of said bottom plate inside said third cylindrical baffle, and together with said third cylindrical baffle and said bottom plate defining a second cylindrical volume in which the effective radius may vary over the height of said second cylindrical volume, said second cylindrical volume being distinct and nonoverlapping with said first cylindrical volume;(h) at least one spillway through said divider plate having an approach conduit above said divider plate and a fluid passage through said divider plate, said approach conduit and said fluid passage together providing a liquid flow path from above said divider plate into said second cylindrical volume in a direction which is tangential relative to said third cylindrical baffle and at a minimal downward angle into said second cylindrical volume, and further wherein said approach conduit does not project into said second cylindrical volume, so as to create rotational flow in said second cylindrical volume;(i) at least one flow restriction means in said fourth cylindrical baffle and/or formed by the relative positions of at least two of said fourth cylindrical baffle, said second cylindrical baffle, said divider plate, and said bottom plate, said flow restriction means having a cross-sectional area less than or equal to the total area of said spillway fluid passages through said divider plate and providing a flow path for liquid out of said second cylindrical volume.