Patent ID: 8202917

Claim:
A process for conducting a chemical reaction comprising the steps of: introducing a feed gas into at least one catalyst zone of a chemical reactor; operating said chemical reactor under predetermined process conditions of temperature, pressure, and treat gas, which said chemical reactor is characterized as: (a) a vessel having enclosing walls defining an inner chamber, which vessel contains at least one inlet port and at least one outlet port for introducing reactant feed gas and removing reactant products from the vessel; (b) at least one pillow bundle positioned inside of said chamber, which bundle is comprised of a plurality of pillow panels, wherein each pillow panel is characterized as having two superimposed sheet metal plates permanently connected to each other at respective spaced apart connecting points distributed in an array on a surface of the plates, at least one of the two plates between the respective connection points, bulging outward to form a bulge having a pillow-like configuration, separation between the two plates in every radial direction from each connecting point continuously increasing with distance from each connecting point toward a neighboring connecting point, to a maximum separation about midway between pairs of neighboring connecting points, thereby forming a continuous void volume throughout the interior of the pillow panel between connecting points; (c) at least one input port and at least one outlet port for each said pillow panel being an integral part of said bundle, said inlet and outlet ports manifolded together to circulate heat transfer fluid; and (d) porous support material to support at least one particulate catalyst located between said pillow panels of said bundle so that said reactant gases must pass through said catalyst zone.