Patent ID: 7521028

Claim:
A catalytic reactor comprising: a) a reactor housing defining an interior surface, an upstream end, a downstream end, an exit plane at the downstream end, and at least one aperture; b) a perforated plate positioned within the upstream end of the reactor housing; c) a plurality of conduits passing through the perforated plate and from the upstream end of the reactor housing to the exit plane of the reactor housing; d) each conduit having an upstream end in fluid communication with the perforated plate and a downstream end proximate with the exit plane of the reactor housing, and each conduit defining a periphery having an exterior and an interior; e) the conduits positioned within the housing such that: i) a first flow path is provided through the reactor housing aperture, in fluid communication with the exterior of the conduits, and to the reactor housing exit plane for passing a reactant stream therethrough wherein the first flow path defines an entrance and an exit; ii) a second flow path is provided through the perforated plate and in fluid communication with the interior of the conduits for passing air through the conduits wherein the second flow path defines an entrance and an exit; iii) the first flow path exit and the second flow path exit being proximately located and interspersed; iv) the conduits are held in position at the upstream end of the conduits by attachment to the perforated plate, and the conduits are self-supported at the downstream end of the conduits by a conduit packing arrangement; v) the conduit packing arrangement defines a stable packing arrangement of the conduits and provides a first flow path aggregate exit area greater than about fifteen percent of the reactor housing exit plane area; and vi) at least a portion of the first flow path comprising a catalytically active surface.