Patent ID: 7776285

Claim:
A heat exchange reactor for carrying out endothermic or exothermic reactions comprising: a housing defining an external reactor wall ( 1 ), a plurality of heat transfer tubes ( 2 ) arranged within said housing for the supply or removal of heat in catalyst beds ( 3 , 3 ′) disposed at least outside said heat transfer tubes ( 2 ) and built-in elements ( 4 ) which are elongated members running in parallel with respect to the heat transfer tubes and are disposed in the outer periphery of said catalyst bed ( 3 ), wherein said built-in elements are peripheral heat transfer tubes in which a heat exchanging medium passes through and said heat exchanging medium is a fluid gas running co-currently or counter-currently to the process gas stream passing through said catalyst bed, wherein the built-in elements ( 4 ) are positioned in direct contact with the external reactor wall ( 1 ).