Patent ID: 8075856

Claim:
A product synthesis apparatus for the production of a product formed by an equilibrium-limited reaction, the apparatus comprising: a) a reactor vessel adapted to withstand the operating temperatures and pressures of the product-forming reaction, the reactor vessel including a number of reaction zones formed within the reactor vessel by dividing walls extending across the reactor vessel to define the reaction zones, the dividing walls configured to withstand the temperature and pressure differentials across each adjacent reaction zones; b) a separation vessel adapted to withstand the operating temperatures and pressures of the product-forming reaction, the separation vessel including a number of separation zones formed within the separation vessel by dividing walls extending across the separation vessel to define the separation zones, each dividing wall configured to withstand the temperature and pressure differentials across adjacent separation zones; and c) a heat exchanger block including a number of feed/effluent heat exchanger units, each unit operably connected to at least one of the reaction zones and to at least two of the separation zones.