Patent ID: 7074955

Claim:
A process for the safe operation of a continuously operated heterogeneously catalyzed gas-phase partial oxidation of at least one organic compound in an oxidation reactor whose feed gas mixture comprises, in addition to the at least one organic compound to be partially oxidized and molecular oxygen as an oxidizing agent, at least one diluent gas substantially inert under the conditions of the heterogeneously catalyzed gas-phase partial oxidation, in which a cut-out mechanism is used during said gas phase partial oxidation to prevent the oxidation reactor from being fed with a feed gas mixture whose composition is an explosive one, wherein the cut-out mechanism is designed as follows: a) an explosion diagram which is characteristic of the feed gas mixture and in which a distinction is made between explosive and nonexplosive compositions as a function of the composition of the feed gas mixture is deposited in a computer; b) a data record is established by determination with respect to the amount and, if required, composition of the gas streams fed to the reactor for producing the feed gas mixture, and is transmitted to the computer; c) the computer calculates an actual operating point of the feed gas mixture in the explosion diagram from the data record obtained under b); d) if the distance from the operating point to the nearest explosion limit is below a predetermined minimum value, the feed of gas streams to the reactor is automatically stopped.