Patent ID: 8512645

Claim:
An exchanger-reactor comprising: a shell with a cylindrical shape closed by an upper dome and a lower bottom within which heat transfer fluid moves, said shell enclosing a plurality of parallel tubes having a substantially vertical axis inside which reaction fluid moves, the parallel tubes being of the bayonet configuration and comprising an inner tube ( 5 ) and an outer tube ( 6 ), said parallel tubes having a density in the range of 2 to 12 tubes per m 2 of reactor cross section, wherein the center-to-center spacing between the parallel bayonet tubes is in the range of 2 to 5 times the internal diameter of the outer tube ( 6 ) of said parallel bayonet tubes, the inlet and an outlet of each bayonet tube being located outside the exchanger-reactor, and longilinear burners ( 8 ) interposed between the parallel tubes of bayonet configuration ( 4 ), forming a triangular pattern, the center distance of axes between the burners being in the range 2 to 5 times the diameter of the outer tube ( 6 ) of said parallel bayonet tubes, said burners being able to produce heat transfer fluid obtained by combustion carried out in situ, wherein each of said parallel tubes of bayonet configuration is surrounded by a cylindrical chimney ( 10 ) which is substantially coaxial with the outer tube ( 6 ), and wherein the inner tube ( 5 ) of each of said parallel tubes of bayonet configuration passes through the outer tube ( 6 ) at a point located outside the reactor, at a distance of at least 1 meter with respect to the upper dome of the exchanger-reactor and at an angle in the range 30° to 60° with respect to the vertical.