Patent ID: 7569196

Claim:
An assembly including a reactor, the reactor comprising: a reaction zone configured to hold a dispersion catalyst and carry out a process, the process having a catalyzed liquid reaction; at least one inlet configured to feed reaction ingredients into the reaction zone; at least one outlet configured to discharge all reaction products from the reaction zone; a switching device configured to allow an inlet flow direction for the inlet and an outlet flow direction for the outlet to be switched so that an exit that has previously served as the outlet is utilized as an entrance serving as the inlet and at a same time an entrance that has previously served as the inlet is utilized as an exit serving as the outlet; the inlet includes a first filter element and the outlet includes a second filter element that keeps the dispersion catalyst in the reaction zone, the first and second filter elements being shaped substantially similar to a cylinder; a first stirrer configured to provide a homogeneous distribution of the dispersion catalyst and the population of all reaction ingredients in the reaction zone; and a second stirrer including a plurality of second stirrer proximity surfaces configured to rotate past an inner and/or outer surface of the first filter element at a distance of less than or equal to one centimeter, and the plurality of second stirrer proximity surfaces configured to rotate past an inner and/or outer surface of the second filter element at a distance of less than or equal to one centimeter.