Patent ID: 7270791

Claim:
A fluidized bed polymerization reactor angular flow distribution device comprising: an angled annular deflector having: (a) an outer surface with a conical shape in the form of a frustum, said outer surface having an apex end and a base end; (b) an inner surface forming an inner cavity along a central axis, said inner cavity open at both ends, said inner surface having a first end and a second end, and said first end of said inner surface mated to said apex end of said outer surface; and (c) an upper surface mated to said base end of said outer surface and to said second end of said inner surface, wherein said outer surface, said inner surface, and said upper surface form a substantially closed chamber, wherein said angled annular deflector constructed to associate with a cone-shaped bottom portion of a fluidized bed polymerization reactor vessel and when in said association the outer surface of said angled annular deflector is at an angle to be substantially parallel to an inner wall of said cone-shaped bottom portion; and wherein said angled annular deflector further constructed to divide a stream of polymerizable fluid flowing through said reactor into two or more streams flowing in at least two fluid flow paths of which at least one flow path is directed upwardly between the outer surface of said angled annular deflector and the inner wall of said cone-shaped bottom portion and at least one flow path is directed generally through said angled annular deflector upwardly along the central axis, the division of said stream being such that the velocity of fluid flowing upwardly along said inner wall of said reaction vessel is sufficient to provide a wall shear stress of equal to or greater than about 0.0013 psi, and the velocity of fluid flowing upwardly through said inner cavity is sufficient provide a percentage of escaped particles of equal to or greater than about 81%.