Patent ID: 7067088

Claim:
A continuous flow reactor for conducting chemical reactions of one or more chemical reactants having an exothermic heat of reaction comprising: a reactor shell having an inlet end tube sheet and an outlet end tube sheet; the reactor shell having an internal reaction zone between said inlet and outlet end tube sheets; at least one thermally conductive principal heat pipe extending between said inlet end and outlet end tube sheets and at least one end of said principal heat pipe extending through one of said tube sheets in fluid sealed manner to a position outside the reaction zone; said reactor having a reactant inlet for introducing reactants to said reaction zone and a product outlet for conducting reaction products from said reaction zone; a plurality of thermally conductive extended heat transfer surfaces comprising a plurality of sealed secondary heat pipes mounted in conducting manner on the exterior surface of said principal heat pipe and extending into said reaction zone for receiving the heat of reaction from said reactants and conveying it to said at least one principal heat pipe; said extended heat transfer surfaces defining there between channels for the flow said chemical reactants through said reaction zone; and said at least one principal heat pipe having an evaporation section within the reaction zone and containing a liquid heat transfer fluid for absorbing the heat of reaction from said reactants by evaporating at substantially isothermal conditions to form a vaporized heat transfer fluid which is conveyed from said reaction zone.