Patent ID: 8460614

Claim:
An isothermal chemical reactor comprising a substantially cylindrical shell and providing a substantially annular reaction space, the reactor comprising a heat exchanger disposed in said reaction space and comprising an array of radially-arranged heat exchange elements around a central axis of the reactor, where each of said heat exchange elements is extended in a radial direction through said reaction space, and each of the heat exchange elements comprises a plurality of channels for a heating or cooling fluid, the channels being substantially parallel to said axis of the reactor, wherein: said channels have an elongated cross section with a major axis and a minor axis on a plane perpendicular to said axis of the reactor; each of said heat exchange elements has at least a first subset of channel(s) located in an inner region of the reaction space and arranged with the major axis forming a first angle greater or equal to 0° with said radial direction, and at least a second subset of channel(s) located in an outer region of the reaction space and arranged with the major axis forming a second angle with said radial direction, said second angle being greater than said first angle.