Patent ID: 7332138

Claim:
A fixed bed catalytic reactor for converting process fluids comprising: an upper catalyst bed and a lower catalyst bed below said upper catalyst bed for converting process fluids flowing through said upper bed and said lower bed; an inlet conduit for feeding the process fluids into the reactor adjacent one of the upper catalyst bed and the lower catalyst bed; an outlet conduit for withdrawing process fluids from the reactor adjacent another one of the upper catalyst bed and the lower catalyst bed; a mixing zone between said upper bed and said lower bed, said mixing zone having a top surface and a bottom surface; at least one nozzle for injecting at least one fluid jet in said mixing zone, said fluid jet being directional inclined against the flow of said process fluids between said upper bed and said lower bed to radially mix said process fluids, wherein the at least one nozzle injecting the at least one fluid jet at a discharge velocity of at least 170 ft/sec; and at least one by-pass conduit for withdrawing a portion of the process fluids after entering the reactor through the inlet conduit before the process fluids pass through one of the upper catalyst bed and the lower catalyst bed, wherein the at least one by-pass conduit having an inlet located within the reactor, wherein the at least one by-pass conduit being operatively connected to the at least one nozzle to supply process fluid to the at least one nozzle.