DESCRIPTION

Field of application

The invention is in the field of chemical reactors. In particular, the invention relates to a horizontal reactor with an annular catalytic bed traversed by a radial flow.

Prior art

A wide range of processes uses radial flow reactors to provide a contact between one or more reagents and a catalyst. A known kind of reactor includes one or more catalytic beds with an annular cylindrical shape, traversed by a radial flow of gaseous reagents or products. These reactors for example are used for the synthesis of ammonia, synthesis of methanol, water-gas shift conversion and other applications. The catalytic bed is normally contained in a basket and the basket may be part of a removal cartridge.

A radial flow reactor requires suitable means to distribute the input gas and collect the effluent gas into and from the catalytic bed. Said means may include perforated cylindrical walls or so-called scallops.

The term scallops is commonly used in the field to denote perforated ducts with a front side facing the catalyst and a back side, wherein the front side typically has a curved profile, so that the scallop has for example a D-shaped profile. The scallops typically have the functions of retaining the catalyst and supplying the gaseous mixture of reagents into the catalytic bed, or collecting the effluent thereof. The scallops may be separate items or may be obtained by fixing a perforated sheet to a cylindrical wall, e.g. of a cartridge. A reactor provided with scallops is for instance disclosed in US 5,209,908. The hollow space at the center of the annular bed may contain a collector duct or a heat exchanger. For example, in a multi-bed reactor said heat exchanger may remove heat from the effluent gas before said gas is fed to a next catalytic bed.

The reactors as above described may be vertical or horizontal. The catalyst is typically in a granular or pellet form.

A problem encountered in the reactors is associated with the settlement and shrinkage of the granules of catalyst after loading and during use, which reduces the overall volume of the catalytic bed.

In a vertical reactor, the settlement and shrinkage of the catalyst have a moderate impact on the operation of the bed because the level of the catalyst decreases but the overall shape of the bed is substantially unaltered. Contrarily, in a horizontal reactor based on radial configuration the issue is more serious because the settlement and shrinkage tend to form a disk-segment empty region in the upper portion of the catalytic bed, so that the shape of the bed is affected and the flow regime deviates from the desired axial symmetry.

Said empty region formed in the upper portion of the catalytic bed may cause, for example, uneven distribution of reactant gas through the catalytic bed and uneven utilization of the catalyst leading to poor catalytic performances.

Another issue of horizontal reactors concerns the loading and unloading operation of the catalyst in and out from the catalytic bed. Frequently said operation is not handy due to limited space available inside the catalytic reactor to carry out the operation.

EP 3 157662 proposes a solution to facilitate the loading and unloading operation of the catalyst which is satisfying but requires removing the entire catalyst bed and its cartridge from the pressure vessel and rotating the cartridge in a vertical position during loading. US 8 398 930 describes a system for holding a catalyst bed in a radial flow reactor.

Accordingly, there is a need for an improved horizontal chemical reactor that allows the catalytic loading operation to be simpler and more reliable and that allows reaching an even distribution of the catalyst within the catalytic bed.

Summary of the invention

The aim of the present invention is to solve the above drawbacks of the prior art, particularly: to eliminate or reduce the negative effect caused by the settlement and shrinkage of the catalyst and to facilitate loading and unloading of the catalyst.

The above aim is reached with a reactor according to the claims.

The invention concerns a horizontal reactor with a set of scallops arranged circumferentially around a horizontal annular reaction space to distribute or collect a gas stream. In the invention, a gap is or can be created in the set of scallops surrounding the reaction space. In an embodiment, the set of scallops is suitably interrupted to leave a permanent gap between two end scallops. In another embodiment, a temporary gap is formed by removing at least one removable scallop.

Said gap in the set of scallops, be it permanent or temporary, facilitates the access to the reaction space for loading and unloading the catalyst. Said gap is located above the catalytic bed on top of a cylindrical wall around the catalytic bed.

The invention provides simpler, faster and more reliable loading/unloading of the catalyst. Particularly, the invention does not require to move a cartridge of the catalytic bed in a vertical position to load or discharge the catalyst. The catalyst can be loaded whilst the cartridge remains in a horizontal position. Therefore, greater control of the load density of the catalyst within the catalytic bed can be obtained.

A permanent gap in the set of scallops may be connected to means for distributing or collecting the gas stream, so that said gap acts as a virtual scallop, although a scallop is not physically provided.

An aspect of the invention is the finding that a gap in the set of scallops, which may appear as a missing scallop, can provide a suitable access to the inside of the reaction space for maintenance or for loading/unloading the catalyst and, during normal operation, can work as a virtual scallop where the gaseous mixture is distributed or collected, so that the normal operation of the catalytic bed is not affected.

Another advantage of the invention is that the mechanical resistance of the reactor can be improved in embodiments where the outer collector is formed by the scallops and walls of the scallops are part of the basket, hence there is no collector formed as a separate entity and requiring dedicated supports such as containment rings.

It is also disclosed a method for loading a catalyst in a horizontal radial-flow reactor according to the present invention wherein: the catalyst is poured in the reaction space while the reactor is horizontal; the reaction space is filled with catalyst so that a free space on top of the array of scallops, which is either the above-mentioned permanent gap or the temporary gap due to removal of one or more removable scallop(s), is initially filled with catalyst; wherein the catalyst, after shrinkage, reaches a level below said free space, so that said free space does not contain catalyst after the catalyst shrinkage, so that said free space can be used for the distribution or collection of gas into/from the reaction space.

Said free space, after the catalyst shrinkage, may act substantially as a virtual scallop for distribution or collection of gas. Particularly preferably, said free space is arranged to obtain that the gas in the reaction space has a substantially radial direction.

Still another aspect of the invention is a method for operating a horizontal radialflow reactor according to the claims. According to this method, the reaction space of the reactor is filled with catalyst so that a free space on top of the array of scallops, which is either a gap in the array of scallops or an empty space after removal of one or more removable scallop(s), is initially filled with catalyst. However, the catalyst, after shrinkage, reaches a level below said free space, so that said free space does not contain catalyst after the catalyst shrinkage, and said free space left by the catalyst shrinkage, during operation, is used for the distribution or collection of gas into/from the reaction space and wherein said gas has a substantially radial direction.

Detailed description of the invention

A horizontal radial-flow reactor according to the invention comprises a horizontal reaction vessel including an annular cylindrical reaction space configured to contain a catalyst for processing a gaseous flow.

The reactor is configured to operate in a horizontal position. The vessel of the reactor has a longitudinal axis which in operation is horizontal. A horizontal reactor may be discernible by the arrangement of supports and/or by the arrangement of its inputs and outputs.

The term basket denotes the part of the ammonia converter where the gas is collected and distributed inside a catalytic bed. The inner collector and the outer collector may be parts of the basket. The scallops may form an outer collector or an inner collector. In some embodiments the external wall of the basket may correspond with the cartridge wall, whereas in other embodiments the scallops’ walls lean against the cartridge wall.

The reactor comprises a plurality of gas-permeable scallops which surround said reaction space and are arranged to distribute or collect said gaseous flow into or from said reaction space. Said gas-permeable scallops are distributed circumferentially around the reaction space, thus forming a circumferential array.

The scallops are preferably manufactured as elongated hollow structures so that the fresh reagent gas can flow in and out from ends of the scallops.

Each of said scallops has at least one gas-permeable surface facing the inside of the reaction space to introduce or collect the gaseous flow into or from the reaction space.

In a first embodiment, said scallops are distributed over an angle of less than 360 degrees, when seen in a cross section, so that the circumferential array of scallops has a gap, that is a boundary region the reaction space without scallops. Said gap is located above the reaction space and is delimited between two end scallops of the array.

Said gap has preferably the same size or substantially the same size as the scallops of the array. The two end scallops which delimit the gap may have a suitably modified shape. Preferably said two end scallops have a smaller cross section compared to the other scallops. In some embodiments said two end scallops have a truncated shape according to a plane of truncation.

Said scallops having a truncated shape may have a gas-permeable surface that faces the catalytic bed and a gas permeable surface that faces the gap created by the space without scallops.

In a second embodiment, scallops are distributed over a full angle of 360 degrees and the array of gas permeable scallops includes at least one removable scallop at the top of the array, so that a gap in the array of scallops can be formed by removing at least one removable scallop.

According to the present embodiment, also when adopting a removable scallop instead of providing a gap in the array of scallops, after the pouring of the catalyst into the catalytic bed, a virtual scallop is created above the reaction space that faces the removable scallop(s).

One or more removable scallop(s) may be provided in this second embodiment and one or more scallop(s) may be removed for the loading of catalyst.

The removable scallop may have a special shape which differ from the shape of other scallops.

Said gap in the array of scallops is located above the reaction space, preferably at the highest elevation of the boundary of the reaction space, to facilitate discharge and loading the catalyst.

The reactor comprises at least one port adapted to load or unload a catalyst into or from said reaction space. Said port is in communication with said gap in the array of scallops or with the space left after removal of a removable scallop, according to embodiments of the invention.

In embodiments with one or more removable scallop(s), the loading or unloading of the catalyst can be made through the aperture which is formed after the removal of one or more scallops. The removable scallop is positioned so that said aperture, which is formed after removal of said scallop, is in communication with the port for loading or unloading the catalyst.

In embodiments with a permanent gap delimited by two end scallops of the array, said end scallops may have a modified shape compared to the other gas- permeable scallops of the array. Hence the array may comprise a plurality of scallops of a conventional design and a pair of scallops of modified design which delimit the gap.

Preferably, each of the two modified end scallops includes at least one gas- permeable surface arranged to distribute or collect a gaseous flow into or from said region free of scallops. Accordingly, a reagent gas or product gas can be fed directly into or collected from the gap to ensure a proper radial flow in the reaction space.

In a preferred embodiment, said gas permeable scallops have a gas-permeable curved front surface facing the reaction space and have a truncated shape according to a plane of truncation, said plane of truncation being preferably a radial plane which contains the horizontal axis of the reactor or a vertical plane.

For example, the array of scallops may include regular scallops having a D-shape or disk-segment shape and the two end scallops may have the same shape but truncated according to a plane of truncation, which is preferably a radial plane or a vertical plane.

Preferably the gas-permeable surface of the modified end scallops, which is arranged to distribute or collect the gaseous mixture, belongs to said plane of truncation.

According to an embodiment of the invention the overall set of scallops, seen in a cross section, extends over an angle of 300 to 330 degrees. Accordingly, the gap may cover an angle of 30 to 60 degrees.

The scallops may be part of a gas distributor or gas collector arranged around the reaction space of the reactor. The gas distributor or gas collector can be used to supply the reagent gas first into the scallops and then radially into the catalytic bed.

According to an embodiment, the reactor comprises a plurality of ports distanced between each other and distributed over the length of the reaction space for loading or unloading said catalyst. Preferably, the number of said ports is comprised between 2 and 8 or more preferably between 2 and 4.

According to an alternative embodiment, said port for loading or unloading the catalyst is an opening that extends continuously over a portion or the full length of the reaction space.

The gas-permeable scallops may rest on the reaction vessel by means of a sliding device such as sliders or hanging at the extremities. The sliders can be advantageously used to extract and to insert back the scallops from the reaction vessels without the need for fine alignments.

According to a particularly preferred embodiment of the invention, the reactor is an adiabatic reactor that includes a heat exchanger arranged inside a central conduit of the reactor. The central conduit can be arranged concentrically to said gas permeable scallops and is preferably centred along a longitudinal axis of the reactor.

The scallops can be part of a basket which contains the catalytic bed. The scallops may be made of any suitable material including but not limited to metals, ceramics, polymers, composites and the likes. Preferably, the scallops are made of metal alloy e.g. Nickel-based alloy or stainless steel.

Description of the figures

Fig. 1 illustrates a horizontal radial flow reactor according to an embodiment of the invention.

Fig. 2 illustrates a horizontal radial flow reactor according to an alternative embodiment invention.

Fig. 3 is a simplified cross-sectional view according to a plane denoted by line A- A of Fig. 1. Fig. 4 shows a portion of the cross section according to plane A-A of Fig. 1 in a greater detail.

Figs. 5a to 5c illustrate various embodiments of realization of the scallops forming the array.

Figs. 6a and 6b illustrate various embodiments of realization of the removable scallop(s).

Fig. 7 illustrates a three-dimensional view of a scallop forming the array according to a preferred embodiment of realisation.

Fig. 8 illustrates a three-dimensional view of an end scallop according to a preferred embodiment of realisation.

Detailed description of the preferred embodiments

Fig. 1 shows a catalytic reactor 1 with horizontal axis B-B, comprising a reaction vessel 2, an inlet 32 for a reagent gas mixture 5 and an outlet 13 for a product gas 14.

The reactor 1 accommodates two catalytic beds 15 and 16 traversed in sequence by the process gas. The gas mixture 5 is partially reacted in the first bed 15 and the effluent of said bed 15 is fed to the second bed 16 for completion of the conversion. Each of the beds 15 and 16 has an annular configuration and radial symmetry. The beds 15 and 16 define reaction spaces of the reactor 1 .

The first catalytic bed 15 is contained in a basket 25 and is surrounded externally by a set of gas permeable scallops 6. The basket 25 however is not necessary.

Said scallops 6 are distributed circumferentially around the bed 15. For example, in the shown embodiment the scallops 6 distribute the inlet gas 5 in the bed 15, which is traversed by a radial inward flow. The inlet gas 5 after crossing the annulus 20 is fed to a heat exchanger 19 to be pre-heated before entering the first bed 15 via the scallops 6.

The heat exchanger 19 is a gas-gas tube heat exchanger which removes heat from the effluent 15 of the catalytic bed and preheats the fresh inlet gas 5.

The effluent of the catalytic bed 15 is collected in a conduit 17 where the interbed tube heat exchanger 19 is provided. After a passage in the heat exchanger 19, the hot effluent before is fed to the subsequent bed 16.

The effluent gas of the first catalytic bed 15, after cooling in the heat exchanger 19, is supplied to the second catalytic bed 16 via a set of scallops 22 distributed circumferentially around the bed 16. The product gas effluent from the second bed 16 is collected in a second inner conduit 17'in communication with the outlet 13.

The first and the second catalytic beds 15, 16 are enclosed by the scallops 6, 22. The scallops 6, 22 are confined inside the basket 25 which is provided with an outer wall that rest on the vessel 2. The outer wall of the basket 25 rests on the vessel 2 by means of sliders 24 that allow the extraction of the basket 25 from reactor 1 .

In an alternative configuration, the scallops may rest directly on the vessel 2 without the need for the outer wall of the basket 25. In other configurations, the cartridge and the vessel 2 can be a single item and an external anulus 20 is not foreseen.

Fig. 2 illustrates a horizontal reactor 1 which is provided with a single catalytic bed.

The horizontal reactor still comprises a reaction vessel 2, an outer cylindrical basket 25 and an inner conduit 17 that is arranged concentrically to said outer basket 25. A reaction space 3 is delimited by the basket 25 and the inner conduit 17. Said reaction space 3 is filled with a catalyst 4. Fig. 3 further illustrates the gas-permeable scallops 6 which are circumferentially arranged around the reaction space 3 to introduce the fresh reagent gas 5 into the catalytic bed 15.

The outer basket 25 is made of or comprises gas permeable scallops 6 having a substantially arc-shaped or D-shaped cross-section and an elongated profile. According to various embodiments, the cross-section of scallops may be substantially D-shaped or almond shaped or generally a curvilinear cross section.

The gas permeable scallops are distributed circumferentially around a portion of the outer boundary of the reaction space 3. In figure, it can be seen that a second portion of the outer boundary of the reaction space is occupied by two end scallops 8, 9 having a modified profile. Said two end scallops 8, 9 delimit a gap 7 in the circumferential array of scallops.

Still in Fig. 3, it can be seen that the reactor 1 comprises a port 10 which is located in correspondence of said gap 7 and is located above the reaction space 3. Said port 10 is adapted to load or unload the catalyst 4 into or from the reaction space 3. For example, the port 10 is a manhole or a plurality of manholes.

Fig. 4 shows an enlarged view of the cross-section displayed in Fig. 3.

The D-shaped scallops 6 have a profile comprising a flattened side 26 and a curved side 12, wherein said flattened side 26 faces the basket 25 of said horizontal reaction vessel 2 whilst said curved side 12 faces said reaction space 3. In an alternative embodiment, the scallops 6 do not include a flatted side 26 but they only comprise a curved wall/curved side 12 that is leaned against an internal wall of the basket 25 or the cartridge. The external wall of the basket or the cartridge may be provided with an insulting layer.

The modified end scallops 8, 9 comprise a gas permeable surface 11 arranged to distribute the gaseous flow into said gap 7 and a curved front surface 35 configured to distribute the gaseous flow into said reaction space 3 with a radial or a substantially radial direction.

The region of the gap 7 may be regarded as a missing scallop. Said gap 7, which is in communication with the port 10, allows easy access to the reaction space 3 for loading or removing the catalyst. Once the basket 25 has been extracted from the vessel, the catalyst 4 may be removed by connecting a suction equipment to the port 10. A fresh catalyst may be poured into the reaction space 3 directly from the same port 10, all the above without the need to raise the basket 25 in a vertical position. Furthermore, the catalyst can be extracted by keeping the basket in a horizontal position.

The dotted line 36 of Fig. 4 denotes the level of a catalyst contained in the reaction space 3 after settlement and shrinkage. It can be seen that the gap 7 forms a virtual scallop above the catalyst. The arrows in fig. 4 illustrates the flow of fresh gas. Particularly, the truncated end scallops 8, 9 feed gas directly into the reaction space via the front wall 35, and into the gap 7 via the lateral walls 11 .

During operation, as can be seen from Fig. 4, the gap 7 does not affect the operation and the radial flow of the catalytic bed. The gap 7 is filled with fresh gas and contributes to feeding the reaction space and catalytic bed. Accordingly, a proper axial-symmetrical flow distribution is created.

In another embodiment the scallops 6 may act as collectors of an outward-flow bed.

Figs. 5a to 5c illustrate the embodiments wherein the scallops are distributed over an angle of less than 360 degrees so that a gap 7 is formed in the circumferential array of the scallops. Said gap is located above the reaction space and is delimited between two end scallops 8, 9.

Fig. 5a shows that the two end scallops 8,9 have a truncated shape according to a plane of truncation. Fig. 5b shows that the scallops 6 and the two end scallops enclosing the gap 7 are substantially D-shaped. Fig. 5c shows that the scallops 6 and the two end scallops enclosing the gap 7 have a circular profile.

Fig. 6a and Fig. 6b illustrate an embodiment wherein the gap 7 is obtained upon removal of one or more removable scallops 37. According to this embodiment, the gap 7 is formed temporarily for loading/unloading the catalyst. Hence the reactor operates with the full set of scallops 6 around the catalytic bed and the removable scallop(s) 37 is/are removed only for maintenance.

The removable scallops 37 can have the same geometry as the other scallops 6 forming the array or they can have a modified shape. These removable scallops 37 could be connected to the scallops 6 preferably by means of a bolted flange along the longitudinal edges. Alternatively, a welding operation can also be foreseen. The removal scallop(s) 37 can have the same geometrical profile as the scallop 6 forming the array alternatively, the removal scallop 37 can have a modified shape compared to the scallops 6 as shown in Fig. 6b.

Fig. 7 illustrates a three-dimensional view of a substantially D-shaped scallop 6 forming the array. As shown in Fig. 7 the scallops are provided with a flattened side and a curved side and the latter is provided with gas permeable apertures along the longitudinal extension of the scallop. The aperture can have different forms and shapes but preferably the apertures are circular.

Fig. 8 illustrates a three-dimensional view of an end scallop 8, 9. The end scallop 8, 9 can be seen as the scallop 6 of Fig. 7 that has been cross-sectioned along a vertical plane of truncation.