Screenless internals for radial flow reactors

Abstract

An apparatus for contacting a bed of particulate material with a cross flowing fluid, which maintains the bed of particulate material within a retention volume. The apparatus includes partitions for retaining particles, with apertures disposed within the partitions. The apertures are covered by louvers that extend above the edges of the apertures to prevent solid particles from spilling through inlet apertures.

1 . An apparatus for supporting a granular solid in a cross-flow system comprising:
 an inlet partition having apertures defined therein, where each aperture has a lower edge and an upper edge;   an outlet partition having apertures defined therein, where each aperture has a lower edge and an upper edge, and wherein the inlet partition and the outlet partition are spaced to define a particle retention volume for holding a granular solid; and   at least one inlet louver, where each louver has an upper edge and a lower edge, and the louver lower edge is attached to the inlet partition at the lower edge of the inlet aperture and extends away from the particle retention volume space at an angle between about 1 degree and about 85 degrees and the louver upper edge extends to at least the upper edge of the inlet aperture.   
   
   
       2 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein the louver upper edge extends at least a distance, d, above the aperture upper edge according to the formula:
     d=L* sin (θ)*tan (φ),   
     where L is the length of the louver, θ is the angle the louver extends away from the inlet partition, and φ is the angle of repose for the granular solid. 
   
   
       3 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein the apertures have side edges, the louvers have side edges, and the apparatus further comprises a pair of extensions affixed to each louver, wherein each extension is affixed to one edge of the louver and one edge of the aperture covered by the
 louver.   
   
   
       4 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein the inlet partition and the outlet partition are cylindrical structures with one of the partitions disposed within the other partition, and thereby forming a cylindrically shaped particle retention volume. 
   
   
       5 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein the uppermost inlet louvers are disposed at an angle
 from vertical of between about 1 degree and about 20 degrees.   
   
   
       6 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein the inlet louvers are disposed at an angle from vertical of between about 10 degrees and about 50 degrees. 
   
   
       7 . The apparatus of  claim 6  wherein the inlet louvers are disposed at an angle from vertical of between about 15 degrees and 35 degrees.