Method of operating a three-phase slurry reactor

Abstract

A method of operating a three-phase slurry reactor includes feeding at a low level at least one gaseous reactant into a vertically extending slurry body of solid particles suspended in a suspension liquid, the slurry body being contained in a plurality of vertically extending horizontally spaced slurry channels inside a common reactor shell, the slurry channels being defined between vertically extending horizontally spaced divider walls or plates and each slurry channel having a height, width and breadth such that the height and breadth are much larger than the width. The gaseous reactant is allowed to react as it passes upwardly through the slurry body present in the slurry channels, thereby to form non-gaseous and/or gaseous product. Gaseous product and/or unreacted gaseous reactant is allowed to disengage from the slurry body in a head space above the slurry body.

1 .- 32 . (canceled) 
     
     
         33 . A three-phase-slurry reactor, the reactor including
 a reactor shell containing a plurality of vertically extending horizontally spaced open-ended slurry channels which, in use, will contain a slurry of solid particles suspended in a suspension liquid, the slurry channels being defined between vertically extending horizontally spaced divider walls or plates and each slurry channel having a height, width and breadth such that the height and breadth are much larger than the width, the slurry channels being grouped together in reactor modules or sub-reactors;   a gas inlet in the reactor shell for introducing a gaseous reactant or gaseous reactants into the reactor; and   a gas outlet in the shell for withdrawing gas from a head space in the shell above the slurry channels.   
     
     
         34 . The reactor as claimed in  claim 33 , in which at least some of the divider walls or plates at least partially define heat transfer medium flow spaces or channels. 
     
     
         35 . The reactor as claimed in  claim 33 , in which the slurry zone has a normal slurry level above open upper ends of the slurry channels so that at least some of the slurry channels are in slurry flow communication above their open upper ends. 
     
     
         36 . The reactor as claimed in  claim 33 , in which the reactor modules or sub-reactors are horizontally disposed across the cross-sectional area of the reactor shell. 
     
     
         37 . The reactor as claimed in  claim 36 , in which the sub-reactors have vertically extending side walls separating them from adjacent horizontally spaced sub-reactors and in which the vertically extending side walls are configured to prevent slurry flow communication between adjacent horizontally spaced sub-reactors at all elevations between upper and lower open ends of the slurry channels of the adjacent horizontally disposed sub-reactors. 
     
     
         38 . The reactor as claimed in  claim 36 , in which the slurry channels are defined by divider walls or plates that are parallel within each sub-reactor so that the adjacent sub-reactors each have a breadth axis, and in which the breadth axes of adjacent horizontally disposed sub-reactors are perpendicular. 
     
     
         39 . The reactor as claimed in  claim 36 , which includes reactor modules or sub-reactors which are vertically spaced, with the open upper ends of the slurry channels of a lower sub-reactor or sub-reactors being below the open lower ends of the slurry channels of an upper sub-reactor or sub-reactors. 
     
     
         40 . The reactor as claimed in  claim 39 , which includes an intermediate zone between upper sub-reactor(s) and lower sub-reactor(s), with said intermediate zone being in flow communication with slurry channels of an upper sub-reactor or sub-reactors and with slurry channels of a lower sub-reactor or sub-reactors. 
     
     
         41 . The reactor as claimed in  claim 40 , which includes a gas inlet into said intermediate zone between upper and lower sub-reactors. 
     
     
         42 . The reactor as claimed in  claim 33 , in which one or more downcomer zones or downcomers extend from at or above the open upper ends of the slurry channels, or the slurry channels of an upper sub-reactor if present, to at or below open lower ends of the slurry channels, or slurry channels of a lower sub-reactor if present, and/or in which one or more downcomer zones or downcomers extend from at or above the open upper ends of the slurry channels in a sub-reactor, to at or below open lower ends of the slurry channels of said sub-reactor. 
     
     
         43 . A three-phase slurry reactor, the reactor including
 a reactor shell containing a plurality of vertically extending horizontally spaced slurry channels which, in use, will contain a slurry of solid particles suspended in a suspension liquid, the slurry channels being located in a slurry zone inside the reactor shell which has a normal slurry level above open upper ends of the slurry channels so that at least some of the slurry channels are in slurry flow communication above their open ends, the slurry channels being grouped together in reactor modules or sub-reactors;   a heat transfer medium flow space or spaces defined by walls of the slurry channels separating the slurry channels from the heat transfer medium flow space or spaces so that in use heat transfer in indirect heat transfer relationship can take place between slurry in the slurry channels and a heat transfer medium in the heat transfer medium flow space or spaces;   one or more downcomer zones or downcomers through which slurry can pass from a high level in the slurry zone to a lower level thereof;   a gas inlet in the reactor shell for introducing a gaseous reactant or gaseous reactants into the reactor;   a gas outlet in the shell for withdrawing gas from a head space in the shell above the slurry channels; and   if necessary, a liquid inlet for adding or withdrawing slurry or suspension liquid to or from the reactor.   
     
     
         44 . The reactor as claimed in  claim 43 , in which at least some of the slurry channels are in slurry flow communication below open lower ends of the slurry channels, the slurry channels having walls configured to prevent slurry flow from or into the slurry channels other than through open upper and open lower ends of the slurry channels. 
     
     
         45 . The reactor as claimed in  claim 43 , in which the slurry channels in the reactor are defined by vertically extending tubes between tube sheets, with the heat transfer medium flow space being defined between the tubes sheets and surrounding the tubes. 
     
     
         46 . The reactor as claimed in  claim 43 , in which the slurry channels are defined by vertically extending horizontally spaced divider walls or plates, with the heat transfer medium flow spaces also being defined between vertically extending horizontally spaced divider walls or plates, and at least some of the divider walls or plates being parallel to each other, defining slurry channels and heat transfer medium flow spaces with a height, width and breadth such that the height and breadth are much larger than the width. 
     
     
         47 . The reactor as claimed in  claim 43 , in which the reactor modules or sub-reactors are horizontally disposed across the cross-sectional area of the reactor shell. 
     
     
         48 . The reactor as claimed in  claim 47 , in which the sub-reactors have vertically extending side walls separating them from adjacent horizontally spaced sub-reactors and in which the vertically extending side walls are configured to prevent slurry flow communication between adjacent horizontally spaced sub-reactors at all elevations between upper and lower open ends of the slurry channels of the adjacent horizontally disposed sub-reactors. 
     
     
         49 . The reactor as claimed in  claim 47 , in which the slurry channels are defined by divider walls or plates that are parallel within each sub-reactor so that the adjacent sub-reactors each have a breadth axis, and in which the breadth axes of adjacent horizontally disposed sub-reactors are perpendicular. 
     
     
         50 . The reactor as claimed in  claim 47 , which includes reactor modules or sub-reactors which are vertically spaced, with the open upper ends of the slurry channels of a lower sub-reactor or sub-reactors being below the open lower ends of the slurry channels of an upper sub-reactor or sub-reactors. 
     
     
         51 . The reactor as claimed in  claim 50 , which includes an intermediate zone between upper sub-reactor(s) and lower sub-reactor(s), with said intermediate zone being in flow communication with slurry channels of an upper sub-reactor or sub-reactors and with slurry channels of a lower sub-reactor or sub-reactors. 
     
     
         52 . The reactor as claimed in  claim 51 , which includes a gas inlet into said intermediate zone between upper and lower sub-reactors. 
     
     
         53 . The reactor as claimed in  claim 43 , in which one or more downcomer zones or downcomers extend from at or above the open upper ends of the slurry channels, or the slurry channels of an upper sub-reactor if present, to at or below open lower ends of the slurry channels, or slurry channels of a lower sub-reactor if present, and/or in which one or more downcomer zones or downcomers extend from at or above the open upper ends of the slurry channels in a sub-reactor, to at or below open lower ends of the slurry channels of said sub-reactor.