Method Of Operating A Fluid Bed Reactor

Abstract

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 at least two vertically extending shafts housed within a common reactor shell, each shaft being divided into a plurality of vertically extending channels at least some of which are in slurry flow communication and the slurry body being present in at least some of the channels. The gaseous reactant is allowed to react as it passes upwardly through the slurry body present in at least some of the channels of the shafts, thereby to form a non-gaseous and/or a gaseous product. Gaseous product, if present, and/or unreacted gaseous reactant is allowed to disengage from the slurry body in a head space above the slurry body.

1 - 22 . (canceled) 
     
     
         23 . A two-phase fluidized bed reactor, the reactor including
 a reactor shell housing at least two vertically extending sub-reactors side by side each defining a plurality of vertically extending channels at least some of which are in flow communication and which define a fluidised bed zone which, in use, will contain a fluidised body of solid particles, at least some of the sub-reactors and/or channels being at least partially defined by heat exchange surfaces;   a gas inlet in the reactor shell for introducing a gaseous reactant or gaseous reactants into the reactor; and   a gas outlet in the reactor shell for withdrawing gas from a head space in the reactor shell above one or more of the sub-reactors.   
     
     
         24 . The reactor as claimed in  claim 33 , in which at least some of the sub-reactors include a plurality of vertically extending divider walls which between them define the vertically extending channels. 
     
     
         25 . The reactor as claimed in  claim 34 , in which the divider walls of a sub-reactor are generally parallel to each other, and in which the divider walls of adjacent sub-reactors are generally perpendicular to each other. 
     
     
         26 . The reactor as claimed in  claim 34 , in which at least some of the channels are heat transfer medium flow channels. 
     
     
         27 . The reactor as claimed in  claim 33 , in which the sub-reactors include a plurality of vertically extending tubes, each tube defining a channel and with vertically extending baffles or side walls defining the sides of the sub-reactors. 
     
     
         28 . The reactor as claimed in claim  47 , in which a heat transfer medium flow space is defined between the baffles or side walls of a sub-reactor, the heat transfer medium flow space thus surrounding the tubes. 
     
     
         29 . The reactor as claimed in  claim 33 , which includes one or more of the sub-reactors arranged at a lower level in the shell and one or more sub-reactors arranged at a higher level in the shell, such that lower ends of channels of the upper sub-reactor(s) are above upper ends of the channels of the lower sub-reactor(s). 
     
     
         30 . The reactor as claimed in  claim 39 , which includes an intermediate zone between the upper sub-reactor(s) and the lower sub-reactor(s), said intermediate zone being in flow communication with slurry or fluidised bed zone channels of an upper sub-reactor or upper sub-reactors and with slurry or fluidised bed zone channels of a lower sub-reactor or lower sub-reactors. 
     
     
         31 . The reactor as claimed in  claim 33 , in which the gas inlet is arranged to feed a gaseous reactant or gaseous reactants directly into at least some of the sub-reactors, at low elevations in the sub-reactors. 
     
     
         32 . The reactor as claimed in  claim 33 , in which each sub-reactor has a vertically extending side facing the shell or being defined by the shell. 
     
     
         33 . The reactor as claimed in  claim 33 , in which slurry or fluidized body flow communication between upper ends of adjacent sub-reactors, or at least upper ends of adjacent upper sub-reactors, if present, is prevented. 
     
     
         34 . A three-phase slurry reactor, the reactor including:
 a reactor shell housing at least two vertically extending sub-reactors side by side each defining a plurality of vertically extending channels at least some of which are in slurry flow communication and which define a slurry zone which, in use, will contain a slurry of solid particles suspended in a suspension liquid, at least some of the sub-reactors and/or channels being at least partially defined by heat exchange surfaces;   a gas inlet in the reactor shell for introducing a gaseous reactant or gaseous reactants into the reactor;   a gas outlet in the reactor shell for withdrawing gas from a head space in the reactor shell above one or more of the sub-reactors; and   if necessary, a liquid inlet or a liquid outlet for adding or withdrawing slurry or suspension liquid to or from the reactor.   
     
     
         35 . The reactor as claimed in  claim 44 , in which at least some of the sub-reactors include a plurality of vertically extending divider walls which between them define the vertically extending channels. 
     
     
         36 . The reactor as claimed in claim  45 , in which the divider walls of a sub-reactor are generally parallel to each other, and in which the divider walls of adjacent sub-reactors are generally perpendicular to each other. 
     
     
         37 . The reactor as claimed in claim  45 , in which at least some of the channels are heat transfer medium flow channels. 
     
     
         38 . The reactor as claimed in  claim 44 , in which the sub-reactors include a plurality of vertically extending tubes, each tube defining a channel and with vertically extending baffles or side walls defining the sides of the sub-reactors. 
     
     
         39 . The reactor as claimed in claim  48 , in which a heat transfer medium flow space is defined between the baffles or side walls of a sub-reactor, the heat transfer medium flow space thus surrounding the tubes. 
     
     
         40 . The reactor as claimed in  claim 44 , which includes one or more of the sub-reactors arranged at a lower level in the shell and one or more sub-reactors arranged at a higher level in the shell, such that lower ends of channels of the upper sub-reactor(s) are above upper ends of the channels of the lower sub-reactor(s). 
     
     
         41 . The reactor as claimed in claim  50 , which includes an intermediate zone between the upper sub-reactor(s) and the lower sub-reactor(s), said intermediate zone being in flow communication with slurry or fluidised bed zone channels of an upper sub-reactor or upper sub-reactors and with slurry or fluidised bed zone channels of a lower sub-reactor or lower sub-reactors. 
     
     
         44 . The reactor as claimed in  claim 44 , in which the gas inlet is arranged to feed a gaseous reactant or gaseous reactants directly into at least some of the sub-reactors, at low elevations in the sub-reactors. 
     
     
         43 . The reactor as claimed in  claim 44 , in which each sub-reactor has a vertically extending side facing the shell or being defined by the shell. 
     
     
         44 . The reactor as claimed in  claim 44 , in which slurry or fluidized body flow communication between upper ends of adjacent sub-reactors, or at least upper ends of adjacent upper sub-reactors, if present, is prevented.