Claims
- 1. An exothermic catalytic process wherein reactants are passed through a fixed bed of a catalyst for the desired reaction and heat evolved by the reaction is transferred to at least part of the reactants fed to the catalyst bed by heat exchange means to which said part of the reactants are fed, characterised by operation of the process under conditions whereby increasing the temperature at which said reactants are fed to the catalyst bed has the effect of increasing the amount of heat transferred to said reactants in said heat exchange means, and vice versa, and controlling said process by monitoring the temperature of said reactants leaving said heat exchange means and/or entering said bed, decreasing the temperature at which the reactants are fed to said heat exchange means in response to any upward deviation of said monitored temperature from a desired temperature to which said reactants are heated in said heat exchange means, and increasing the temperature at which the reactants are fed to said heat exchange means in response to any downward deviation of said monitored temperature from a desired temperature to which said reactants are heated in said heat exchange means.
- 2. A process according to claim 1 wherein the heat exchanger means comprises a plurality of substantially vertical tubes immersed in the catalyst bed with the upper ends of the tubes extending into, and communicating with, a catalyst-free zone above said bed, and the reactants are fed to the lower end of said tubes.
- 3. A process according to claim 1 wherein the reactants that have been pre-heated in the heat exchange means are subjected to mixing before entering the catalyst bed.
- 4. A process according to claim 1 wherein hydrogen is reacted with carbon oxides using a copper-containing catalyst to produce methanol.
- 5. A process according to claim 1 wherein operation is commenced by establishing operation under conditions whereby an upward deviation of the temperature at which the reactants are fed to the catalyst bed has the effect of decreasing the amount of heat transferred to said reactants in the heat exchange means, and vice versa, and then reducing the temperature at which the reactants are fed to the heat exchange means until the temperature to which the reactants are pre-heated, and at which they enter the catalyst bed, falls to such an extent that an upward deviation of the temperature at which the reactants are fed to the catalyst bed has the effect of increasing the amount of heat transferred to said reactants in said heat exchange means, and at which they enter the catalyst bed, and then increasing the temperature to which the reactants are fed to the heat exchange means.
Priority Claims (1)
Number |
Date |
Country |
Kind |
9604437 |
Mar 1996 |
GB |
|
Parent Case Info
This application is a 371 of PCT/GB97/00167 filed on Jan. 22, 1997.
PCT Information
Filing Document |
Filing Date |
Country |
Kind |
102e Date |
371c Date |
PCT/GB97/00167 |
|
WO |
00 |
4/6/1999 |
4/6/1999 |
Publishing Document |
Publishing Date |
Country |
Kind |
WO97/31707 |
9/4/1997 |
WO |
A |
US Referenced Citations (3)
Foreign Referenced Citations (1)
Number |
Date |
Country |
0 080 270 |
Jun 1983 |
EP |