Claims
- 1. A process for performing exothermic catalytic reactions in the gaseous phase, which comprises passing a synthesis gas selected from the group consisting of ammonia synthesis gas, methanol synthesis gas and methane synthesis gas into a reactor having a single-walled pressure shell, a plurality of annular catalyst beds with particulate catalyst in each bed, and a plurality of annular-shaped cross-flow heat exchange means, said annular catalyst beds and said annular heat exchange means being alternatingly disposed; passing said synthesis gas through the first of said beds in a radially inward direction away from the pressure containment walls of said reactor; passing the effluent from said first bed through the first of said cross-flow heat exchange means in said radially inward direction; passing the resulting effluent successively through the next bed and the next cross-flow heat exchange means for each of the remaining beds and heat exchange means in said radially inward direction, each cross-flow heat exchange means providing inter-stage feed-effluent heat exchange, the shell-side fluid of said heat exchange means flowing radially inwardly in a direction substantially normal to the direction in which the tube-side fluid flows; and recovering a gas which is enriched in the desired product.
- 2. A process according to claim 1 wherein the synthesis gas comprises nitrogen and hydrogen.
Parent Case Info
This is a continuation, of application Ser. No. 130,895, filed on Mar. 17, 1980, abandoned, which is a division of Ser. No. 41,378, filed on May 22, 1979, now U.S. Pat. No. 4,341,737.
US Referenced Citations (11)
Foreign Referenced Citations (3)
Number |
Date |
Country |
1914246 |
Sep 1970 |
DEX |
1940980 |
Feb 1971 |
DEX |
1940478 |
Apr 1971 |
DEX |
Non-Patent Literature Citations (1)
Entry |
Kreith, Principles of Heat Transfer, International Textbook Co. (Jun. 1961), p. 457. |
Divisions (1)
|
Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
41378 |
May 1979 |
|
Continuations (1)
|
Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
130895 |
Mar 1980 |
|