Horizontal chemical reactor, in particular for methanol synthesis

1. Horizontal chemical reactor, comprising:

at least one catalytic bed ( 5 a - 5 d ) arranged horizontally in said reactor and comprising a lower gas-permeable wall ( 6 ) for gas outlet,

a holding element ( 2 ) of said at least one catalytic bed ( 5 a - 5 d ),

characterized in that it further comprises

catalyst sealing means ( 20 ) comprising a support element ( 21 ) fixed to said holding element ( 2 ) below said lower gas-permeable wall ( 6 ), a connecting element ( 22 ) fixed at one end ( 22 a ) to said support element ( 21 ) and supporting at an intermediate portion ( 22 b ) thereof a side end of the lower gas-permeable wall ( 6 ), a plurality of filling elements ( 23 ) of predetermined size, which are arranged between the side end of the lower gas-permeable wall ( 6 ) and an inner wall of said holding element ( 2 ) and supported by said connecting element ( 22 ) at a portion ( 22 c ) thereof protruding from said intermediate portion ( 22 b ) towards said inner wall of the holding element ( 2 ).

2. Reactor according to claim 1 , characterized in that the connecting element ( 22 ) is L-shaped.

3. Reactor according to claim 1 , characterized in that the connecting element ( 22 ) is fixed in a removable manner to the support element ( 21 ).

4. Reactor according to claim 3 , characterized in that the said one end ( 22 a ) of the connecting element ( 22 ) is inserted in an aperture ( 21 a ) of the support element ( 21 ).

5. Reactor according to claim 1 , characterized in that the filling elements ( 23 ) comprise inert balls.

6. Reactor according to claim 1 , characterized in that the filling elements ( 23 ) are covered by a wire mesh ( 24 ).

7. Reactor according to claim 1 , wherein the holding element ( 2 ) is a cartridge arranged within the reactor.

8. Reactor according to claim 1 , characterized in that the holding element is an external shell ( 2 ) of the reactor of substantially cylindrical shape, and in that it comprises:

at least two catalytic beds ( 5 a - 5 d ) arranged horizontally and side by side in said shell ( 2 ) and comprising said lower gas-permeable wall ( 6 ) for gas outlet,

at least one chamber ( 10 a - 10 c ) extending between said at least two catalytic beds ( 5 a - 5 d ) and accessible from the outside of the shell ( 2 ),

a fluid path for the gases flowing between said beds ( 5 a - 5 d ) defined in said at least one chamber ( 10 a - 10 c ) between opposed passages ( 12 a , 13 a - 12 c , 13 c ) for gas inlet and outlet, and

cooling means ( 14 ) housed in a removable manner in said at least one chamber ( 10 a - 10 c ) for indirect cooling of the gases flowing between said beds ( 5 a - 5 d ).

9. Reactor according to claim 8 characterized in that said at least two catalytic beds ( 5 a - 5 d ) are adjacent.

10. Reactor according to claim 8 , further comprising a plurality of air spaces ( 9 a - 9 h ) for passage of the gases from and to said beds ( 5 a - 5 d ) defined between the internal wall of the shell ( 2 ) and opposed upper and lower surfaces ( 7 , 6 ) of said beds.

11. Reactor according to claim 10 characterized in that said passages ( 12 a , 13 a - 12 c , 13 c ) for gas inlet to and outlet from said at least one chamber ( 10 a - 10 c ) are open in correspondence of said air spaces ( 9 a - 9 h ).

12. Reactor according to claim 8 characterized in that said at least one chamber ( 10 a - 10 c ) is substantially cylindrical in shape.

13. Reactor according to claim 8 characterized in that said cooling means comprise at least one boiler ( 14 ) for high thermal level steam generation.

14. Reactor according to claim 8 characterized in that said boiler ( 14 ) is of the tube nest or bayonet type.

15. Reactor according to claim 14 characterized in that said boiler ( 14 ) is of the natural or forced circulation type.

16. Reactor according to claim 8 characterized in that said cooling means comprise at least one gas/gas heat exchanger ( 14 ).

17. Reactor according to claim 5 , wherein the inert balls are ceramic balls or metallic balls.