Process for contracting a hydrocarbon and an oxygen-containing gas with a catalyst bed
View Patent ↗The present invention relates to a process for contacting a hydrocarbon and an oxygen-containing gas with a catalyst bed in a reactor at a space velocity of at least 10,000 h −1 , said process being characterised in that a) the reactor has a polygonal internal cross-section at least in the section where the catalyst bed is held, b) the catalyst bed is made up of 2 or more layers of catalyst in the form of tiles of polygonal shape, said tiles have at least 4 sides, c) each layer of catalyst comprises at least 4 tiles which tessellate together to form said layer, and d) the edges where 2 tiles meet in one layer do not align with the edges where 2 tiles meet in an adjacent layer.
1. A process for contacting a hydrocarbon and an oxygen-containing gas with a catalyst bed in a reactor at a space velocity of at least 10,000 h −1 , said process being characterised in that
a) the reactor has a polygonal internal cross-section at least in the section where the catalyst bed is held,
b) the catalyst bed is made up of 2 or more layers of catalyst in the form of tiles of polygonal shape, said tiles have at least 4 sides,
c) each layer of catalyst comprises at least 4 tiles which tessellate together to form said layer, and
d) the edges where 2 tiles meet in one layer do not align with the edges where 2 tiles meet in an adjacent layer.
2. A process as claimed in claim 1 wherein the tiles are in the form of a catalytic material supported on a ceramic foam.
3. A process as claimed in claim 1 wherein the catalyst bed at the side of the reactor where the tiles meet the reactor wall the outer edges of the catalyst bed is wrapped in a sealing material.
4. A process according to claim 3 , wherein said sealing material is a binderless ceramic paper.
5. A process as claimed in claim 1 wherein there are only one or two different tile shapes per layer.
6. A process as claimed in claim 1 wherein the cross-section of the reactor is hexagonal.
7. A process as claimed in claim 1 wherein the process is a process for the production of synthesis gas by the catalytic partial oxidation of methane.
8. A process as claimed in claim 1 wherein the process is a process for the production of olefins by the autothermal cracking of a hydrocarbon.
9. A process as claimed in claim 8 wherein hydrogen is co-fed.
10. A process as claimed in claim 8 wherein the catalyst comprises a Group VIII metal as its catalytic component.