Float valve for a chemical reactor
A float valve for a chemical reactor has a central pipe which glides around a liquid transfer pipe when a liquid level rises and falls, thereby opening for fluid transfer through liquid transfer apertures in the transfer pipe when the liquid level is rising and shutting off for fluid transfer when the float lowers and seals against a sealing ring placed on the transfer pipe below the liquid transfer apertures.
1. A float valve for a chemical reactor comprising:
a liquid transfer pipe comprising at least one liquid transfer aperture;
a sealing ring arranged on the transfer pipe below the at least one liquid transfer aperture;
a float comprising a central pipe adapted to fit around said liquid transfer pipe in a free gliding engagement; and
a guard head on top of the liquid transfer pipe with an open lower end and an inner diameter larger than the outer diameter of the float, for protecting the float valve against scales and impurities, the guard head comprising vent apertures at its upper part;
wherein the float has a volume to weight ratio large enough to enable it to float on a liquid and adapted to be in a sealing engagement with the sealing ring when the float is in a lower position relative to the liquid transfer pipe, the float is an enclosed volume on its upper end and its sides and has an opening at its lower end.
2. A float valve according to claim 1 wherein the float is cylinder shaped with a doughnut shaped upper plate a cylindrical side plate and wherein the outer periphery of the doughnut plate is connected to the upper edge of the cylindrical side plate and the inner periphery of the doughnut plate is connected to the upper end of the central pipe and wherein the float has no bottom plate.
3. A float valve according to claim 1 , wherein the sealing engagement is between the lower edge of the central pipe and the sealing ring.
4. A float valve according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one liquid transfer aperture is fowled as one or more slots.
5. A chemical reactor comprising at least one tray comprising at least one float valve, wherein said float valve comprises:
a liquid transfer pipe comprising at least one liquid transfer aperture;
a sealing ring arranged on the transfer pipe below the at least one liquid transfer aperture;
a float comprising a central pipe adapted to fit around said liquid transfer pipe in a free gliding engagement;
wherein the float has a volume to weight ratio large enough to enable it to float on a liquid and adapted to be in a sealing engagement with the sealing ring when the float is in a lower position relative to the liquid transfer pipe, the float is an enclosed volume on its upper end and its sides and has an opening at its lower end.
6. A chemical reactor comprising at least one tray comprising at least one float valve according to claim 5 , wherein the float is cylinder shaped with a doughnut shaped upper plate a cylindrical side plate and wherein the outer periphery of the doughnut plate is connected to the upper edge of the cylindrical side plate and the inner periphery of the doughnut plate is connected to the upper end of the central pipe and wherein the float has no bottom plate.
7. A chemical reactor comprising at least one tray comprising at least one float valve according to claim 5 , wherein the sealing engagement is between the lower edge of the central pipe and the sealing ring.
8. A chemical reactor comprising at least one tray comprising at least one float valve according to claim 5 , wherein the at least one liquid transfer aperture is formed as one or more slots.
9. A chemical reactor comprising at least one tray comprising at least one float valve according to claim 5 , further comprising a guard head on top of the liquid transfer pipe with an open lower end and an inner diameter larger than the outer diameter of the float, for protecting the float valve against scales and impurities.
10. A chemical reactor comprising at least one tray comprising at least one float valve according to claim 9 , wherein the guard head comprises vent apertures at its upper part.
11. A chemical reactor comprising at least one tray comprising at least one float valve according to claim 5 , wherein said chemical reactor is a radial converter for carrying out catalytic reactions, catalytic reforming or ammonia synthesis, said radial converter has a radial flow crossing a packed bed of catalytic material and comprising deck elements, wherein said deck elements are fixed to the reactor.
12. A chemical reactor comprising at least one tray comprising at least one float valve according to claim 5 , wherein said chemical reactor is a reactor is adapted to carry out the catalytic reactions, sulphur and nitrogen conversion (HDS/HDN); hydrogenation of: olefins (HYD) and aromatics (hydrodearomatisation—HDA), metals removal (hydride-metallisation—HDM), oxygen conversion (hydrodeoxygenation—HDO) or hydrocracking (HC).