Fouling protection for an oligomerization reactor inlet
Disclosed herein are systems and processes which prevent fouling of a reactor inlet of an oligomerization reactor. The systems and processes involve placement of an inlet sleeve around at least a portion of a reactor inlet such that a curtain of inert material flows through an annular space coaxially with respect to an outer surface of the end of the reactor inlet and into the reactor.
1. A process to prevent fouling at a reactor inlet, the process comprising:
flowing a reactant into a reactor via the reactor inlet such that the reactant is introduced to an interior of the reactor via an end of the reactor inlet; and
flowing an inert material into the reactor coaxially with respect to an outer surface of the end of the reactor inlet;
wherein the inert material flows coaxially with respect to the outer surface of the end of the reactor inlet via an annular space formed between an inner surface of an inlet sleeve and the outer surface of the reactor inlet; and
wherein an exit plane of the end of the reactor inlet is spaced apart from an exit plane of an end of the inlet sleeve.
2. The process of claim 1 , wherein the reactant is a first petrochemical, and wherein the inert material is selected from a second petrochemical, nitrogen, argon, or a combination thereof.
3. The process of claim 1 , wherein the reactor is an oligomerization reactor, wherein the reactant is an olefin, and wherein the inert material is a diluent with respect to an oligomerization reaction in the reactor.
4. The process of claim 1 , wherein the end of the reactor inlet extends into the interior of the reactor, and wherein an end of an inlet sleeve extends into the interior of the reactor.
5. The process of claim 1 , further comprising:
flowing diluent into the reactor via the reactor inlet such that a mixture of the reactant and diluent is introduced to the interior of the reactor via the end of the reactor inlet,
wherein the diluent which flows into the reactor via the reactor inlet is a primary source of diluent for a reaction in the reactor, and
wherein the inert material which flows coaxially into the reactor is a secondary source of diluent for the reaction in the reactor.
6. The process of claim 1 , wherein the inert material flows into the reactor via the annular space separately from the flow of the reactant into the reactor via the end of the reactor inlet.
7. The process of claim 1 , wherein the end of the reactor inlet extends outside of the inlet sleeve.
8. The process of claim 1 , wherein the end of the reactor inlet is contained within the inlet sleeve.
9. The process of claim 1 , wherein the end of the reactor inlet and an end of the inlet sleeve terminate in a common plane.
10. The process of claim 1 , further comprising:
feeding a catalyst system to the reactor via a catalyst inlet or via the reactor inlet.
11. The process of claim 1 , wherein flowing the inert material into the reactor provides a turbulent region at an injection point.
12. A system to prevent fouling of a reactor inlet, the system comprising:
a reactor;
a reactor inlet coupled with the reactor such that an end of the reactor inlet extends into an interior of the reactor;
and an inlet sleeve coupled with the reactor such that an end of the inlet sleeve extends into the interior of the reactor,
wherein the inlet sleeve is placed coaxially around at least a portion of the reactor inlet such that an annular space is formed between an outer surface of the reactor inlet and an inner surface of the inlet sleeve; and
wherein an exit plane of the end of the reactor inlet is spaced apart from an exit plane of the end of the inlet sleeve.
13. The system of claim 12 , further comprising:
a reactant source coupled to the reactor,
wherein the reactant source provides a reactant, a diluent, or a mixture of the reactant and diluent to the reactor via the reactor inlet; and
an inert material source coupled to the reactor,
wherein the inert material source provides an inert material to the reactor via the annular space.
14. The system of claim 13 , further comprising:
a catalyst system source coupled to the reactor,
wherein the catalyst system source provides a catalyst system to the reactor via the reactor inlet or via a catalyst inlet.
15. The system of claim 13 , wherein the reactant is a first petrochemical, and
wherein the inert material is selected from a second petrochemical, nitrogen, argon, or a combination thereof.
16. The system of claim 13 , wherein the reactor is an oligomerization reactor,
wherein the reactant is an olefin, and wherein the inert material is the same is the diluent.
17. The system of claim 12 , wherein the end of the reactor inlet extends outside of the inlet sleeve.
18. The system of claim 12 , wherein the end of the reactor inlet is contained within the inlet sleeve.
19. The system of claim 12 , wherein the end of the reactor inlet and the end of the inlet sleeve terminate in a common plane in the interior of the reactor.
20. The system of claim 12 , wherein the annular space is formed both inside and outside of the reactor.