Reactor for exothermic or endothermic catalytic reactions

摘要

Reactor for Fischer-Tropsch reaction which is carried out in a three-phase system essentially consisting of a reacting gaseous phase, a reacted liquid phase and a solid catalytic phase, wherein the solid catalytic phase consists of packed or structured bodies of catalytic material encaged within at least one honeycomb monolithic structure with a high thermal conductivity.

主权项

1. A reactor comprising:
a substantially cylindrical vessel having feeding and discharge means of a thermoregulation fluid of a chemical reaction; an upper closing element and a lower closing element respectively positioned at a top and at a bottom of the substantially cylindrical vessel; feeding means of a reagent gaseous phase positioned in the upper closing element, the lower closing element or both; discharge means of a reacted phase positioned in the upper closing element, the lower closing element or both; and a plurality of honeycomb monolithic structures, optionally coaxially inserted inside tubular structures, inserted inside the substantially cylindrical vessel between the upper closing element and the lower closing element, each monolithic structure consisting of a substantially cylindrical continuous body having a diameter from 1 to 10 cm inside which there is a series of parallel axial channels, tubes, or both channels and tubes with a square or rectangular cross section with a side length of from 0.5 to 5 mm, which extends from one end to the other, separated by continuous honeycomb matrix, and filled with a catalyst in structured or particle form with an average dimension of from 0.3 mm to less than 3 mm positioned inside each channel, so as to fill the volume for a filling factor, (catalyst(volume)/(volume of the longitudinal channel), ranging from 0.2 to 0.8, wherein the reactor is suitable for exothermic, endothermic, or both exothermic and endothermic reaction in the presence of the catalyst, and wherein the plurality of honeycomb monolithic structures is made of a material having an intrinsic thermal conductivity higher than 10 W/m /K.