| 摘要 |
A method is provided for converting a chemical reactor having a single radial flow catalyst bed into a reactor having two serially-arranged radial flow catalyst beds. The method is applicable to radial flow chemical reactors having a reactor tank containing a centrally disposed, fluid permeable pipe, a cover plate assembly disposed between the inlet end of the pipe and the tank inlet, and a fluid permeable wall circumscribing the inner wall of the tank. The method includes removing the cover plate assembly, installing a fluid impermeable obstructer such as a metal plate within a central portion of the pipe; installing a first fluid impermeable cover around the outer wall of the pipe where the obstructer is located, and then installing a second fluid impermeable cover around the inlet end of the pipe. The resulting reactor provides first and second serially-arranged radial flow chambers that can be filled with different catalysts that perform different functions. If the reactor is used to produce para-xylene from ethylbenzene, the upper radial flow chamber may contain a first catalyst that converts ethybenzene to benzene and ethane by dealkylation and the lower radial flow chamber may contain a second catalyst that completes the isomerization of xylenes to an equilibrium mixture. |
