摘要 |
An exothermic catalytic process, particularly methanol synthesis, wherein reactants are passed through a fixed bed of a catalyst and heat evolved by the reaction is transferred to at least part of the reactants fed to the catalyst bed by heat exchange means to which said part of the reactants are fed, characterized by operation of the process under conditions whereby increasing the temperature at which said reactants are fed to the catalyst bed has the effect of increasing the temperature to which said reactants are heated in said heat exchange means, and vice versa, and controlling said process by monitoring the temperature of said reactants leaving said heat exchange means and/or entering said bed, decreasing the temperature at which the reactants are fed to said heat exchange means in response to any increase in said monitored temperature from a desired level, and increasing the temperature at which the reactants are fed to said heat exchange means in response to any decrease in said monitored temperature from said desired level. |