Tubular reactor for carrying out catalytic gas-phase reactions and method for operating said reactor

Abstract

The invention relates to a tubular reactor for carrying out catalytic gas-phase reactions, containing a catalyst tube bundle (8) that is traversed by the relevant reaction gas mixture, is filled with a catalyst, extends between two tube sheets (4, 148) and around which flows a heat transfer medium contained within a surrounding reactor jacket (6). Said reactor also comprises gas entry and discharge hoods (2; 60) that cover the two tube sheets for supplying the relevant process gas to the catalyst tubes and for discharging the reacted process gas from the catalyst tubes. The reactor is characterised in that together with all the parts that come into contact with the process gas mixture, it is designed to have an appropriate strength for withstanding the deflagration and explosive pressures that are to be taken into account during its operation. The volume available to the process gas mixture prior to its entry into the catalyst tubes is restricted as much as possible in construction and flow engineering terms. The inventive reactor permits a higher charge of an explosion-critical component to be added to the process gas that is to be treated in a risk-free, economical manner and an explosion-critical range in the current gas composition to be traversed during the start-up phase of the reactor.

Description

technical field [0001] The invention relates to a jacketed reactor according to the preamble of claim 1 and to a method for operating such a reactor. Background technique [0002] A jacketed reactor of this type is known, for example, from DE 10021986.1. In this particular case, however, in order to reduce the risk of explosion, the explosively hazardous components of the reaction gas to be reacted in the reactor are added in part only immediately before or while entering the reaction tube. Furthermore, the components are kept in a small volume before entering, for example by means of an interior component in the usually more or less hemispherical gas inlet opening. These measures are based on the recognition that: [0003] 1) In order to obtain as high a production efficiency as possible in relation to the size of the reactor plant, it is desirable that the loading of reaction gases with explosive components, such as oxygen and hydrocarbons, be made as large as possible. ...

AI Technical Summary

Problems solved by technology

[0004] 2) In addition to the load, the risk of explosion increases with the length of time the two components stay together

Pressure-resistant glass panels are not sufficient due to the increased risk of explosion if it is desired to further increase the loading capacity and output in this way

Replacing the - already expensive - pressure glass panel after an explosion requires tedious repair work and corresponding downtime

The bursting of the pressure glass causes a pressure wave to be transmitted outwards, the sound of which can be heard for kilometers away and is therefore already quite unbearable

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