Fluidized bed reactor system

Abstract

A fluidized reactor system includes a reactor, which includes a fluidized bed located above a distribution plate within the reactor; a fluidizing gas, which is fed into the fluidized bed via the distribution plate to cause uniform fluidization of the fluidized bed and promote the production of solid polymer particles; and a valve assembly, which penetrates the side wall of the reactor to remove a mixture of the fluidizing gas and the solid polymer particles from the fluidized bed. The valve assembly is connected to the side wall at a downward angle relative to the side wall so that an upward-facing opening of the valve assembly extends into the fluidized bed.

Description

[0001] CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0002] This application claims the benefit of priority to USSN 62 / 926,065, filed on October 25, 2019, and EP 20152705.8, filed on January 20, 2020, the disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference. Technical Field

[0003] The present invention relates to polymerization reactor systems and, in particular, to valve design, arrangement and use in fluidized bed reactors. Background Art

[0004] Polyolefins are polymeric materials produced from olefins and are commonly used to make packaging, household goods, automotive parts, etc. Polyolefins, such as polyethylene (PE) and polypropylene (PP), can be produced in a fluidized reactor (e.g., a fluidized bed reactor, preferably a gas phase fluidized bed reactor) that promotes polymerization in the presence of a catalyst. In short, an active catalyst is fed into a reactor, usually into the volume of a fluidized bed contained in the reactor, and in the form of nascent catalyst particles, prepolymerized catalyst particles, or polymer particles containing residual catalyst, such as in the manufacture of impact copolymer polypropylene. One or more gases (e.g., ethylene, propylene, hydrogen, etc.) circulate upward through the fluidized bed and come out of the top of the reactor to a heat exchanger-to remove polymerization heat-enter a circulating compressor / blower, and are redistributed into the fluidized bed by a plate arranged near the bottom of the reactor. Gases are circulated through the fluidized bed at various concentrations to fluidize the bed and control product properties and production rates; fresh gas is added to the circulating stream to maintain the target concentration in the fluidized bed. The catalyst and / or polymer entering are polymerized in the fluidized bed to produce solid polymer particles such as polyethylene and / or polypropylene. A mixture of solid polymer particles and gas is continuously or semi-continuously removed from the reactor and conveyed to a particle handling system where the solid polymer particles are separated from the gas as a product and the gas is recovered, treated and recycled back to the reactor.

[0005] When removing the gas / solid mixture from the reactor, it is desirable to maximize solid removal while minimizing fluidizing gas removal. One removal option is to attach the valve assembly directly to the reactor and continuously discharge the mixture of solid polymer particles and gas from the reactor. However, conventional valve assemblies generally have low solid discharge efficiency, since most of the unreacted feed and gas are removed simultaneously, and they must be separated and recovered for reuse. This recovery method increases the cost of the entire polymer production process, so the capacity of these methods should be reduced to the extent that the equipment size and energy consumption can be minimized.

[0006] Therefore, there is a need to develop methods and systems that improve the collection efficiency of solids (eg, polymer particles) produced in a fluidized bed while minimizing the simultaneous collection of other components (eg, unreacted feed and gases). SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0008] Various details of the present disclosure are summarized below to provide a basic understanding. This summary is not an extensive overview of the present disclosure and is neither intended to identify certain elements of the present disclosure nor to describe its scope. Instead, the main purpose of this summary is to present some concepts of the present disclosure in a simplified form before the more detailed description presented below.

[0009] The present invention discloses a fluidized reactor system, preferably a gas phase fluidized bed reactor, comprising a reactor, the reactor comprising a fluidized bed located above a distribution plate arranged in the reactor, a fluidizing gas fed into the fluidized bed through the distribution plate to cause uniform fluidization of the fluidized bed and promote the production of solid polymer particles, and a valve assembly penetrating the side wall of the reactor to remove a mixture of the fluidizing gas and the solid polymer particles from the fluidized bed. The valve assembly can be connected to the side wall at a downward angle relative to the side wall so that the upward facing opening of the valve assembly extends into the fluidized bed.

[0010] The present invention also discloses a method and a method comprising containing a fluidized bed in a reactor above a distributor plate, feeding a fluidizing gas into the fluidized bed via the distributor plate and thereby causing uniform fluidization of the fluidized bed and promoting the production of solid polymer particles, and removing a mixture of the fluidizing gas and solid polymer particles from the fluidized bed via a valve assembly penetrating a side wall of the reactor. The valve assembly may be connected to the side wall at a downward angle relative to the side wall so that an upwardly facing opening of the valve assembly extends into the fluidized bed. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0011] The following figures are included to illustrate certain aspects of the embodiments and should not be construed as exclusive embodiments. The disclosed subject matter is capable of considerable modification, alteration, combination, and equivalents in form and function, as will occur to those skilled in the art who have the benefit of this disclosure.

[0012] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of an exemplary fluidized bed reactor system operable to produce and discharge polymer particles according to one or more embodiments.

[0013] Figure 2 According to one or more embodiments, Figure 1 An enlarged schematic side view of a valve assembly.

[0014] Detailed description

[0015] The present disclosure relates to polyolefin production, and more particularly, to valve assemblies that facilitate efficient and continuous removal of solid polymer particles from a fluidized gas phase reactor.

[0016] Embodiments described herein disclose systems and methods for removing solid polymer particle products from a fluidized reactor bed. Suitable systems include a reactor containing a fluidized bed located above a distribution plate disposed within the reactor, and a fluidizing gas fed into the fluidized bed via the distribution plate to cause uniform fluidization of the fluidized bed and promote the generation of solid polymer particles. A valve assembly penetrates the side wall of the reactor to remove solid polymer particles from the fluidized bed. The valve assembly can be connected to the side wall at a downward angle relative to the side wall so that the upward opening of the valve assembly extends into the fluidized bed, which improves the collection efficiency of the solid product when compared to a system with a valve assembly attached perpendicular to the side wall.

[0017] Figure 1 1 is a schematic diagram of an exemplary fluidized reactor system 100 operable to produce and discharge solid polymer particles according to one or more embodiments. In at least one embodiment, the system 100 can be configured to polymerize propylene and ethylene under controlled conditions to produce an amorphous binary copolymer rubber (aEP) in a porous polypropylene homopolymer that has been fed into a reactor 102 with residual catalyst activity, thereby imparting impact resistance to polypropylene, and discharge an impact copolymer (ICP) in the form of solid polymer particles. As shown, the system 100 can include a reactor 102 (alternatively referred to herein as "reactor 102"), which can generally include a closed container having a top 104a, a bottom 104b, and a substantially vertical sidewall 106 extending between the top 104a and the bottom 104b.

[0018] The reactor 102 may contain a fluidized bed 108, which is generally located above a distribution plate 110 disposed within the reactor 102 near the bottom 104b. A feed of catalyst or active polymer particles 112 (e.g., polymer and active catalyst) may be continuously or intermittently delivered to the reactor 102, directly into or near the top of the fluidized bed 108. In at least one embodiment, the active polymer particles 112 may comprise a homopolymer and may originate from an upstream system 114, which may feed the active polymer particles 112 into the reactor 102 based on the production rate of an upstream reactor (not shown).

[0019] Fluidizing gas 116 is also continuously fed into reactor 102 at or near bottom 104b of reactor 102. Fluidizing gas 116 may include various gases and materials (in addition to various reactive monomers), such as inert gases, catalyst modifiers, and catalyst activators. Monomer make-up line 118 may add reactive monomers such as ethylene (C3), propylene (C2), and hydrogen (H2) to fluidizing gas 116 to control the product properties and production rate of reactor 102.

[0020] The distributor plate 110 supports the fluidized bed 108 within the reactor 102 and includes a porous or perforated structure that receives the fluidizing gas 116 and distributes it across the cross-section of the reactor 102. The high velocity of the fluidizing gas 116 flowing through the distributor plate 110 and into the reactor 102 will cause uniform fluidization of the fluidized bed 108. During operation of the reactor 102, the fluidized bed 108 may contain a fluidized combination of polymer, catalyst, polymer in the process of forming solid polymer particles, solid polymer particles, and the fluidizing gas 116 that maintains fluidization.

[0021] Typically, the reactor temperature can range from about 30° C. to about 200° C. during operation. The temperature of the fluidized bed 108 can be kept constant at steady state depending on one or more of the following factors: the softening / adhesion point of the fluidized particles; the injection rate of the catalyst or active polymer particles 112 and the catalyst activity; the temperature, pressure, and composition of the fluidizing gas 116 entering the reactor 102; and the volume of the fluidizing gas 116 circulated through the fluidized bed 108. As discussed below, the temperature of the fluidized bed 108 is kept constant by removing heat generated by the polymerization reaction therein. The pressure within the reactor 102 can range from about 650 KPa to about 15 MPa.

[0022] A portion of the fluidizing gas 116 that does not react while circulating through the fluidized bed 108 is discharged from the reactor 102 at or near the top 104a. In some embodiments, as shown, the top 104a of the reactor 102 may be enlarged and otherwise define an expansion dome 120 that is configured to reduce the upward velocity of the circulating fluidizing gas 116, which prevents entrainment of polymeric particles and granules within the exiting fluidizing gas 116. Instead, gravity forces the polymeric particles and granules to exit the circulation with the fluidizing gas 116 and return mostly downwardly along the inner wall of the sidewall 106 within the reactor 102.

[0023] As the fluidizing gas 116 circulates through the fluidized bed 108, it absorbs heat generated by the chemical reactions occurring within the fluidized bed 108. The fluidizing gas 116 exiting the reactor 102 may be delivered to a heat exchanger 122 (e.g., a cooler) fluidly coupled to the reactor 102 to remove the heat of polymerization from the fluidizing gas 116 and thereby help control the temperature within the reactor 102. A pump or compressor 124 provides power to circulate the fluidizing gas 116 through the heat exchanger 122, thereby removing heat from the system 100 and recycling the fluidizing gas 116 back into the reactor 102.

[0024] The system 100 may further include one or more valve assemblies 126 (one is shown) connected to the sidewall 106 of the reactor 102 and configured to remove solid polymer particles (e.g., polymerized particles) produced (generated) by the chemical reactions occurring within the reactor 102. During operation of the reactor 102, the fluidizing gas 116 is withdrawn from the reactor 108 through the valve assembly 126 and moves along and out of the reactor 102 through the valve assembly 126 at a velocity necessary to accelerate and entrain the solid polymer particles. More specifically, the ongoing reaction process and the dynamics of the circulating fluidizing gas 116 cause the fluidized solid polymer particles to move generally upward near the center of the fluidized bed 108 and then move radially outward near the top of the fluidized bed 108 until gravity causes the solid polymer particles to fall generally along the inner wall of the reactor 102. A mixture 128 of the fluidizing gas 116 and solid polymer particles may then be received at the valve assembly 126 and continuously withdrawn (exhausted) from the reactor 102.

[0025] The kinetics of the process also require that the volume ratio of fluidizing gas 116 to solid polymer particles (i.e., gas-to-solids ratio) exiting reactor 102 be much greater than the volume ratio characteristic of fluidized bed 108. More specifically, a sufficient, and usually excess, volume of fluidizing gas 116 is exiting with the solid polymer particles and is required to accelerate the particles toward valve assembly 126, through the valve, and through any downstream piping to transfer the particles to the next system associated with the overall polymer production process.

[0026] Conventional valve assemblies for fluidized reactors are typically connected perpendicular to the sidewalls of the reactor, which requires excessive amounts of fluidizing gas 116 to accelerate the entrained solid polymer particles to leave the reactor 102 at 90° relative to the inner wall of the reactor 102. This results in low solid discharge efficiency and high gas-to-solid ratio emissions. An object of the present disclosure is to introduce a valve assembly that significantly improves (reduces) the gas-to-solid volume ratio extracted and simultaneously reduces the cost of recovering gas. More specifically, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the design, placement, and orientation of the currently disclosed valve assembly 126 minimize the volume of the fluidizing gas 116 leaving the reactor 102 while utilizing particle acceleration by gravity acting on the solid polymer particles. Therefore, compared to conventional valve assemblies, the valve assembly 126 is capable of receiving and discharging a mixture 128 having a significantly higher solid-to-gas ratio mixture of fluidizing gas 116 and solid polymer particles.

[0027] Figure 2 2 is an enlarged schematic side view of a valve assembly 126 according to one or more embodiments. As shown, the valve assembly 126 includes a nozzle 202 and a discharge valve 204 fixed to the nozzle 202 at a connector 206. The discharge valve 204 can be actuated to close or expose a discharge conduit 208, thereby preventing or promoting fluid communication of the mixture 128 flowing out of the fluidized bed 108. In polymerization applications, it is further preferred that the discharge valve 204 is a design called a discharge plunger valve, which can completely block the valve body to prevent any polymer growth and clogging in the valve 204. In at least one embodiment, the valve 204 can include an Espero discharge valve available from Ichinose Co., Ltd. in Osaka, Japan. However, in other embodiments, the valve 204 may include another type of actuable valve that can be connected to the nozzle 202 to selectively control the flow through the discharge conduit 208.

[0028] In some preferred embodiments for polymerization applications, as shown, the discharge valve 204 may include a plunger valve including a piston or plunger 210 that can be longitudinally actuated to close or expose the discharge conduit 208 and thereby shut off or facilitate fluid flow through the discharge conduit 208. More specifically, the plunger 210 may be capable of extending into the nozzle 202 and extending to an opening 212 of the nozzle 202. When the plunger 210 is fully extended to the opening 212, as shown in dashed lines, the mixture 128 of the fluidizing gas 116 and the solid polymer particles may be completely prevented from entering the nozzle 202, which may be beneficial in preventing the polymer from entering the nozzle 202 and solidifying within the nozzle 202. In contrast, when the plunger 210 is fully retracted, the discharge conduit 208 will be exposed, and the mixture 128 may enter the nozzle 202 at the opening 212 to be discharged from the fluidized bed 108 and transported out of the reactor 102 via the discharge conduit 208.

[0029] In some embodiments, a downstream valve mechanism (not shown), such as an actuable full-mouth ball valve, etc., may be used to control the total flow of the mixture 128 exiting the reactor 102 via the discharge conduit 208. In some embodiments, the mixture 128 may be conveyed to a particle handling system (not shown) where the solid polymer 128 may be separated from the fluidizing gas 116 and the fluidizing gas 116 may be recovered, fractionated, and all or a portion may be recycled back to the reactor 102, such as via a make-up line 118 ( Figure 1 ).

[0030] The valve assembly 126, and more particularly the nozzle 202, can be connected to the sidewall 106 of the reactor 102, such as by welding the nozzle 202 to the sidewall 106 or using one or more mechanical fasteners. The valve assembly 126 can be connected to the sidewall 106 at a height H above the distribution plate 110, and the distribution plate 110 can exhibit a diameter D. In some embodiments, the ratio of the height H to the diameter D (i.e., H / D) can be about 0.25 to about 2.0, which can position the valve assembly 126 in a typical high solids density region with gravity-driven, generally downward solids flow within the fluidized bed 108.

[0031] As shown, the valve assembly 126 can be connected to the sidewall 106 of the reactor 102 at a downward angle 210 relative to the sidewall 106. More specifically, assuming that the sidewall 106 of the reactor 102 extends substantially vertically relative to the horizontal direction, the downward angle 210 can be greater than 90° with the sidewall 106. Therefore, the downward angle 210 can be an obtuse angle and can range from greater than 90° to about 160°. In at least one embodiment, the downward angle 210 can be about 120° with the sidewall 106. The size of the downward angle 210 can be limited only by the design constraints of the valve assembly 126, which will eventually intersect the sidewall 106 of the reactor 102.

[0032] As shown, the nozzle 202 can penetrate the side wall 106 of the reactor 102, and the opening 212 leading to the nozzle 202 can extend a short distance in the fluidized bed 108. Since the valve assembly 126 is connected to the side wall 106 at a downward angle 210, the opening 212 can generally face upward and otherwise open away from the distribution plate 110. More specifically, the bottom portion 214a of the opening 212 leading to the nozzle 202 can extend beyond the inner surface 216 of the side wall 106, while the top portion 214b opposite the bottom portion 214a can be substantially flush with the inner surface 216. In some embodiments, "substantially flush" can mean that a small section (portion) of the upper portion 214b can extend a small distance into the interior of the reactor 102, as shown. However, in other embodiments, "substantially flush" can mean that any section (portion) of the upper portion 214b does not extend beyond the inner surface 216 of the side wall 106. However, in most cases, the upper portion 214b of the nozzle 202 does not protrude substantially into the interior of the reactor 102 as much as the bottom portion 214a, thereby promoting a "face-up" orientation of the opening 212 and ensuring that any such penetration does not provide an area within the reactor 102 that could induce any fouling known to be associated with the reaction process.

[0033] The upward facing openings 212 can take advantage of the gravity driven flow of solid polymer particles along the inner surface 216 of the sidewall 106. As described above, the dynamics of the reaction processes occurring within the fluidized bed 108, together with the fluidizing gas 116 injected into the fluidized bed 108 via the distributor plate 110, cause the solid polymer particles to be entrained (accelerated) in the fluidizing gas 116 and move generally upward and radially outward within the reactor 102. Gravity eventually overcomes the entraining force of the fluidizing gas 116 and the solid polymer particles begin to fall mostly along the inner surface 216 of the sidewall 106. The upward facing openings 212 provide an angled receptacle (i.e., inlet / outlet) at the inner surface 216 of the sidewall 106 into which the mixture 128 can be received from the fluidized bed 108 or through which it can be transported away from the reactor 102. Compared to conventional valve assemblies, the mixture 128 does not need to be accelerated (pushed) at 90° to enter the valve assembly 126 , but rather it may be received within the upward facing opening 212 largely under gravity as the mixture 128 descends along the inner surface 216 of the sidewall 106 .

[0034] Based on the concept that a high velocity of the fluidizing gas 116 is required to maximize the entrainment of solid polymer particles from the fluidized bed 108 and the transfer out of the reactor 102, conventional vertically arranged valve assemblies for fluidized reactors typically have relatively small diameter openings, such as 3 to 4 inches. In contrast, embodiments of the valve assembly 126 do not rely so heavily on gas velocity or entrainment for solids collection. Instead, the strategic orientation of the valve assembly 126 at a downward angle 210 and with the upward facing opening 212 extending into the interior of the reactor 102 will allow a gravity-driven flow of solid polymer particles along the inner surface 216 of the sidewall 106 to be received within the valve assembly 126 at a high solid to gas ratio. Therefore, the velocity of the fluidizing gas 116 exiting through the valve assembly 126 is not critical to the removal of solid polymer particles from the reactor 102. As a result, the diameter of the opening 212 can be larger than the typical diameter of a conventional vertically arranged valve assembly and still obtain a high solid to gas ratio, and in fact, generally further improves the solid to gas extraction ratio.

[0035] In some applications, for example, the diameter of the opening 212 can be 1 to 1.5 times larger than the typical diameter of a conventional vertically arranged valve assembly. As an example, a 5-inch diameter valve instead of a 4-inch diameter valve can increase the valve draw by about 60%. However, in some embodiments, the diameter of the opening 212 can be as small as 1 inch.

[0036] Implementation plan list

[0037] The present disclosure provides, inter alia, the following embodiments, each of which may be considered to optionally include any alternative embodiments.

[0038] Item 1. A fluidized reactor system, preferably a gas phase fluidized reactor system, comprising a reactor containing a fluidized bed located above a distribution plate disposed within the reactor, a fluidizing gas fed into the fluidized bed through the distribution plate to cause uniform fluidization of the fluidized bed and promote the production of solid polymer particles, and a valve assembly penetrating a side wall of the reactor to remove a mixture of fluidizing gas and solid polymer particles from the fluidized bed, wherein the valve assembly is connected to the side wall at a downward angle relative to the side wall so that an upward facing opening of the valve assembly extends into the fluidized bed.

[0039] Clause 2. The system of clause 1, wherein the downward angle to the sidewall is greater than 90°.

[0040] Clause 3. The system of clause 2, wherein the downward angle ranges from greater than 90° to about 160° from the sidewall.

[0041] Clause 4. The system of any of the preceding clauses, wherein a bottom portion of the upward facing opening extends beyond an inner surface of the side wall, and wherein a top portion of the upward facing opening opposite the bottom portion is substantially flush with the inner surface.

[0042] Clause 5. The system of any of the preceding clauses, wherein the valve assembly includes a nozzle connected to the sidewall and defining an upwardly facing opening, and a discharge valve secured to the nozzle.

[0043] Clause 6. The system of Clause 5, wherein the discharge valve comprises a plunger valve including a plunger actuatable to close or expose the discharge conduit to facilitate fluid communication away from the fluidized bed.

[0044] Clause 7. The system of any of the preceding clauses, wherein the valve assembly is connected to the sidewall at a height above the distribution plate and the distribution plate exhibits a diameter, and wherein a ratio of the height to the diameter is from about 0.25 to about 2.0.

[0045] Clause 8. The system of any preceding clause, wherein the fluidizing gas transports solid polymer particles upward near the center of the bed and the solid polymer particles then descend along the inner wall of the reactor to be received by the upward facing opening of the valve assembly.

[0046] Clause 9. The system of any of the preceding clauses, wherein the upward-facing opening exhibits a diameter of at least 1 inch.

[0047] Clause 10. The system of any of the preceding clauses, further comprising feeding active polymer particles into the reactor directly into or near the top of the fluidized bed.

[0048] Clause 11. The system of any of the preceding clauses, wherein the fluidizing gas comprises a gas selected from the group consisting of an inert gas, a catalyst modifier, a catalyst activator, one or more reactive monomers, and any combination thereof.

[0049] Clause 12. The system of any of the preceding clauses, further comprising a cooler fluidly connected to the reactor to receive and cool a portion of the fluidizing gas exhausted from the reactor and a compressor to circulate the portion of the fluidizing gas back to the reactor.

[0050] Item 13. A method comprising containing a fluidized bed in a reactor above a distributor plate, feeding a fluidizing gas into the fluidized bed via the distributor plate to thereby cause uniform fluidization of the fluidized bed and promote the production of solid polymer particles, and removing a mixture of the fluidizing gas and solid polymer particles from the fluidized bed via a valve assembly penetrating a side wall of the reactor, wherein the valve assembly is connected to the side wall at a downward angle relative to the side wall so that an upward-facing opening of the valve assembly extends into the fluidized bed.

[0051] Item 14. A method according to Item 13, wherein the downward angle with the side wall is greater than 90°, the method further comprising driving the solid polymer particles downward along the inner surface of the side wall under the action of gravity, and receiving a mixture of fluidizing gas and solid polymer particles into the upward facing opening as the solid polymer particles move downward along the inner surface of the side wall.

[0052] Clause 15. The method of Clause 13 or Clause 14, wherein a bottom portion of the upward facing opening extends beyond an inner surface of the side wall, and wherein a top portion of the upward facing opening opposite the bottom portion is substantially flush with the inner surface.

[0053] Clause 16. A method according to any one of clauses 13 to 15, wherein the valve assembly includes a nozzle connected to the side wall and defining an upward-facing opening, and a discharge valve fixed to the nozzle, the method further comprising receiving a mixture of fluidizing gas and solid polymer particles into the upward-facing opening as the solid polymer particles move downwardly along the inner surface of the side wall.

[0054] Clause 17. The method of Clause 16, wherein the discharge valve comprises a plunger valve including a plunger, the method further comprising actuating the plunger to close or expose the discharge conduit and thereby facilitate fluid communication away from the fluidized bed.

[0055] Clause 18. The method of any one of Clauses 13 to 17, wherein the valve assembly is connected to the sidewall at a height above the distribution plate and the distribution plate exhibits a diameter, and wherein a ratio of the height to the diameter is from about 0.25 to about 2.0.

[0056] Clause 19. The method of any one of Clauses 13 to 18, further comprising feeding active polymer particles into the reactor at or near the top of the fluidized bed.

[0057] Clause 20. The method according to any one of Clauses 13 to 19, further comprising discharging a portion of the fluidizing gas from the reactor, receiving and cooling the portion of the fluidizing gas with a cooler, and recycling the portion of the fluidizing gas back to the reactor with a compressor.

[0058] Unless otherwise indicated, all numbers used in this specification and the related claims expressing the amounts of ingredients, properties such as molecular weight, reaction conditions, etc. should be understood as being modified in all cases by the term "about". Therefore, unless otherwise indicated to the contrary, the numerical parameters listed in the following specification and the attached claims are approximate values, which may vary depending on the desired properties sought to be obtained according to the embodiments of the present invention. At the very least, and without attempting to limit the application of the doctrine of equivalents to the scope of the claims, each numerical parameter should at least be interpreted in light of the number of reported significant digits and by applying ordinary rounding techniques.

[0059] All numerical values ​​in the detailed description and claims herein are modified by "about" or "approximately" relative to the indicated value, and take into account experimental error and variations that would be expected by one of ordinary skill in the art. Unless otherwise indicated, room temperature is about 25°C.

[0060] As used in the present disclosure and claims, the singular forms "a," "an," and "the" include plural referents unless the context clearly dictates otherwise.

[0061] The term "and / or" as used herein in phrases such as "A and / or B" is intended to include "A and B", "A or B", "A" and "B".

[0062] Although compositions and methods are described herein as "comprising" various components or steps, the compositions and methods may also "consist essentially of" or "consist of" the various components and steps.

[0063] One or more illustrative embodiments in conjunction with the embodiments of the present invention disclosed herein are provided herein. For the sake of clarity, all features of physical implementation are not described or shown in this application. It should be understood that in the development of the physical implementation of the embodiments of the present invention, many implementation-specific decisions must be made to achieve the developer's goal, such as meeting system-related, business-related, government-related and other constraints, which vary from time to time with implementation. Although the developer's efforts may be time-consuming, for those of ordinary skill who are familiar with this area and benefit from the disclosure of the present invention, these efforts remain routine tasks.

[0064] Therefore, the present invention is well suited to achieve those objects and advantages mentioned and inherent therein. The particular embodiments disclosed above are illustrative only, as the present invention may be modified and practiced in different but equivalent manners apparent to those skilled in the art having the benefit of the teachings herein. In addition, it is not intended to limit the details of construction or design shown herein except as described in the claims below. Therefore, it is apparent that the particular illustrative embodiments disclosed above may be changed, combined or modified, and all such variations are considered to be within the scope and spirit of the present invention. The present invention illustratively disclosed herein may be appropriately practiced in the absence of any elements not specifically disclosed herein and / or any optional elements disclosed herein.

Claims

1. A fluidized reactor system, comprising: a reactor comprising a fluidized bed located above a distributor plate disposed within the reactor; a fluidizing gas fed into the fluidized bed via a distributor plate to cause uniform fluidization of the fluidized bed and promote the production of solid polymer particles; and a valve assembly that penetrates the side wall of the reactor to remove the mixture of fluidizing gas and solid polymer particles from the fluidized bed, Wherein the valve assembly is connected to the side wall at a downward angle relative to the side wall such that an upward facing opening of the valve assembly extends into the fluidized bed.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the downward angle from the side wall is greater than 90°.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the downward angle ranges between greater than 90° and 160° from the side wall.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein a bottom portion of the upward facing opening extends beyond an inner surface of the side wall, and wherein a top portion of the upward facing opening opposite the bottom portion is flush with the inner surface.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the valve assembly comprises: a nozzle connected to the side wall and defining an upwardly facing opening; and Discharge valve fixed to the nozzle.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the discharge valve comprises a plunger valve including a plunger actuatable to close or expose the discharge conduit to facilitate fluid communication away from the fluidized bed.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the valve assembly is connected to the sidewall at a height above the distribution plate and the distribution plate exhibits a diameter, and wherein a ratio of the height to the diameter is 0.25 to 2.

0.

8. The system of claim 1 wherein the fluidizing gas transports solid polymer particles upward near the center of the bed and the solid polymer particles then descend along the inner wall of the reactor to be received by the upward facing opening of the valve assembly.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the upward facing opening exhibits a diameter of at least 1 inch.

10. The system of claim 1 further comprising a feed of active polymer particles into the reactor directly into or near the top of the fluidized bed.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the fluidizing gas comprises a gas selected from the group consisting of an inert gas, a catalyst modifier, a catalyst activator, one or more reactive monomers, and any combination thereof.

12. The system of claim 1, further comprising: a cooler fluidly connected to the reactor to receive and cool a portion of the fluidizing gas exhausted from the reactor; and This part of the fluidizing gas is recycled back to the compressor of the reactor.

13. A fluidized reaction method comprising: containing a fluidized bed within the reactor above the distributor plate; feeding a fluidizing gas into the fluidized bed via a distributor plate and thereby causing uniform fluidization of the fluidized bed and promoting the production of solid polymer particles; and removing the mixture of fluidizing gas and solid polymer particles from the fluidized bed via a valve assembly penetrating the side wall of the reactor, Wherein the valve assembly is connected to the side wall at a downward angle relative to the side wall such that an upward facing opening of the valve assembly extends into the fluidized bed.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the downward angle from the side wall is greater than 90°, the method further comprising: driving solid polymer particles downwardly along the inner surface of the sidewall under the force of gravity; and As the solid polymer particles advance downwardly along the inner surface of the side wall, a mixture of fluidizing gas and solid polymer particles is received into the upwardly facing openings.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein a bottom portion of the upward facing opening extends beyond an inner surface of the side wall, and wherein a top portion of the upward facing opening opposite the bottom portion is flush with the inner surface.

16. The method of claim 13, wherein the valve assembly includes a nozzle connected to the sidewall and defining an upwardly facing opening, and a discharge valve secured to the nozzle, the method further comprising receiving a mixture of fluidizing gas and solid polymer particles into the upwardly facing opening as the solid polymer particles advance downwardly along the inner surface of the sidewall.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the discharge valve comprises a plunger valve including a plunger, the method further comprising actuating the plunger to close or expose the discharge conduit and thereby facilitate fluid communication away from the fluidized bed.

18. The method of claim 13, wherein the valve assembly is connected to the sidewall at a height above the distributor plate and the distributor plate exhibits a diameter, and wherein a ratio of the height to the diameter is 0.25 to 2.

0.

19. The method of claim 13, further comprising feeding active polymer particles into the reactor at or near the top of the fluidized bed.

20. The method of claim 13, further comprising: exhausting a portion of the fluidizing gas from the reactor; receiving and cooling the portion of the fluidizing gas with a cooler; and This part of the fluidizing gas is recycled back to the reactor by means of a compressor.

Images