Sealing system for tubular reactors

Abstract

1. A sealing system for a tubular reactor (10), the sealing system comprising a body (60) having an inner wall (11) and a circular cross section (61), at least an upper portion of which comprises a peripheral wall (62) configured to fit against the inner wall (11) of the tubular reactor, the peripheral wall (62) comprising at least an annular lodging portion (22) comprising a sealing portion (ring 50) seated on an annular pusher (40), the pusher (40) being configured to push the sealing ring (50) into the peripheral wall (62) of the body, the body (60) having a sufficient weight to press the sealing ring (50) against the inner wall (11) of the tubular reactor (10).

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a sealing system for tubular reactors, in particular catalytic reactors, and to a method for loading said sealing system into a tubular reactor.

[0002] A sealing system inserted into the tubular reactor prevents gas leakage between the inside and outside of the tubular reactor.

[0003] The sealing system that is the subject of the present invention relates to all applications requiring the sealing of tubular reactors in a wide temperature range, ranging from cryogenic temperatures, through ambient temperatures, up to high temperature levels that can reach and even exceed 1000°C.

[0004] One possible field of use of the present invention is the catalytic steam reforming of hydrocarbons for the production of hydrogen-rich gas. As process gas a mixture of steam, hydrocarbons and / or carbon dioxide is used. This gaseous mixture is fed at a temperature of about 400-600° C. and a pressure of up to 4 MPa to a reaction chamber which may consist of a number of catalyst-filled tubes, where it is heated to about 750-800° C. Then, this gaseous mixture is endothermically reacted over the catalyst to form a hydrogen-rich gas containing carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide and excess steam and a portion of the hydrocarbons. [Background technology]

[0005] An example of a catalyst tube is described in WO 2018 / 077969. This document describes a catalyst tube in a combustion heater consisting of an outer reactor tube 1, a catalyst 2, an inner tube 5, a boundary 3 between the catalyst tube and the inner tube, and an inlet partition 4, an outlet partition 6 and an outlet reducer 7. This is shown in Figure 1. In this application, it is important that the outlet partition 6 forms a seal with the catalyst tube 1 to prevent hot gases from the catalyst outlet from escaping to the outlet reducer and to maximize heat transfer at the boundary and the inner tube.

[0006] Tubular reactors do not traditionally include internal heat exchange tubes as described in the above examples (i.e., regenerative reactors). In order to improve plant efficiency, the concept of such a regenerative reactor is a revamp of traditional tubes that have been used for some time. In many cases, the catalyst tubes include a catalyst support grid at the bottom of the tube, which is a grid plate with holes. As a result, a simple conical seal does not work. If the grid plate can be removed, the conical surface of the outlet reducer in the existing tube is also not necessarily machined to achieve a conical surface that perfectly matches the seal, and therefore gas leakage is likely to occur.

[0007] It should be noted that these tubular reactors that have been in use for some time may also suffer from the following problems: weld shrinkage, weld protrusion, as well as manufacturing tolerances already present in new tubes, as well as possible creep growth of the diameter of the tubular vessel. Therefore, the sealing device during installation should take these problems into account and, while being able to pass through the minimum diameter, after creep growth, still seal at the maximum diameter. Summary of the Invention

[0008] The present invention aims to overcome these drawbacks and to provide a new sealing system for tubular reactors.

[0009] The solution of the invention is a sealing system for a tubular reactor 10 comprising an inner wall 11, a body 60 with a circular cross section 61, at least in its upper part comprising a peripheral wall 62 configured to fit the inner wall of the tubular reactor, said peripheral wall 62 comprising at least an annular lodging part 22 comprising a sealing ring 50 seated on an annular pusher 40, the pusher being configured to push the sealing ring into the peripheral wall 62 of the body 60, the body 60 having a sufficient weight to press the sealing ring 50 against the inner wall 11 of the tubular reactor 10.

[0010] The sealing system may be understood as a sealing system for a tubular reactor comprising an inner wall, a body, a peripheral wall having a circular section arranged on top of the peripheral wall, the circular section having a diameter smaller than the diameter of the inner wall of the tubular reactor, the peripheral wall having a tapered section and providing an annular lodging section extending between the inner wall of the tubular reactor and the tapered section, the annular lodging section comprising a sealing ring seated on an annular pusher, the sealing ring configured to press an inner surface of the sealing ring against the peripheral wall of the body together with the pusher, the body having a sufficient weight to press an outer surface of the sealing ring against the inner wall of the tubular reactor.

[0011] In the sealing system according to the invention, sealing is achieved by compression of a sealing ring between the annular pusher 40 and the peripheral wall of the body and the inner wall of the tubular reactor 10 .

[0012] In the present invention, the expression "its upper part matches the inner wall of the tubular reactor" means that the space between the inner wall of the tubular reactor and the upper part of the circumferential wall of the body is 0.5-5 mm, for example 1-3 mm. In practice, the space can be at most slightly smaller (0.5 mm) than the minimum width of the sealing ring. And the minimum space is the diameter of the circumferential wall of the body 0.5 mm smaller than the minimum reactor wall diameter that allows the installation of the sealing system. The inventors have found that this spacing advantageously provides maneuverability during installation, for example to pass obstacles such as protrusions or weld contractions inside the tubular reactor.

[0013] Advantageously, the sealing system may have a height of 25-500 mm, preferably 25-100 mm. The circular cross section of the body may have a diameter of 25-500 mm, preferably 100-150 mm. It should be noted that the diameter of the circular cross section of the body is slightly smaller than the inner diameter of the tubular reactor. Thus, at least the upper part of the circumferential wall of the body coincides with the inner wall of the tubular reactor. It should be noted that the height of the sealing system may be adjusted to seal at the optimum position of the circumferential wall.

[0014] According to the present invention, the "sufficient weight of the main body" is a weight between 10 and 10000 kg, preferably between 100 and 500 kg. "Sufficient weight" includes both the static weight from the sealing system and the dynamic weight resulting from the pressure difference across the sealing system. It should be noted that the more weight there is on the sealing system, the tighter the seal will be.

[0015] The sealing ring may be formed in any suitable manner. However, it will generally be sufficiently compressible to accommodate the smallest diameter of the tubular reactor. The sealing ring is generally a flexible seal. Compressible split rings or rings with high coefficients of expansion may be used. The sealing ring may be formed of any suitable material, provided it can withstand the reaction conditions. Typically, the sealing ring material may be selected from carbon steel, aluminum, stainless steel, high nickel alloys, other alloys, ceramics, or any material capable of withstanding deformation and the reaction conditions.

[0016] The other elements of the sealing system may be formed from any suitable material, which will generally be selected to withstand the operating conditions of the reactor. Typically, these elements are manufactured from carbon steel, aluminum, stainless steel, high nickel alloys, other alloys, or any material capable of withstanding the deformation and reaction conditions. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0017] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 shows a catalyst tube in a combustion heater consisting of an outer reactor tube, catalyst, inner tube, boundary between catalyst tube and inner tube, inlet partition, outlet partition and outlet reducer. [Diagram 2] FIG. 1 shows an embodiment of a sealing system according to the present invention. [Diagram 3] FIG. 1 shows an embodiment of a sealing system according to the present invention. [Figure 4]FIG. 13 shows that overlapping gaps are observed in the sealing ring when the sub-portions overlap. [Diagram 5] FIG. 13 shows that the innermost ring has a smooth inner wall configured to fit over the top wall of the lodging section. [Figure 6] FIG. 2 illustrates different compression means.

[0018] Depending on the embodiment, the sealing system according to the invention may include one or more of the following features: The sealing system comprises a base 20, preferably an annular base, configured to support at least the pusher 40 by means of connection means 30. Advantageously, the base 20 can be adapted to fit the surface on which the sealing system rests or the means for retaining said sealing system in the tubular reactor 10. In one embodiment, the base can be configured to rest on a support surface 67 of the tubular reactor, for example a grid. The connecting means 30 are chosen from among a cylinder or a connecting rod. Advantageously, the connecting means comprise several notches that are inserted into the base 20. The height of the connecting means 30 is such as to allow an axial displacement or movement of the body 60 relative to or above the base 20. Advantageously, the height of the connecting means can be extended in order to seal at a desired position inside the tubular reactor. - the lodging section 22 comprises at least one smooth and straight upper wall, which projects towards the inner wall 11 of the tubular reactor 10. Later, this smooth and straight upper wall of the lodging section is called the "inclined wall". Preferably, the inclined wall of the lodging section 22 and the inner wall 11 of the tubular reactor 10 form an angle of 5° to 45°. As such, the lodging section can be understood as an annular space for sealing rings, which is bounded by at least one straight side wall formed by the inner wall (11) of the tubular reactor (10) and a smooth, preferably inclined, side wall formed by a tapered section. - the inner wall of the pusher 40 is significantly parallel to the upper wall of the lodging part 22. This configuration may prevent the pusher from colliding with the body 60. Alternatively or additionally, as shown in the figure, the ring (50) is pressed against the wall, which prevents the body from moving further downwards. For example, if the ring is not clean or if the inner diameter of the tubular wall is larger than the expanded ring, the pusher (40) may come into contact with the body (60), which may have a negative effect on the seal. A suitable selection of parameters to ensure a proper fit can be obtained by prior parameter selection, for example by dimensioning and / or expanding the seal, the body, etc., with respect to the tubular reactor to be sealed. - the sealing ring 50 has a smooth inner wall configured to fit the upper wall of the lodging section 22. The sealing ring can therefore be understood as having a smooth inner wall that is largely parallel to the smooth, preferably inclined, side walls formed by the tapered sections. It should be noted that the sealing ring also includes an outer wall that is parallel to the inner wall (11) of the tubular reactor, at least when in the expanded state. The peripheral wall 62 of the body 60 is provided with one or more outwardly extending steps, also referred to as protrusions 66, which are configured to lift at least the connecting means 30, the pusher 40 and the sealing ring 50 during loading and / or unloading of the sealing system into the tubular reactor 10. - the sealing ring 50 comprises a portion divided longitudinally into two sub-portions, which are arranged to be superimposed one on the other or simply overlap, depending on the compression applied to the sealing ring. When the sub-portions overlap, an overlapping gap 53 is observed in the sealing ring (see FIG. 4). This overlapping gap 53 is arranged so as to allow compression to the minimum diameter required for loading and / or unloading the sealing system in the tubular reactor. Typically, the overlapping gap has a length corresponding to 0.5% to 5% of the length of the sealing ring. - the sealing ring may consist of two or more separate rings, e.g. concentric ring elements, configured such that in use the smooth outer surface of the inner ring is pressed against a correspondingly shaped, e.g. parallel, smooth inner surface of the outer ring to form a seal. If a ring is provided, it is preferably divided longitudinally into sub-portions, which are offset relative to each other to avoid overlap. For example, the sub-portions of each ring are arranged in different positions (preferably opposite) such that the inner ring blocks the openings between the sub-portions in the outer ring and the outer ring blocks flow to the sub-portions in the inner ring. In the sealing system, the pressure exerted by the body 60 is between 10 kPa and 100 MPa, in particular between 10 kPa and 20 MPa, preferably between 100 kPa and 1 MPa. - The body 60 is configured with channel openings on both sides to be connected to tubes 90 inside the reactor and / or to tubes outside the reactor (see FIG. 3). According to the invention, the channels may be gas passages, gas conduits, gas lines, lumens, etc. Preferably, the channels are elongated.

[0019] An embodiment of the sealing system according to the invention is shown in FIG. 2. The sealing system shown in FIG. 2 comprises a body 60, comprising the peripheral wall of the annular lodging section 22, comprising a sealing ring 50 seated on an annular pusher 40. The force applied by the static and dynamic weight of the body 60 presses the sealing ring 50 against the inner wall 11 of the tubular reactor 10 to form a good seal. The base 20 can be adjusted (in diameter, thickness and edge shape) to fit the surface on which it rests. The base is connected to a cylinder 30, which serves as a connecting element with the pusher 40. The height of the cylinder should be a minimum height sufficient to allow axial movement of the body 60 above the base 20, and can be extended to seal at the desired position. The pusher 40 is adjusted to push the sealing ring 50 into the body 60, more specifically into the inclined wall of the lodging section 22. The body has a step 66 for lifting the pusher 40 and cylinder 30 during loading and unloading of the sealing system. In this embodiment, the body does not have channel openings on either side and is configured to be connected to tubing inside the reactor and / or tubing outside the reactor.

[0020] An embodiment of a sealing system according to the invention, in which the body is provided with a channel 63 open on both sides and adapted to be connected to a tube 90 inside a tubular reactor, is shown in figure 3. In fact, this figure shows the bottom of a tubular reactor, typically a catalytic reactor, provided with an inner tube 90 and a sealing system according to the invention.

[0021] According to one variant, the base 20, the pusher 40 and the connection means 30 are made in one piece or in several pieces connected to one another.

[0022] Advantageously, the annular lodging section 22 comprises a plurality of concentric sealing rings 50, the pusher 40 being configured to push the concentric sealing rings simultaneously. According to one variant, the annular lodging section 22 comprises N concentric sealing rings seated on separate pushers in N concentric rings, N being comprised between 2 and 4. It should be noted that the concentric sealing rings are in contact with each other. Each sealing ring has a wall that matches the wall of the sealing ring with which it is in contact. The innermost ring 55 has a smooth inner wall that is configured to match the upper wall of the lodging section (see FIG. 5). The advantage of parallel concentric rings is that the inner ring blocks the overlapping gaps of the outer rings.

[0023] Another object of the invention is a tubular reactor comprising a sealing system as defined in the present invention and means for retaining said sealing system in the tubular reactor, for example at at least one end of the tubular reactor, preferably at the bottom of the tubular reactor.

[0024] Preferably, the tubular reactor according to the invention is a vertical reactor with downward flow: the reactant(s) flow downwards through the tubular reactor and thus first come into contact with the upper surface of the sealing system, more particularly with the surface of the body of the sealing system.

[0025] Advantageously, the tubular reactor may have a height of between 1 and 30 m, preferably between 10 and 14 m.

[0026] Advantageously, the tubular reactor may have a circular cross section with a diameter between 25 and 500 mm, preferably between 100 and 150 mm.

[0027] Advantageously, the sealing system may be placed up to 1000 mm, preferably up to 150 mm, away from the outlet of the tubular reactor.

[0028] Advantageously, the tubular reactor according to the invention is a tubular reactor for the catalytic conversion of process gases, in other words the tubular reactor is a catalytic tube.

[0029] According to a more preferred variant, the tubular reactor is a reactor for catalytic conversion of a process gas, the tubular reactor comprising: - an outer reaction tube 10; an inner tube 90 extending coaxially inside the outer reaction tube 10; a boundary 80 located between the inner wall of the outer reactor tube 10 and the outer wall of the inner tube 90; - A passage 82 through the boundary at the bottom of the tube close to the seal. The passage may be a perforated tube, a large annular hole or a support structure boundary tube. a first annular channel for catalytically converting a process gas, said channel being defined by the inner wall of the outer reaction tube 10 and by a boundary outer wall, said channel being filled with a catalytic material; - a second annular channel for flow of process gas countercurrently or cocurrently to the process gas flowing through the first annular channel, the second annular channel being defined by an inner wall of the boundary and the outer wall of the inner tube; - an inlet partition at the inlet end of the catalyst tube for preventing process gas from exiting the outer reactor tube from the second annular channel and the inner tube at the inlet end of the catalyst tube; an outlet partition at the outlet end of the catalyst tube for preventing the process gas from exiting the outer reactor tube from the first annular channel and from one of the second annular channel and the inner tube 90, while allowing the process gas to exit the outer reactor tube from the other of the second annular channel and the inner tube 90; a sealing system as defined in the present invention and held on said outlet bulkhead, the sealing system having a body with channel openings on both sides connected to said inner tube.

[0030] The catalyst in the outer annulus may be supported on the body 60 of the sealing system or on the bottom catalyst support 81 .

[0031] In other words, the sealing system according to the present invention can be added to a catalytic tubular reactor such as that described in WO 2018 / 077969.

[0032] Preferably the catalyst is used to carry out catalytic conversion reactions, preferably to improve a reformer.

[0033] As explained above, an embodiment of a catalyst tube according to the present invention is shown in FIG.

[0034] Finally, another object of the invention is a method for loading a sealing system according to the invention into a tubular reactor, said method comprising a step of compressing the sealing rings before loading and a step of depressurizing the sealing system after loading.

[0035] Advantageously, the sealing ring comprises a portion divided in the longitudinal direction into two sub-portions, namely an upper sub-portion and a lower sub-portion, which are arranged to overlap or simply overlap one another depending on the compression applied to the sealing ring, the compression step implementing one of the following compression measures: - a tape or band around the sealing ring; a pin 100, which is inserted vertically and passes completely through the upper sub-part of the sealing ring but is partway through the lower sub-part of the sealing ring; - an adhesive applied to the surface between the two sub-parts 56 and / or to both ends of these sub-parts; - soldering one or both ends of the sub-parts of the sealing ring 57;

[0036] These different compression measures are illustrated in Figure 6. Either a single compression measure or a combination can be applied.

[0037] It should be noted that by inserting the pin partway into the lower sub-portion of the sealing ring, leakage is avoided if the pin melts at high temperatures.

[0038] In the compressed state the seal is minimal and to ensure optimum sealing the compression means should be removed / disconnected before reaching operating conditions.

[0039] In all these cases the means is capable of decomposing at temperatures below normal operating temperatures, but has sufficient strength at room temperature to maintain the rings in compression during loading. Typically the decomposition temperature is 100-500°C, and the operating temperature is 600-800°C. Alternatively these materials may be dissolved in the working fluid. Another alternative is for the material to collapse / break under weight and / or pressure differential along the seal, allowing the rings to expand freely.

[0040] Typically, the material of the tape or band may be selected from plastic, paper, ceramic, or metal.

[0041] Typically, the pin material may be selected from plastic or metal.

[0042] Typically, the adhesive material may be selected from epoxy adhesives, isocyanate adhesives, or other single or multi-component adhesives.

[0043] Typically, the material for soldering may be selected from brazing materials that have a melting point at least below 100° C. at the operating temperature.

[0044] Alternatively, a temporary thin band or tube may be placed around the compressed sealing ring, which is removed after installation.

[0045] If the sealing system must be removed after some time in operation, the body can be pulled (either by the tube or the lug connected to the body) to release the force on the sealing ring, after which the sealing ring can be released and the entire sealing system can be removed from the tube.

[0046] The different objects of the invention have several advantages.

[0047] First, the main advantage of the present invention is that the sealing system can handle changes in the diameter of the tubular reactor. Typically, when ring-type seals are applied, the tolerances of the tube inner diameter and the ring dimensions required very tight tolerances (<0.1 mm). The seal design in the present invention can handle significantly larger tolerances (typically up to several mm) because the weight of the body and / or the pressure drop allows the pusher to push the sealing ring upwards. The sloping wall of the lodging section of the circumferential wall of the body against which the sealing ring slides expands the diameter of the ring, thereby ensuring that in all scenarios there is a tight seal between the inner wall of the tubular reactor and the body. This advantage is particularly beneficial in the case of applications in tubular reactors that have been used in operation, since the tolerances may not have been optimized for sealing. Furthermore, in high temperature applications, material creep is a well-known phenomenon. As a result of creep, the diameter of the tubular reactor may increase slightly over time. The weight-biased seal design ensures that the sealing ring always fits tightly between the tubular reactor and the body throughout the life of the tube. The seal does not decrease during the life of the tubular reactor.

[0048] Secondly, the pretension required for the sealing ring is less critical since it is pressed tightly against the inner wall of the tubular reactor by the weight of the body and the sealing system. This is especially important for high temperature applications where the material strength is reduced. Thus, the present invention reduces leakage through the sealing system. The sealing ring is designed to cover reactor tube diameters between deviations of nominal size minus 4 mm and nominal size plus 4 mm.

[0049] Third, the invention allows the seal to be applied in applications where the seal is placed on top of some existing structure that does not need to be straight. The base can be adjusted relative to the surface on which it is supported. The actual seal between the tube and the housing achieves a slightly higher height where there is no obstruction. This can be particularly useful in the case of welds applied to the bottom of a tubular reactor.

[0050] The solution of the invention is particularly beneficial when installed at the bottom of the tube, since gravity ensures a sufficient load on the sealing device to ensure the sealing of the sealing ring 50. However, the seal can also be applied in a horizontal position, at the top of the tube, or at an angle. In these cases, it may be necessary to apply an additional static load to the seal.

[0051] The present invention further provides a sealing system for a tubular reactor according to paragraphs 1 to 10 below, a tubular reactor comprising a sealing system as defined in any one of paragraphs 1 to 10, the use of a tubular reactor as described in paragraph 12, and a method for loading a sealing system as described in any one of paragraphs 1 to 10 inside a tubular reactor: Paragraph 1. A sealing system for a tubular reactor (10), the sealing system comprising a body (60) having an inner wall (11) and a circular cross section (61), at least an upper portion of which comprises a peripheral wall (62) configured to fit against the inner wall (11) of the tubular reactor, the peripheral wall (62) comprising at least an annular lodging portion (22) comprising a sealing ring (50) seated on an annular pusher (40), the pusher (40) configured to push the sealing ring (50) into the peripheral wall (62) of the body, the body (60) having a sufficient weight to press the sealing ring (50) against the inner wall (11) of the tubular reactor (10). Paragraph 2. The sealing system of paragraph 1, comprising a base (20) configured to support at least a pusher (40) by a connection means (30). Paragraph 3. A sealing system according to paragraph 2, wherein said connecting means (30) is selected from among a cylinder or a connecting rod. Paragraph 4. A sealing system according to paragraph 2 or paragraph 3, wherein the height of the connection means (30) is such as to allow axial movement of the body (60) above the base (20). Paragraph 5. The sealing system according to any one of Paragraphs 1 to 4, wherein the lodging portion (22) includes at least one smooth, straight upper wall protruding toward the inner wall (11) of the tubular reactor (10). Paragraph 6. A sealing system according to any one of paragraphs 1 to 5, wherein an inner wall of the pusher (40) is significantly parallel to the upper wall of the lodging portion (22). Paragraph 7. The sealing system of any one of Paragraphs 1 to 6, wherein the sealing ring (50) has a smooth inner wall configured to fit against the upper wall of the lodging portion (22). Paragraph 8. A sealing system according to any one of paragraphs 1 to 7, wherein the peripheral wall (62) of the body (60) is provided with a step configured to lift at least the connection means (30), the pusher (40) and the sealing ring (50) during loading and / or unloading of the sealing system into the tubular reactor. Paragraph 9. A sealing system according to any one of Paragraphs 1 to 8, wherein the sealing ring (50) comprises a portion longitudinally divided into two sub-portions configured to be superimposed one on top of the other or simply overlap, depending on the compression applied to the sealing ring. Paragraph 10. A sealing system according to any one of paragraphs 1 to 9, wherein the body (60) has channel openings on both sides and is configured to be connected to a tube (90) inside the reactor or to a tube outside the reactor. Paragraph 11. A tubular reactor comprising a sealing system according to any one of paragraphs 1 to 10 and a means for retaining the sealing system at at least one end of the tubular reactor. Paragraph 12. The tubular reactor is a reactor for catalytic conversion of process gases, - an outer reaction tube (10); - an inner tube (90) extending coaxially inside the outer reaction tube (10); a boundary (80) located between the inner wall of the outer reaction tube (10) and the outer wall of the inner tube (90); - A passage (82) through the boundary at the bottom of the tube near the seal. a first annular channel for catalytically converting a process gas, said channel being defined by said inner wall of the outer reaction tube 10 and said outer wall of said boundary, said channel being filled with a catalytic material; - a second annular channel for flowing the process gas countercurrently or cocurrently with respect to the process gas flowing through the first annular channel, the second annular channel being defined by the inner wall of the boundary and the outer wall of the inner tube; - an inlet partition at the inlet end of the catalyst tube for preventing process gas from exiting the outer reactor tube from the second annular channel and the inner tube at the inlet end of the catalyst tube; - an outlet partition at the outlet end of the catalyst tube for preventing process gas from exiting the outer reactor tube from the first annular channel and from one of the second annular channel and the inner tube (90) while allowing process gas to exit the outer reactor tube from the other of the second annular channel and the inner tube (90); - a sealing system according to paragraph 10, held on the outlet bulkhead, the body of which is provided on both sides with channel openings connected to the inner tube. Paragraph 13. Use of a tubular reactor according to paragraph 11 or paragraph 12 for carrying out catalytic conversion reactions, preferably for upgrading a reformer. Paragraph 14. A method for loading a sealing system according to any one of paragraphs 1 to 10 into a tubular reactor, comprising a step of compressing the sealing rings before loading and a step of depressurizing the sealing system after loading. Paragraph 15. The sealing ring comprises a portion divided in the longitudinal direction into two sub-portions, namely an upper sub-portion and a lower sub-portion, the sub-portions being configured to overlap or simply overlap one another depending on the compression applied to the sealing ring, the compression step being one of the following compression means: - a tape or band around the sealing ring; - a pin (100) that is inserted vertically and completely penetrates the upper sub-portion of the sealing ring, but is partway through the lower sub-portion of the sealing ring; - an adhesive applied to the surface between the two sub-parts (56) and / or to both ends of these sub-parts; - soldering one or both ends of the sub-portion of the sealing ring (57). Paragraph 16. The sealing system of any one of paragraphs 1-10, wherein the sealing ring (50) comprises two or more concentric rings and the pusher 40 is configured to push the concentric sealing rings together. The concentric sealing rings are in contact with each other. Each sealing ring has a wall that matches the wall of the sealing ring it is in contact with. The innermost ring 55 has a smooth inner wall that is configured to match the top wall of the lodging portion. The inner ring fills the overlapping gap of the outer rings. Paragraph 17. The sealing ring may consist of two or more separate rings, e.g. concentric ring elements. The rings are configured such that, in use, the smooth outer surface of the inner ring is pressed against a correspondingly shaped, e.g. parallel, smooth inner surface of the outer ring to form a seal. If the ring is provided, it is preferably divided longitudinally into sub-portions, which are offset relative to each other to avoid overlap. For example, the sub-portions of each ring are located in different positions (preferably opposite) such that the inner ring blocks the openings between the sub-portions in the outer ring and the outer ring blocks flow to the sub-portions in the inner ring.

Claims

1. 1. A sealing system for a tubular reactor (10), comprising an inner wall (11), a body (60), a peripheral wall (62) having a circular section (61) arranged on an upper portion of the peripheral wall, said circular section having a diameter smaller than a diameter of the inner wall (11) of the tubular reactor, said peripheral wall (62) having a tapered section and providing an annular lodging section (22) extending between the inner wall of the tubular reactor and the tapered section, said annular lodging section comprising a sealing ring (50) seated on an annular pusher (40), said sealing ring being configured to press an inner surface of said sealing ring (50) against the peripheral wall (62) of the body together with said pusher (40), said body (60) having a sufficient weight to press an outer surface of said sealing ring (50) against the inner wall (11) of the tubular reactor (10).

2. 2. The sealing system according to claim 1, comprising a base (20) configured to rest on a support surface (67) of the tubular reactor (10) and to support at least the pusher (40) by means of a connection means (30).

3. The sealing system according to claim 2, wherein said connecting means (30) is selected from among a cylinder or a connecting rod.

4. 4. The sealing system according to claim 2 or 3, wherein the height of the connection means (30) is such as to allow axial displacement of the body (60) relative to the base (20).

5. 5. The sealing system according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the lodging section (22) is bounded by at least one straight side wall formed by the inner wall (11) of the tubular reactor (10) and by a smooth, preferably sloping side wall formed by the tapered section.

6. A sealing system according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the inner wall of the pusher (40) is significantly parallel to the smooth, preferably sloping side wall formed by the tapered section.

7. A sealing system according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the sealing ring (50) comprises a smooth inner wall substantially parallel to the smooth, preferably sloping, side wall formed by the tapered section.

8. 8. The sealing system according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the peripheral wall (62) of the body (60) comprises one or more outwardly extending protrusions (66) configured to lift at least the connecting means (30), the pusher (40) and the sealing ring (50) during loading and / or unloading of the sealing system into the tubular reactor.

9. 9. The sealing system according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the sealing ring (50) comprises a portion longitudinally divided into two sub-portions configured to be superimposed one on top of the other or simply overlap, depending on the compression applied to the sealing ring.

10. The sealing system according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the body (60) is provided with channel openings on both sides and configured to be connected to a tube (90) inside the reactor or to a tube outside the reactor.

11. A tubular reactor comprising a sealing system according to any one of claims 1 to 10 and means for retaining said sealing system within said tubular reactor.

12. The tubular reactor is a reactor for catalytic conversion of a process gas, the tubular reactor comprising: an outer reaction tube (10), an inner tube (90) extending coaxially inside said outer reaction tube (10); a boundary (80) located between the inner wall of the outer reaction tube (10) and the outer wall of the inner tube (90); A passage (82) through said boundary at the bottom of the tube close to said seal. a first annular channel for catalytically converting a process gas, said channel being defined by the inner wall of the outer reactor tube 10 and by the outer boundary wall, said channel being filled with a catalytic material; a second annular channel for flowing a process gas countercurrently or cocurrently with respect to the process gas flowing through the first annular channel, the second annular channel being defined by an inner wall of the boundary and the outer wall of the inner tube; an inlet partition at the inlet end of the catalyst tube for preventing process gas from leaving the outer reactor tube through the second annular channel and the inner tube at the inlet end of the catalyst tube; an outlet partition at the outlet end of the catalyst tube for preventing process gas from exiting the outer reactor tube from the first annular channel and from one of the second annular channel and the inner tube (90) while allowing process gas to exit the outer reactor tube from the other of the second annular channel and the inner tube (90); - a sealing system according to claim 10, which is held on said outlet bulkhead and said body is provided on both sides with channel openings connected to said inner tube.

13. Use of a tubular reactor according to claim 12 for carrying out catalytic conversion reactions, preferably for upgrading a reformer.

14. A method for loading a sealing system according to any one of claims 1 to 10 into a tubular reactor, comprising the steps of compressing the sealing rings before loading and depressurizing the sealing system after loading.

15. The sealing ring comprises a portion that is longitudinally divided into two sub-portions, namely an upper sub-portion and a lower sub-portion, the sub-portions being configured to overlap or simply overlap one another depending on the compression applied to the sealing ring, and the compression step being one of the following compression means: - a tape or band around the sealing ring, a pin (100) inserted vertically and completely penetrating the upper sub-part of said sealing ring, but partway through the lower sub-part of said sealing ring; - an adhesive applied to the surface between the two sub-parts (56) and / or to both ends of these sub-parts; - soldering one or both ends of said sub-portions of said sealing ring (57).

Images