Gas Liquid Reactor Central Pipe Segmentation for Ethylene Dissolution
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing gas/liquid reactors for olefin oligomerization, such as bubble columns, face challenges in managing the gas headspace, leading to significant ethylene breakthrough, resulting in reduced productivity and selectivity due to inefficient dissolution of ethylene in the liquid phase.
Innovation Solution
A gas/liquid reactor design featuring a central pipe that creates a descending central flow zone and an ascending outer flow zone, with gas and liquid injection devices positioned to extend the residence time of gaseous olefinic feedstock in the liquid phase, enhancing dissolution and reducing breakthrough by increasing the contact surface area and shear forces on gas bubbles.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of substance
If the height of the liquid phase is increased to increase dissolution time, then ethylene breakthrough is reduced, but the reactor volume increases
Solution Approach 1:
The reactor is segmented into a central zone and an outer zone by introducing a central pipe. Gas is injected in the central zone and forced to rise through the outer zone, creating a segmented flow path that extends dissolution time without increasing overall reactor volume.
Solution Approach 2:
A central pipe is nested within the reactor chamber, creating a concentric zone structure. This nested configuration allows the gas to traverse a longer path through the liquid phase by rising through the annular outer zone, effectively increasing dissolution time without proportionally increasing reactor volume.
2Productivity
If the residence time of gas bubbles in the liquid phase is increased, then ethylene conversion is improved, but the reactor volume increases
Solution Approach 1:
The flow path is segmented into a central injection zone and an outer rising zone. This segmentation forces gas bubbles to travel a longer path through the liquid phase in the outer zone, increasing residence time and conversion without requiring a proportionally larger reactor volume.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention transforms the traditional single-zone vertical flow into a two-dimensional concentric flow pattern (central zone + outer annular zone). This dimensional change in flow configuration extends the gas-liquid contact path length without increasing the vertical height or overall volume of the reactor.
3Productivity
If gas headspace is purged to remove gaseous compounds, then selectivity is improved, but ethylene loss increases
Solution Approach 1:
The reactor design preliminarily dissolves ethylene in the liquid phase by extending the gas-liquid contact time through the central pipe configuration. By pre-dissolving more ethylene before it reaches the gas headspace, the amount of ethylene that would otherwise be lost during purging is reduced, thereby improving selectivity without sacrificing productivity.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This design significantly increases the degree of ethylene saturation in the liquid phase, improving conversion and selectivity of linear α-olefins while reducing reactor volume and operational costs by minimizing ethylene loss and optimizing oligomerization productivity.
Implementation Method 1
the liquid injection device is positioned in the reactor chamber so as to be able to entrain the injected gas in the direction of the lower part of the reactor
Implementation Method 2
said central pipe being immersed in a liquid phase and delimiting a central flow zone that is capable of permitting a descending flow and an outer flow zone that is capable of permitting an ascending flow
Implementation Method 3
the amount of dissolved ethylene and thus the level of breakthrough are dependent on the dimensions of the reactors implementing the process, and notably on the height of the liquid phase, which conditions the dissolution time of the injected gas bubbles
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention relates to a gas/liquid reactor for the oligomerization of gaseous ethylene, comprising a central pipe which delimits inside the reactor chamber a central zone allowing a descending flow and an outer zone allowing an ascending flow, thus making it possible to increase the time of travel of the injected gas bubbles in the liquid phase, without increasing the volume of the liquid phase and thus the volume of the reactor.