US1747634A - Multistage converter - Google Patents

Description

Feb. 18, 1930. H. o. c. lsENBl-:RG 1,747,634

MULTISTAGE coNvEnTER original f Filed nec. 19, 192s 2 sheets-sheet 1 'flrrll 4 Tro'R/vs rs Feb. 18, 1930. H. o. c;` lsENB'l-:RG

HULTISTAGE CONVERTER Original Filed Dec. 19. 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 mmEss Y /NvENToR MM5 0. tiff/vains 0g BY moe/vers Patented Feb. 18, 1930 UNITED STATES iArinsrr'v ori-'ics f HANS O; C. ISENBERG, F NEW ROCHELLE, NEW YORK, ASIGNOR 'TO CHEMICAL COMPANY, OF NEW YORK,'N. Y., A CORPORATION 0I' NEW YORK MULTISTAGE CONVERTER' Application-med December 19, 1925, Serial No. 76,473. Renewed March 1, 1923.

and arrange the cooling system that contamination of the catalytic material by scale from the coolers is prevented. Other objects will appear from the following description and by reference to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof and wherein a satisfactory example of an apparatus embodying the v principlesor` my invent-ion is illustrated.

In said drawings, Fig. 1 is an elevation partly in section of an apparatus constructed in accordance with the principles of my invention; Fig. 2 is a plan View partly in section of the structure shown in Fig. 1; and

Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional detail through one of the connecting sections of the multiso stage converter.

The reference character A indicates a multi-stage converter, consisting in the illustrated example of nine cylindrical sections arranged in'superposed relation and secured together at their flanged upper and lower extremities by any suitable means such as the bolts 10. The converter A as shown includes four converter sections B, C, D, and E, a primary inlet section, a final outlet section, and

three chambered or vestibul'elsections interposed 'between successive convertensections.

Each of the convertersections is of similar construction and is provided with any sul able means such as the spaced foraminated V15 plates 11 upon which -is supported the catalytic material (such as platinized asbestos).l

A system for the circulation of any suitable cooling medium such as air is provided for cooling the. gases to be treated in their passage from` each converter stagefto the nex-t succeeding stage and also for efecting a pren liminary and final cooling of such gases in their passage to .and from the multi-'stage converter. This system consists-of a plurality of coolers designated in the drawing as cooler No. 1, No. 2, No. 3, No. 4, and No. 5. All of these coolers with the exception of No. 4'are identical in construction and each consists of a cylindrical shell or casing 20 which in the illustrated example, has its axisextending horizontally and is located to one side of' the multi-stage converter A. Mo'untedwith- 1n the casing 20 is a plurality of tubes 21l through which lpass the gases' to be cooled, and each of said tubes preferably has placed x therein'a helical baille 22 to cause a swirlingmotion to be given to the gases in their passage through the rtubes. The cooling mediuml is introduced into the casings 20 of the 'coolers through bustle pipes 23, connectedl to the side wall of each casing 20 adjacent to one end thereof, and such medium passes f through the casing in contact with the outer surfaces of the tubes 21, flowing counter to the gases to leave at the other end of the cas# ing through the bustle pipe 24. Communication between' the bustle pipes and casings is established through ay plurality of apertures 25 provided in the side wgalls of the casings. The bustle pipes 23 are connected by the branchY pipes 23a to the stand lpipe 26 which in turn is connected with the pressure side of a blower 27, while the bustle pipes 24 are connected by the branch pipes 24:a to a second stand pipe 28 leading to the suction side of the blower 27, said pipe 28 having a branch 29 leading to a purge stack 30.

The gases to be treated are first passedthrough cooler No. 1, entering through the pipe 31 and leaving said cooler through "the pipe 32 which leads-to the top section ,or primary ginlet 33 of the converter A. j F'I'OmA the inlet 'section 33 the gases vpass'through the converter section B to contact with the catalyst contained therein, leavin said section throu, ,rhv the bottom thereof an entering the 35 of which they pass through the pipe 36 to cooler No. 2, passingthrough the cooler and being returned throughthe pipe 37 to4 4.vestibule section 34 fromtheilanged outlet the inlet 37 of the vestibule section 34.

p Three of these vestibule sections, indicated by the reference characters 34, 44, 54'are provided and interposed respectively between the converter sections B and C, C and D, and D and E. Each section is provided with a flanged outlet 35 through which the gases from the converter section immediately above pass on their way to the cooling system, a flanged inlet 37', through which the gases are returned to the vestibule section, to pass therefrom to the next lower converter section, and an inclined partition wall 38 for dividing each section into two chambers 39 and 40 and delecting the gases from the upper converter section towards the outlet 35 and from the inlet 37 towards the lower converter section. The inlet section 33 and the outlet section 50 may be of the same construction as the vestibule section shown in Fig. 3, but in that case the chamber 39 of the inlet section 33 and the chamber 40 of the outlet section 50 would remain unused.

As the reactions which take place in the later stages of the converter are less active and therefore theheat generated is less in each succeeding stage, cooler No. 4 is in the form of an exposed pipe 41.

Dampers 42 are preferably provided for controlling the volume of cooling medium flowing to each of the coolers No. 1, No. 2, No. 3, and No. 5 and similar dampers 42el are provided in the outlet branch pipes 24' to enable the flow of air to be regulated separately for each of said coolers. -A damper 43 is provided in the branch 29, and in the stand pipe 28 I have shown the damper 45 adjacent to an opening controlled by a shutter 46, to regulate the amount of outside air which may be admitted through said opening to the suction side of the blower 27.

The operation is as follows: The gas to be treated flows through the. apparatus in the following path: entering cooler No. 1 through pipe 31, it passes to the primary inlet 33 of multi-stage converter column A, through converter stage B, to vestibule 34, to cooler No. 2 back to vestibule 34, to converter stage to vestibule 44, to cooler No. 3, back to vestibule 44, to converter stage D, to vestibule 54, to cooler No. 4, back to vestibule 54, to` converter stage E, to iinal outlet 50, to cooler No. 5, and thence through pipe 47 to the absorbing apparatus (not shown.) As the cooler elementsv are all located outside of the converter column, the scale which tends to collect upon the .side walls of the cooler surfaces can not drop upcn and contaminate the catalyst as with constructions in which the cooler elements are directly connected with and form sections of the converter column. In addition, the present arrangement is more compact and simple in construction than the combined column of converter and cooler sections. Furthermore, any of the cooler sections may be disconnected whenever necessary or desirable without disturbing 0r dismantling the c olumn.

I prefer to make the partitions 38 as separate and individually removable members. Inasmuch as the foraminated plates 11 of each of the converter sections B, C, D, together with the supports or baskets on which such plates are mounted, are of adiameter smaller than the interior diameter of the vertical sections, it follows that upon removing the uppermost partition 38, the catalyst carrier of the first converter section B may be removed without disturbing the connection between the inlet section 33 and the converter section B, and similarly, by a successive removal of the other partitions 38, the catalyst carriers of the lower converter section C, D, E may be lifted out of the column A without dismembering the column proper.

It is preferable to keep the cooling medium flowing through the transferrers or coolers, at a temperature above that at which condensation of H2804 will occur. At the beginning of the operation, the shutter 46 and the damper 43 are closed, so thatpthe blower 27 will circulate the 'cooling medium (air) through the four coolers Nos. 1, 2, 3, and 5 in closed paths until the temperature of such circulating air is raised to the pro er degree. If the temperature tends to rise urther, the shutter 46 is opened to admit cold air from the outside, so as to maintain the temperature of the cooling medium within the desired limits, it being understood that the damper 43 controlling the purge stack 30 is also opened to discharge excess air. By a proper manipulation'of the dampers 42, 42, the amount of air propelled by the blower 27 can be apportioned variably among the individual coolers Nos. l, 2, 3, and 5.

Various modifications may be made without departing from the nature of my invention as set forth inthe appended claims.

I claim:

1. A multi-stage converter column comprisinga plurality of -spaced successive converter sections and chambered sections interposed between said sections, each of said chambered sections having a gas inlet and a gas outlet and an inclined partition extending between said inlet and outlet.

2. A multi-stage converter column comprising aplurality of s aced converter sections, a chambered sect1on located between two adjacent converter sections, and havin a -gas inlet, a gas outlet, and a partition tween such inlet and such outlet, saidA artition being secured'removably to its cham ered section so that upon takin out said partition, access may be had to t e converter section below without disturbing the body of said chambered section or its connections;

3. In an` apparatus for conducting cata-lytic conversion processes, a converter column havinge-plurality of successive converter stages zontal plane, each of said coolers forming a,

conduit for the passage of the gas to be converted, and connections between said coolers and the chambered sections of said column to cause said gas to be passed through said coolers and the converter sections in alternation.

4. In an apparatus for conducting catalytic conversion processes, a converter column having a plurality of successive converterstages arranged in spaced relationship and chambered sections located at the ends of said at each end of each of said successive con.- verter stages, each of said chambered sections being provided with means to permit the connection thereto of a gas inlet pipe and a gas outlet pipe and with means to. direct the gas from said inlet through an adJacent converter stage and ,to prevent its passage .d1 rectly from said inlet pipe to said outlet pipe, a plurality of tubular coolers, one foreach of said chambered sections .arranged to one side of said converter column adjacent to its respective converter stage, said coolers being separated from and independent of each other and said column, and havingtheir axis horizontally disposed, and conduits connecting each cooler with its respective chambered section to cause the gas to low serially-and successi'vely through said coolers, chambered sections and converter stages.

In testimony whereof lI have hereunto set in hand.

y HANS o. C. isiaiaiiiaacv stages, means to subject the gas passing.-

throughsaid column to a plurality of successive coolings, said means comprising a plurality of independent tubular coolers positioned externally of said converter column and having their longitudinal axis in a horizontal pla-ne, each of said coolers forming a lconduit for lthe passage of the gas undergoing conversion and being provided with means to pass a cooling medium therethrough inv heat exchange relationship with said gas, and connections between said coolers and the chambered sections of said column to cause said gas to be passed alternatively and successively through said coolers and the converter sections.

5. In an apparatus for conducting catalytic conversion processes, a converter column having a plurality of successive converter stages arranged in spaced relationship, a chambered section located between each adjacent pair of the successive converter stages and having a gasinlet, a gas outlet, an-d a partition between such inlet-and such outlet, said partition being removably secured'to its chambered section, means to subject the gas passing through the column to a plurality of successive coolings, said means comprising a plurality of independent coolers positioned externally of said converter column and having their longitudinal axis in a horizontal plane, each of said coolers forming a conduit for the passage of gases to be converted, and connections between each of said coolers and the gas inlet and outlet of its respective chamv bered section to cause said 'gas to be passed through said coolers and converter sections in alternation.

6. In an apparatus for conducting catalytic vconversion processes, a converter column having a plurality of successive converter stages,

a plurality of chambered sections, one located

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