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A reactor with minimal dead volume especially suited to reverse-flow applications comprises: a) a reactor body; b) a first head engaged with said reactor body; c) a first conduit extending from outside said head to at least partially through said head; and d) a first valve in flow communication with

A reactor with minimal dead volume especially suited to reverse-flow applications comprises: a) a reactor body; b) a first head engaged with said reactor body; c) a first conduit extending from outside said head to at least partially through said head; and d) a first valve in flow communication with said first conduit controlling fluid flow along a flow path extending from the first valve and through the reactor body. The reactor is especially suited for use in a process for rapid stream-switching of at least two streams in a reverse-flow reactor.

대표청구항 ▼

1. A reactor comprising: a) a reactor body;b) a first head engaged with said reactor body;c) a first conduit extending from outside said head to at least partially through said head; andd) a first valve in flow communication with said first conduit controlling fluid flow along a flow path extending

1. A reactor comprising: a) a reactor body;b) a first head engaged with said reactor body;c) a first conduit extending from outside said head to at least partially through said head; andd) a first valve in flow communication with said first conduit controlling fluid flow along a flow path extending from the first valve and through the reactor body; wherein (i) said first valve has a substantially open position when fluid flow in the flow path is in a first flow direction and a substantially closed position when fluid flow in the flow path is in a second, opposite flow direction and (ii) the reactor includes a first valve pair on opposite sides of at least a portion of the flow path;e) a second head engaged with said reactor body;f) a second conduit extending from outside the first head or the second head to at least partially through said respective head;g) a second valve in flow communication with said second conduit controlling fluid flow along the flow path including a portion extended from the reactor body to the second valve, wherein said first valve and second valve are each in a substantially open position when fluid flow in the flow path is in a first flow direction and a substantially closed position when fluid flow in the flow path is in a second, opposite flow direction;h) a third conduit extending from outside the first head or the second head to at least partially through said respective head;i) a third valve in flow communication with said third conduit controlling fluid flow along the flow path including a portion extended from the reactor body to the third valve;j) a fourth conduit extending from outside the first head or the second head to at least partially through said respective head; andk) a fourth valve in flow communication with said second conduit controlling fluid flow along the flow path including a portion extended from the reactor body to the fourth valve. 2. The reactor of claim 1, having a second valve pair comprising said third valve and said fourth valve on opposite sides of at least a portion of the flow path, controlling flow in the second, opposite flow direction wherein the third valve and the fourth valve are each in a substantially closed position when the fluid flow in the flow path is in the first flow direction and in a substantially open position when fluid flow in the flow path is in the second, opposite flow direction. 3. The reactor of claim 2, wherein the reactor is an asymmetric reverse flow reactor. 4. The reactor of claim 2 further comprising one or more additional valves, each in flow communication with one of said first, second, third, or fourth conduits via an additional conduit extending at least partially through said additional conduit's respective head, operating in phase with any other valves in fluid communication with said additional conduit and controlling fluid flow along the flow path including a portion extended from the reactor body to the respective valve. 5. The reactor of claim 1, wherein each valve is associated with an externally accessible valve seat that fits within its respective inlet to the reactor body and/or outlet from the reactor body and is sealed to the head. 6. The reactor of claim 5, wherein the valve seat is attached to the head via one of a rotatable locking mechanism, thread-in seats, and pressed-in seats. 7. The reactor of claim 1, wherein: a) the reactor body forms a reaction zone within the reactor body; andb) the reaction zone includes a packing material disposed within the reaction zone. 8. The reactor of claim 7, wherein the reactor is an asymmetric reverse flow reactor. 9. The reactor of claim 7, wherein the packing material is a honeycomb packing material. 10. A reactor comprising: a) a reactor body;b) a first head engaged with said reactor body;c) a first conduit extending from outside said head to at least partially through said head;d) a first valve in flow communication with said first conduit controlling fluid flow along a flow path extending from the first valve and through the reactor body;e) a second head engaged with said reactor body;f) a second conduit extending from outside the first head or the second head to at least partially through said respective head; andg) a second valve in flow communication with said second conduit controlling fluid flow along the flow path including a portion extended from the reactor body to the second valve; wherein (A) the reactor body comprises a reactor bed, and the volume of the flow path consists of i) a packed flow path volume within a solids-fluids contact portion of the reactor bed and ii) an open flow path volume between the valve(s) and the reactor bed, as well as any open flow portion within the reactor bed, and (B) the ratio of the open flow path volume to packed flow path volume is less than 1. 11. The reactor of claim 10, wherein said packed flow volume comprises all volume in the reactor bed that is at a distance less than 2 cm from a solids-fluid contact surface. 12. The reactor of claim 10, wherein said solids-fluids contact portion of the reactor bed has a wetted area greater than 0.5 cm2/cm3 in all regions of said portion of the reactor bed. 13. The reactor of claim 10, wherein the ratio of the open flow path volume to packed flow path volume is less than 0.5. 14. The reactor of claim 10, wherein the reactor bed comprises a fixed bed core comprising solid material capable of heat exchange. 15. A reactor comprising: a) a reactor body;b) a first head engaged with said reactor body;c) a first conduit extending from outside said head to at least partially through said head;d) a first valve in flow communication with said first conduit controlling fluid flow along a flow path extending from the first valve and through the reactor body;e) a second head engaged with said reactor body;f) a second conduit extending from outside the first head or the second head to at least partially through said respective head; andg) a second valve in flow communication with said second conduit controlling fluid flow along the flow path including a portion extended from the reactor body to the second valve; wherein (A) at least one of said valves is a poppet valve comprising a disk element connected to a valve stem element, (B) the poppet valve disk element has a surface substantially parallel to and facing the proximal reactor bed surface, and (C) the distance during operation between the poppet valve disk element flat surface in the fully open position and the reactor bed surface is between 5% and 200% of the disk element diameter. 16. The reactor of claim 15, wherein the distance during operation between the poppet valve disk element flat surface in the fully open position and the reactor bed surface is between 20% and 80% of the disk element diameter. 17. The reactor of claim 15, wherein said poppet valve stem element extends to a location outside said head, or (ii) the poppet valve opens toward the reactor bed, or (iii) the poppet valve opens away from the reactor bed. 18. The reactor of claim 17 which further comprises a valve stem seal associated with the valve stem. 19. A reactor comprising: a) a reactor body;b) a first head engaged with said reactor body;c) a first conduit extending from outside said head to at least partially through said head;d) a first valve in flow communication with said first conduit controlling fluid flow along a flow path extending from the first valve and through the reactor body;e) a second head engaged with said reactor body;f) a second conduit extending from outside the first head or the second head to at least partially through said respective head; andg) a second valve in flow communication with said second conduit controlling fluid flow along the flow path including a portion extended from the reactor body to the second valve; wherein (A) the reactor body comprises a reactor bed, and the volume of the flow path consists of i) a packed flow path volume within a solids-fluids contact portion of the reactor bed and ii) an open flow path volume between the valve(s) and the reactor bed, as well as any open flow portion within the reactor bed, (B) at least one of said valves is a poppet valve comprising a disk element connected to a valve stem element, (C) said poppet valve stem element extends to a location outside said head, the valve stem having an associated valve stem seal associated with the valve stem, and (D) the valve stem seal is a reciprocating compressor-type seal. 20. The reactor of claim 19, wherein the poppet valve comprises a linearly actuatable valve stem engageable with an actuator to open and close the valve by imparting linear motion. 21. The reactor of claim 20, wherein the actuator is at least one of pneumatically actuated, hydraulically actuated, and electromagnetically actuated. 22. The reactor of claim 20, wherein the actuator is camshaft actuated. 23. The reactor of claim 20, wherein a common actuator controls linearly aligned plural valves common to a particular fluid flow stream. 24. A reactor comprising: a) a reactor body;b) a first head engaged with said reactor body;c) a first conduit extending from outside said head to at least partially through said head;d) a first valve in flow communication with said first conduit controlling fluid flow along a flow path extending from the first valve and through the reactor body;e) a second head engaged with said reactor body;f) a second conduit extending from outside the first head or the second head to at least partially through said respective head; andg) a second valve in flow communication with said second conduit controlling fluid flow along the flow path including a portion extended from the reactor body to the second valve; wherein (A) the reactor body comprises a reactor bed, and the volume of the flow path consists of i) a packed flow path volume within a solids-fluids contact portion of the reactor bed and ii) an open flow path volume between the valve(s) and the reactor bed, as well as any open flow portion within the reactor bed, (B) at least one of said valves is a poppet valve comprising a disk element connected to a valve stem element, (C) said poppet valve stem element extends to a location outside said head, the valve stem having an associated valve stem seal associated with the valve stem, and (D) the poppet valves associated with a particular head are substantially circular, uniform in diameter and spaced center-to-center by 120% to 400% of the average poppet disk element diameter. 25. The reactor of claim 24, wherein the circular poppet valves are spaced center-to-center by 140% to 200% of the average poppet disk element diameter. 26. The reactor of claim 24, which provides at least one of: i) a valve pressure drop as fluid flows through a valve of from 1% to 100% of the reactor internal pressure drop; ii) a ratio of total stream poppet valve flow area for one of an inlet stream and an outlet stream to reactor flow area ranging from 1% to 30%; iii) a poppet valve diameter between minimum value (DPMIN) [inches]=0.1484+0.4876*DB [feet], where DB is flow area diameter in feet, and maximum value (DPMAX) [inches]=1.6113+1.8657*DB [feet], where DB is flow area diameter in feet; iv) LP/DP, (the ratio of valve lift to poppet diameter) ranges between 3% and 25%; and v) valve lift times of at least 50 milliseconds. 27. The reactor of claim 24 which provides at least one of: i) a valve pressure drop as fluid flows through a valve of from 5% to 20% of the reactor internal pressure drop; ii) a ratio of total stream poppet valve flow area for one of an inlet stream and an outlet stream to reactor flow area ranging from 2% to 20%; iii) a poppet valve diameter between minimum value (DPMIN) [inches]=0.1484+0.4876*DB [feet], where DB is flow area diameter in feet, and maximum value (DPMAX) [inches]=1.6113+1.8657*DB [feet], where DB is flow area diameter in feet; iv) LP/DP, (the ratio of valve lift to poppet diameter) ranges between 5% and 20%; and v) valve lift times between 100 and 500 milliseconds. 28. A process for rapid stream-switching of at least two streams in a reverse-flow reactor, the process comprising: (A) providing a reverse-flow reactor, the reactor including a) a reactor body;b) a first head engaged with said reactor body;c) first and third conduits, each extending from outside said first head to at least partially through said first head;d) first and third poppet valves, wherein (i) the first valve is in flow communication with said first conduit controlling fluid flow along a flow path extending from the first valve and through the reactor body and (ii) the third valve is in flow communication with said third conduit controlling fluid flow along a flow path extending from the third valve and through the reactor body;e) a second head engaged with said reactor body;f) second and fourth conduits, each extending from outside the first head or the second head to at least partially through said respective head;g) second and fourth poppet valves, wherein (i) the second valve is in flow communication with said second conduit controlling fluid flow along the flow path including a portion extended from the reactor body to the second valve and and (ii) the fourth valve is in flow communication with said fourth conduit controlling fluid flow along the flow path including a portion extended from the reactor body to the fourth valve;h) the reactor body further including a reactor bed, and the volume of each flow path comprises i) a packed flow path volume within a solids-fluids contact portion of the reactor bed, ii) an open flow path volume between the flowpath's valve and the reactor bed, and iii) any open flow portion within the reactor bed, and wherein the ratio of the open flow path volume to packed flow path volume is less than 1;(B) introducing from one or more inlet gas sources at least one first gas stream to the first conduit, through the first head, and into the reactor body and withdrawing a treated first gas stream from the reactor body, through the second head, and to the second conduit; wherein said introducing is controlled by the first poppet valve and said withdrawing is controlled by the second poppet valve; and(C) introducing from one or more inlet gas sources at least one second gas stream to the fourth conduit, through the second head, and into the reactor body and withdrawing a treated second gas stream from the reactor body, through the first head, to the third conduit, wherein said introducing is controlled by the fourth poppet valve or other intake flow control means located in the second head and said withdrawing is controlled by the third poppet valve.