A catalyst carrier for insertion in a reactor tube of a tubular reactor, said catalyst carrier comprising: a container for holding catalyst in use, said container having a bottom surface closing the container, and a top surface; a carrier outer wall extending from the bottom surface to the top surface; a seal extending from the container by a distance which extends beyond the carrier outer wall; said carrier outer wall having apertures located below the seal.

A catalyst carrier for insertion in a reactor tube of a tubular reactor, said catalyst carrier comprising: a container for holding catalyst in use, said container having a bottom surface closing the container, and a top surface; a carrier outer wall extending from the bottom surface to the top surface; a seal extending from the container by a distance which extends beyond the carrier outer wall; said carrier outer wall having apertures located below the seal.

Process and plant for the synthesis of ammonia from a hydrocarbon feedstock, comprising: primary reforming with steam and air-fired secondary reforming wherein primary reforming is performed at a temperature and pressure of at least 790 C. and 50 bar, and secondary reforming is carried out substantially in absence of excess air, the so obtained make-up synthesis gas having a H.sub.2 to N.sub.2 molar ratio in the range 2.5 to 3.

An exhaust system for a steam reformer comprises at least one longitudinal collecting tube, wherein along the longitudinal axis of the longitudinal collecting tube ports for connection to catalyst tubes are provided, which in the connected condition are aligned parallel to each other and vertically to the longitudinal collecting tube, a transverse collector which is connected to the at least one longitudinal collecting tube and has a longitudinal axis which extends vertically to the at least one longitudinal collecting tube and vertically to the catalyst tubes, wherein the longitudinal collecting tube is formed as hot exhaust system and the transverse collector is formed as cold exhaust system. The transverse collector is arranged on a side of the longitudinal collecting tube facing away from the ports centrally to the longitudinal collecting tube.

Heterogeneous catalytic reactors and methods of their use. The reactors include heat transfer features that help establish a temperature gradient along an axial length of the reactors during use. The inventive reactors also include two or more different species of catalyst materials that are arranged within the reactors such that a given species of catalyst material is positioned at a temperature that will provide for improved or optimal catalytic performance.

A method of operating a tubular reactor, the method comprising, for at least some of the reactor tubes, the steps of: a) connecting together two or more catalyst carriers to form a linked set; b) installing into the reactor tube the linked set and an additional plurality of catalyst carriers that are unconnected to the linked set so that the linked set and the additional plurality of catalyst carriers extend at least partway between an inlet end of the reactor tube and an outlet end of the reactor tube, with the linked set being proximate the inlet end; c) operating the tubular reactor to pass one or more reactants through the reactor tube from the inlet end to the outlet end; and d) subsequently, withdrawing the linked set from the inlet end of the reactor tube while retaining the additional plurality of catalyst carriers within the reactor tube.

The invention relates to Fischer-Tropsch synthesis in a compact version. A compact reactor comprises a housing, rectangular reaction channels inside the housing, which are filled with a cobalt catalyst, synthesis gas injection nozzles in the number determined by the ratio of the number of channels to the number of synthesis gas injection nozzles, an input and output nozzle for heat transfer medium on which a pressure controller installed, and an assembly for withdrawing synthetic hydrocarbons. The cobalt catalyst is activated by passing hydrogen through it. Synthetic hydrocarbons are produced by passing synthesis gas through the reaction channels filled with the activated cobalt catalyst. The space velocity of synthesis gas is increased every 300-500 h, followed by returning to the initial process conditions. This provides a high-molecular-weight hydrocarbon output per unit mass of the reactor.

The invention is directed to the use of an upflow reactor for producing a dihydroxy compound, to a method for producing a dihydroxy compound, and to a method for manufacturing polycarbonate. The upflow reactor for producing a dihydroxy compound of the invention comprises: a vessel; a catalyst bed disposed in said vessel; a distributor in fluid communication with an inlet through which reactants are introduced to said distributor, said distributor being disposed at a lower end of said vessel and comprising distributor perforation(s) disposed in said distributor, at least part of which distributor perforations are in a direction facing away from said catalyst bed; and a collector through which said product dihydroxy compound is removed, said collector being disposed at an upper end of said vessel.

A cold-wall reactor for suspension-bed hydrogenation includes a reactor body including a reaction product outlet, cold hydrogen gas inlet and feed inlet. The reactor body includes a housing, surfacing layer and thermal insulation liner. An inner lining cylinder is fixedly arranged inside the reactor body with an outlet connected with the reaction product outlet. A side wall of the inner lining cylinder and an inner side wall of the reactor body define a cavity serving as a first circulation channel. A second circulation channel is arranged on the inner lining cylinder side wall. The inner lining cylinder communicates with the first circulation channel through the second circulation channel. In suspension-bed hydrogenation, material temperature is more uniform, reaction efficiency is improved, materials coking is reduced, thermal insulation liner issues are prevented, and the temperature of the outer wall of the reactor body is lower than the temperature of the medium.

The invention relates to a boiling water reactor for an exothermal reaction. The reactor comprises reactant by-pass inserts arranged on top of the upper tube sheet to provide for a catalyst layer on top of the upper tube sheet and also a cooling stream of reactant by-passing the upper layer of catalyst and cooling the upper tube sheet from the temperature rise due to the exothermal reaction taking place in the upper layer of catalyst.