The present disclosures and inventions relate reactor and method useful in Fischer-Tropsch processes, such as a reactor comprising a first one or more catalyst holding zones, wherein each of the first one or more catalyst holding zones have a first inner surface, wherein the first inner surface defines a first interior space, wherein each of the first one or more catalyst holding zones have a first longitudinal axis, wherein each of the first one or more catalyst holding zones have a first end and a second end, wherein the first inner surface is tapered towards the first longitudinal axis from the first end towards the second end, and wherein each of the first one or more catalyst holding zones are configured to perform an exothermic reaction.

A reactor for hydrocarbon production that separates wax reaction products from lightweight gaseous reaction products. The reactor has a housing, a catalyst bed, a product recovery zone, and a stripping zone. The catalyst bed can be provided in multi-tubular and other fixed bed configurations. The stripping zone receives light-weight gas reaction products from the product recovery zone, while a gas outlet of the housing receives non-lightweight gaseous hydrocarbon reaction products from the product recovery zone. A wax outlet of the housing receives wax products from the product recovery zone.

A reactor, which includes a reactor body and two reactor ends sealing the ends of the reactor body, a plurality of reactor tubes extending inside the reactor body at least partially between the reactor ends, and at least one heat pipe disposed inside at least one of the reactor tubes.

A process for the combined generation of mechanical power and manufacture of hydrocarbons is proposed, wherein in order to generate the mechanical power at least one internal combustion engine (1) is fired up, thereby producing a combustion exhaust gas (c), and in order to produce the hydrocarbons at least one reactor (2) is heated using a fuel (e) and a combustion support gas (d). The invention provides that at least a proportion of the combustion support gas (d) is heated by indirect heat exchange with at least a proportion of the combustion exhaust gas (c) from the internal combustion engine (1). The present invention also relates to a corresponding installation (100, 200).

A reactor for producing desired reaction products has a housing, a plurality of catalyst conduits within the housing, and a plurality of coolant conduits within the housing. The coolant conduits are interspersed among the catalyst conduits, and each catalyst conduit is positioned adjacent to at least two coolant conduits.

Disclosed herein is a solar reactor comprising a reactor member; an aperture for receiving solar radiation, the aperture being disposed in a plane on a wall of the reactor member, where the plane is oriented at any angle other than parallel relative to the centerline of the reactor member; a plurality of absorber tubes, wherein the absorber tubes are oriented such that their respective centerlines are at an angle other than 90° relative to the centerline of the reactor member; and wherein the aperture has a hydraulic diameter that is from 0.2 to 4 times a hydraulic diameter of at least one absorber tube in the plurality of absorber tubes; and a reactive material, the reactive material being disposed in the plurality of absorber tubes.

A heat exchanger (1) contains: a bundle of at least two heat exchanger tubes (3), a heat exchanger housing (5) surrounding the bundle of heat exchanger tubes (3), wherein a liquid heat-transfer medium (7) is passed around the bundle of heat exchanger tubes (3) in the heat exchanger housing (5), a heat exchanger cap (9) sealing the top of the heat exchanger housing (5), a heat exchanger bottom (11) sealing the bottom of the heat exchanger housing (5), a feed point (13) for the heat-transfer medium (7), an outlet (15) for the heat-transfer medium (7), an emergency relief port (17) disposed in proximity to the heat exchanger cap (9). The heat exchanger (1) contains a safety device (19) disposed in proximity to the heat exchanger bottom (11).

A process by which the raw material, a gas comprising mainly hydrogen, carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide, is introduced into a first reactor together with a catalyst, in which one or more reactions take place that produce methanol or dimethyl ether or both, which are then introduced into a second reactor adding oxygen and a catalyst and producing formaldehyde and a minority of dimethyl ether, and where there may be an excess of water, such water being extracted from the process and the remaining products being introduced into the third reactor with, optionally, an additive, and such raw material is exposed to catalysts and under an atmosphere at medium temperature and pressure, in order to produce three or four groups of chemical reactions that, after extracting most of the water that is generated as a residue during the process, produces as a result a liquid multifunctional product that can be used as a solvent, a foaming agent or an oxygenated fuel; said product, normally a fluid, comprises polyoxymethylene dimethyl ethers with molecular formula CH3O(CH2O)nCH3 wherein n has a value between 1 and 7.

An arrangement for loading particles through an opening using an upwardly-facing, flexible sheet so that, when particles rest on the flexible sheet and the sheet flexes, the flexing of the sheet breaks up bridges formed by the particles.

A tubular flow module includes at least two concentric tubes with spiral features, wherein first tube is coaxially arranged inside a second tube and each tube has a maximum diameter and a minimum diameter, wherein the maximum diameter of first tube is larger than the minimum diameter of second tube, defining a flow path for fluids between first and second tubes. A tubular flow module system and use of the tubular flow module is also disclosed.