A multi-bed catalytic converter comprising at least a first catalytic bed, a second catalytic bed and a heat exchanger arranged between said first bed and said second bed, wherein said heat exchanger is arranged to transfer heat from the hot effluent of the first bed to a cooling medium; said heat exchanger comprises a plurality of stacked round plates, wherein adjacent plates define gaps therebetween, and the effluent of the first catalytic bed and the cooling medium are respectively fed into alternate gaps.

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.

An ammonia synthesis converter for small production units which provides full access for routine maintenance and catalyst replacement while providing adequate catalyst pressure drop to ensure kinetic performance and reduce heat leak from the catalyst beds. A shell has a removable top head and an annular basket is removably mounted in the shell. First and second catalyst beds are disposed in the annular zone of the basket for axial down-flow in series. A quench gas is introduced into effluent from the first catalyst bed and the resulting mixture into a top of the second catalyst bed. A feed-effluent interchanger in the inner basket zone is adapted to receive effluent from the second catalyst bed and indirectly heat a feed to the first catalyst bed. Also, methods of operating and servicing the converter.

A bi-modal radial flow reactor comprising a cylindrical outer housing surrounding at least five cylindrical, concentric zones, including at least three annulus vapor zones and at least two catalyst zones. The at least two catalyst zones comprise an outer catalyst zone and an inner catalyst zone. The at least three annulus vapor zones comprise an outer annulus vapor zone, a middle annulus vapor zone, and a central annulus vapor zone, wherein the central annulus vapor zone extends along a centerline of the bi-modal radial flow reactor. The outer catalyst zone is intercalated with the outer annulus vapor zone and the middle annulus vapor zone, and the inner catalyst zone is intercalated with the middle annulus vapor zone and the central annulus vapor zone. A removable head cover can be fixably coupled to a top of the cylindrical outer housing to seal a top of the bi-modal radial flow reactor.

A synthesis device may include a pressure vessel with an inlet and an outlet for fluid, a catalyst bed that is disposed within the pressure vessel, a plate heat exchanger that is disposed in a flow path of fluid between the inlet of the pressure vessel and the catalyst bed such that fluid flowing into the catalyst bed is heated by fluid flowing out of the catalyst bed. The plate heat exchanger may be disposed outside a reactor volume occupied by the catalyst bed in the pressure vessel. The catalyst bed may be one of a plurality of catalyst beds disposed axially over one another in the pressure vessel.

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 reactor for accommodating high contaminant feedstocks includes a reactor vessel having an inlet for introducing a feedstock containing contaminants into an interior of the reactor vessel. A basket is located within the reactor vessel interior and contains a particulate material for removing contaminants from the feedstock to form a purified feedstock that is discharged to a purified feedstock outlet. A catalyst is located within the reactor vessel and in fluid communication with the purified feedstock outlet of the basket for contacting the purified feedstock to form a desired product.

A multi-bed catalytic converter comprising: a plurality of catalytic beds which are traversed in series by a process gas, sequentially from a first catalytic bed to a last catalytic bed of said plurality, and at least one inter-bed heat exchanger (7) positioned between a first catalytic bed and a second catalytic bed of said plurality, wherein at least the last catalytic bed of said plurality is adiabatic and is made of fine catalyst with a particle size not greater than 2 mm.

The present disclosure provides systems and methods for producing olefins via an oxidative coupling of methane (OCM) process. The systems and methods may comprise the use of a staged process comprising at least one non-adiabatic section that is in thermal communication with a heat transfer medium and at least one substantially adiabatic section. The systems and methods may also comprise the use of a diluent stream which may improve methane conversion in an OCM reactor and an ethylene/ethane ratio in a post-bed cracking unit. The methods and systems may further comprise injecting oxygen (O.sub.2) and a paraffin into a gas stream containing a radical transfer agent to provide a reaction mixture. The reaction mixture may be held in a vessel for a time period greater than an auto-ignition delay time (AIDT), such that the reaction mixture may ignite to liberate heat and convert to a product mixture comprising olefins.

A reactor for accommodating high contaminant feedstocks includes a reactor vessel having an inlet for introducing a feedstock containing contaminants into an interior of the reactor vessel. A basket is located within the reactor vessel interior and contains a particulate material for removing contaminants from the feedstock to form a purified feedstock that is discharged to a purified feedstock outlet. A catalyst is located within the reactor vessel and in fluid communication with the purified feedstock outlet of the basket for contacting the purified feedstock to form a desired product.