A method of loading granules into reaction tubes of a vertical multitube reactor installed in a vertical direction by dropping the granules from above each of the reaction tubes in a state that a linear member is inserted and suspended in the reaction tube. The reaction tube has an effective length of 1000 mm or more. The linear member includes a small-diameter portion positioned on an upper side and a large-diameter portion continuously extending from the small-diameter portion. The small-diameter portion has an outer diameter (Ra) of 5.0 mm or less, and the large-diameter portion has an outer diameter (Rb) of 5.0 to 15.0 mm larger than the outer diameter (Ra). A length of the small-diameter portion from an upper end of the reaction tube is 10.0 mm or more. A distance between an upper surface of a granule loaded layer formed inside the reaction tube and a lower end of the linear member inserted in the reaction tube is 100 mm or more.

The present invention relates to a catalyst bed comprising silver catalyst bodies and a reactor comprising such a catalyst bed. Further, the invention relates to the use of the catalyst bed and the reactor for gas phase reactions, in particular for the oxidative dehydrogenation of organic compounds under exothermic conditions. In a preferred embodiment, the present invention relates to the preparation of olefinically unsaturated carbonyl compounds from olefinically unsaturated alcohols by oxidative dehydrogenation utilizing a catalyst bed comprising metallic silver catalyst bodies.

A packing member for use in a packed bed, preferably a support for use as a catalyst support in a packed bed reactor. The packing member includes ceramic material and has a geometric surface area per volume of ≥0.7 cm.sup.2/cm.sup.3 and a side crush strength of ≥250 kgf; or a geometric surface area per volume of ≥1.5 cm.sup.2/cm.sup.3 and a side crush strength of ≥150 kgf; or a geometric surface area per volume of ≥3 cm.sup.2/cm.sup.3 and a side crush strength of ≥60 kgf. The packing member optionally has a porosity of at least 6%, such as at least 15% or at least 20%.

A fixed bed (10) is provided for a fixed-bed reactor (100). The fixed bed (10) contains a particulate carrier and at least one reactive substance. The carrier is a silicate compound and the reactive substance is an organometallic pyridine compound. A method for preparing such a fixed bed is provided. The method includes the steps of preparing the carrier, preparing an impregnation and treating the carrier with the impregnation. In addition, a gas-measuring tube is provided with a correspondingly prepared fixed bed as well. A method uses organometallic pyridinium compounds, especially pyridinium dichromate, in a fixed-bed reactor for detecting alcohol compounds and for preparing formaldehyde and/or acetaldehyde.

A reactor may have a catalyst bed for the catalytic treatment of a gas stream, with the catalyst bed extending substantially over a cross section of the reactor. Gas to be treated may axially fly through the catalyst bed. A carrier structure for the catalyst bed that is at least partly floatingly mounted in the reactor may include a sieve element and, radially outwardly, carrier elements fixedly joined to the reactor wall below the sieve element. The sieve element provides a resting surface for the catalyst bed. The sieve element terminates, radially outwardly, at a distance from the reactor wall. The carrier structure also includes support elements for the sieve element that are floatingly mounted in the reactor. An improved floating mounting is thus provided where not only the sieve element itself but also further parts of the carrier structure are mounted to prevent stresses due to thermal expansion.

A fixed bed reactor system for the oxidative dehydrogenation of ethane, comprising a catalyst bed wherein the catalyst capacity profile increases along the length of catalyst bed from the upstream end to the downstream end. The catalyst bed may include one or more sections, across one or more fixed bed reactors, that are identified by a change in catalyst capacity. Catalyst capacity, or the ability to convert ethane into ethylene, may be altered by changing the dilution ratio, void fraction, and or the 35% conversion temperature. A method for loading a fixed bed reactor with an increasing catalyst capacity is also described.

Disclosed herein are methane conversion devices that achieve autothermal conditions and related methods using the methane conversion devices.

An exemplary hydrogen production apparatus 100 according to the present invention includes a grinding unit 10 configured to grind a silicon chip or a silicon grinding scrap 1 to form silicon fine particles 2, and a hydrogen generator 70 configured to generate hydrogen by causing the silicon fine particles 2 to contact with as well as disperse in, or to contact with or dispersed in water or an aqueous solution. The hydrogen production apparatus 100 can achieve reliable production of a practically adequate amount of hydrogen from a start material of silicon chips or silicon grinding scraps that are ordinarily regarded as waste. The hydrogen production apparatus thus effectively utilizes the silicon chips or the silicon grinding scraps so as to contribute to environmental protection as well as to significant reduction in cost for production of hydrogen that is utilized as an energy source in the next generation.

An exemplary hydrogen production apparatus 100 according to the present invention includes a grinding unit 10 configured to grind a silicon chip or a silicon grinding scrap 1 to form silicon fine particles 2, and a hydrogen generator 70 configured to generate hydrogen by causing the silicon fine particles 2 to contact with as well as disperse in, or to contact with or dispersed in water or an aqueous solution. The hydrogen production apparatus 100 can achieve reliable production of a practically adequate amount of hydrogen from a start material of silicon chips or silicon grinding scraps that are ordinarily regarded as waste. The hydrogen production apparatus thus effectively utilizes the silicon chips or the silicon grinding scraps so as to contribute to environmental protection as well as to significant reduction in cost for production of hydrogen that is utilized as an energy source in the next generation.

A continuous flow catalytic reactor, an assembling method therefor and an application thereof includes a reaction vessel, a filler packaged in the reaction vessel and a charged catalytic component; the charged catalytic component is fixed to the filler under an action of a direct-current electric field. The continuous flow catalytic reactor may be applied to continuous flow reactions such as a monosaccharide epimerization reaction. A monosaccharide epimerization reaction method includes: providing the continuous flow catalytic reactor; electrically connecting the continuous flow catalytic reactor with a direct-current power supply, thereby to forming the direct-current electric field by electrically connecting the continuous flow catalytic reactor with the direct-current power supply; and heating a reactor container to a target temperature, and inputting a monosaccharide solution from a liquid flow inlet of the reaction vessel and then collecting a solution containing a target product from a liquid flow outlet of the reaction vessel.