Particle separating catalytic chemical reactor with filter unit

Abstract

A catalytic reactor comprises a filter unit which extracts and collects particles from the fluid flow stream above the reactor internals, the filter unit comprises elements which are safely, easily and quickly handled without the need for tools.

Claims

1. Particle separating catalytic reactor for chemical reactions, comprising at least one filter unit for separating particles from the inlet fluid stream to the reactor, said filter unit comprises a base, at least one filter cassette comprising one or more filter screens comprising apertures, wherein said base comprises at least one mounting face for mounting of one or more of the filter cassettes and the base further comprises a fluid outlet for the filter unit to a catalyst reaction chamber of the reactor, whereby the base is an integrated cassette base and filter unit outlet.

2. Particle separating catalytic reactor according to claim 1, wherein said base comprises two mounting faces for mounting a plurality of filter cassettes.

3. Particle separating catalytic reactor according to claim 2, wherein the two mounting faces are arranged on two opposing sides of the base.

4. Particle separating catalytic reactor according to claim 1, wherein the fluid outlet is arranged in the bottom of said base.

5. Particle separating catalytic reactor according to claim 1, wherein each filter cassette comprises two filter screens.

6. Particle separating catalytic reactor according to claim 1, wherein the filter unit comprises at least one 1.sup.st order cassette and at least one 2.sup.nd cassette, the 1.sup.st order cassette adapted to be mounted on the mounting face and the 2.sup.nd order cassette adapted to be mounted on the 1.sup.st order cassette, whereby the 1.sup.st and the 2.sup.nd order cassettes are arranged in serial connection with regard to the fluid flow.

7. Particle separating catalytic reactor according to claim 1, wherein the screens are made of bent metal plate with a zig-zag pattern when seen in a cross-directional view.

8. Particle separating catalytic reactor according to claim 1, wherein the cassette is attached to the base with one or more hand operated quick release fixtures, whereby the cassette is easily mounted and removed on or from the base.

9. Particle separating catalytic reactor according to claim 1, wherein the cassette is made by two sections, each section comprising a screen, and said two sections are attached together with one or more hand operated quick release fixtures, whereby the cassette is easily assembled or disassembled.

10. Particle separating catalytic reactor according to claim 9, wherein a void between the two sections is filled with catalytic material or inert material, said material or the free space between particles of the material being permeable for the fluid stream to the reactor.

11. Particle separating catalytic reactor according to claim 9, wherein the two cassette sections can be assembled by tilting one section towards the other from an angle of less than 45 and fixed together by said quick release fixture, and disassembled by removing the quick release fixture and tilting the two sections away from each other to an angle of less than 45.

12. Particle separating catalytic reactor according to claim 1, wherein the filter unit further comprises one or more locking bar, each locking bar is adapted to lock a plurality of cassettes to the base.

13. Particle separating catalytic reactor according to claim 1, wherein the filter unit comprises a lid adapted to cover the top end of the base and one or more cassettes when the base and cassettes are assembled.

14. Particle separating catalytic reactor according to claim 1, wherein the filter unit is assembled by means of locking pins or key and key hole locks or locking pins as well as key and key hole locks.

15. Particle separating catalytic reactor according to claim 1, wherein the screens are fixed to the filter cassette by means of one or more hand operated quick release fixtures, whereby the screens can be easily mounted and removed on or from the cassettes.

16. Particle separating catalytic reactor according to claim 1, wherein the reactor has a dome shaped upper part, and a base plate is located beneath or within the lower part of the dome and above the catalyst reaction chamber, the one or more filter units are located within the dome, mounted on said base plate and said outlet is located above an aperture in the base plate, enabling fluid passage from the dome, through the filter unit and further down into the catalyst reaction chamber.

17. Particle separating catalytic reactor according to claim 1, wherein said catalytic reactor is a hydroprocessing reactor.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) The invention is further illustrated by the accompanying drawings showing examples of embodiments of the invention.

(2) FIG. 1 shows an isometric view of the assembled filter unit, and

(3) FIGS. 2-14 show isometric views of the filter unit parts in different stages of assembly.

POSITION NUMBERS

(4) 01. Filter unit. 02. Base. 03. 1.sup.st order cassette. 04. 2.sup.nd order cassette. 05. Screen. 06. Cassette Frame. 07. Lid. 08. Outlet. 09. Quick release. 10. Locking bar. 11. Locking pin. 12. Key. 13. Key hole. 14. Shackle. 15. Mounting face

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(5) Some specific embodiments of the invention will be explained in more detail in the following with reference to the drawings as seen in FIG. 1 to FIG. 14.

(6) A catalytic reactor (not shown) comprises a hollow top compartment where process fluid enters. In this hollow space one or more filter units 01 as shown in assembled state in FIG. 1 may be installed, providing the feature of particle separation to the process without demanding extra space added to the reactor.

(7) The filter unit comprises a base 02 which is arranged in the middle of the filter unit and above an aperture in a base plate of the reactor (not shown) to provide fluid connection from the outlet of the base (shown in a further Figure) to the reaction chamber of the reactor below the filter unit. On each side of the base 1.sup.st and 2.sup.nd order cassettes 03, 04 are mounted. The cassettes are made of two frame 06 sections which are fixed together by quick release key locks 09, 12. All cassettes comprises filter screens 05 to collect particles from the process fluid flowing through the filter unit. The top of the filter unit, i.e. base and mounted filter cassettes are covered by a lid 07, preventing process fluid and especially particles to by-pass the screens. The lid is fixed to the filter unit also by means of quick releases 09, in the form of sliding locking pins 11.

(8) The filter unit base is seen in more detail in FIG. 2. It comprises a process fluid outlet 08 in the bottom and two mounting faces 15, one on each side of the base, to receive a 1.sup.st order cassette on each side as seen in FIG. 3. The 1.sup.st order cassettes are adapted to receive a 2.sup.nd order cassette each as seen in FIG. 4. The cassettes can be handled by hand or with help of a crane or other lifting equipment by means of shackles 14. The cassettes are at the bottom fixed to the base and each other by means of interlocking fixing means (not shown) such as bended plate edges or the like. At the top, all the units, base, 1.sup.st and 2.sup.nd order cassettes are fixed together by two locking bars 10 which have cut-outs fitted to match the base and the cassettes and are slided downwards onto the assembled cassettes and base as seen in FIGS. 8 and 7. On top of the assembly, a lid 07 is provided to prevent the process fluid to by-pass the filter screens. The lid is fixed in position by means of the sliding locking pins as seen in FIGS. 6 and 5.

(9) Each cassette comprises two sections which are fixed together by hand operated quick releases, key and key hole 13 locks which are in a locked position as seen in FIGS. 9 and 10, and released after being turned to the unlocked position as seen in FIGS. 11 and 12.

(10) When the keys have been removed from the key holes, the two cassette sections can be removed from each other, enabling access to service and cleaning of the filter screens, by tilting the two cassette parts a few degrees away from each other as seen in FIGS. 13 and 14, which releases the interlocking fixture (not shown) in the bottom part of the cassette sections.

(11) As explained, this easy assembling and dismantling of the filter unit in a plurality of parts provides easy and fast access to service and cleaning of the filter unit without the use of tools. Depending of the size of the filter unit, each of the parts may even be handled and lifted by hand.