Method of suction of unwanted gases from a chemical reactor

Abstract

The present invention provides a highly effective method of removal of gases from the chemical reactor (01) by use of a suction unit employed near the inlet, outlet or both ends of the chemical reactor. The suction of entrapped air from the reaction mixture helps avoid fluctuation in the temperature or pressure requirement or formation of other by-products in the reaction mixture.

Claims

1. A method of suction of gas from the reaction mixture, comprising: feeding reactants to a lower chamber of a reactor; positioning reaction tubes having a static and flexible turbulator inside a middle chamber of the reactor; moving the reactants from the lower chamber and into the reaction tubes; generating chemical reactions within the reaction tubes, resulting in gas byproducts; providing a generally constant temperature and pressure for continuous and efficient chemical reactions by forcefully removing the gas byproducts via a screen positioned within a vacant chamber of an upper chamber of the reactor by a suction-force of a suction unit; wherein the forced suction and forced removal of the gas byproducts commences at a time of initial mixing of the reactants in the lower chamber; and wherein the forced suction and forced removal of the gas byproducts continues during the chemical reaction.

2. A reactor, comprising: a lower chamber; a middle chamber; and an upper chamber; external reactant feeds are connected to an exterior side of the lower chamber that feed one or more reactants into the lower chamber; the middle chamber facilitates reaction of the received reactants, with the middle chamber including: reaction tubes having a static and flexible turbulator; the reaction tubes having a bottom end that is connected to the lower chamber, and a top end that is connected to the upper chamber; the reactants received from the lower chamber traverse through interiors of the reaction tubes, generating a chemical reaction therein that results in a liquid byproduct and a gas byproduct that egress the top end of the reaction tubes and into the upper chamber; the upper chamber defines a vacant chamber that houses a screen, with the screen enabling only the passage of the gas byproduct; and an external suction unit connected to an exterior side of the upper chamber that facilitates forced removal of the gas byproduct via the screen from the vacant chamber to thereby enable continuous and efficient chemical reactions of reactants at a generally constant temperatures and pressures; the forced removal of the gas byproduct by a suction-force of the suction unit commences at a time of initial mixing of the reactants in the lower chamber, and continues during the chemical reaction; wherein: the gas byproduct forcibly removed by the suction-force of the suction unit via the screen is transported via a gas pipe to a recirculation tank.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

(1) FIG. 1 illustrates a reactor assembly with a vacant chamber (02) containing a screen (04) and tube (03) containing the turbulator.

(2) FIG. 2 illustrates a close up of the vacant chamber (02) containing screen (04) liquid (07), gases (06), gas transport pipe (05), and the suction assembly affixed to the chemical reactor (01).

(3) FIG. 3 illustrates a suction assembly affixed to a chemical reactor with a re-circulation tank (08) for re-circulation of reactant mixture back into the reactor.

(4) FIG. 4 illustrates a close up of the reaction tube (09) containing fin tube which breaks down bigger gas bubbles into smaller ones.

(5) These and other aspects of the embodiments herein will be better appreciated and understood when considered in conjunction with the following description and the accompanying drawings. It should be understood, however, that the following descriptions, while indicating preferred embodiments and numerous specific details thereof, are given by way of illustration and not of limitation. Many changes and modifications may be made within the scope of the embodiments herein without departing from the spirit thereof, and the embodiments herein include all such modifications.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(6) In the following detailed description, a reference is made to the accompanying drawings that form a part hereof, and in which the specific embodiments that may be practiced is shown by way of illustration. The embodiments are described in sufficient detail to enable those skilled in the art to practice the embodiments and it is to be understood that the logical, mechanical and other changes may be made without departing from the scope of the embodiments. The following detailed description is therefore not to be taken in a limiting sense.

(7) Various embodiments of the present invention provides a suction assembly for removing unwanted gases from the reaction mixture.

(8) The terms suction unit and vacuum pump may be used interchangeably in the following detailed description. The words reactor, chemical reactor, assembly, reactor assembly may be used interchangeably in the following detailed description. The words reactants chemicals raw materials may be used interchangeably in the following detailed description. The terms thermal gradient and temperature gradient may be used interchangeably in the following detailed description.

(9) The following method is designed to provide for various applications in academia and industries requiring efficient chemical mixing and reactions of gas, liquids, solids, with or without catalysts undergoing exothermic or endothermic reactions.

(10) The following method is designed to carry out chemical reactions in the reactor efficiently by use of suction assembly to remove the unwanted gas generated as by-product which may be caused as a result of exothermic reactions in the chemical reactor. Presence of entrapped gas in the chemical reaction mixture may cause varying of several factors such as temperature, pressure, rate of reaction, precipitation or caking of reactants or by products, etc. Thus, the entrapped gas bubbles in the reaction mixture are removed by use of a suction unit and the liquid is separated from the gas by use of a screen.

(11) In yet another embodiment, the flexible turbulator used is designed to reduce the size of gas bubbles inside the reaction mixture in the tube and avoid coagulation of the bubbles.

(12) In one embodiment of the present invention, suction unit is attached to the chemical reactor (1) either near the inlet end of the chemical reactor or the outlet end of the chemical reactor or both ends, if required. The suction unit is usually attached near the outlet end of the chemical reactor to remove any gases formed immediately after addition of reactants in the same chamber. The suction assembly is attached to the outlet end of the reactor in order to remove the unwanted gases formed in the reaction mixture as by-product of exothermic reaction. The rate of removal of the entrapped gases is controlled by the presence of control valves present on the tube of the suction assembly. The unwanted gas is then collected in a separate container which can be used or discarded based on requirement of the reaction.

(13) In another embodiment of the present invention, the reaction mixture is circulated back into the reactor for further mixing and further removal of gases formed during the reaction and the process is repeated until the final product is achieved.

(14) Although the embodiments herein are described with various specific embodiments, it will be obvious for a person skilled in the art to practice the invention with modifications. However, all such modifications are deemed to be within the scope of the claims.

(15) It is to be understood that the phraseology or terminology employed herein is for the purpose of description and not of limitation. Therefore, while the embodiments herein have been described in terms of preferred embodiments, those skilled in the art will recognize that the embodiments herein can be practiced with modification within the scope of the claims.

Advantages of the Invention

(16) The present invention discloses an efficient method of chemical reaction by removal of unwanted gas produced as a result of chemical reaction. Removal of such unwanted gas reduces variation of temperature and pressure and risk of unwanted by products being formed in the reaction tube.