Alternate annular isothermal reactor

Claim 1

AN ISOTHERMAL OR PSEUDO-ISOTHERMAL REACTOR FOR CATALYTIC CONVERSION OF FLUID REACTANT COMPRISING A VERTICAL CYLINDRICAL TANK HAVING AN UPPER HEAD AND A LOWER HEAD, A FIRST SUBSTANTIALLY IMPRVIOUS CENTRAL CYLINDER RIDGIDLY MOUNTED CONCENTRIC WITH THE VERTICAL AXIS OF SAID CYLINDRICAL TANK IN SPACED RELATION WITH SAID UPPER AND LOWER HEADS OF SAID CYLINDRICAL TANK, A PLURALITY OF SUBSTANTIALLY IMPERVIOUS CYLINDERS RIGIDLY MOUNTED SUBSTANTIALLY CONCENTRIC WITH SAID FIRST CENTRAL CYLINDER AND IN SPACED RELATION WITH SAID UPPER AND LOWER HEADS OF SAID CYLINDRICAL TANK, THE OUTER PERIPHERIES OF HE ODD NUMBERED CYLINDERS AND THE INNER PERIPHERIES OF HTE EVEN NUMBERED CYLINDERS FORMING THE VERTICAL WALLS OF A PLURALITY OF ANNULAR CATALYST CHAMBERS, THE OUTER PERIPHERIES OF THE EVEN NUMBERED CYLINDERS AND THE INNER PERIPHERIES OF THE ODD NUMBERED CYLINDERS, AND THE INNER PERIPHERY OF SAID CYLINDRICAL TANK TOETHER WITH THE OUTER PERIPHERY OF THE OUTERMOST OF SAID PLURALITY OF CONCENTRIC CYLINDERS AND INNER PERIPHERY OF THE SAID FIRST CENTRAL CYLINDER FORMING THE VERTICAL WALLS OF A PLURALITY OF ANNULAR HEAT TRANSFER MEDIUM CHAMBERS, A CIRCULAR TOP PLATE MOUNTED HORIZONTALLY IN A FLUID REACTANT-TIGHT MANNER IN THE REGIN OF THE TOP OF SAID FIRST CENTRAL CYLINDER A FIRST UPPER ANNULAR PLATE MONTED HORIZONTALLY IN A FLUID REACTANT-TIGHT MANNER BETWEEN THE OUTER PERIPHERIES OF THE EVEN NUMBERED CYLINDERS AND THE INNER PERIPHERIES OF THE ODD NUMBERED CYLINDERS AND BETWEEN THE OUTER PERIPHERY OF THE CYLINDER ADJACENT THE AFORESAID CYLINDRICAL TANK AND THE INNER PERIPHERY OF HTE AFORESAID CYLINDRICAL TANK IN THE REGION OF THE UPPER ENDS OF THE AFORESAID CYLINDERS, SAID CIRCULAR PLATE AND SAID ANNULAR PLATES BEING CONSTRUCTED AND ARRANGED TO EXCLUDE FLUID REACTANT FROM THEREIN AN AMOUNT OF AN ALKALI METAL HYDROXIDE ABOUT 10% TO 15% GREATER THAN THE AMOUNT REQUIRED STOICHIOMETRICALLY TO REACT WITH ALL INGREDIENTS OF SAID STARTING ONE TOP CONDUIT MOUNTED HORIZONTALLY IN A HEAT TRANSFER MEDIUM-TIGHT MANNER BETWEEN THE OUTER PERIPHERY OF SAID FIRST CENTRAL CYLINDER AND THE INNER PERIPHERY OF THE ADJACENT CYLINDER, BETWEEN THE OUTER PERIPHERIES OF THE ODD NUMBERED CYLINDERS AND THE INNER PERIPHERIES OF THE EVEN NUMBERED CYLINDERS WITH THE INNER PERIPHERIES OF THE AFORESAID CONDUITS BEING IN THE PLANE OF THE LOWER SURFACES OF SAID CIRCULAR PLATE AND SAID FIRST INNER ANNULAR PLATES AND IN TOHE PLANE OF HTE UPPER SURFACES OF SAID SECOND UPPER ANNULAR PERFORATED PLATES, EACH OF SAID PLURALITY OF CYLINDERS HAVING ORFICES FOR THE RECEIPT OF SAID CONDUITS, A CIRCULAR BOTTOM PLATE MOUNTED HORIZONTALLY IN A FLUID PRODUCT-TIGHT MANNER ON THE INNER PERIPHERY OF SAID FIRST CENTRAL CYLINDER IN THE REGION OF THE BOTTOM THEREOF, A PLURALITY OF LOWER ANNULAR PLATES MOUNTED HORIZONTALLY IN A FLUID PRODUCT-TIGHT MANNER BETWEEN OUTER PERIPHERIES OF THE EVEN NUMBERED CYLINDERS AND TH EINNER PERIPHERIES OF THE ODD NUMBERED CYLINDERS AND BETWEEN THE OUTER PERIPHERY OF THE CYLINDER ADJACENT SAID CYLINDRICAL TANK AND THE INNER PERIPHERY OF SAID CYLINDRICAL TANK IN THE PLANE OF THE AFORESAID CIRCULAR BOTTOM PLATE, AT LEAST ONE BOTTOM CONDUIT MOUNTED IN A HEAT TRANSFER MEDIUM-TIGHT MANNER BETWEEN THE OUTER PERIPHERY OF SAID FIRST CENTRAL CYLINDER AND THE INNER PERIPHERY OF THE ADJACENT CYLINDER AND BETWEEN THE OUTER PERIPHERIES OF THE ODD NUMBERED CYLINDERS AND THE INNER PERIPHERIES OF THE EVEN NUMBERED CYLINDERS, THE INNER PERIPHERIES OF SAID CONDUITS BEING IN THE PLANES OF THE UPPER SURFACES OF SAID LOWER ANNULAR PLATES, EACH OF SAID PLURALITY OF CYLINDERS HAVING ORIFICES FOR THE RECEIPT OF SAID CONDUITS, A FORAMINOUS PLATE MOVABLY MOUNTED ON THE BOTTOM OF THE WALLS OF THE ANNULAR CATALYST CHMBERS CONSTURCTED AND ARRANGED TO SUPPORT BEDS OF PARTICLE-FORM CATALYTIC MATERIAL AND TO PROVIDE FOR THE EFFLUX OF FLUID REACTANT FROM SAID ANNULAR CATALYST CHAMBERS, SAID FIRST UPPER ANNULAR PLATES, SAID SECOND UPPER PERFORATED ANNULAR PLATES, SAID TOP CONDUITS, SAID ANNULAR HEAT TRANSFER MEDIUM CHAMBERS, SAID CIRCULAR BOTTOM PLATE, SAID LOWER ANNULAR PLATES, AND SAID BOTTOM CONDUITS BEING CONSTRUCTED AND ARRANGED TO PROVIDE A HEAT TRANSFER MEDIUM CIRCUIT FOR FLOW OF HEAT TRANSFER MEDIUM INTO SAID HEAT TRANSFER MEDIUM CHAMBERS, AND FOR PARALLEL FLOW OF HEAT TRANSFER MEDIUM THROUGH SAID HEAT TRANSFER MEDIUM CHAMBERS, MEANS FOR INTRODUCING HEAT TRANSFER MEDIUM INTO SAID HEAT TRANSFER MEDIUM CIRCUIT, MEANS FOR WITHDRAWING HEAT TRANSFER MEDIUM FROM SAID HEAT TRANSFER MEDIUM CIRCUIT, MEANS FOR INTRODUCING FLUID REACTANT INTO SAID ANNULAR CATALYST CHAMBERS, AND MEANS FOR WITHDRAWING FLUID PRODUCT FROM SAID ANNULAR CATALYST CHAMBERS.