Patents Assigned to Methanol Casale S.A.
  • Patent number: 7803331
    Abstract: The present invention concerns an isothermal reactor (1) comprising a substantially cylindrical shell (2), at least one catalytic bed (10) supported in the shell (2) and at least one heat exchange unit (13) supported in the bed (10), the heat exchange unit (13) comprising a plurality of exchangers (14) substantially box shaped, of essentially elongated rectangular and flattened structure, each of the exchangers (14) having opposite long sides (14a) parallel to the cylindrical shell (2) axis and opposite short sides (14b, 14c) extended perpendicularly with respect to the shell axis and comprising furthermore an inner chamber (18) through which a heat exchange operating fluid in intended to flow, wherein at least one exchanger (14) of such at least one heat exchange unit (13) is internally equipped with a plurality of separation baffles (19) extended from a short side (14b or 14c) of the exchanger to the opposite short side (14c or 14b) and in a predetermined spaced relationship with respect to the latter, defi
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 31, 2006
    Date of Patent: September 28, 2010
    Assignee: Methanol Casale S.A.
    Inventors: Ermanno Filippi, Enrico Rizzi, Mirco Tarozzo
  • Patent number: 7780925
    Abstract: A radial chemical reactor (10, 110, 210, 310) for catalytic reactions comprising: a substantially cylindrical shell (12), a first catalytic bed (18) having a substantially ring shaped cross-section, coaxially supported in said shell (12) and having a reagent gases inlet side (20) and a reaction mixture outlet side (21); a plurality of heat exchangers (22) supported and distributed in a substantially ring-shaped respective portion of said first catalytic bed (18); at least one second catalytic bed (28) with a substantially ring-shaped cross-section, supported in said shell (12) coaxially to said first bed (18) and at a predetermined distance from said first bed, said second catalytic bed (28) having a reaction mixture inlet side (30) and a reaction gaseous products outlet side (31); a plurality of heat exchangers (32) supported and distributed in a substantially ring-shaped respective portion of said second catalytic bed (28).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 22, 2005
    Date of Patent: August 24, 2010
    Assignee: Methanol Casale S.A.
    Inventors: Ermanno Filippi, Enrico Rizzi, Mirco Tarozzo
  • Publication number: 20100189609
    Abstract: Plate heat exchange unit (12) for isothermal or pseudo-isothermal chemical reactors, for the heat exchange between a fluid circulating inside the plates and an outer flow of reactant gases, wherein the walls (14, 15), of the plates (13) have notches (14s, 15s) surrounded by suitable joining lines (105), obtaining openings (104) passing through the plates (13) themselves, the plates resulting substantially permeable in the transversal direction to the reactant gases.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 30, 2008
    Publication date: July 29, 2010
    Applicant: Methanol Casale S.A.
    Inventors: Agostino Barbieri, Nicola Sorlini
  • Patent number: 7754163
    Abstract: Pseudo-isothermal chemical reactor (1) for catalytic reactions with a vertical axis, comprising a substantially cylindrical shell (2), Closed at the opposite ends by upper (4) and lower (3) bottoms respectively, a reaction zone (8) in which a catalytic bed (11) and a plurality of flat, boxed, plate-shaped heat exchangers (12), having the shape of a parallelepiped and having long sides parallel to said vertical axis and short sides perpendicular to it, situated in said reaction zone and supported in an arrangement on parallel cords at a predetermined distance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 30, 2004
    Date of Patent: July 13, 2010
    Assignee: Methanol Casale S.A.
    Inventors: Ermanno Filippi, Enrico Rizzi, Mirco Tarozzo
  • Publication number: 20100135871
    Abstract: The present invention concerns an isothermal reactor (1) for carrying out exothermal or endothermal heterogeneous reactions comprising: —a substantially cylindrical outer shell (2) with longitudinal axis (X), —at least one catalytic bed (6) extending in the shell (2) and comprising opposite perforated side walls (7, 8) respectively for the inlet of a gaseous flow of reactants and for the outlet of a gaseous flow comprising reaction products, and —a heat exchange unit (12) immersed in said at least one catalytic bed (6) and crossed by a heat exchange fluid, characterised in that said heat exchange unit (12) comprises at least one succession of heat exchangers (13) arranged substantially parallel to each other and substantially parallel to the direction in which said at least one catalytic bed (6) is crossed by said gaseous flow of reactants.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 20, 2007
    Publication date: June 3, 2010
    Applicant: Methanol Casale S.A.
    Inventors: Ermanno Filippi, Enrico Rizzi, Mirco Tarozzo
  • Patent number: 7727482
    Abstract: Method for controlling the reaction temperature in a catalytic bed (24) of a reactor (1) in which a chemical reaction takes place in pseudo-isothermal conditions by means of at least one heat exchanger (12), crossed by a respective operating fluid, immersed in the catalytic bed (24).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 15, 2004
    Date of Patent: June 1, 2010
    Assignee: Methanol Casale S.A.
    Inventors: Ermanno Filippi, Enrico Rizzi, Mirco Tarozzo
  • Patent number: 7727493
    Abstract: A plate-shaped heat exchanger (20, 120) for a heat exchange unit (40) of a chemical reactor (60), that advantageously presents a thermal insulation obtained in an unusually simple and reliable manner, has a substantially flattened box-like structure (22), with a substantially parallelepiped, rectangular configuration, defining an internal chamber (24), and comprises an inlet connection (28) and an outlet connection (29) of a heat exchange operating fluid into and from said chamber (24), and a distributor pipe (10, 110) of said operating fluid inside said chamber (24), extended in said structure (22) at a long side (22a) of it, said distributor pipe (10, 110) comprising a first tube (30, 130) and a second tube (32, 132), positioned one inside the other, between said tubes, respectively external tube (30) and internal tube (32, 132), an interspace (30a) being defined in fluid communication, on one side, with said chamber (24) through a plurality of openings (26) provided in the external tube (30, 130) of said d
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 1, 2005
    Date of Patent: June 1, 2010
    Assignee: Methanol Casale S.A.
    Inventors: Ermanno Filippi, Enrico Rizzi, Micro Tarozzo
  • Patent number: 7727491
    Abstract: Pseudo-isothermal chemical reactor for heterogeneous chemical reactions comprising a substantially cylindrical shell closed at the opposite ends by respective bottoms, upper and lower, a reaction zone containing at least one catalytic bed and at least one tubular heat exchanger, intended to be crossed, along a predetermined direction, by an operating heat exchange fluid and embedded in said catalytic bed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 2004
    Date of Patent: June 1, 2010
    Assignee: Methanol Casale S.A.
    Inventors: Ermanno Filippi, Enrico Rizzi, Mirco Tarozzo
  • Publication number: 20100129283
    Abstract: A chemical reactor for catalytic reactions, comprises a substantially cylindrical shell (2) closed at the opposite ends by respective covers (3 and 4), at least one reaction zone (7, 8) in which a respective catalytic bed (9, 10) and a plurality of heat exchangers (25) placed in said at least one reaction zone (7, 8) are supported.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 30, 2009
    Publication date: May 27, 2010
    Applicant: Methanol Casale S.A.
    Inventors: Ermanno Filippi, Enrico Rizzi, Mirco Tarozzo
  • Patent number: 7638038
    Abstract: A method for controlling the pseudo-isothermicity of a chemical reaction in a respective reaction zone. (9) in which the use of heat exchangers (6) is foreseen having an operating heat exchange fluid flowing through them and in which heat exchange critical areas (9a) are identified, the method being distinguished by the fact that it reduces and controls, in the critical areas (9a) of the reaction zone, the value of the heat exchange coefficient between the operating fluid and the zone (9), through thermal insulation of the portions (6a, 6b) of such exchangers extending in such areas (9a).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 2, 2002
    Date of Patent: December 29, 2009
    Assignee: Methanol Casale S.A.
    Inventors: Ermanno Filippi, Enrico Rizzi, Mirco Tarozzo
  • Publication number: 20090264542
    Abstract: A process for producing substitute natural gas (SNG) comprising the steps of reacting a fresh syngas (11) into a methanation section (10) comprising adiabatic reactors (101-104) connected in series, with heat removal and reacted gas-recirculation, wherein the fresh syngas is fed in parallel to said adiabatic reactors. In a preferred embodiment the reacted gas is recirculated to the first reactor (101) and further dilution of the fresh gas at the inlet of the first and second reactor is achieved by steam addition.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 31, 2009
    Publication date: October 22, 2009
    Applicant: Methanol Casale S.A.
    Inventors: Ermanno Filippi, Francesco Baratto
  • Publication number: 20090145589
    Abstract: The present invention concerns an isothermal reactor (1) comprising a pressure vessel (2) closed at the opposite ends by respective bottoms (3, 4), a reaction zone (9) in said pressure vessel (2) in which at least one catalytic basket (10) is positioned, and at least one heat exchange unit (13) embedded in said at least one catalytic basket (10), each heat exchange unit (13) comprising a plurality of heat exchangers (14) each having an inner chamber intended to be crossed by an operating heat exchange fluid, the reactor being characterised in that it comprises means (17, 18) for picking up samples of operating heat exchange fluid from groups (16) of pre-established exchangers in each heat exchange unit (13), so as to ascertain the possible existence of damaged exchangers (14) in said groups (16) of exchangers through analysis of respective samples of operating heat exchange fluid.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 27, 2007
    Publication date: June 11, 2009
    Applicant: Methanol Casale S.A.
    Inventors: Ermanno Filippi, Enrico Rizzi, Mirco Tarozzo
  • Publication number: 20080314563
    Abstract: A method for controlling the temperature of an exothermic reaction with simultaneous production of steam is based on the use of heat exchangers (5a) crossed by a recirculation liquid along an inner path extended between the inlet opening for the recirculation liquid and an outlet opening (5f), the recirculation liquid coming from a steam drum (10) for the separation of the produced steam and being fed to said inlet opening along a path external to the heat exchangers, the produced steam being integrated in the form of an additional liquid flow which is mixed at least in part with the recirculation liquid flowing along the external path.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 7, 2006
    Publication date: December 25, 2008
    Applicant: Methanol Casale S.A.
    Inventors: Ermanno Filippi, Enrico Rizzi, Mirco Tarozzo, Marco Badano
  • Publication number: 20080314574
    Abstract: A method for the production of heat exchangers (10, 110, 210) of the so-called plate type, comprising the operative steps of: —juxtaposing a couple of substantially identical metal plates (12, 14), —fixing together said juxtaposed plates (12, 14) to one another by means of welding performed at respective perimetric sides (13a, 13b, 13c, 13d), —further fixing together said juxtaposed plates to each other by means of a plurality of welding tracts (22), arranged in at least two alignments, parallel and adjacent to a couple of opposite perimetric sides (13a, 13c) of the plates themselves (12, 14), and at a pre-established spaced relationship from said sides, —introducing a fluid under pressure between said juxtaposed metal plates (12, 14), to form a hollow, substantially box-shaped body (17), in which an internal chamber (16) and two substantially tubular passages (16a, 16b), formed between said couple of opposite perimetric sides (13a, 13c) and the respective adjacent alignments of the welding tracts (22), are d
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 31, 2006
    Publication date: December 25, 2008
    Applicant: Methanol Casale S.A.
    Inventors: Ermanno Filippi, Enrico Rizzi, Mirco Tarozzo
  • Publication number: 20080289805
    Abstract: Plate type heat exchanger (20,120) for a isothermal chemical reactor (60), of the type comprising a substantially box-shaped flattened body (22), defining an internal chamber (24) and equipped with an inlet connection (28) and an outlet connection (29) for a first flow of a heat exchanger operative fluid into and from said chamber (24), at least one supplying-distributing device (26, 126) of a second fluid flow, associated with said body (22) and in fluid communication with the internal chamber (24) thereof, in order to regulate the temperature of said operative fluid, said at least one supplying-distributing device (26,126) being supported inside said internal chamber (24) and in fluid communication therewith.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 31, 2006
    Publication date: November 27, 2008
    Applicant: Methanol Casale S.A.
    Inventors: Ermanno Filippi, Enrico Rizzi, Mirco Tarozzo, Luca Zanichelli
  • Publication number: 20080292517
    Abstract: The present invention concerns an isothermal reactor (1) comprising a substantially cylindrical shell (2), at least one catalytic bed (10) supported in the shell (2) and at least one heat exchange unit (13) supported in the bed (10), the heat exchange unit (13) comprising a plurality of exchangers (14) substantially box shaped, of essentially elongated rectangular and flattened structure, each of the exchangers (14) having opposite long sides (14a) parallel to the cylindrical shell (2) axis and opposite short sides (14b, 14c) extended perpendicularly with respect to the shell axis and comprising furthermore an inner chamber (18) through which a heat exchange operating fluid in intended to flow, wherein at least one exchanger (14) of such at least one heat exchange unit (13) is internally equipped with a plurality of separation baffles (19) extended from a short side (14b or 14c) of the exchanger to the opposite short side (14c or 14b) and in a predetermined spaced relationship with respect to the latter, defi
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 31, 2006
    Publication date: November 27, 2008
    Applicant: Methanol Casale S.A.
    Inventors: Ermanno Filippi, Enrico Rizzi, Mirco Tarozzo
  • Patent number: 7378065
    Abstract: A heat exchange unit for axial and radial pseudo-isothermal reactors which comprise a substantially cylindrical shell (2) closed at the opposite ends by base plates (3, 4), a reaction zone (6) containing a catalytic bed and at least one heat exchanger (11) of the type with a plate having a variable section along the direction of the flow of operating heat exchange fluid.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 4, 2003
    Date of Patent: May 27, 2008
    Assignee: Methanol Casale S.A.
    Inventors: Ermanno Filippi, Enrico Rizzi, Mirco Tarozzo
  • Publication number: 20080008633
    Abstract: A radial chemical reactor (10, 110, 210, 310) for catalytic reactions comprising: a substantially cylindrical shell (12), a first catalytic bed (18) having a substantially ring shaped cross-section, coaxially supported in said shell (12) and having a reagent gases inlet side (20) and a reaction mixture outlet side (21); a plurality of heat exchangers (22) supported and distributed in a substantially ring-shaped respective portion of said first catalytic bed (18); at least one second catalytic bed (28) with a substantially ring-shaped cross-section, supported in said shell (12) coaxially to said first bed (18) and at a predetermined distance from said first bed, said second catalytic bed (28) having a reaction mixture inlet side (30) and a reaction gaseous products outlet side (31); a plurality of heat exchangers (32) supported and distributed in a substantially ring-shaped respective portion of said second catalytic bed (28).
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 22, 2005
    Publication date: January 10, 2008
    Applicant: Methanol Casale S.A.
    Inventors: Ermanno Filippi, Enrico Rizzi, Mirco Tarozzo
  • Patent number: 7314603
    Abstract: An heterogeneous chemical reactor of the type with a partial opening, incorporating a catalytic cartridge comprising a substantially cylindrical basket (11) suitable for containing a predetermined amount of a predefined catalyst is distinguished by the fact that the basket (11) is modular and is made of a plurality of containers (14) which are structurally independent from each other, which can be manipulated individually and which are associated with each other to form the basket (11) in a reciprocally removable way, each container (14) being of a suitable size to pass through the partial opening (9) of the corresponding reactor (1).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 2, 2002
    Date of Patent: January 1, 2008
    Assignee: Methanol Casale S.A.
    Inventors: Ermanno Filippi, Enrico Rizzi, Mirco Tarozzo
  • Publication number: 20070292965
    Abstract: A method for controlling the temperature of an exothermic reaction and the simultaneous production of steam is based upon the use of heat exchangers (5a) crossed by boiling water along an internal path, extending between an inlet opening (5h) for boiling water and an outlet opening (5f).
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 10, 2005
    Publication date: December 20, 2007
    Applicant: Methanol Casale S.A.
    Inventors: Ermanno Filippi, Enrico Rizzi, Mirco Tarozzo