Abstract: A catalytic converter unit for pre-filtering dirt particles from a gas discharge containing an ozone-laden gas discharge from electrographic copy machines, in advance of the passage of the gas discharge through a gas-neutralizing catalyst bed, to exclude the passage of the dirt particles which can cause contamination and degradation of the catalyst, and plugging of the catalyst bed resulting in reduced gas-permeability and the creation of a significant pressure drop thereacross which interferes with or substantially reduces the rate of gas flow through the unit. The catalytic converter units incorporate an easily-removable, cleanable and/or replaceable dirt filter screen which is supported for simple removal from the unit for periodic cleaning or replacement.

Abstract: An exhaust heat exchanger with catalyst to be used in an exhaust system of an internal combustion engine is provided. A catalyst chamber is disposed within a water chamber which a cooling water flows through. An exhaust gas having passed through the catalyst chamber in contact with a catalyst makes an indirect heat exchange with the cooling water before it is discharged outside. The water chamber is formed surrounded by an inner trunk and an outer trunk, and the catalyst chamber is formed by a cylindrical body disposed coaxially with the inner and outer trunks and housing the catalyst. A spiral passage for the exhaust gas is formed between the inner trunk and the cylindrical body. A plurality of heat transmitting pipes are arranged within the water chamber surrounding the inner trunk circumferentially at regular intervals. The exhaust gas having passed through the catalyst flows within the spiral passage and the heat transmitting pipes in turn to make a heat exchange with the cooling water.

Abstract: An insulating liner for use with exhaust system or pollution control devices such as catalytic converters and diesel particulate filters or traps. The insulating liner is shown in relation to an end cone for use with a catalytic converter. The end cone includes an outer metallic end cone and a free-standing insulating cone positioned within the outer metallic end cone. A substantial portion of the inner surface of the insulating liner is exposed to hot exhaust gas from an internal combustion engine. The insulating liner is preferably formed of a composite containing inorganic fibers and/or particles, which makes the insulating liner rigid, yet capable of withstanding repeated mechanical and thermal shocks.

Abstract: A stripper and a stripping process for removing the flue gas carried by regenerated catalyst. A cylindrical stripper mainly comprises a degassing pipe at the longitudinal axis, a horizontal pipe connected with the lower end of the degassing pipe, several sets of inner annular baffles and outer annular baffles arranged in alternative arrangement along the vertical direction. Inner annular baffles are fixed on the degassing pipe, outer annular baffles are fixed on the inner wall of the cylinder. The degassing pipe has holes below each set of the inner annular baffles. The regenerated catalyst enters the stripper from the upper part, comes into a countercurrent and crosscurrent contact with steam from the annular steam conduit, and the stripped regenerated catalyst leaves the stripper from the bottom.

Abstract: A fluidized bed reactor (10) for chemically transforming reactants to generate a desired product, having a hollow, elongated, vertically oriented reactor housing (12) for confining the reaction and an unobstructed collection path (18) below the reaction zone for funneling the residue of the process to an exit port (32). A central gas inlet (22) proximate the bottom of the reaction zone within the housing directs gas parallel to the vertical axis of the housing to maintain the raw materials in suspension. A plurality of individually controlled peripheral gas jets (24) positioned at least two elevations along the elongated dimension of the reaction housing (12), and located circumferentially around the housing (12) at each elevation, introduce gas at an angle to promote mixing of the entrained materials in suspension. The clog-free collection path (18) below the reaction zone funnels the residue of the process to an exit port (32) where it is continuously removed by a screw feeder (34).

Abstract: An ignition system for initiating a fuel cell hydrogen production cycle on demand comprising a module having heat exchanger functions interconnected in an adjacent heater/vaporizer relationship in which a first heat exchanger section in the module is connected to a source of hydrogen enriched gas to provide an initial energy burst to begin the vaporization of liquid hydrocarbons for use in the hydrogen producing cycle; and in which, after system start up, the module section may be inactivated or integrated in the hydrogen producing cycle.

Abstract: A light-off and close coupled catalyst assembly for a motor vehicle is provided. The assembly includes a plurality of conically shaped catalysts disposed adjacent to the exhaust ports of a combustion engine. The assembly also includes a main brick catalyst disposed downstream of the conically shaped catalysts. The main brick catalyst includes an angled front face and a conically shaped downstream end.

Abstract: A system and/or process for removing water from an alkylation catalyst mixture of an alkylation process is disclosed. The process includes passing an alkylation reaction zone effluent to a settler for separation into a hydrocarbon phase and a catalyst mixture phase; passing at least a portion of the hydrocarbon phase, as a settler effluent stream containing alkylate, water, HF and volatility reducing additive, to a first separator; removing and condensing a first overhead stream from the first separator thereby forming an HF/water stream; passing the HF/water stream to a second separator for separation into a modified HF stream containing HF and volatility reducing additive and into an HF/water azeotrope stream containing HF and water; using the modified HF stream as a part of the alkylation catalyst mixture and; removing water from the system by removing the HF/water azeotrope stream from the second separator.

Abstract: Device for purifying a mercury-containing flue gas, at least comprising dust removing means for removing dust from a flue gas, and a quantity of a regenerable amalgamable material for removing mercury from a flue gas, which device is adapted for removal therefrom in amalgamated state of the quantity of amalgamable material for the purpose of regenerating this material, wherein the material is provided in a manner such that it can be regenerated in amalgamated state outside the device.

Abstract: A reformation reactor that can be used especially for steam reformation of methanol for generating hydrogen in motor vehicles operated by fuel cells. A gas stream to be reformed is conducted through a reaction chamber into which a charge of a catalyst material is added. A catalyst supply container connected with the reaction chamber is so arranged that the catalyst material is automatically added from the supply container to the reaction chamber.

Abstract: The invention is directed to a multi-tier bypass apparatus for extending the operating life of fixed bed reactors. The multi-tier bypass may be disposed within a fixed catalyst bed to allow any fluid feedstock to bypass successive layers of the fixed catalyst bed as they foul. The invention also relates to an improved fixed bed reactor comprising the inventive multi-tier bypass and a method for extending the operating life of a fixed bed reactor.

Abstract: The invention is directed to a bypass device for extending the operating life of fixed bed reactors. The device may be placed within a fixed catalyst bed to partition the bed into a first top bed and a second virtual bed. The bypass device allows any fluid feedstock to bypass the first top bed of the fixed catalyst bed as it fouls and enter the second virtual bed under conditions that promote depositing any foulants contained in the bypass flow on the top surface of the second virtual bed rather than in the interstices of the second virtual bed. The invention also relates to an improved fixed bed reactor comprising the inventive bypass device and a method for extending the operating life of a fixed bed reactor that employs the inventive bypass device.

Abstract: A catalytic converter for vehicles with internal combustion engines which is especially suited for catalytically cleaning exhaust gas with large proportions of hydrocarbons. The converter includes a jacket tube, in which one or more metal sheets are disposed. The metal sheets are at least partially coated with a catalytically active material and they are disposed in the vicinity of an inner wall surface of the jacket tube. A predominant portion of the cross-sectional area of the jacket tube is free of metal sheets with catalytically active material. The metal sheets may be structured at least in partial regions, with corrugations and/or perforations. A catalytic converter assembly includes two converter reactors connected one after the other in the exhaust gas flow.

Abstract: A distiller (10) that employs a rotary heat exchanger (32) introduces water to be evaporated into evaporation chambers (56). During most of its operation, it collects the water that has passed through the evaporation chamber (56) without evaporating, and it reintroduces the thus-collected liquid back into the evaporation chamber, where it also adds a minor amount of unrecirculated feed liquid to make up for evaporation and concentrate removal. Simultaneously, a minor amount of feed liquid is fed into one side of a transfer pump (116). During this mode of operation, the impurities concentration in the recirculating liquid tends to increase as a result of the evaporation of pure water vapor. Periodically, the erstwhile recirculating liquid is redirected to the other side of the transfer pump (116), where it causes the feed liquid stored in the transfer pump's first side to be fed without accompanying recirculant liquid into the rotary heat exchanger's evaporation chambers.

Abstract: In order to improve solid phase diffusion bondability at contact portions between a metal flat foil and a metal corrugated foil together constituting a metal honeycomb body for a catalyst converter used for purifying an exhaust gas and to improve engine durability, the present invention comprises one or combination of the following structures; a structure wherein at least one of the metal foils has a foil thickness of less than 40 &mgr;m; a structure wherein an Al content after bonding is at least 3%; a structure wherein the surface condition of both metal foils in a width-wise direction has a predetermined surface coarseness or a predetermined surface shape and condition; and a structure wherein the width of contact portions between both metal foils is at least five times the thickness of the metal foils.

Abstract: A process and apparatus for contacting reactants with a particulate catalyst while indirectly contacting the reactants with a heat exchange medium performs heat exchange in a first reaction zone and moves catalyst, at least intermittently, through the second reaction zone while the process is operating. The first reaction zone is preferably a fixed bed reaction zone. The use of first reaction zone as a fixed bed reaction zone simplifies the process arrangement by not requiring means for catalyst movement in a reaction zone that performs simultaneous heat exchange. Long periods of operation are possible since the first reaction zone will typically experience a slow rate of catalyst deactivation and need infrequent regeneration. The first reaction zone may also be designed for catalyst movement, but independently controlled from the first reaction zone to facilitate the movement of catalyst therethrough.

Abstract: For resiliently and safely supporting a monolith in a housing, a supporting structure is proposed. An annular seat structure is defined in the housing. An annular resilient washer is made of wire mesh and is put on the annular seat structure for supporting thereon a circular peripheral edge of the monolith. A biasing structure biases the monolith toward the annular resilient washer to compress the washer. The washer has a generally rectangular cross section and has a chamfered surface around a circular outer surface thereof. The chamfered surface is positioned radially outside the circular peripheral edge of the monolith. With this, even when compressed by the monolith, the washer is prevented from producing a biasing force for pulling the circular peripheral edge of the monolith radially outward, and thus, damage of the edge is suppressed.

Abstract: A catalytic converter for cleaning exhaust gas includes a heat-resistant support, and a coating formed on the support. The coating includes at least one kind of catalytically active substance and a zirconium oxide. The zirconium oxide has a pre-aging specific surface area I and a post-aging specific surface area A, wherein the aging is performed in an atmosphere of 1,000° C. for 5 hours, and wherein A/I≧0.4 and I≧40 m2/g.

Abstract: Processes for oxidative dehydrogenation of alkane to one or more olefins, exemplified by ethane to ethylene, are disclosed using novel catalysts. The catalysts comprise a mixture of metal oxides having as an important component nickel oxide (NiO), which give high conversion and selectivity in the process. For example, the catalyst can be used to make ethylene by contacting it with a gas mixture containing ethane and oxygen. The gas mixture may optionally contain ethylene, an inert diluent such as nitrogen, or both ethylene and an inert diluent.

Abstract: The invention relates to a reactor for carrying out reactions having a high enthalpy change containing catalyst particles between cooled dividing walls. According to the invention, the cooled dividing walls are formed by metal plates/metallic components in which hollow or intermediate spaces in the form of channels are provided in the metal plates/components for accommodating and conveying a cooling medium so as to cool the reactor. The reactor can be used for carrying out strongly exothermic catalytic reactions, for example for the selective hydrogenation of acetylene to ethylene.