Abstract: An improved reactor is disclosed wherein a high temperature product gas discharged from a catalyst bed within the reactor is cooled in a central heat exchanger installed within the reactor by heat exchange with a low temperature feed gas comprising gaseous raw materials for the reaction, and the product gas is thereafter flowed along the inner surface of an outer pressure vessel in order to maintain the outer pressure vessel at a low temperature. Inlet and outlet pipes for a coolant which coolant is circulated through a coolant passage structure which penetrates the catalyst bed in order to absorb the heat of reaction, both penetrate the top cover of the outer pressure vessel so that the coolant passage structure can be readily removed for maintenance and inspection, and the overall design of the reactor is simplified.

Abstract: An apparatus for carrying out a catalytic chemical reaction in the presence of a granular catalyst under conditions such that both the reactants and the reaction product are gaseous at the temperature and pressure of the reaction. According to the present invention, a vertically extending, annular, intercylinder space, defined between a cylindrical outer catalyst retainer and a cylinder inner catalyst retainer, is divided by radially extending vertical partition walls into a plurality of chambers. Heat-exchanging tubes are disposed vertically in at least one of the chambers. A granular catalyst is packed in at least two of said chambers to form at least two reaction chambers. A feed gas is caused to flow successively and in radial directions through these reaction chambers. Since the invention reactor achieves an improved linear gas flow velocity and a greater overall heat-transfer coefficient, the reactor of the invention requires fewer heat-exchanging tubes and can thus be made smaller.