NZ623755B2 - A tube module - Google Patents

Abstract

tubular heat exchange module comprising at least two concentric tubes (1, 2) with spiral features, wherein tube (2) is coaxially arranged inside tube (1) and each tube has a maximum diameter and a minimum diameter, the maximum diameter of tube (2) is larger than the minimum diameter of tube (1). A flow path (3) for fluids is defined between tube (1) and tube (2). The disclosure relates further to a tubular flow module system and use of the tubular flow module. flow path (3) for fluids is defined between tube (1) and tube (2). The disclosure relates further to a tubular flow module system and use of the tubular flow module.

Description

A Tube Module The present invention relates generally to a tube module or a tube module system, and uses of the tube module or the tube module system. The invention particularly relates to a l tube r or a coaxial tube reactor .

Background Tubular reactors have been in use for several years, examples of such reactors are disclosed by US3052524 and 68932048, which describe a concentric tubular reactor consisting of three tubes with the heat transfer fluid flowing in the most inner and most outer tubes and with the reactant fluid g in the middle tube.

Another example is disclosed by W02009150677 which shows a three concentric tube system for catalytic reactions.

Traditional concentric tubular reactors have a constant profile, i.e. the flow path is straight, in both the process and utility sides. This means that the flow within the r reactor, on both sides, is often laminar, particular at lower flow rates, which are commonly employed on the process side when reactions take many seconds up to several minutes to complete.

Operating in the laminar flow regime provides: 0 Poor Mixing - Poor Heat Transfer (unless the ce between the walls is very small) 0 Poor Plug Flow This can result in reduced t yield or selectivity of the d product, and thus the end mixture will contain undesired ducts which need to be separated from the desired product.

The Invention Accordingly, the present invention finds a solution to the above mentioned problems by providing a tubular flow module or coaxial tube flow module, in particular a coaxial tube reactor or a coaxial tube heat ger, which tubular flow module comprises at least two spiral shaped concentric tubes. Thus the present ion relates to a tubular flow module, which flow module comprises at least two concentric tubes with continuous annular spiral features. The concentric tubes may be arranged to each other that one tube, i.e. the second tube, may be coaxially arranged inside the other tube, i.e. the first tube, and each tube has a m diameter and a minimum diameter. The maximum diameter of the second tube may be larger than the m diameter of the first tube and thus forming a space between the first tube and the second tube. The space is defining a flow path for fluids between first tube and the second tube and the flow path is defined as a combination of an annular spiral flow path and an axially 1O winding flow path.

The first and second concentric tubes having the continuous annular spiral features, i.e. the outer and inner spiral tubes, may be lly arranged that a space may be formed n them. Such geometry forces the fluid flow to continuously change direction and hence induces vortices which improves mixing, heat transfer and plug flow. The flow path may thus be defining an annular path for fluids limited by the surfaces and may be shaped as spiral waves. Thus the outer and inner tubes having the spiral features may be d like a screw and nut, where the spiral features acts like the threads. The inner spiral tube may be screwed into the outer spiral tube when the tubes are assembled to each other. In the clearance between the spiral features the desired annular winding flow path may be formed.

The tubular flow module may also comprise a tube coaxially arranged outside the first tube. The minimum diameter of the outside tube may be larger or smaller than the maximum er of the first tube, and the formed annular space may be defined as the space n the outer tube and the first tube and that the annular space may be for heat transfer fluids or other fluids.

The tubular flow module may also comprise a tube coaxially arranged inside the second tube. The maximum diameter of the inside tube may be smaller or larger than the m diameter of the second tube, and the formed annular space may be defined as the space between the inside tube and the second tube and that the annular space may be for heat transfer fluids or other fluids.

The inside tube and the outside tube, respectively, may ly be selected from the group ting of cylindrical tubes, corrugated tubes, ribbed tubes, spiral shaped tubes, or tubes with spiral fins.

The tubular flow module may comprise more than two concentric tubes with spiral features coaxially ed to each other forming more than one annular flow path for fluids.

The flow module may thus have one or more flow paths and one or more annular flow spaces. The annular flow paths may be for process flows, but it is also possible that the annular flow paths may be for heat transfer fluids. The annular flow spaces may be for heat transfer fluids or for process fluids.

The tubular flow module may comprise more than two spiral shaped tric tubes coaxially arranged to each other forming more than one annular flow path.

Also the annular flow’spaces, i.e. the flow spaces for heat transfer fluids or for process fluids may be arranged lly within the flow module. Each annular flow path and each annular space may have at least one inlet and at least one outlet. Several concentric annular flow paths and annular flow spaces may be within the same flow module, and the tubes may be of any kind of suitable shape and could be selected from the group consisting of rical tubes, corrugated tubes, ribbed tubes, spiral shaped tubes, or tubes with spiral fins.

In the tubular flow module according to the invention the tubes having spiral features may be selected from the group consisting of spiral shape formed walls, or tubes with attached spiral fins. The spiral features have pitch (A), nce (B) and spiral feature height (C) suitable for ing improved plug flow type of flow of fluids in each annular flow path. The annular flow spaces may also have pitch (A), clearance (B) and spiral feature height (C) suitable for obtaining plug flow type of flow of fluids in each annular flow space.

WO 68290 The annular space between a spiral shaped tric tube and an inside or outside tube may have one or more spacers arranged within the space to secure the flow path and to provide a predesigned distance between the spiral shaped concentric tube and the inner or the outer tube. The flow paths may further be secured by one or more end connection pieces. The tubes of the invention may have locating means to be located with the one or more end connection pieces, and thus position and stabilise the arrangement of tubes. The end connection pieces may have ports for fluids. The ports may be arranged in tangential direction to the flow path, in radial direction to the flow path or in udinal alignment, i.e. axial direction, with the tubes on the end connection pieces.

All parts, i.e. tubes having spiral features, inner tubes, outer tubes, and end connection pieces may be mounted together by for e a bolt, but other solutions may be possible such as welding, brazing, hydraulics. One or two nuts may be the means for closing the module together with the bolt. End caps arranged within two end connection pieces could be one way of closing the module either together with the nuts and bolts or without. The end connection piece er with the end cap could be separate pieces or be integrated into one piece depending on how the module may be constructed and closed. One or two springs such as l s, disc springs, packs of disc springs, could be used tuned to compensate for thermal expansion and/or as a safety to allow the tubes to open at to high pressures.

The tubular flow module may have one or more access ports or one or more port holes, or combinations thereof, which access ports or port holes may be providing access to the annular flow paths or to the annular spaces. The access ports or the port holes may be inlets for fluids, outlets for fluids or ports for instruments The access ports or the port holes may be arranged tangential, radial, or axial to annular flow paths or to the annular space.

The one or more access ports or one or more port holes, or combinations thereof may be ed with one or more port fittings. The port fittings may have arrangements for nozzles, for sensor units, for thermo couples, for spring—loaded sensors or for resistance thermometers.

The nozzles, which may be inserted through the port fittings according to the invention, may be selected from any suitable nozzles. Examples of nozzles are injection nozzles, dispersion nozzles, persion s, re—mixing nozzles, coaxial nozzles, tube nozzles etc.

A coaxial nozzle could be defined as a nozzle with two or more tubes arranged within each other, that a larger tube having a large radius is surrounding a smaller tube having a smaller radius. When such a nozzle is used two or more fluids can be mixed or form dispersions. A re-mixing nozzle could be a tube nozzle having a hole with a nozzle head and the hole has a smaller radius than the tube. The nozzle may be a dispersion nozzle which can have one or more holes at the outlet of the dispersion nozzle and the holes can be arranged in concentric circles or the holes can be arranged in other suitable patterns.

The material of the tubes of the flow module may be ed from the group ting of stainless steel, iron—based alloys, -based alloys, titanium, titanium , tantalum, tantalum alloys, molybdenum—base alloys, zirconium, zirconium alloys, glass, quartz, graphite, reinforced graphite, Hasteloy, or any other material resistant to the process media. Other le material for the tubes are special materials such as plastic material such as PEEK (polyetherether ketone), PPS (polyphenylensulfid), PTFE (polytetrafluoro— ethylene), perfuorelatomers, or fluorelastomers, PP (polypropene), etc which the tubes could be made of. The different tubes could be of the same material but it is also le that different tubes may be made of ent materials. It could be possible that at least one of the tubes could be made of a membrane material and thus the tube module could have membrane capacity. The tubes could be coated fore instance with catalyst material or any other type of material which has ties suitable for the purpose of the flow module.

The present invention also relates to a tubular flow module system, which tubular flow module system may comprise that at least two tubular flow modules may be connected in series, parallel or combinations thereof to each other. A further alternative may be that the tubular flow module system may be inside or within a shell g a shell and tube system.

The r flow module according to the invention may be used as a reactor for chemical reactions, as a heat exchanger for heat transfer, as a contactor for separations or for extractions, or ations thereof.

Other aspects and advantages of the invention will, with reference to the accompanying drawings, be presented in the following detailed description of embodiments of the invention. The below figures are intended to illustrate the invention and not to limiting the scope of invention.

Brief description of the drawings Figure1 ses a flow module of the invention having two spiral shaped tubes.

Figure2 ses another embodiment of the ion wherein a flow module has two spiral shaped tubes, and inner and outer tubes forming paths for heat transfer .

Figure3 discloses further ment of the invention wherein a flow module has two spiral shaped tubes, and inner and outer tubes forming paths for heat transfer fluids.

Figure 4 discloses pitch, clearance and spiral feature height of tubes.

Detailed description of the drawings Two concentric spiral shaped tubes 1 and 2 are formed in a way which allows one of them to be engaged in the other. The spirals shape will work as a thread, where outside diameter of the inner tube 2 is larger than the inside diameter of WO 68290 2012/071561 the outer tube 1. in the clearance between the two tubes a space, i.e. a flow path 3 is . Flow path 3 forms a spiral shaped path, and also a winding path in both axial and radial direction of tubes 1 and 2.

The design may suitably be used as a fluid flow path, the fluids may be process fluids or heat transfer fluids. The mean flow direction is in the axial direction.

There will also be changing velocities in the radial— and tangential directions of the tube. The size of the velocity components can be tuned by the spirals pitch A clearance B, and feature height C. The velocity changes induce vortices in all directions. This is good for mixing, breaking up of boundary layers and creates improved plug—flow conditions. The ratio of wetted surface to the volume of the space may be adjusted by the clearance between the spirals. These features make the design suitable for flow modules, reactors, heat exchangers etc. The flow of fluid may be of any kind such as liquids, es or gas Figure 2 shows that outer spiral tube 1 may be enclosed in outer tube 4, g annular space 5 or path for fluids flow, for e heat transfer , between outer spiral tube 1 and outer tube 4. Inner spiral tube 2 may enclose inner tube 6 forming annular space 7 for fluids flow, for example heat er fluids, between inner tube 6 and inner spiral tube 2. Tubes 4 and 6 may be straight concentric, i.e. cylindrical tubes, as shown in Figure 2. Tubes 4 and 6 may be spiral shaped or tubes with spiral fins or tubes 4 and 6 may have any other suitable shape, such as corrugated, ribbed tubes or any other shape that fits inside or outside the spiral tubes, i.e. tubes 1 and 2, other types shapes of tubes 4 and 6 than the cylindrical shape are not shown in Figure 2.

Annular spaces 5 and 7 may be equipped with one or more spacers, said spacers are not shown in Figure 2, between outer cylindrical tube 4 and outer spiral tube 1, and inner cylindrical tube 6 and inner spiral tube 2 respectively. The spacers could be used for the purpose of reinforcement, for alignment, as mixing enhancing elements, or as fixing sites.

Spiral tubes 1 and 2 are located to each other in both axial and tangential direction in each end by an end connection piece 9. Locating means are integrated in the mating parts. Spiral tubes 1 and 2 and end connection pieces 9 seal against each other by means of a replaceable seal, i.e. O—ring, etc. or a permanent seal, i.e. weld, braze, etc. End connection pieces 9 has one or more ports 10 for connecting to a fluid line or an instrument like for exampie a thermocouple or a pressure transducer.

Outer tube 4 and outer spiral tube 1 are sealed by end connection pieces 11. No 1O tangential on is needed for this case with a rical tube 4. End connection piece 11 has one or more ports 12 for connecting to a fluid line or an instrument like for example a thermocouple or a pressure transducer. Ports 12 may be arranged in a tangential direction to spiral shaped tube 1 in the direction which guides the fluid in the preferred direction.

Inner tube 6 and inner spiral tube 2 are sealed by end connection pieces 13. No tangential location is needed for this case with cylindrical tube 6. End connection piece has one or more ports 14 for connecting to a fluid line or an instrument like for example a couple or a pressure transducer. Ports 14 may be arranged in a tangential direction to the spiral shaped tube 2 in the direction which guides the fluid in the preferred direction. All seals are to ambient and not n the flow paths or annular spaces 3, 5 and 7 to minimize risk of cross contamination.

All parts, i.e. spiral tubes 1 and 2, cylindrical tubes 4 and 6, and end connection pieces 9, 11 and 13 are held together by a bolt 15, nuts 17, end caps 16 and disc spring packs 18. Disc springs 18 may be tuned to compensate for thermal ion effects or/and as a safety e or device to allow the tubes to open at too high pressures.

Several units forming a flow module system may be connected together. Ports , 12, and 14 maybe connected in between the units or in manifolds.

Figure 3 is showing a tubular flow module wherein space 7 between spiral tube 2 and cylindrical tube 6 has been equipped with mixing enhancing element 19 arranged on cylindrical tube 6. Mixing enhancing element 19 could be a thread 19 or spiral fins 19 which follow the spiral shape of spiral tube 2. A corresponding ement could be created in space 5 between cylindrical tube 4 and spiral tube 1, this is not seen in Figure 3. Ports 10, 12, and 14, are inlets of fluids, s of fluids or ports for instruments. in Figure 3 ports 10, 12, and 14, are arranged tial or radial to annular flow path 3 or to annular spaces 5 and 7, but other atives are possible. One possible arrangement of ports would be 1O to arrange the ports axial to the flow paths or the flow spaces, this is not seen in Figure 3.

Figure 4 is showing the relationship of pitch A, clearance B and spiral feature height C of spiral tubes. Pitch A, clearance B and spiral feature height C is also able for cylindrical tubes which have spiral fins 19 arranged to enhance mixing within flow spaces 5 and 7 Figure 4 dose not disclose this. Pitch A, clearance B and spiral feature height C could also promote plug flow type of flow of fluids in each annular flow path 3 and flow spaces 5 and 7.

The flow module of the present invention is useful when undertaking the following s operations; manufacturing, reactions, mixing, blending, doing cryogenic operations, washing, extractions and purifications, pH adjustment, solvent exchanges, cturing of chemicals, manufacturing of intermediate chemicals, manufacturing API (active pharmaceutical ingredients) when working with low ature operations, manufacturing of pharmaceutical intermediates, scale—up and scale-down developments, itation or crystallisations, performing multiple injections or multiple additions or multiple measurements or multiple samplings, working with multistep ons, pre-cooling operations, preheating operations, post-heating and post-cooling operations, processes for converting batch processes to continuous processes, and operations for dividing and recombining flows. on types which can be preformed in the present invention include addition ons, substitution reactions, elimination reactions, exchange reactions, quenching reactions, reductions, neutralisations, decompositions, ement or displacement reactions, disproportionation reactions, catalytic reactions, cleaving reactions, oxidations, ring closures and ring openings, aromatization and dearomatization reactions, tion and deprotection reactions, phase transfer and phase transfer catalysis, photochemical ons, reactions involving gas phases, liquid phases and solid phases, and which may involve free radicals, electrophiles, neucleophiles, ions, neutral molecules, etc.

Synthesis such as amino acid synthesis, asymmetric synthesis, chiral synthesis, liquid phase peptide synthesis, olefin metathesis, peptide synthesis, etc. can also be carried out with the flow module. Other types of synthesis in which the flow module can be used are reactions within carbohydrate chemistry, carbon ide chemistry, cyanide chemistry, diborane chemistry, epichlorohydrin chemistry, hydrazine chemistry, nitromethane chemistry, etc. or synthesis of heterocyclic compounds, of acetylenic compounds, of acid des, of catalysts, of cytotoxic compounds, of steroid intermediates, of ionic liquids, of pyridine als, of polymers, of monomers, of carbohydrates, of nitrones etc.

The flow module is suitable for name reactions such as Aldol condensations, Birch reductions, Baeyer—Villiger oxidations, Curtius rearrangements, Dieckmann condensations, Diels—Alder reactions, Doebner-Knoevenagel condensations, Friedel—Crafts reactions, Fries rearrangements, Gabriel sis, Gomberg- Bachmann reactions, Grignard reactions, Heck reactions, Hofmann rearrangements, Japp-Klingemann reactions, Leimgruber—Batcho indole synthesis, h ons, l additions, Michaelis—Arbuzov reactions, Mitsunobu reactions, Miyaura—Suzuki reactions, Reformatsky ons, Ritter reactions, Rosenmund reductions, Sandmeyer reactions, Schiff base reductions, Schotten—Baumann reactions, Sharpless epoxidations, Skraup synthesis, Sonogashira couplings, er amino acid synthesis, Swem oxidations, Ullmann reactions, Willgerodt rearrangements, Vilsmeier—Haack reactions, Williamson ether sis, Wittig reactions etc. r reactions which the flow module is suitable for are condensation reactions, coupling reactions, fications, ozonolysis, cyclization reactions, cyclopolymerization reactions, dehalogenations, dehydrocyclizations, dehydrogenations, dehydrohalogennations, diazotizations, dimethyl sulphate reactions, halide exchanges, hydrogen cyanide reactions, hydrogen e reactions, hydrogenation ons, iodination reactions, isocyanate reactions, ketene reactions, liquid ammonia reactions, methylation ons, coupling, metallic reactions, metalation, ion reactions, oxidative couplings, oxo 1O reactions, polycondensations, polyesterifications, polymerization reactions, other reaction such as acetylations, ions, acrylations, alkoxylations, ammonolysis, alkylations, allylic brominations, amidations, aminations, azidations, benzoyiations, brominations, butylations, carbonyiations, ylations, chlorinations, chloromethylations, chlorosulfonations, cyanations, cyanoethylations, cyano-methy-lations, cyanurations, epoxidations, esterifications, etherifications, halogenations, hydroformylations, hydrosilylations, hydroxylations, ketalizations, nitrations, nitro—methylations, nitrosations, peroxidations, phosgenations, quaternizations, silylations, sulfochlorinations, sulfonations, sulfoxidations, thiocarbonylations, thiophosgenations, tosylations, transaminations, transesterifications, etc.

The above description is not limited to the mentioned embodiments of the invention but to a person d in the art there are several modifications possible within the scope of the claimed invention.

Claims (17)

WHAT WE CLAIM IS:

1. A tubularflow module comprising at least two concentric tubes with continuous annular spiral features, wherein a second tube is coaxially arranged inside a first tube and each tube has a maximum diameter and a m diameter, wherein the maximum diameter of the second tube is larger than the minimum diameter of the first tube forming a space between the first tube and the second tube and the space defines a flow path for fluids between the first tube and the second tube, wherein the flow path is defined as a combination of an r spiral flow path and an axially winding flow path.

2. The tubular flow module, according to claim 1, n the tubular flow module also comprises a third tube coaxially arranged outside the first tube, wherein the m diameter of the third tube is larger or smaller than the maximum er of the first tube, and that a first annular space is defined as the space between the third tube and the first tube and that the first annular space is for heat transfer fluids or other fluids.

3. The tubular flow module ing to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the tubular flow module also comprises a fourth tube lly arranged inside the second tube, wherein the maximum diameter of the fourth tube is smaller or larger than the minimum er of the second tube, and that a second annular space is defined as the space between the fourth tube and the second tube for heat transfer fluids or other fluids.

4. The tubular flow module according to claim 2 or claim 3, wherein the fourth tube and the third tube, respectively, are selected from a group consisting of cylindrical tubes, corrugated tubes, ribbed tubes, spiral shaped tubes, or tubes with spiral fins.

5. The tubular flow module according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the tubular flow module comprises more than two tric tubes with spiral features coaxially arranged with respect to each other forming more than one flow path for fluids.

6. The tubular flow module according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein each flow path and each space have at least one inlet and at least one outlet.

7. The tubular flow module according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein one or more access ports or one or more port holes, or combinations thereof are providing access to the flow paths or the spaces.

8. The tubular flow module according to claim 7, n ports are inlets of fluids, outlets of fluids or ports for instruments, and ports are ed tangential, radial, axial or longitudinal to the flow paths or the spaces.

9. The tubular flow module according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the tubes having continuous annular spiral features are selected from a group consisting of spiral shape formed walls and tubes with attached spiral fins.

10. The tubularflow module according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the continuous annular spiral features have pitch, clearance and spiral feature height suitable for g each flow path.

11. The tubular flow module according to any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein the flow path defining an annular flow path for fluids is limited by the surfaces of the first and second concentric tubes, and the surfaces are shaped as spiral waves and act like threads when assembled.

12. A tubular flow module system comprising at least two tubular flow modules ing to any one of the preceding , wherein the tubular flow modules are connected in series, parallel or combinations thereof to each other.

13. The tubularflow module system according to claim 12, wherein the r flow module system is inside a shell forming a shell and tube system.

14. Use of a tubular flow module according to any one of claims 1 to 11, or a tubular flow system according to any one of claim 12 or claim 13, as a reactor for chemical reactions, as a heat exchanger for heat transfer, as a contactor for separations or for extractions, or combinations f.

15. A tubular flow module according to claim 1, substantially as herein bed with reference to and as shown in the accompanying drawings.

16. A tubular flow module system according to claim 12, substantially as herein described or exemplified with reference to the accompanying drawings.

17. Use according to claim 14, substantially as herein described or exemplified with reference to the accompanying drawings.