Contact reactor for a quasi-isothermal catalytic reaction of so2 to so3 and method of operating the reactor

Abstract From the Canadian patent

To effect a quasi-isothermal catalytic reaction of SO2 to SO3, a plurality of consecutive rows of oanks of cooling tuoes, are provided in the bed of shaped catalyst boddies in a contact reactor in such a manner that the banks of succeeding rows are staggered from the oanks of the preceding rows. The distance between the cooling tuoes in the oanks is so selected that a penetration of entire catalyst boddies into the oanks will virtually oe prevented. The oanks are so designed that the pressure drop of the gas in the oanks is approximately the same as the pressure drop in the layer of catalyst oetween the oanks. The distance oetween the oanks is larger than the width of the oanks.