Appeal 2007-0620
Application 10/323,626
or baffles 7 defining radial flow of heat exchange medium perpendicular to a
bundle of longitudinal contact tubes 2 which are filled with catalyst and
secured to headers 3,4 that define the heat exchange chamber and open into
hoods or chambers 5,6 (Wanka, e.g., col. 2, ll. 20-46, and col. 3, l. 44, to col.
5, l. 4). Wanka further discloses, as illustrated in Fig. 5, dividing reaction
tank 42 with separating partitions or diaphragms 43,44 into three
superposed, unconnected sections 42', 42'', and 42''' each with a separate
inlet and outlet conduits for temperature control in different sections of the
reactor (id. col. 2, ll. 47-60, and col. 5, l. 55, to col. 6, l. 55). Wanka
discloses, as illustrated in Fig. 6, separation between the sections can be
attained by rolling contact tubes 2 into separating partitions 43,44 (id. col. 6,
ll. 56-59). We find one of ordinary skill in this art would characterize
Wanka’s illustrated reactors as shell-and-tube reactors.
We determine one of ordinary skill in this art would have found in
Iwanaga the specific teaching to use a shell-and-tube reactor, that is, a
bundle of parallel catalyst tubes longitudinally arranged in and surrounded
by a shell or jacket which provides a heat exchanger system, to control, at
least in part, the hot spot(s) in the catalyst tube occurring during the
exothermic gas-phase oxidation reaction of hydrogen chloride and molecular
oxygen. Indeed, Iwanaga’s disclosure does not support Appellants’
contention the shell-and-tube reactor is taught in the reference to be further
surrounded by an additional shell or jacket for heat exchange purposes.
We determine the Examiner properly identified the reactor illustrated
in Smith’s Fig. 1 as a shell-and-tube reactor falling within the teaching of
Iwanaga. We agree with the Examiner that bypass 13 illustrated in Smith’s
12
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