Bespoke Reactor Vessel Design & Manufacture

High-integrity chemical and process reactors engineered for complex thermal duties. Graham Hart Process Technology provides custom-built reactor vessels with advanced jacket, coil, and agitation systems for the Pharmaceutical and Fine Chemical Industries.

Graham Hart Process Technology specialises in the mechanical and thermal design of bespoke reactor vessels. We provide high-specification solutions—including limpet coils, jackets, and internal coils—engineered to manage precise temperature control and high-pressure reactions. Our reactors are designed to accommodate complex agitation requirements and are fabricated from carbon steel through high-nickel alloys and stainless steels ensuring longevity in corrosive environments.

What types of heating and cooling systems are used in reactor vessels?

There are three primary methods for reactor thermal management:

Limpet Coils: Half-pipe sections welded to the vessel exterior, ideal for high-pressure heating/cooling media and high-velocity flow.
Jacketed Vessels: An outer "shroud" around the vessel, used for efficient heat transfer at lower pressures and full jackets are used for general-purpose heating.
Internal Coils: Submerged within the process fluid, offering the highest heat transfer surface area directly where the reaction occurs.

Why choose a bespoke Graham Hart reactor over a standard vessel?

Standard vessels often fail to account for the "thermal shock" caused by rapid cycling between heating and cooling stages. Graham Hart engineers the vessel and its thermal skin (limpet or jacket) as a single integrated system. This ensures that weld fatigue, differential expansion, and nozzle loading are all mechanically validated using Finite Element Analysis (FEA) where necessary, preventing premature failure in safety-critical applications.

Technical Capabilities & Specifications

Feature	Specification / Capability
External Heat Transfer	Limpet Coil (Half-Pipe), Full Jacket
Internal Heat Transfer	Helical Coils, Pancake Coils, or Baffle-Type Heat Exchangers
Agitation Support	Design for top, bottom, or side-entry agitators and mixers
Operating Conditions	High-Vacuum to High-Pressure; Cryogenic to 400°C+
Surface Finishes	Mechanical Polishing (up to 0.4μm Ra) and Electropolishing
Compliance	PD 5500, EN 13445, ASME VIII (U-Stamp), CE and UKCA

The Graham Hart Difference

In a chemical reactor, the vessel is more than just a container—it is a heat exchanger in its own right. The challenge for many operators is "hot spots" or poor mixing, which can lead to inconsistent product quality or "runaway" reactions.

At Graham Hart, we solve the "Why" behind reactor efficiency. By integrating internal coils with specific agitator geometries, we ensure uniform heat distribution through the entire batch. For processes involving aggressive chemicals, we offer Weld Overlay (Cladding) and exotic materials like Hastelloy or Titanium. We don't just fabricate to a drawing; we review the thermal duty to ensure the limpet coil design and fluid velocity are optimised to prevent stagnant zones, ensuring your reaction stays within its critical temperature window.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the advantage of a limpet coil on a reactor vessel?

Limpet coils (half-pipe jackets) allow for high-pressure cooling or heating media to be used because the pipe itself provides inherent structural strength. They also allow for "zoning," where different sections of the vessel can be heated or cooled independently to manage varying batch levels.

How is thermal expansion managed in jacketed reactors?

We utilise advanced stress analysis to design for differential expansion between the inner vessel and the outer jacket. This is particularly important in reactors that undergo rapid thermal cycling, where we may use expansion bellows on the jacket or specific welding techniques to mitigate fatigue.

Engineering Your High-Performance Reactor

Enquire About Air-Cooled Solutions or Consult Our Pressure Vessel Experts

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