Process and apparatus for the destructive hydrogenation of hydrocarbon oils in two stages

Claim 1

IN A PROCESS FOR THE CATALYTIC DESTRUCTIVE HYDROGENATION OF A HYDROCARBON MIXTURE WHICH CONTAINS RESIDUAL COMPONENTS IN ORDER TO FORM LOWER BOILING HYDROCARBONS WHICH BOIL PREDOMINANTLY IN THE GAS OIL RANGE WHEREIN A HYDROCARBON MIXTURE CONTAINING A SUBSTANTIAL AMOUNT OF RESIDUAL COMPONENTS IN LIQUID PHASE AND HYDROGEN IS CONTACTED WITH PARTICLES OF A POROUS HYDROGENATION CATALYST WHICH PARTICLES OF A POROUS HYDROGENATION CATALYST CARBON VAPOR AND ARE MAINTAINED AT A TEMPERATURE CATALYST TWEEN ABOUT 750* AND 875*F. AND AT A PRESSURE BETWEEN ABOUT 250 AND 2000 P.S.I.G. AND WHEREIN THE RATE OF INTRODUCTION OF THE HYDROCARBON MIXTURE IS CONTROLLED SO THAT A SUBSTANTIAL AMOUNT OF THE LIQUID PORTION OF THE RESIDUAL COMPONENTS IS INITIALLY ABSORBED IN THE PORES OF THE CATALYST PARTCLES BUT SO THAT THE TOTAL AMOUNT OF LIQUID IN CONTACT WITH THE CATALYST PARTICLES AT ANY TIME IS LESS THAN THE AMOUNT WHICH CAN BE ABSORBED IN THE PORES OF THE THE CATALYST PARTICLES AND WHEREIN THE CATALYST PARTICLES ARE MAINTAINED IN A TURBULENT AND SUSPENDED CONDITION IN THE HYDROGEN AND HYDROCARBON VAPORS, THAT IMPROVEMENT WHICH COMPRISES INTRODUCING THE CHARGE STOCK WHILE PARTLY IN LIQUID PHASE INTO CONTACT WITH A FIRST BED OF CATALYST PARTICLES DEPOSITED UPON A POROUS CARRIER, MAINTAINING THE CATALYST PARTICLES SUSPENDED IN THE HYDROCARBON VAPORS AND HYDROGEN, REMOVING VAPOR REACTION PRODUCTS FROM THE UPPER PORTION OF THE FIRST BED OF CATALYST PARTICLES WITHOUT FURTHER CONTACT WITH CATALYST PARTICLES, CONTINUOUSLY REMOVING CATALYST PARTICLES FROM THE FIRST BED OF CATALYST, SAID REMOVED CATALYST PARTICLES CONTAINING RELATIVELY LARGE AMOUNTS OF ABSORBED UNCONVERTED RESIDUAL HYDROCARBON, CONTACTING THE REMOVED CATALYST PARTICLES CONTAINING ABSORBED UNCONVERTED RESIDUAL HYDROCARBONS WITH HYDROGEN IN THE ABSENCE OF ADDITIONAL CHARGE STOCK IN A SECOND REACTION ZONE IN WHICH THE CATALYST PARTICLES ARE MAINTAINED FLUIDIZED BY PASSAGE OF HYDROGEN GAS UPWARDLY THERETHROUGH, REMOVING CONVERSION PRODUCTS IN VAPOR FORM FROM THE SECOND CATALYST BED WITHOUT FURTHER CONTACT WITH CATALYST PARTICLES, CONTINUOUSLY REMOVING THE CATALYST PARTICLES FROM THE SECOND CATALYST BED, REGENERATING THESE REMOVED CATALYST PARTICLES BY COMBUSTION, RETURNING REGENERATED CATALYST PARTICLES TO THE FIRST CATALYST BED AND MAINTAINING A RATIO OF CATALYST IN THE SECOND REACTION ZONE TO CATALYST IN THE FIRST BED OF CATALYST OF BETWEEN ABOUT 1:1 AND 10:1.