Hydrotreating process and apparatus

Claim 1

A METHOD OF HYDROTREATING A HYDROCARBON OIL AT LEAST A SUBSSTANTIAL PORTION OF WHICH IS IN LIQUID PHASE, WHICH COMPRISES PROVIDING A HORIZONTTALLY ELONGATED FIXED BED OF HYDROGENATING CATALYST HAVING A LENGTH OVER FIVE TIMES ITS LENGTH AND A WIDTH ONE-HALF TO TWO TIMES ITS HEIGHT AND BEING ARRANGED IN AN ENCLOSING REACTION ZONE TO PROVIDE A PASSAGEWAY FOR GASEOUS MATERIAL ARRANGED ABOVE THE TOP AND FOR THE LENGTH OF SAID FIXED CATALYST BED, INTRODUCING PREHEATED LIQUID OIL FEED INTO ONE END OF SAID FIXED CATALYST BED AND FLOWING THE OIL FEED IN A HORIZONTAL DIRECTION THROUGH SAID FIXED CATALYST BED WHEREBY A RELATIVELY LONG CATALYST CONTACTING TIME IS PROVIDED FOR THE OIL FEED, MAINTAINING THE LIQUID LEVEL OF THE LIQUID PHASE OIL FEED GREATER THAN ABOUT 50% OF THE FIXED CATALYST BED HEIGHT, INTRODUCING FREE HYDROGEN INTO THE LOWER PORTIONS OF SAID FIXED CATLYST BED AT A PLURALITY OF REGIONS SSPACED ALONG THE LENGTH OF SAID CATALYST BED FOR UPWARD AND VERTICAL PASSAGE THERETHROUGH AND IN AN AMOUNT SUFFICIENT TO SUBSTANTIALLY SATURATE THE OIL FEED WITH HYDROGEN AND IN EXCESS TO AGITATE THE OIL FEED AS IT PASSES HORIZONTALLY THROUGH SAID FIXED CATALYST BED WHEREBY GASEOUS MATERIAL PASSES UPWARDLY INTO SAID PASSAGEWAY AND HAS A SHORT CATALYST CONTACTING TIME, COLLECTING GASEOUS MATERIAL LEAVING SAID CATALYST BED IN SAID PASSAGEWAY ABOVE SAID CATALYST BED, WITHDRAWING COLLECTED GASEOUS MATERIAL FROM THE TOP OF SAID REACTION ZONE VIA SAID PASSAGEWAY, AND WITHDRAWING TREATED LIQUID OIL FROM THE OTHER END OF SAID CATALYST BED.

Claim 2

A METHOD OF HYDROTREATING A HYDROCARBON OIL AT LEAST A SUBSSTANTIAL PORTION OF WHICH IS IN LIQUID PHASE, WHICH COMPRISES PROVIDING A HORIZONTTALLY ELONGATED FIXED BED OF HYDROGENATING CATALYST HAVING A LENGTH OVER FIVE TIMES ITS LENGTH AND A WIDTH ONE-HALF TO TWO TIMES ITS HEIGHT AND BEING ARRANGED IN AN ENCLOSING REACTION ZONE TO PROVIDE A PASSAGEWAY FOR GASEOUS MATERIAL ARRANGED ABOVE THE TOP AND FOR THE LENGTH OF SAID FIXED CATALYST BED, INTRODUCING PREHEATED LIQUID OIL FEED INTO ONE END OF SAID FIXED CATALYST BED AND FLOWING THE OIL FEED IN A HORIZONTAL DIRECTION THROUGH SAID FIXED CATALYST BED WHEREBY A RELATIVELY LONG CATALYST CONTACTING TIME IS PROVIDED FOR THE OIL FEED, MAINTAINING THE LIQUID LEVEL OF THE LIQUID PHASE OIL FEED GREATER THAN ABOUT 50% OF THE FIXED CATALYST BED HEIGHT, INTRODUCING FREE HYDROGEN INTO THE LOWER PORTIONS OF SAID FIXED CATLYST BED AT A PLURALITY OF REGIONS SSPACED ALONG THE LENGTH OF SAID CATALYST BED FOR UPWARD AND VERTICAL PASSAGE THERETHROUGH AND IN AN AMOUNT SUFFICIENT TO SUBSTANTIALLY SATURATE THE OIL FEED WITH HYDROGEN AND IN EXCESS TO AGITATE THE OIL FEED AS IT PASSES HORIZONTALLY THROUGH SAID FIXED CATALYST BED WHEREBY GASEOUS MATERIAL PASSES UPWARDLY INTO SAID PASSAGEWAY AND HAS A SHORT CATALYST CONTACTING TIME, COLLECTING GASEOUS MATERIAL LEAVING SAID CATALYST BED IN SAID PASSAGEWAY ABOVE SAID CATALYST BED, WITHDRAWING COLLECTED GASEOUS MATERIAL FROM THE TOP OF SAID REACTION ZONE VIA SAID PASSAGEWAY, AND WITHDRAWING TREATED LIQUID OIL FROM THE OTHER END OF SAID CATALYST BED.