Vapor-liquid distribution method and apparatus for the conversion of hydrocarbons

Claim 1

A PROCESS FOR CONTACTING A FEED MIXTURE OF LIQUID AND VAPOR WITH A BED OF PARTICLE-FORM SOLIDS WHICH COMPRISES: INTRODUCING SAID LIQUID-VAPOR MIXTURE INTO A CONTACTING VESSEL CONTAINING SAID BED OF PARTICLE-FORM SOLIDS; DISTRIBUTING THE LIQUID PORTION OF SAID LIQUID-VAPOR FEED MIXTURE ON A SUBSTANTIALLY HORIZONTAL DISTRIBUTION TRAY, SAID DISTRIBUTION TRAY LOCATED ABOVE SAID BED OF PARTICLE-FORM SOLIDS AND SPACED APART THEREFROM AND ACROSS THE UPPER FACE THEREOF; MAINTAINING A SHALLOW RESERVOIR OF SAID LIQUID PORTION ON SAID DISTRIBUTION TRAY; CONTACTING THE VAPOR PORTION OF SAID LIQUID-VAPOR FEED MIXTURE WITH SAID LIQUID PORTION IN SAID LIQUID RESERVOIR SO THAT SAID LIQUID PORTION IS ENTRAINED FROM SAID LIQUID RESERVOIR BY SAID VAPOR; TRANSPORTING ALL OF SAID PORTION CONTAINING SAID ENTRAINED LIQUID PORTION FIRST UPWARDLY FROM SAID RESERVOIR THROUGH A PLURALITY OF FIRST CONFINED ANNULAR PATHS, THEN DOWNWARDLY THROUGH A PLURALITY OF SECOND CONFINED CENTER PATHS CONTAINED WITHIN SAID FIRST CONFINED ANNUALR PATHS, SAID VAPOR PORTION AND SAID ENTRAINED LIQUID PORTION PASSING THROUGH SAID DISTRIBUTION TRAY AND OUT OF CONTACT THEREWITH IN SUCH MANNER THAT SAID LIQUID PORTION IS SUBSTANTIALLY UNIFORMLY DISTRIBUTED OVER THE SURFACE OF SAID BED OF PARTICLE-FORM SOLIDS; CONDUCTING SAID UNIFORMLY DISTRIBUTED LIQUID-VAPOR FEED MIXTURE SUBSTANTIALLY DOWNWARDLY THROUGH SAID BED OF PARTICLE-FORM SOLIS SO THAT SAID FEED MIXTURE IS CONTACTED THEREWITH; AND WITHDRAWING THE PRODUCT RESULTING FROM SAID CONTACTING OF SAID LIQUID-VAPOR FEED MIXTURE WITH SAID BED OF PARTICLE-FORM SOLIDS FROM SAID CONTACTING VESSEL.