Vapor-liquid phase separation of hydroconversion process effluent with the use of hydrogen and steam

Claim 1

IN A PROCESS FOR CONVERTING A HYDROCARBON FEED SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF PETROLEUM DISTILLATES, PETROLEUM RESIDUA AND MIXTURES THEREOF HAVING AN END BOILING POINT SUBSTANTIALLY ABOVE 950*F. TO LOWER BOILING PRODUCTS BY SUBJECTING SAID FEED AND AT LEAST 1000 S.C.F. OF HYDROGEN PER BARREL OF FEED TO A TEMPERATURE IN THE RANGE OF ABOUT 700* TO ABOUT 950*F. AT A PRESSURE IN THE RANGE OF ABOUT 1000 TO P.S.I.G., IN A HYDROCONVERSION ZONE AND RECOVERING FROM THE EFFLUENT FROM SAID HYDROCONVERSION ZONE, PRODUCTS BOILING BELOW ABOUT 950*F. AND HIGHER BOILING MATERIALS AT LEAST A PORTION OF WHICH IS RECYCLED TO SAID HYDROCONVERSION ZONE, THE IMPROVEMENT WHICH COMPRISES PASSING THE EFFLUENT FROM SAID HYDROCONVERSION ZONE INCLUDING EFFLUENT HYDROGEN INTO A SEPARATION ZONE, MAINTAINING IN SID SEPARATION ZONE A TEMPERATURE SUBSTANTIALLY THE SAME AS THAT IN SAID HYDROCONVERSION ZONE AND A PRESSURE ONLY SLIGHTLY LOWER THAN THAT OF SAID HYDROCONVERSION ZONE, INTRODUCING INTO SAID SEPARATION ZONE FROM ABOUT 6 TO ABOUT 60 POUNDS OF STEAM PER BARREL OF NORNALLY LIQUID EFFLUENT ENTERING SAID SEPARATION ZONE, WITHDRAWING FROM THE UPPER PART OF SAID SEPARATION ZONE A VAPOR MIXTURE COMPRISING HYDROGEN, STEAM AND THE HYDROCARBON PRODUCTS, WITHDRAWING FROM THE LOWER PART OF SAID SEPARATION ZONE HIGH BOILING LIQUID HYDROCARBONS AND RECYCLING AT LEAST A PORTION OF SAID LIQUID HYDROCARBONS TO SAID HYDROCONVERSION ZONE.