Upflow catalytic hydrotreating reactor

Abstract

Abstract A PROCESS FOR HYDROTREATING A HEAVY HYDROCARBON OIL AND A HIGH PRESSURE, HIGH TEMPERATURE REACTOR VESSEL OR PRACTICING THE PROCESS IS DISCLOSED HEREIN. THE REACTOR IS CONSTRUCTED OF A VERTICALLY MOUNTED CYLINDRICAL SHELL WITH A SPHERICAL SHELL ATTACHED TO THE UPPER END OF THE CYLINDRICAL SHELL. PREFERABLY A TRANSVERSE GRID IS MOUNTED IN THE LOWER END OF THE CYLINDRICAL SHELL WITH A FEED CONDUIT OPENING INTO THE CYLINDRICAL SHELL BELOW THE GRID, AND LIQUID WITHDRAWAL AND GASEOUS EFFLUENT CONDUITS EXTENDING INTO THE REACTOR AND OPENING IN THE SPHERICAL SHELL RESPECTIVELY BELOW AND ABOVE THE LIQUID REACTANT LEVEL IN THE REACTOR. APPARATUS AND PROCESS ARE ALSO SHOWN FOR SEPARATING LIQUID COMPONENTS FROM THE EFFLUENT AND RECYCLING SEPARATED GASES, PRINCIPALLY HYDROGEN, TO THE REACTOR FEED CONDUIT. THE PROCESS INCLUDES TREATING A HYDROCARBON LIQUID WITH A HYDROCARBON-CONTAINING GAS AT HIGH PRESSURE AND HIGH TEMPERATURE (I.E., ABOVE 658*F. AND 1000 P.S.I.G.) IN THE PRESENCE OF A FINELY DIVIDED PARTICULATE CATALYST BY PASSING UPWARDLY IN THE VESSEL A MIXTURE OF THE LIQUID AND GAS THROUGH THE PARTICULATE CATALYST AT A FLOW VELOCITY SUFFICIENT TO MAINTAIN THE CATALYST IN AN EXPANDED STATE, AND SUBSEQUENTLY REDUCING THE UPWARD FLOW VELOCITY OF THE MIXTURE TO BELOW THAT WHICH THE LIQUID AND PARTICULATE CATALYST MATERIAL ARE CARRIED UPWARD BY THE GAS, BY INCREASING THE CROSS-SECTIONAL AREA OF THE FLOW.

Inventors

• 👤 Norman C Stewart
• 👤 Lester M Rapp

Bibliographic Details