Catalytic reactor with dirt trap

Claim 1

A hydrocarbon conversion reactor for use with a feed stream which comprises vaporized hydrocarbons and entrained particulate matter which comprises: a. a vertically oriented vessel having an internal volume located within a cylindrical interior side wall and having upper and lower sections; b. a porous horizontal support disposed within the lower section of the vessel; c. a bed of catalyst situated upon the porous horizontal support; d. a fluid outlet means communicating with the internal volume of the vessel at a point below the porous horizontal support; e. a horizontally situated actinomorphic trough which is open at the top and located in the upper section of the vessel, the trough having a bottom surface formed by a horizontal impervious disk-shaped plate and also having two parallel side walls formed by an impervious outer vertical wall comprising a portion of the cylindrical interior side wall of the vessel and a porous vertical cylindrical conduit located in spaced relationship from the impervious outer vertical wall, the porous vertical cylindrical conduit terminating at horizontal circular upper and lower edges and surrounding a centrally located cylindrical fluid passageway which extends through the trough; and, d. a fluid inlet means in communication with the internal volume of the vessel through an opening in the impervious outer vertical wall of the trough and having an outlet which is aligned tangentially with the cylindrical interior side wall of the vessel, whereby the feed stream enters the vessel at a point within the trough and is discharged into the trough tangentially to the cylindrical interior side wall of the vessel, at least a portion of the particulate matter entrained in the feed stream is collected in the trough, any liquid in the feed stream may pass through the wall of the trough formed by the porous vertical cylindrical conduit and descend to the bed of catalyst, and the majority of vaporized hydrocarbons in the feed stream will leave the trough through the trough's open top and then descend unfiltered through the porous vertical cylindrical conduit to the bed of catalyst.