Method for withdrawing particulate solid from a high pressure vessel

Claim 1

A method for withdrawing particulate solid maintained in a bed in contact with a liquid within a high presssure vessel during a hydrogenation reaction which comprises: providing a high pressure vessel having a bottom and a top with a bed of particulate solid within said vessel in contact with a liquid, said particulate solid being a hydrogenation catalyst; supporting the particulate solid in the vessel in a cone-like configuration spaced from the bottom of the vessel; providing a discharge tube communicating with the particulate running from the cone externally of said vessel; introducing feed comprising liquid hydrocarbon and hydrogen into the bottom of the vessel through a first inlet at a first linear velocity; passing the feed upwardly through the vessel and particulate solid to perform a hydrogenation reaction and removing liquid and gaseous reactor effluent from the top of the vessel; and selectively introducing through a secon inlet at a second linear velocity greater than said first linear velocity additional liquid hydrocarbon feed into said bed of particulate solid at the cone at a point adjacent said discharge tube so as to produce pressure on the supported particulate to discharge said particulate out of said vessel via said discharge tube.

Claim 2

A method for withdrawing particulate solid maintained in a bed in contact with a liquid within a high presssure vessel during a hydrogenation reaction which comprises: providing a high pressure vessel having a bottom and a top with a bed of particulate solid within said vessel in contact with a liquid, said particulate solid being a hydrogenation catalyst; supporting the particulate solid in the vessel in a cone-like configuration spaced from the bottom of the vessel; providing a discharge tube communicating with the particulate running from the cone externally of said vessel; introducing feed comprising liquid hydrocarbon and hydrogen into the bottom of the vessel through a first inlet at a first linear velocity; passing the feed upwardly through the vessel and particulate solid to perform a hydrogenation reaction and removing liquid and gaseous reactor effluent from the top of the vessel; and selectively introducing through a secon inlet at a second linear velocity greater than said first linear velocity additional liquid hydrocarbon feed into said bed of particulate solid at the cone at a point adjacent said discharge tube so as to produce pressure on the supported particulate to discharge said particulate out of said vessel via said discharge tube.