Vapor collection and process for ebullated bed reactors

Claim 2

An ebullated bed reactor, comprising: a vessel having a lower portion and an upper portion; oil feed means for feeding an oil feed comprising oil and hydrogen rich gases into said vessel; fresh catalyst feed means for feeding fresh hydrotreating catalyst into said vessel; ebullating pump means located in the lower portion of said vessel for circulating said feed in said vessel in the presence of said catalyst to hydrotreat said oil; a tubular downcomer extending generally upward above said pump means, said downcomer having an upper end and a lower end in proximity to said pump means; a stationary tubular pan connected to said upper end of said downcomer in said upper portion of said vessel for facilitating flow of said feed into said downcomer; and an annular skirt connected to said pan and extending downwardly and outwardly therefrom for collecting vapor comprising excess hydrogen, light hydrocarbon gases, hydrogen sulfide, ammonia, and steam, emitted in the reaction zone.

Claim 3

An ebullated bed reactor in accordance with claim 1 further comprising at least one conduit connected to the upper and inner portion of said annular skirt and extending generally upwardly therefrom to a space above said height of said liquid oil in the reaction zone of said vessel for separating a substantial portion of said vapor in the reaction zone.

Claim 4

An ebullated bed reactor in accordance with claim 2 wherein said pan has an upper surface and generally downwardly converging walls to catch and direct said oil through said downcomer; and said pan has a lower surface extending upwardly generally to catch and direct said vapor in the reaction zone upwardly through said conduit.

Claim 5

An ebullated bed reactor in accordance with claim 1 wherein said skirt cooperates with said pan to define a frustroconical V-shaped inverted pocket for trapping and receiving vapor as it rises in said reaction zone.

Claim 6

An ebullated bed reactor in accordance with claim wherein said skirt is generally polygonal.

Claim 7

An ebullated bed reactor, comprising: a vessel having a lower portion and an upper portion providing a top; oil feed means for feeding an oil feed comprising resid oil and hydrogen-rich gases into said vessel, said feed having a maximum height and liquid level spaced below said top; fresh catalyst feed means for feeding fresh hydrotreating catalysts into said vessel to form a catalyst bed in said vessel; ebullating pump means located in the lower portion of said vessel for controlling and circulating said feed in said vessel and expanding said catalyst bed, said pump means ebullating reactor oil comprising said oil feed in the presence of said catalyst to produce upgraded oil; a stationary tubular downcomer extending generally upward above said pump means, said downcomer having an upper portion and a lower portion in proximity to said pump means; a stationary annular recycle pan fixedly attached to and above said upper portion of said downcomer in said upper portion of said vessel; an inclined skirt attached to an outer portion of said pan and extending outwardly and downwardly therefrom; and at least one conduit attached to said skirt in proximity to said pan, said conduit extending upwardly from said skirt above said liquid level of said oil feed when said catalyst bed is expanded for facilitating the separation of vapor comprising excess hydrogen, light hydrocarbon gases, hydrogen sulfide, ammonia, and steam emitted from said upgraded oil in said reactor.

Claim 8

An ebullated bed reactor, comprising: a vessel having a lower portion and an upper portion providing a top; oil feed means for feeding an oil feed comprising resid oil and hydrogen-rich gases into said vessel, said feed having a maximum height and liquid level spaced below said top; fresh catalyst feed means for feeding fresh hydrotreating catalysts into said vessel to form a catalyst bed in said vessel; ebullating pump means located in the lower portion of said vessel for controlling and circulating said feed in said vessel and expanding said catalyst bed, said pump means ebullating reactor oil comprising said oil feed in the presence of said catalyst to produce upgraded oil; a stationary tubular downcomer extending generally upward above said pump means, said downcomer having an upper portion and a lower portion in proximity to said pump means; a stationary annular recycle pan fixedly attached to and above said upper portion of said downcomer in said upper portion of said vessel; an inclined skirt attached to an outer portion of said pan and extending outwardly and downwardly therefrom; and at least one conduit attached to said skirt in proximity to said pan, said conduit extending upwardly from said skirt above said liquid level of said oil feed when said catalyst bed is expanded for facilitating the separation of vapor comprising excess hydrogen, light hydrocarbon gases, hydrogen sulfide, ammonia, and steam emitted from said upgraded oil in said reactor.

Claim 9

An ebullated bed reactor in accordance with claim 6 wherein a lower surface of said pan sidewalls and said skirt define a generally frustroconically shaped pocket and vapor collector to catch, direct, and separate said vapor from said reactor oil.

Claim 10

An ebullated bed reactor in accordance with claim 6 wherein said skirt is generally circularly shaped as viewed from the top of said vessel.

Claim 11

An ebullated bed reactor, comprising: an upright elongated vessel defining a reaction zone and having an upright wall, a lower portion and an upper portion providing a top; oil feed means for feeding an oil feed comprising resid oil and hydrogen-rich gases into the lower portion of said vessel, said oil feed having a maximum height and liquid level in said vessel spaced below said top; said vessel defining a vapor space between said liquid level and said top; fresh catalyst feed means for feeding fresh hydrotreating catalysts into said vessel to form a catalyst bed in said vessel; ebullating pump means located in the lower portion of said vessel for controlling, circulating and recycling reactor oil comprising said oil feed and expanding said catalyst bed in said vessel, said pump means ebullating said oil feed in the presence of said catalyst to produce upgraded oil; an elongated stationary tubular downcomer extending generally upward above said pump means, said downcomer having an upper portion with an inner surface and an outer surface; a stationary annular recycle pan, said pan being generally funnel-shaped and having a substantially circular upright wall with a top portion and bottom portion, said pan having an annular inwardly sloping deflecting wall extending downwardly at an angle of inclination from said bottom portion of said upright wall, and a bottom edge being fixedly attached to said upper portion of said downcomer; a substantially frustroconical flared annular skirt, fixedly attached to said bottom edge of said circular upright wall of said pan and extending downwardly and outwardly therefrom to a position spaced from the upright wall of said vessel, said skirt having a downwardly facing surface providing a deflector for deflecting vapor comprising excess hydrogen, light hydrocarbon gases, hydrogen sulfide, ammonia, and steam, emitted in said reaction zone at an angle of inclination, said deflector cooperating with said inwardly sloping wall of said pan to define an annular inverted V-shaped bubble-receiving pocket for catching, trapping, and receiving a substantial amount of vapor emitted in said reaction zone and for deflecting said vapor; a substantially symmetrical circular array of substantially similar conduits comprising vapor bleed lines, said bleed lines defining vapor passageways, said vapor bleed lines extending upwardly from said skirt from a position adjacent to said bottom portion of said pan to said vapor space above said liquid level of said reactor oil for passing said vapor caught in said pocket to said vapor space to substantially minimize entrainment of said vapor in said upgraded oil and increase the production of upgraded oil in said vessel; and said skirt, pan and conduits cooperating with each other to provide a vapor collector and two stage separator for substantially separating and disengaging vapor from said reaction zone.

Claim 12

An ebullated bed reactor, comprising: an upright elongated vessel defining a reaction zone and having an upright wall, a lower portion and an upper portion providing a top; oil feed means for feeding an oil feed comprising resid oil and hydrogen-rich gases into the lower portion of said vessel, said oil feed having a maximum height and liquid level in said vessel spaced below said top; said vessel defining a vapor space between said liquid level and said top; fresh catalyst feed means for feeding fresh hydrotreating catalysts into said vessel to form a catalyst bed in said vessel; ebullating pump means located in the lower portion of said vessel for controlling, circulating and recycling reactor oil comprising said oil feed and expanding said catalyst bed in said vessel, said pump means ebullating said oil feed in the presence of said catalyst to produce upgraded oil; an elongated stationary tubular downcomer extending generally upward above said pump means, said downcomer having an upper portion with an inner surface and an outer surface; a stationary annular recycle pan, said pan being generally funnel-shaped and having a substantially circular upright wall with a top portion and bottom portion, said pan having an annular inwardly sloping deflecting wall extending downwardly at an angle of inclination from said bottom portion of said upright wall, and a bottom edge being fixedly attached to said upper portion of said downcomer; a substantially frustroconical flared annular skirt, fixedly attached to said bottom edge of said circular upright wall of said pan and extending downwardly and outwardly therefrom to a position spaced from the upright wall of said vessel, said skirt having a downwardly facing surface providing a deflector for deflecting vapor comprising excess hydrogen, light hydrocarbon gases, hydrogen sulfide, ammonia, and steam, emitted in said reaction zone at an angle of inclination, said deflector cooperating with said inwardly sloping wall of said pan to define an annular inverted V-shaped bubble-receiving pocket for catching, trapping, and receiving a substantial amount of vapor emitted in said reaction zone and for deflecting said vapor; a substantially symmetrical circular array of substantially similar conduits comprising vapor bleed lines, said bleed lines defining vapor passageways, said vapor bleed lines extending upwardly from said skirt from a position adjacent to said bottom portion of said pan to said vapor space above said liquid level of said reactor oil for passing said vapor caught in said pocket to said vapor space to substantially minimize entrainment of said vapor in said upgraded oil and increase the production of upgraded oil in said vessel; and said skirt, pan and conduits cooperating with each other to provide a vapor collector and two stage separator for substantially separating and disengaging vapor from said reaction zone.

Claim 13

An ebullated bed reactor in accordance with claim 9 wherein said conduit is generally J-shaped.

Claim 14

An ebullated bed reactor in accordance with claim 9 wherein each of said bleed lines is attached together by stabilizer bars.

Claim 15

An ebullated bed reactor in accordance with claim 9 wherein said skirt has an annular upright wall connected to said upright wall of said pan.

Claim 16

An ebullated bed reactor in accordance with claim 9 wherein said pan has an upper edge and said skirt includes a plurality of hooks extending upwardly for hooking said upper edge of said pan.

Claim 17

An ebullated bed reactor in accordance with claim 9 wherein said bleed line comprises a plurality of upright risers, said risers having a top portion and a bottom portion and the diameter of the top portion being substantially greater then the diameter of said bottom portion.

Claim 18

An ebullated bed reactor in accordance with claim 9 wherein said skirt includes substantially triangular ribs extending between and connecting said bleed lines and said skirt.

Claim 19

An ebullated bed reactor in accordance with claim 9 wherein said skirt extends radially outwardly to a location spaced inwardly of the upright wall of said vessel, said pan providing a second stage separator to further enhance separation of said vapor from liquid comprising said oil.

Claim 20

An ebullated bed reactor in accordance with claim 16 wherein said pan has a diameter less than the diameter of said skirt and said vessel, said pan providing a second stage separator to further enhance separation of said vapor from liquid comprising said oil.

Claim 21

An ebullated bed reactor in accordance with claim 9 wherein said skirt is generally octagonally shaped.

Claim 22

An ebullated bed reactor in accordance with claim 9 wherein said vapor collector comprises a first stage separator and said skirt extends downwardly and radially outwardly at an angle of inclination ranging from about 5° to 45° in relation to the vertical axis.

Claim 23

An ebullated bed reactor in accordance with claim 9 wherein said angle of inclination of said deflecting wall of said pan ranges from about 30° to 60° in relation to the vertical axis.