# US 10,479,946 B2 · System and process for increasing heavy oils conversion capacity > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,479,946 B2 - Document ID: US10479946B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 15/538,684 - Filed: 2015-12-23 - Published: 2017-12-07 - Granted: 2019-11-19 - Earliest claimed: 2014-12-23 - Assignees: ENI S.p.A. - Applicants: Eni S.p.A. - Inventors: Mario Molinari; Alberto Maria Malandrino; Susi Bonomi - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10479946B2 ## CPC - C10G 45/00: Refining of hydrocarbon oils using hydrogen or hydrogen-generating compounds - C10G 47/26: suspended in the oil, e.g. slurries - C10G 49/22: Separation of effluents - C10G 2300/4012: Pressure - C10G 2300/4081: Recycling aspects - C10G 2300/708: Coking aspect, coke content and composition of deposits - C10G: CRACKING HYDROCARBON OILS; PRODUCTION OF LIQUID HYDROCARBON MIXTURES, e.g. BY DESTRUCTIVE HYDROGENATION, OLIGOMERISATION, POLYMERISATION (cracking to hydrogen or synthesis gas C01B; cracking or pyrolysis of hydrocarbon gases to individual hydrocarbons or mixtures thereof of definite or specified constitution C07C; cracking to cokes C10B); RECOVERY OF HYDROCARBON OILS FROM OIL-SHALE, OIL-SAND, OR GASES; REFINING MIXTURES MAINLY CONSISTING OF HYDROCARBONS; REFORMING OF NAPHTHA; MINERAL WAXES ## Abstract System and corresponding process for the hydroconversion of heavy oils essentially comprising a reactor, a liquid-vapor separator and a section for stripping conversion products outside the reactor comprising an inlet conduit for the stripping gases located at a point on the conduit providing a connection between the head of the reactor and the liquid-vapor separator inclined, at least from the point of entry, upwards with a gradient of between 2% and 20%, preferably between 3% and 12%, with respect to a horizontal plane. The inlet conduit for the stripping gases is inclined with respect to the axis of the conduit providing a connection between the reactor head and the liquid-vapor separator through an angle of between 20° and 65°, more preferably between 30° and 60°, even more preferably between 40° and 50°. The stripping gas delivered to the connection conduit between the head of the reactor and the separator flows in a downward direction. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A system for heavy oils hydroconversion comprising: a reactor, a liquid-vapor separator, and a stripping section of conversion products, external to said reactor, comprising a connection conduit between a reactor head of said reactor and said liquid-vapor separator and a supply conduit for supplying stripping gas at a point of said connection conduit, wherein said connection conduit is upwardly inclined, at least from the point of supply of the stripping gas, with a gradient of between 2% and 20% with respect to a horizontal plane, wherein obstacles are inserted inside said connection conduit between said reactor head and said liquid-vapor separator, which facilitates intimate mixing of the liquid and vapor phases and makes it possible for liquid/vapor equilibrium to be achieved. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The system according to claim 1, wherein said supply conduit of the stripping gas is inclined to the axis of said connection conduit between said reactor head and said liquid-vapor separator at an angle of between 20° and 65°. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The system according to claim 1, wherein the stripping gas flow entering said connection conduit between said reactor head and said liquid-vapor separator is in a downward direction. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The system according to claim 1, wherein said supply conduit lies in the vertical plane passing through the axis of said connection conduit. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The system according to claim 1 wherein said reactor is a bubble column or ebullated bed reactor. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The system according to claim 1, wherein said connection conduit between said reactor head and said liquid-vapor separator, at least from the point of supply of the stripping gas, is inclined upward with a gradient of between 3% and 12%. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) A process for heavy oils hydroconversion comprising providing the system according to claim 1, passing the heavy oil to a hydrotreatment stage carried out in said reactor with a hydrogenation catalyst, to which hydrogen or a mixture of hydrogen and light hydrocarbons are fed, wherein the hydrotreatment stage is conducted at a temperature between 400 and 450° C. and at a pressure of between 100 and 200 atm, performing a step of stripping with said stripping gas on the flow of liquid and vapor phase leaving said reactor, or on the flow obtained merging at least one liquid flow and at least one vapor flow leaving said reactor, passing said flow to liquid-vapor separation in said liquid-vapor separator separating the recycled liquid phase to said reactor, apart from purges, from the vapor phase containing the conversion products obtained only in the vapor phase, wherein said stripping step is carried out by feeding said stripping gas along said supply conduit at the point of supply of the stripping gas and in said connection conduit between said reactor head and said liquid-vapor separator, which is inclined upwards, at least from the point of supply of the stripping gas, with the gradient of between 2% and 20% with respect to a horizontal plane. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The process according to claim 7, wherein the hydrotreatment step is carried out in said reactor with a hydrogenation catalyst in slurry phase. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The process according to claim 8, wherein at the exit from said reactor the volumetric ratio: vapor ⁢ ⁢ flow ⁢ ⁢ rate ⁢ ⁢ ( Q V ) ( vapor ⁢ ⁢ flow ⁢ ⁢ rate ⁢ ⁢ ( Q V ) + slurry ⁢ ⁢ flow ⁢ ⁢ rate ⁢ ⁢ ( Q L ) ) vapor flow rate (QV)/(vapor flow rate (QV) +slurry flow rate (QL)) is greater than 0.75, where the slurry comprises the liquid plus solid. ### Claim 10 (depends on 7) The process according to claim 7, wherein said supply conduit for supplying the stripping gas is inclined with respect to the axis of said connection conduit between said reactor head and said liquid-vapor separator at an angle of between 20° and 65° and supplying the stripping gas downwardly along said supply conduit to said connection conduit. ### Claim 11 (depends on 7) The process according to claim 7, wherein the cross section (A) of said connection conduit between said reactor head and said liquid-vapor separator and the length (L) of the section of said connection conduit from the point of supply of the stripping gas to said liquid-vapor separator point of entry satisfy the following relationships (A×L)(QV+QVsec+QL)>10s (QV+QL)/A>0.5m/s 2>QVsec/QV>0.25 where QV and QL are the volumetric flows of vapor and slurry (liquid+solid) leaving said reactor head and the volumetric flow rate of the secondary gas QVsec. ### Claim 12 (depends on 7) The process according to claim 7, wherein the cross section (A) of said connection conduit between said reactor head and said liquid-vapor separator and the length (L) of the section of said connection conduit from the point of supply of the stripping gas to said liquid-vapor separator point of entry satisfy the following relationships (A×L)(QV+QVsec+QL)>15 s (QV+QL)/A>1 m/s 1>QVsec/QV>0.5 where QV and QL are the volumetric flows of vapor and slurry (liquid+solid) leaving said reactor head and the volumetric flow rate of the secondary gas QVsec. ### Claim 13 (depends on 7) The process according to claim 7, wherein the hydrogenation catalyst is based on Mo or W sulfide. ### Claim 14 (depends on 1) A process for heavy oils hydroconversion comprising providing the system according to claim 1, passing the heavy oil to a hydrotreatment stage carried out in said reactor with a hydrogenation catalyst, to which hydrogen or a mixture of hydrogen and light hydrocarbons are fed, wherein the hydrotreatment stage is conducted at a temperature between 400 and 450° C. and at a pressure of between 100 and 200 atm, performing a step of stripping with said stripping gas on the flow of liquid and vapor phase leaving said reactor, or on the flow obtained merging at least one liquid flow and at least one vapor flow leaving said reactor, passing said flow to liquid-vapor separation in said liquid-vapor separator separating the recycled liquid phase to said reactor, apart from purges, from the vapor phase containing the conversion products obtained only in the vapor phase, and wherein said stripping step is carried out by feeding said stripping gas along said supply conduit at the point of supply of the stripping gas and in said connection conduit between said reactor head and said liquid-vapor separator, which is inclined upwards, at least from the point of supply of the stripping gas, with the gradient of between 2% and 20% with respect to a horizontal plane.