Use of treating elements to facilitate flow in vessels

A method of improving flow distribution of one or more streams in a process vessel comprising:

• passing the one or more streams through an upstream processing zone and a downstream processing zone within the process vessel, the upstream processing zone and downstream processing zone each containing one or more beds of processing materials;
• and
• passing the one or more streams through a redistribution treating zone located between the upstream processing zone and downstream processing zone, wherein the redistribution treating zone contains a plurality of treating elements and wherein the redistribution treating zone mitigates stream channeling of the streams exiting the upstream processing zone and affects lateral redistribution of the flow of the one or more streams within the downstream processing zone,
• and wherein the process vessel does not utilize a structured, engineered device within the processing vessel adjacent the redistribution treating zone-to facilitate flow distribution,
• and wherein the redistribution treating zone is adjacent to the upstream processing zone and a permeable membrane is disposed between the treating elements in the redistribution treating zone and the processing materials in the upstream processing zone such that the processing materials from the upstream processing zone cannot migrate into the redistribution treating zone but the stream flow may pass through the membrane.

A method of improving flow distribution of one or more streams in a process vessel comprising:

• passing the one or more streams through an upstream processing zone and a down-stream processing zone within the process vessel, the upstream processing zone and down-stream processing zone each containing one or more beds of processing materials;
• and
• passing the one or more streams through a redistribution treating zone located between the upstream processing zone and downstream processing zone, wherein the redistribution treating zone contains packed treating elements and wherein the redistribution treating zone miti-gates stream channeling of the streams exiting the upstream processing zone and affects lateral redistribution of the flow of the one or more streams within the downstream processing zone
• and wherein no structured, engineered device separates the upper portion of the redistribution treating zone from the lower portion of the upstream processing zone,
• and wherein the redistribution treating zone is directly adjacent to the upstream processing zone and certain of the processing materials from the upstream processing zone are mixed into the redistribution treating zone during loading of the process vessel to create a combo-zone having both processing zone functionality and treating zone functionality.

A method of improving flow distribution of one or more streams in a process vessel comprising:

• passing the one or more streams through an upstream processing zone and a downstream processing zone within the process vessel, the upstream processing zone and downstream processing zone each containing one or more beds of processing materials;
• and
• passing the one or more streams through a redistribution treating zone located between the upstream processing zone and downstream processing zone, wherein the redistribution treating zone contains packed treating elements and wherein the redistribution treating zone mitigates stream channeling of the streams exiting the upstream processing zone and affects lateral redistribution of the flow of the one or more streams within the downstream processing zone,
• and wherein no space between the upstream processing zone and the redistribution treating zone is consumed by a structure internal to the process vessel,
• and wherein the redistribution treating zone is directly adjacent to the upstream processing zone and the processing materials in the upstream processing zone are sized such that at least some of the processing materials can migrate into the redistribution treating zone to create a combo-zone having both processing zone functionality and treating zone functionality.