Continuous hydrogenation of unsaturated oils

In a continuous hydrogenation process in which an oil stream is subjected to catalytic hydrogen reaction in at least one column vessel in which intimate mixing of the processing oil, catalyst and hydrogen is caused to occur, and in which the flow rate, temperature, pressure and mixing turbulence are variable as required to effect a desired quality of the effluent oil, an improved control method comprising the steps of:

• preparing a family of reference curves for a plurality of oil samples of known and varying saturation degrees by passing the oil samples individually through a plurality of calibration interstices at discreet, known temperatures, the family of hydrogenation curves relating the functional relationship of mean temperature and pressure drop for the calibration interstices for a range of saturation values of the processing oil;
• passing a portion of the processing oil from the vessel through the calibration interstices at a determined flow rate;
• altering the temperature of the portion of processing oil to effect a discreet mean temperature at each interstices;
• measuring the pressure drop across each interstice;
• preparing a viscosity operating curve of the pressure drop versus the mean temperature of the interstices;
• comparing the viscosity operating curve to the family of reference curves;
• altering at least one of the process parameters in response to the information obtained from the preceding step;
• and
• repeating the above steps as required to achieve the product quality desired for the effluent oil stream.

An improved vessel assembly for interphase mass exchange between a liquid stream and an inlet gas, comprising:

• a vessel having a liquid inlet and outlet openings disposed to pass the liquid stream from the liquid inlet to the liquid outlet so that in operation the vessel has a liquid zone extending between the inlet and outlet openings;
• a plurality of horizontally disposed spaced apart liquid holding trays supported by the vessel, each such tray having a central bore axially aligned with the central bores of the remaining trays to form a central vacant column bore extending vertically in the vessel;
• agitator means supported by the vessel for directing and dynamically shearing the through flowing liquid stream in the liquid zone, comprising:
• a support shaft disposed to extend vertically in the column bore;
• means for supporting and selectively rotating the support shaft;
• and
• a plurality of horizontally disposed spaced apart rotating trays supported by the support shaft to extend between the liquid holding trays, each of the rotating trays extending to a predetermined distance from the vessel wall to provide a wall annular space therebetween so that the liquid stream is caused to flow serpentinely between column to wall so as to pass horizontally over each liquid holding tray and each rotating tray as the liquid stream flows from the inlet opening to the outlet opening as it flows through the vessel.

In a continuous hydrogenation process in which an oil stream is subjected to catalytic hydrogen reaction in at least one column vessel in which intimate mixing of the processing oil, catalyst and hydrogen is caused to occur, and in which the flow rate, temperature, pressure and mixing turbulence are variable as required to effect a desired quality of the effluent oil, an improved control method comprising the steps of:

• preparing a family of reference curves for a plurality of oil samples of known and varying saturation degrees by passing the oil samples individually through a plurality of viscosity monitors at discreet, known temperatures, the family of hydrogenation curves relating the functional relationship of temperature, pressure drop and saturation values of the processing oil;
• passing a portion of the processing oil from the vessel through the viscosity monitors at a determined flow rate;
• altering the temperature of the portion of processing oil to effect a discreet mean temperature at each viscosity monitor;
• measuring the pressure drop across each viscosity monitor;
• preparing a viscosity operating curve of the pressure drop versus the mean temperature of the viscosity monitors;
• comparing the viscosity operating curve to the family of reference curves;
• altering at least one of the process parameters in response to the information obtained from the preceding step;
• and
• repeating the above steps as required to achieve the product quality desired for the effluent oil stream.