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US 5,723,041 AGranted
Process and apparatus for promoting annularly uniform flow
AssigneeAmoco Corporation
InventorsNarasimhan Devanathan, Peter J. Klomans, William B. VanderHeyden
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An apparatus is described for promoting annularly uniform flow in a reaction space of a mixed phase reactor. The apparatus defines ports which face a shared direction relative to the axis. The apparatus is useful in a process, also described, in which fluid emerging from the ports creates a turning moment which rotates fluid in a plenum adjacent the reaction space.
Claims14
A process for conducting a chemical reaction, which comprises:
- passing a feed fluid which includes a relatively buoyant phase and a denser phase into a plenum having an axis, the plenum defined by a side wall and an inlet end of a vertically oriented reactor vessel and by a foraminous grid extending transversely from the side wall;
- rotating the feed fluid in the plenum about the axis to promote an annularly symmetric flow of the fluid by delivering the feed fluid through a feed distributor defining within the plenum two or more ports, each of the ports located a radial distance from the axis, oriented to deliver the feed fluid in a common plane which is transverse to the axis, and facing a shared rotary direction relative to the axis;
- passing the feed fluid axially from the plenum through passages defined by the grid to a reaction space, the reaction space defined by the grid and by the side wall and an outlet end of the reactor vessel which is relatively higher as compared to the inlet end;
- exposing the feed fluid in the reaction space to a catalyst composed of solid particles in an ebullated bed for converting the feed fluid to a chemical reaction product;
- and
- withdrawing the product from the reaction space.
3 more elements
A hydrotreating process, which comprises:
- passing a feed fluid including a hydrocarbon liquid and a hydrogen-rich gas into a plenum having an axis, the plenum being defined by a side wall and an inlet end of a vertically oriented reactor vessel and by a foraminous distribution grid extending transversely from the side wall;
- blending the feed fluid and a recycle fluid to produce a combined fluid;
- rotating the combined fluid about the axis of the plenum by delivering the fluid through a feed distributor defining within the plenum two or more ports, each of the ports located a radial distance from the axis, oriented to deliver the feed fluid in a common plane which is transverse to the axis, and facing a shared rotary direction relative to the axis;
- passing the combined fluid axially from the plenum through passages defined by the grid, the passages communicating with the plenum and a reaction space, the reaction space defined by the grid and by the side wall and an outlet end of the reactor vessel;
- receiving the combined fluid into the reaction space in a substantially annularly symmetric flow, and exposing the combined fluid to a catalyst composed of solid particles in an ebullated bed to produce a hydrotreated product;
- withdrawing the hydrotreated product from the reaction space;
- and
- conveying through a recycle conduit defining a bore and having a proximate end which communicates with the plenum and a distal end which communicates with a distal portion of the reaction space located an axial distance from the grid a portion of the hydrotreated product to the plenum to constitute the recycle fluid.
5 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.