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US 9,850,436 B2Granted
Method for maximizing the reaction volume in a slurry phase reactor
AssigneeENI S.p.A.
InventorsAlberto Maria Antonio Malandrino, Vincenzo Piccolo
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AssigneeENI S.p.A.
InventorsAlberto Maria Antonio Malandrino, Vincenzo Piccolo
Estimating the term…
Method for maximizing the reaction volume in a slurry phase reactor by determining the ratio (f) between the height of the foams (Hf) and the height of the reactor (HR) through an algorithm defining the gas hold-up in three zones, a first lower zone in which a bubble regime is established, a second intermediate zone where there can be the presence of foams, a third zone situated in the upper hemispherical part in which the multiphase mixture is accelerated until it reaches outlet conditions, the average gas hold-up being given by the weighted average of each of the three gas hold-ups of the three zones, characterized in that it uses nuclear densimeters positioned inside the reactor at different heights and comprises: measuring, for each nuclear densimeter used, gas density values, relating to different gas and/or slurry velocities, which correspond through said algorithm to calculated gas hold-up values, revealing, with a calculated gas hold-up of less than 40%, the absence of foams at least up to the height at which the densimeter is positioned, whose density measured corresponds to said gas hold-up, with a calculated gas hold-up higher than 70%, the presence of foams starting at least from the height of the reactor in which the densimeter is positioned, whose density measured corresponds to said gas hold-up, finally, determining through said algorithm, the ratio f and the extension in height of the possible presence of foams, calculating the consequent height Hf.
A method for maximizing a reaction volume in a slurry phase reactor by determining a ratio (f) between a height of foams (Hf) and a height of the slurry phase reactor (HR) through an algorithm to obtain gas hold-ups in three zones of the slurry phase reactor,
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.
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With liquid as a fluidising medium: gas being introduced into the liquid
With fluidised particles: controlling processes
With moving solid particles: suspended in the oil, e.g. slurries
With moving solid particles: suspended in the oil, e.g. slurries
About 8 years 1 month of term left · ends 29 Nov 2034 (estimated)
The present invention relates to a method for maximizing the reaction volume in a slurry phase reactor, which, more specifically, envisages the positioning of nuclear densimeters in slurry bubble column (SBC) reactors at a high pressure and temperature, at defined heights, and the optimization of operating parameters through an algorithm on experimental data.
The invention allows to predict the extension of the low-density zone and the gas hold-up in the upper zone of a slurry reactor, preferably a hydrocracking slurry reactor. It is thus possible to minimize this zone and consequently maximize the reaction volume.
Bubble columns for the hydrocracking of heavy residues, with a single outlet for slurry and gas, can have a much higher gas hold-up in the upper zone (70-90%) than that in the lower part of the column (10-40%), due to the formation of a foamy phase. The presence of the high gas hold-up zone reduces the volume of slurry contained in the reactor and consequently negatively influences its specific conversion capacity.
As a first application example of this solution, a case is described relating to a laboratory mock-up illustrated in FIG. 1.
The system is composed of a column having an internal diameter of 225 mm and a height of 2.41 m, a separator and a descending line in which the liquid circulates with a natural or forced circulation (by means of a pump). The column is equipped with a perforated ring distributor with 24 holes having a diameter of 1 mm. The column operates with nitrogen as gas and with water with the addition of a surfactant (SDS) as liquid phase: under these conditions, the presence of a low-density phase was verified in the upper zone of the column. The gas velocity was varied from 1 to 6 cm/s, whereas the velocity of the liquid from 0 to 12 mm/s. The gas hold-up in both the bubble zone and in the low-density zone was determined under each condition, together with the fraction of column occupied by foams.
FIG. 2 shows the gas hold-up trends in the bubble zone in relation to the gas and liquid velocities.