Controlling foam circulation in an ebullated bed process

Patent · Tue Mar 24 00:00:00 EST 1992

OSTI ID:5253618

Strickland, J C

This patent describes improvement in a continuous process for treating a fluid hydrocarbon feedstock with a hydrogen-containing gas at elevated catalytic reaction temperatures and pressure in the presence of a bed of particulate solid catalyst, comprising introducing the hydrogen-containing gas and feedstock into the lower end of a generally vertical reaction vessel containing the catalyst at sufficient velocity whereby the catalyst is placed in random motion within the fluid hydrocarbon feedstock and is expanded to a volume greater than its static volume, wherein the mixture of feedstock, gas and catalyst constitutes a turbulent zone, the upper portion of which is defined by a catalyst depleted zone comprising gas, liquid and foam, wherein liquid is recycled from the catalyst depleted zone to the lower end of the turbulent zone. The improvement comprises: removing a gas-liquid mixture from the catalyst depleted zone, separating the liquid from the gas-liquid mixture and returning the liquid to the catalyst depleted zone in an amount to maintain a selected liquid level in the upper portion of the reaction vessel, the liquid level selected to force foam to the upper portion of the catalyst depleted zone thereby excluding foam from recycle with liquid to the lower end of the turbulent zone.

• Assignee: Texaco, Inc., White Plains, NY (United States)
• Patent Number(s): US 5098552; A
• Application Number: PPN: US 7-612351
• OSTI ID: 5253618
• Resource Relation: Patent File Date: 13 Nov 1990
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

02 PETROLEUM
37 INORGANIC
ORGANIC
PHYSICAL AND ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY
EBULLATED BED
FOAMS
HYDROCARBONS
CATALYTIC CRACKING
CATALYSTS
CATALYTIC EFFECTS
CHEMICAL FEEDSTOCKS
CONTROL SYSTEMS
GASES
HYDROCRACKING
LIQUIDS
MIXTURES
OPTIMIZATION
PETROLEUM REFINERIES
SEPARATION PROCESSES
CHEMICAL REACTIONS
COLLOIDS
CRACKING
DECOMPOSITION
DISPERSIONS
FLUIDS
INDUSTRIAL PLANTS
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
PYROLYSIS
THERMOCHEMICAL PROCESSES
020400* - Petroleum- Processing
020500 - Petroleum- Products & By-Products
400105 - Separation Procedures