Reactor Design for Smaller Batch Transfers of Catalyst

• US 20090324465A1
• Filed: 06/25/2008
• Published: 12/31/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 06/25/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: UOP Llc (Honeywell International Inc.)
• Original Assignee: UOP Llc (Honeywell International Inc.)
• Inventors: Riley, Mark G., Stewart, Douglas G., Bernard, Peter M.
• Granted Patent: US 7,951,341 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 422/234
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2208/00371 gaseous
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2208/00849 outside the bed, e.g. baffles
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2208/00876 outside the bed, e.g. rotary mixer
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2208/00884 Means for supporting the bed of particles, e.g. grids, bars, perforated plates
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 8/12 moved by gravity in a downward flow
• CPC Class Codes: C10G 2300/70 Catalyst aspects
• CPC Class Codes: C10G 35/12 according to the "moving-bed" method

Abstract

A moving bed of catalyst loses activity as it moves through the reactor. Creating multiple passes for the process fluid moving across a catalyst bed, increases the utilization of the catalyst and creates a pseudo-counter current flow of catalyst and process fluid. The flow improves the temperature profile of the bed and allows higher temperature fluid contacting the less active catalyst.

Claims

1. A radial flow reactor comprising:

a substantially cylindrical housing having a central axis, and having a catalyst inlet port at the top of the reactor and a catalyst outlet port at the bottom of the reactor;

a centerpipe having an inlet and an outlet, and with the centerpipe axis substantially aligned with the housing central axis, and the centerpipe has a perforated wall for allowing the passage of fluid through the centerpipe wall;

an annular perforated screen disposed between the centerpipe and the housing; and

a restriction disposed within the centerpipe for blocking flow through the centerpipe.

2. The radial flow reactor of claim 1 wherein the restriction in the centerpipe is a valve, allowing for opening and closing flow through the centerpipe.

3. The radial flow reactor of claim 1 further comprising seals between the annular perforated screen and the housing.

4. The radial flow reactor of claim 1 further comprises a bypass conduit providing fluid communication between the reactor feed inlet and the reactor product outlet.

5. The radial flow reactor of claim 1 further comprising a quench fluid inlet port.

8. The radial flow reactor of claim 1 further comprising multiple restrictions in the centerpipe.

9. The radial flow reactor of claim 8 wherein the restrictions are valves.

10. The radial flow reactor of claim 8 further comprising multiple seals between the annular perforated screen and the housing.

11. The radial flow reactor of claim 1 further comprising a volume fill section for filling volume in the centerpipe.

12. The radial flow reactor of claim 11 wherein the volume fill section is a conic section.

6. The radial flow reactor of claim 6 wherein the quench fluid is hydrogen.

7. The radial flow reactor of claim 6 wherein quench fluid is a liquid paraffin at a temperature less than 100°

C.

13. A radial flow reactor comprising:

a substantially cylindrical housing having a central axis, and having a catalyst inlet port at the top of the reactor and a catalyst outlet port at the bottom of the reactor;

a centerpipe having an inlet and an outlet, and with the centerpipe axis substantially aligned with the housing central axis, and the centerpipe has a perforated wall for allowing the passage of fluid through the centerpipe wall;

an annular perforated screen disposed between the centerpipe and the housing, forming an annular catalyst bed zone;

a catalyst reduction zone disposed between the catalyst inlet port and the annular catalyst bed zone;

a catalyst collection zone disposed between the annular catalyst bed zone and the catalyst outlet port; and

a valve disposed within the centerpipe for blocking flow through the centerpipe.

14. The radial flow reactor of claim 13 further comprising seals between the annular perforated screen and the housing.

15. The radial flow reactor of claim 13 further comprises a bypass conduit providing fluid communication between the reactor feed inlet and the reactor product outlet.

16. The radial flow reactor of claim 13 further comprising a quench fluid inlet port.

17. The radial flow reactor of claim 16 wherein the quench fluid is hydrogen.

18. The radial flow reactor of claim 16 wherein the quench fluid is a liquid paraffin at a temperature less than 100°

C.

19. The radial flow reactor of claim 13 further comprising multiple valves in the centerpipe.