Apparatus and method for hydroconversion

Abstract

An apparatus is disclosed for the hydroconversion of hydrocarbon feedstock with a hydrogen gas at elevated temperature and pressure with the use of a catalyst. The apparatus is a reactor vessel with a grid plate distributor for improved gas liquid distribution. The distributor comprises a grid plate and a bubble cap assembly with a plurality of tubular risers extending through the grid plate. Each tubular riser has an upper section above the grid plate and a lower section below the grid plate, the lower section terminated with an open bottom end for ingress of the hydrogen gas and hydrocarbon feedstock, the upper section having a closed top terminated with a housing cap. Each tubular riser has at least a vertical slot and a least a side hole sufficiently sized such that in operation, the liquid level in the zone below the grid plate is above the vertical slot and below the side hole opening.

1 . A grid plate assembly for use in a reactor for the hydroconversion of hydrocarbon feedstock with a hydrogen gas at elevated temperature and pressure with the use of a catalyst, comprising:
 a grid plate dividing the reactor into two zones, a zone above the grid plate and a zone below the grid plate;   a bubble cap assembly comprising a plurality of tubular risers extending through the grid plate to transmit the hydrogen gas and hydrocarbon feedstock from the zone below the grid plate to the zone above the grid plate;   each tubular riser having an upper section above the grid plate and a lower section below the grid plate, the lower section terminated with an open bottom end for ingress of the hydrogen gas and hydrocarbon feedstock, the upper section having a closed top terminated with a housing cap;   the lower section of the tubular riser having at least a vertical slot extending from the open bottom end;   the lower section of the tubular riser having a least a side hole opening sufficiently sized and located such that in operation, liquid level in the zone below the grid plate is above the vertical slot and below the side hole opening.   
     
     
         2 . The grid plate assembly of  claim 1 , wherein said the side hole is sized for an opening with a shortest dimension ranging from 1/16 to ½ of the diameter of the open bottom end of the tube riser. 
     
     
         3 . The grid plate assembly of  claim 2 , wherein the side hole has a shortest dimension ranging from ⅛ to ½″. 
     
     
         3 . The grid plate assembly of  claim 1 , wherein said the side hole opening is located at least 1″ below the distribution plate. 
     
     
         4 . The grid plate assembly of  claim 3 , wherein said the side hole opening is located from 1 to 5″ below the distributor plate. 
     
     
         5 . The grid plate assembly of  claim 1 , wherein each tubular riser has a vertical slot extending from the open bottom end with a length ranging from ⅛ to ½ of the length of the lower section. 
     
     
         6 . The grid plate assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the upper section has a constriction for gas liquid mixing in the tubular riser. 
     
     
         7 . The grid plate assembly of  claim 6 , further comprising a check valve located above the constriction in the upper section of the tubular riser. 
     
     
         8 . The grid plate assembly of  claim 5 , wherein the check valve comprises a steel ball and a valve seat. 
     
     
         9 . The grid plate assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the upper section having a constriction has no moving part allowing fluid to move unobstructed between the constriction and the housing cap. 
     
     
         10 . The grid plate assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the housing cap is tubular in shape. 
     
     
         11 . The grid plate assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the housing cap is bell shaped. 
     
     
         12 . The grid plate assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the tubular riser has a plurality of side holes of equal or different sizes. 
     
     
         13 . The grid plate assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the tubular riser has a plurality of side holes spaced along a vertical length of the riser. 
     
     
         14 . The grid plate assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the tubular riser has a plurality of side holes spaced equidistant circumferentially about the riser. 
     
     
         15 . The grid plate assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the tubular riser comprises an inner pipe and an outer pipe defining an annular opening between the inner pipe and the outer pipe as the open bottom end for ingress of the hydrogen gas and hydrocarbon feedstock. 
     
     
         16 . The grid plate assembly of  claim 1 , for use in an ebullating bed reactor. 
     
     
         17 . The grid plate assembly of  claim 1 , for use in a fluidized bed reactor. 
     
     
         18 . The grid plate assembly of  claim 1 , for use in a fixed bed reactor. 
     
     
         19 . The grid plate assembly of  claim 1 , for use in a slurry bed reactor. 
     
     
         20 . The grid plate assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of tubular risers each to having a least a side hole opening with at least two tubular risers having side hole openings of different sizes.