Moving bed reactor for processing three phase flows

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11207651-B2
Application number	US-202016909970-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 23, 2020
Priority date	Jun 24, 2019
Publication date	Dec 28, 2021
Grant date	Dec 28, 2021

Abstract

A moving bed reactor is provided that can allow facilitate performing a reaction involving a three-phase flow under co-axial flow conditions for the solid and liquid portions of the three phase flow, while the gas portion of the three-phase flow is exposed to the solids under radial flow conditions. Methods for using such a moving bed reactor to perform a reaction, such as upgrading of a feed to distillate products, are also provided.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A moving bed reactor, comprising:
a reactor comprising an annular outer volume, an annular solids volume inside the annular outer volume, a first central conduit inside of the annular solids volume, and an inner central conduit inside the first central conduit, the annular solids volume comprising a plurality of perforations providing vapor communication between the annular outer volume and the first central conduit;
a central gas opening in fluid communication with the outer annular volume;
a plurality of solids inlet conduits in solids flow communication with the annular solids volume;
one or more distributor plates comprising distributor plate concave volumes, a plurality of the distributor plate concave volumes being arranged around each of the solids inlet conduits, each distributor plate concave volume comprising one or more orifices providing fluid communication between each distributor plate concave volume and the annular solids volume;
a plurality of liquid inlet conduits in fluid communication with the distributor plate concave volumes;
a gas exit conduit in fluid communication with the inner central volume;
a liquid exit conduit in fluid communication with the outer central volume; and
a solids exit volume in solids flow communication with a bottom of the solids annular volume, the solids exit volume further comprising a stripping gas inlet and a stripping gas outlet, the stripping gas outlet providing fluid communication with the outer central volume.

2. The reactor of claim 1 , wherein the one or more distributor plates further comprise a plurality of exit surfaces separating the distributor plate concave volumes from the annular solids volume, the one or more orifices providing fluid communication between each concave volume and the annular solids volume through an exit surface.

3. The reactor of claim 2 , wherein the plurality of exit surfaces are oriented at an angle of 15° to 45° relative to a plane defined by at least one interface between the one or more solids inlet conduits and the solids volume.

4. The reactor of claim 1 , wherein each orifice further comprises a nozzle, the nozzle comprising a slit at a liquid level height.

5. The reactor of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of solids inlet conduits have a smaller characteristic width than a width of the solids volume at an interface between each solids inlet conduit and the solids volume.

6. The reactor of claim 1 , wherein the perforations prevent flow of solid particles into the annular outer volume and into the first central conduit.

7. The reactor of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of solids inlet conduits provide solids flow communication between a source of solid particles and the solids annular volume.

8. The reactor of claim 7 , wherein the source of solid particles comprises a solids exit volume of a second moving bed reactor, a regenerator, or a combination thereof.

9. The reactor of claim 1 , wherein the reactor further comprises solid particles in the solids annular volume, a top surface of the solid particles forming a plurality of cones at the angle of repose for the solid particles.

10. The reactor of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of solids inlet conduits pass through a plurality of openings in the one or more distributor plates, or wherein the one or more distributor plates comprise the plurality of solids inlet conduits.

11. The reactor of claim 1 , wherein the central gas opening comprises an opening in a distributor plate of the one or more distributor plates.

12. A method for operating a moving bed reactor, comprising:
passing solid particles into an annular solids volume of a moving bed reactor through a plurality of solids inlet conduits, the solid particles forming a plurality of cones at an angle of repose for the solid particles within the annular solids volume;
passing a liquid feed into the annular solids volume, at least a portion of the liquid feed impinging on the plurality of cones formed by the solid particles;
contacting the solid particles with a gas feed by passing the gas feed from an outer annular volume, through the annular solids volume, through a first central conduit, and into an inner central conduit;
moving the solid particles and a liquid effluent through the annular solids volume into a solids exit volume;
stripping the liquid effluent from the solid particles by passing a stripping gas through the solids exit volume and into the first central conduit.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein passing the liquid feed into the annular solids volume comprises:
introducing the liquid feed into a plurality of concave volumes in a distributor plate, the plurality of concave volumes being arranged around each of the plurality of solids inlet conduits, each concave volume comprising one or more orifices, the one or more orifices providing fluid communication between the plurality of concave volumes and the annular solids volume via a plurality of exit surfaces; and
passing the liquid feed through the one or more orifices into the annular solids volume.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein the plurality of exit surfaces are oriented at an angle of 15° to 45° relative to a plane defined by at least one interface between the plurality of solids inlet conduits and the annular solids volume.

15. The method of claim 12 , wherein the at least a portion of the liquid feed comprises a lateral velocity component as it impinges on the plurality of cones.

16. The method of claim 12 , wherein the liquid effluent comprises 50 vol % or more of a volume of the liquid feed.

17. The method of claim 12 , wherein the liquid effluent comprises at least one liquid reaction product formed by contacting the solid particles with the liquid feed, the gas feed, or a combination thereof.

18. The method of claim 12 , wherein the at least a portion of the liquid feed comprises 40 vol % or more of the volume of the liquid feed.

19. The method of claim 12 , wherein the plurality of solids inlet conduits provide solids flow communication between a source of solid particles and the solids annular volume.

20. The method of claim 19 , wherein the source of solid particles comprises a solids exit volume of a second moving bed reactor, a regenerator, or a combination thereof.

Assignees

• Exxonmobil Res & Eng Co

Inventors

• Kovvali Anjaneya S
• Raterman Michael F
• Behkish Arsam

Classifications

• B01J2208/0092

  Perforated plates · CPC title

• B01J2208/06

  Details of tube reactors containing solid particles · CPC title

• B01J8/12 Primary

  moved by gravity in a downward flow · CPC title

• B01J8/003

  in a downward flow · CPC title

• B01J2208/00902

  Nozzle-type feeding elements · CPC title