Slurry reactor system for upgrading feedstock

Abstract

A slurry reactor system including a slurry reactor configured to convert, under slurry hydroconversion conditions, a slurry reactor content flowing upwards and containing a feedstock including one or more of fats, oils and greases, a slurry hydroconversion catalyst and a hydrogen stream to a slurry hydroconversion effluent containing a slurry phase effluent including catalyst particles and a liquid product and a vapor phase effluent including a hydroconversion product, and one or more separation units in fluid communication with the slurry reactor to receive the slurry hydroconversion effluent. A given one of the one or more separation units is configured to separate the slurry phase effluent from the vapor phase effluent.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A slurry reactor system, comprising:
 a slurry reactor configured to convert, under slurry hydroconversion conditions, a slurry reactor content flowing upwards and comprising a feedstock comprising one or more of fats, oils and greases, a slurry hydroconversion catalyst and a hydrogen stream to a slurry hydroconversion effluent comprising a slurry phase effluent comprising catalyst particles and a liquid product and a vapor phase effluent comprising a hydroconversion product; and   one or more separation units in fluid communication with the slurry reactor to receive the slurry hydroconversion effluent, where a given one of the one or more separation units is configured to separate the slurry phase effluent from the vapor phase effluent;   wherein the slurry reactor is further configured to provide backmixing to fluidize the slurry hydroconversion catalyst to maintain a substantially homogeneous slurry reactor content, and a substantially isothermal temperature profile in the slurry reactor; and   wherein at least about 60% of the feedstock is converted into the vapor phase effluent.   
     
     
         2 . The slurry reactor system according to  claim 1 , wherein at least about 80% of the feedstock is converted into the vapor phase effluent. 
     
     
         3 . The slurry reactor system according to  claim 1 , wherein at least about 90% of the feedstock is converted into the vapor phase effluent. 
     
     
         4 . The slurry reactor system according to  claim 1 , further comprising a gas sparger located in a bottom portion of the slurry reactor for flowing gas bubbles to the slurry reactor content. 
     
     
         5 . The slurry reactor system according to  claim 4 , wherein the backmixing is provided by flowing a majority of the gas bubbles through a center portion of the slurry reactor to the slurry reactor content. 
     
     
         6 . The slurry reactor system according to  claim 5 , wherein the slurry reactor is further configured to generate a slurry stream depleted of gas bubbles, the slurry stream depleted of gas bubbles having a first density and the slurry reactor content having a second density less than the first density such that the slurry stream depleted of gas bubbles flows downward in proximity to walls of the slurry reactor based in part on a density difference of the first density and the second density. 
     
     
         7 . The slurry reactor system according to  claim 1 , wherein the given separation unit is external to the slurry reactor. 
     
     
         8 . The slurry reactor system according to  claim 7 , wherein the one or more separation units further comprises a separation unit internal to the slurry reactor. 
     
     
         9 . The slurry reactor system according to  claim 1 , wherein the slurry reactor further comprises a vapor phase zone configured to receive a major portion of the vapor phase effluent from the slurry hydroconversion effluent. 
     
     
         10 . The slurry reactor system according to  claim 9 , wherein the major portion of the vapor phase effluent exits from a top portion of the slurry reactor and the slurry hydroconversion effluent comprising catalyst particles and the liquid product and a remaining portion of the vapor phase effluent continuously exit from a bottom portion of the slurry reactor to the given separation unit to fully separate the vapor phase effluent from the slurry phase effluent. 
     
     
         11 . The slurry reactor system according to  claim 1 , wherein the feedstock comprises one or more of animal fats, animal oils, plant fats, plant oils, vegetable fats, vegetable oils, greases, and used cooking oil. 
     
     
         12 . The slurry reactor system according to  claim 1 , wherein the slurry hydroconversion catalyst comprises a metal sulfide comprising one or more metals selected from the group consisting of molybdenum, nickel, cobalt and tungsten, and the slurry hydroconversion catalyst further comprises particles having an average particle size of about 0.1 micron to about 200 microns. 
     
     
         13 . A continuous process, comprising:
 converting, under slurry hydroconversion conditions, a slurry reactor content flowing upwards in a slurry reactor and comprising a feedstock comprising one or more of fats, oils and greases, a slurry hydroconversion catalyst and a hydrogen stream to a slurry hydroconversion effluent comprising a slurry phase effluent comprising catalyst particles and a liquid product and a vapor phase effluent comprising a hydroconversion product;   flowing the slurry hydroconversion effluent comprising the slurry phase effluent comprising catalyst particles and a liquid product and the vapor phase effluent comprising the hydroconversion product from the slurry reactor to a separation unit; and   separating the slurry phase effluent from the vapor phase effluent;   wherein the slurry reactor is configured to provide backmixing to fluidize the slurry hydroconversion catalyst to maintain a substantially homogeneous slurry reactor content, and a substantially isothermal temperature profile in the slurry reactor; and   wherein at least about 60% of the feedstock is converted into the vapor phase effluent.   
     
     
         14 . The continuous process according to  claim 13 , wherein at least about 80% of the feedstock is converted into the vapor phase effluent. 
     
     
         15 . The continuous process according to  claim 13 , wherein at least about 90% of the feedstock is converted into the vapor phase effluent. 
     
     
         16 . The continuous process according to  claim 13 , wherein the slurry reactor is a bubble column slurry reactor system and the process further comprises flowing gas bubbles through the slurry reactor content in the slurry reactor to provide the backmixing. 
     
     
         17 . The continuous process according to  claim 13 , wherein the separation unit is external to the slurry reactor. 
     
     
         18 . The continuous process according to  claim 13 , further comprising partially separating a major portion of the vapor phase effluent from the slurry hydroconversion effluent and flowing the major portion of the vapor phase effluent to a vapor phase zone in the slurry reactor prior to flowing the slurry hydroconversion effluent to the separation unit. 
     
     
         19 . The continuous process according to  claim 13 , wherein the feedstock comprises one or more of animal fats, animal oils, plant fats, plant oils, vegetable fats, vegetable oils, greases, and used cooking oil. 
     
     
         20 . The continuous process according to  claim 13 , wherein the slurry hydroconversion catalyst comprises a metal sulfide comprising one or more metals selected from the group consisting of molybdenum, nickel, cobalt and tungsten, and the slurry hydroconversion catalyst further comprises particles having an average particle size of about 0.1 micron to about 200 microns.