ABSTRACT
A spectrum of hydrogen-addition processes is available. Many similar fixed-bed trickle reactor processes have been developed and can be licensed from such companies as Shell, Gulf, and Exxon. Due to the catalyst bed expansion, the volumetric catalyst hold-up per reactor volume is smaller than in trickle-bed reactors. Ebullating-bed reactors–as in the H-Oil or the LC-Fining processes–are commercially applied in various residue upgrading projects. Both trickle-bed and ebullating-bed reactors for residue upgrading applications are expensive capital cost items because of the high temperatures and pressures applied and the huge catalyst volumes required. The emerging slurry-phase technologies will necessitate a few more years of development, primarily due to the limited understanding of the factors that influence the hydrodynamic behavior of the reactor system. Reactor temperature control is important in ebullating-bed reactors, as is reflected in the great number of thermocouples installed in the reactor.
